Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler Returns to Lead Heat in Game 3 Win Over the Knicks

Jimmy Butler made up for his missed time in Game 2 by slicing into the lane for a floater and hitting a jumper over a double team to start. He played the entire first quarter, logging 10 points on 55% shooting, with two rebounds and a dime.

The Heat climbed to a 29-21 lead after one interval. Max Strus contributed four out of six makes; he curled around the perimeter for a catch-and-release bomb, finished a break layup after a help-side block, caught Kevin Love’s full-court outlet pass, resulting in a jam and hit a reverse bank shot against drop coverage.

In the first half, the Heat mixed up the matchup on Jalen Brunson with Gabe Vincent as Butler shadowed RJ Barrett. Brunson missed his first five attempts as he was bothered with #2 on his hip. When he managed to zip past Vincent on the baseline or elevate at the elbow for a shot, Strus came in with weak-side help.

Star-J had burned Miami in two straight first halves, but Saturday, the hosts suppressed him to four points on 25% field goal efficiency. When he pulled up from the corner, Butler and Caleb Martin were there to contest. Stepping through the lane for a floater, Butler stalked his man and rejected the ball into Strus’ hands.

At intermission, Adebayo had recorded nine points, extended three possessions via offensive rebounds, and viciously denied Julius Randle’s putback. Miami was up on New York 58-44, as both squads combined to make six 3-pointers in the period.

Jalen Rose, one of the notorious ESPN squares doing the “halftime analysis” show, suggested the weather affected the Knicks, despite the indoor game. I swear, Michael Wilbon was nodding.

“When you’re the road team, you have to pay attention to that heat because it affects the endurance of your muscles…” Rose said.

Rose would have a point if the Heat unethically tampered with the air conditioning system in the arena, making it unbearably hot. But everyone in there sat as cool as a cucumber, except for the players checking in-and-out, or the anxious ones watching on the lines.

In the third quarter, New York restrained Butler from the field but not from invading the charity line for seven perfect attempts. Strus dropped two extra trifectas and broke into the lane for a running jumper.

Five minutes into the frame, Butler drove through the middle, but his lower back made contact with Brunson, thrusting him forward and slightly bending his right ankle on the way down. He played with a limp the rest of the quarter and was briefly used in the fourth because the Knicks never cut its deficit to single digits.

Late in quarter three, Vincent sized up Brunson, but his matchup stepped into his personal space. Vincent pulled up, catching Brunson in the chest and chin with his arm. The refs called a penalty on Miami, but coach Erik Spoelstra used his sideline challenge, and the decision was overturned. Vincent then made three freebies.

In the fourth, the Heat suffocated the Knicks behind the arc by closing out after some drive and kicks, plus staying in front of the ball against some handlers. The Heat only allowed two of ten opposing deep tries to go in for this stretch.

With under eight minutes left, Kyle Lowry backed down Immanuel Quickley in the lane and pivoted past him to give Miami a 22-point lead, its largest of the night, as Butler sat. #22 would soon return for a quick cameo, with the Heat up 14, preventing the Knicks from clawing back in.

Midway through the fourth, Adebayo landed on Quickley’s left ankle, diving for a loose ball. Josh Hart replaced the wounded Knick, and the broadcast caught Quickley slowly limping through the tunnel.

To stretch the advantage back to 15 points, Butler attracted a double when turning past a screen. He maneuvered to the middle, spinning to his right to drop off a pass for Adebayo, unattended in the dunker spot, for his prettiest dish of the afternoon.

The Heat won Game 3 105-86.

At the postgame presser, Butler sat in the chair and answered questions with a hat and pair of black sunglasses on. Not everyone can pull that off. Before rock and roll luminary Tom Petty died, he said wearing shades indoors is an honor you earn. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a privilege Butler can bask in. No Heat player in the team’s history has ever averaged over 34 points a night in the Playoffs through their first seven games like Butler has this year.

When asked about Adebayo’s comments after Game 2, when his teammate blamed himself for the loss, Butler disputed the assessment.

“He did great,” Butler said. “It’s never on one individual… I’m glad that he had a great bounce-back game, as he would call it. We just want him to stay aggressive, be the anchor on the defensive end and be hella aggressive on the offensive end.”

Game 4 is Monday, and the Heat has a bright opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead with a dub. Even without Butler at 100%, he is still a significant difference maker that activates the rest of the parts, like the brain sending nerve signals through the body.

Following the Game 3 victory, FanDuel, Caesars and Bet365 Sportsbook have raised the Heat to the second highest odds of winning the eastern conference behind the Celtics.  Now that the wise guys are respecting the club, it is fair to say that the Heat are for real.