The fourth game is scheduled for Monday.
Although the Heat had one of their worst games in terms of field goal percentage and three-pointers, the team remained firm on defense and managed to contain the Knicks throughout the game. Defense has been the key to Miami's success throughout the season and remains one of their main strengths in these days of high scoring in the NBA.
"It's about figuring out how to compete at a very high level. What's necessary for that particular game to be able to win," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after the game.
The coach also emphasized the importance of winning games in different ways in the playoffs. "Every game is very different in the playoffs. And this is one of those games where we had to grind it out to win," said Kyle Lowry, the team's point guard.
The Knicks had a bad night in terms of shooting, with only 34% accuracy in field goals and 20% in three-pointers. Even on easy shots near the basket, the Knicks had problems and only scored 46% of their attempts. Jalen Brunson was the team's top scorer with 20 points, followed by Josh Hart with 15, RJ Barrett with 14, and Immanuel Quickley with 12. Quickley, who scored 10 points in the third quarter, left the game in the fourth quarter after suffering an ankle injury that will be evaluated again on Sunday.
For their part, Bam Adebayo was one of the Heat's standout players with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Lowry added 14 points in the victory. Duncan Robinson also contributed with a three-pointer at the beginning of the second quarter, which gave the team an 11-point lead, and from there the lead remained in double digits for the rest of the game.
The fourth game of the series will be played on Monday in Miami. The Knicks will have to recover quickly if they want to tie the series before returning to New York for the fifth game. Fans of both teams are expecting an exciting game, but Miami is in a favorable position to advance to the conference finals for the second consecutive year.
As for the altercation that occurred in the last seconds of the third quarter, when several players from both teams got into a fight, Spoelstra said it was "much ado about nothing" and he hoped it would stay that way. Ultimately, the Heat took the victory thanks to solid defense and smart team play.
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