Miami, which took the lead in the final minute of the second quarter and never fell behind on the scoreboard again, was not effective from the perimeter (7-27) nor had a player who could unbalance the game as much as Brunson did, because it is noticeable that Jimmy Butler (24 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists with 7-22 shooting) is not 100% due to his ankle injury that he twisted at the beginning of the series.
But Erik Spoelstra's team was able to dominate inside with 23 points and 9 rebounds from Bam Adebayo in his best game of the series and counted on the key performance of Kyle Lowry off the bench generating several baskets (11 points and 9 assists).
Kyle Lowry, the veteran Miami Heat point guard, has shown his resurgence in the NBA playoffs, after spending a month on the injured list and contributing decisively to the team. Although Gabe Vincent has mentioned that the time out doesn't matter due to the great performances Lowry has had since then, Lowry hasn't forgotten it. His absence from the game on February 4th to March 10th allowed him to overcome the knee discomfort that limited his performance in previous weeks and recharge his body to reach the Eastern Conference Finals with the Heat. The team's organization gave him the necessary time for his recovery, which has been an important factor in his performance. Lowry has ensured that the goal is to stay healthy in order to help the team in the decisive moments of the playoffs. In his last game, he showed his best performance in the playoffs with 11 points and solid defense.
New York closed the gap in the final minute with a flagrant foul by Gabe Vincent that resulted in two free throws made by Brunson and an assist from the guard to Hart, who scored underneath to put the Knicks within two points. But after a missed shot by Butler, Miami managed to defend Brunson well and force him into a turnover in the possession that was worth its weight in gold for the New Yorkers. Some free throws from Butler and Strus sealed the game.
The victory of the Miami Heat was impressive but not surprising to the world basketball experts who have followed their trajectory in recent years. The comeback of Miami, the incredible performance of Brunson, Adebayo's leadership for Miami, Butler's tireless fight through his ankle injury, to finish with 24 points, are aspects of an Amazing Miami HEAT. Jalen Brunson shines with 41 points, but Miami Heat prevails to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Bam Adebayo leads Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals with an impressive victory against the New York Knicks.
The Knicks fell short despite Brunson's brilliant performance. Moreover, Miami will now face either Philadelphia or Boston, where they will have to win on the road to reach the Finals.
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks: Game 6 Final Result
|
Team |
1C |
2C |
3C |
4C |
Total |
Serie |
|
Miami Heat |
24 |
27 |
23 |
22 |
96 |
4 |
|
New York Knicks |
31 |
19 |
21 |
21 |
92 |
2 |
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks: Game 6 Statistics and Leaders
Points
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, 23 points (9-20 FG)
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson, 41 points (14-22 FG)
Rebounds
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, 9 rebounds
New York Knicks: Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, 11 rebounds
Assists
Miami Heat: Kyle Lowry, 9 assists
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Quentin Grimes, 3 assists each
When is the next Miami Heat game in the NBA Playoffs 2023?
Day: Wednesday, May 17
Time:
Mexico City: 6:30 PM
Eastern Time (US): 8:30 PM
Argentina: 9:30 PM
Spain: 2:30 AM (Thursday)
Miami is the first finalist of the 2023 Playoffs (East), after eliminating the New York Knicks in a tightly contested game, but above all, it revives Miami as a protagonist in US basketball.