The NBA semifinals were returning to Madison Square Garden a decade later. The atmosphere was propitious and expected for such an occasion. Full to the brim and the public eager to see their team win, that the Knicks took the lead in a tie that seemed to have become very cheap after the elimination of the Bucks. But those who killed the monster were ahead and after winning twice in Milwaukee, the atmosphere in Madison wasn’t going to scare them. And that the locals came out in a rush and managed to put a 12-point lead on the scoreboard in the second quarter, playing with more energy, ideas and a lot of superiority in the area.
All of that was cut little by little by the Miami Heat. At halftime the advantage was already only 5 points (55-50). The grandparents of the place, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love, giving lessons on how to play the game. supporting actors, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, becoming principal. And the stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, appearing in their proper measure. Everything together formed a cocktail that did not sit well with some Knicks who ended up losing the battle of the zones, they risked everything on the shot of three and they got tails (7/34) and ended up looking like headless chickens. Those who made good decisions at the beginning, like RJ Barrett (his first minutes were spectacular) or Jalen Brunson, shot their team’s feet at the end.
This time it didn’t take a historic performance from Butler for the Heat to win, but his game makes him enter history in another way. He is the fifth player to link six playoff games with 25 or more points and 50% shooting from the field in all of them. The other names are those of Kareem, twice, Bernard King, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The truth is that it is at the level of these names that the Heat guard is playing in these playoffs, who gave the scare five minutes from the end when his foot bent too much in a random collision with Josh Hart and was left on the ground writhing in pain. But if someone cannot doubt his professionalism, it is his, who returned to the track as soon as he could.
The next game, the second, will be played again in New York at dawn from Tuesday to Wednesday (01:30). The Knicks, who did not count today due to injury with Julius RandleThey need to win at any rate to avoid going to Florida with a 0-2 score that would sound like an impossible mission. Although seen in these playoffs, never say never.
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4
Derrick Rose
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13
Evan Fournier
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|
30
Julius Randle
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|
3
Josh Hart
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55
Isaiah Hartenstein
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|
23
mitchell robinson
|
|
eleven
jalen brunson
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|
9
RJ Barrett
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|
18
roby isaiah
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|
8
daquan jeffries
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|
1
obi toppin
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|
5
Immanuel Quickley
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|
6
Quentin Grimes
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|
2
Miles McBride
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|
44
Duane Washington Jr.
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|
0
Trevor Keels
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| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4
Derrick Rose
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
13
Evan Fournier
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
30
Julius Randle
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
Josh Hart
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43 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 5/8 | 0/4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
|
55
Isaiah Hartenstein
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14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
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23
mitchell robinson
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33 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1/4 | 3/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
eleven
jalen brunson
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40 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3/4 | 11/16 | 0/7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
9
RJ Barrett
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39 | 26 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5/8 | 9/15 | 1/5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
18
roby isaiah
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
daquan jeffries
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
1
obi toppin
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31 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 3/4 | 4/11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
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5
Immanuel Quickley
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27 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 2/5 | 1/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
6
Quentin Grimes
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10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 1/3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
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2
Miles McBride
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
44
Duane Washington Jr.
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Trevor Keels
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Kyle Lowry
|
|
22
Jimmy Butler
|
|
42
Kevin Love
|
|
44
Cody Zeller
|
|
40
udonis haslem
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|
13
Bam Adebayo
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|
55
Duncan Robinson
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|
24
Haywood Highsmith
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|
2
gabe vincent
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|
31
Max Strus
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|
16
Caleb Martin
|
|
77
Omer Yurtseven
|
|
5
Nikola Jovic
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|
25
orlando robinson
|
|
8
Jamal Cain
|
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7
Kyle Lowry
|
29 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5/6 | 2/6 | 3/6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
22
Jimmy Butler
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43 | 25 | eleven | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9/11 | 8/15 | 0/1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
42
Kevin Love
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16 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 2/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
44
Cody Zeller
|
8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
40
udonis haslem
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
13
Bam Adebayo
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37 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 7/13 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
55
Duncan Robinson
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12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
24
Haywood Highsmith
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4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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2
gabe vincent
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33 | twenty | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3/3 | 1/4 | 5/12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
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31
Max Strus
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23 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 2/5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
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16
Caleb Martin
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30 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2/4 | 23 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
77
Omer Yurtseven
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
5
Nikola Jovic
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
25
orlando robinson
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
Jamal Cain
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |