Amelia Earhart will come back before the Knicks in round two. Game five is at Madison Square Garden Wednesday, but New York has no answer for Jimmy Butler.

Through eight playoff games, Butler has the third-highest scoring average in the postseason (33.5) but is fifth in total points logged. Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Nikola Jokić, and Kevin Durant have more, but Butler has played fewer games than each.

The first half of Game 4 belonged to Bam Adebayo. He was invigorated like Frankenstein‘s monster fresh off the operating table. Adebayo looked for the ball after shielding handlers with a screen to get inside. Following two quarters, he had 16 points and seven rebounds.

On one early connection, Kevin Love beat Randle off the dribble from the wing to the lane, forcing New York’s shot blocker to leave Adebayo open for a hook. It was the best impersonation of Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning all evening.

Max Strus added eight points through two quarters, nailing two triples as the trailing guard in transition, plus a slam after a pick.

On the Knicks’ side, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson were the main culprits dealing damage. Both had efficiently recorded double figures in the score column. Randle identified mismatches and navigated past Adebayo and Butler on rim attacks. Brunson found separation through his dribble or baiting Heatles into biting on his fake for a runway to the cup.

At intermission, the Heat was ahead 56-48. New York recovered seven offensive rebounds, turning into seven second-chance points, and picked up five loose balls. But its bench had six points. Miami was in target practice, shooting 52.4% from the field and 44.4% behind the arc. The Heat’s reserve crew had 17.

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Butler was on cruise control until the second half, but he had nine points with four rebounds and four assists. On one of his scores, Love launched a full-court outlet pass that turned into a dunk for JB.

In the third frame, Butler lost Grimes behind Adebayo’s pindown and seized the baseline for a layup plus the foul. Then, he cut left into the paint, assisted by #13’s ghost screen and finished with his left hand as Mitchell Robinson was on his back hip. Under a minute left in the quarter, he isolated Josh Hart in the mid-post and escaped into the paint for a three-foot basket.

In this interval, Butler had five more dimes. He exploited the Knicks ball watching on defense, finding cutters or delivering the pass after double teams.

The visitors logged 76.5% of their attempts in the third quarter, mainly behind RJ Barrett’s four consecutive baskets and Don Julio’s three field goals. Defensively, Randle picked up his third and fourth fouls.

In the fourth quarter, Randle played nearly nine pointless minutes before crashing into Strus and fouling out in crunch time with the Heat up seven.

Both offenses fell apart in the final period. The difference late was the Heat recovering seven offensive rebounds that morphed into seven backbreaking second-chance points and the Knicks couldn’t defend without fouling. Nine penalties sent the hosts to the line for 10 tries, making seven.

Brunson (13) and Barrett (7) were the only Knickerbockers to score in the fourth quarter. Miami only allowed four New York bench points in the second half, too, coming in the third quarter.

The Heat won 109-101 behind Adebayo and Butler’s strongest playoff game together this year.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra praised his leading duo’s production and said they are at the top of the food chain as two-way competitors.

“They can impact and put their fingertips on playoff games, on any given possession, defensively or offensively,” Spo said. “They’ve played in a lot of playoff games together, so we’re following them.”

In the visiting press room, the atmosphere was doom and gloom. Randle was asked about the Knicks getting beat in the offensive rebounding battle. He responded, “Maybe they want it more. That’s been who we are all year, and we got to find a way to step up and make those plays if we want to keep this season alive.”

Paul Castellano had a better chance of being revived outside of Sparks Steak House than the Knicks currently do.

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.

Through the first 12 minutes, the Heat found itself in an 11-point hole because of snipers misfiring on the perimeter and the Knicks having unrestricted access to the lane.

It appeared as if the Heat’s long-range shooting had reverted to its regular season median of being the fourth worst of 30 teams. Yet, in round one against Milwaukee, Miami was #1 of 16 playoff groups in 3-point efficiency. The guests at Madison Square Garden wouldn’t find its deep touch until the second half, assisting in outscoring the hosts by 12 through the period.

This is why it’s important not to overreact.

On New York’s first possession, Mitchell Robinson flung a weak pass intended for Jalen Brunson on the wing, but Jimmy Butler intercepted it and sped off. Gabe Vincent trailed JB on the right side and hit a catch-and-release trifecta to give the Heat a 5-0 lead.

Vincent was the only visitor to record more than one field goal in the first quarter. Butler didn’t get on the scoreboard until midway through the period. While #22 was in the dunker spot, Kevin Love threw a pass over Josh Hart from the key, and Butler jumped higher, came down, and back up for a left-handed layup.

The Heat’s initial problem was RJ Barrett. He maneuvered to his spots for layups and jumpers, totaling 11 points on five of six shots to start. Aside from Star-J’s scoring, Miami had to contend with his ball distribution on rim attacks. He registered three dimes; one while getting iced after turning past a screen and getting doubled, sending the lob up the middle for Robinson to jam; the second and third were connections to Obi Toppin.

The Knicks didn’t miss its All-Star through the first half. In the hour leading to tip-off, the Knicks ruled out Julius Randle and had Toppin start in his place. New York’s third-year forward contributed 12 opening minutes and logged seven points on three of four shots. He slammed two lobs, one on the break, another in the half-court, plus he canned a triple in the left corner.

In the second quarter, the Heat’s offense began to percolate. Butler was rolling to the basket after screens like a big man, converting three shots in the restricted area. Vincent tallied six more points, but three at the line courtesy of Immanuel Quickley swiping at his head on a 3-point attempt.

On the other side, Brunson hit five shots in a row after breaking down Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin with his dribble.

At halftime, the Heat was down 50-55. New York’s vain hoists from behind the arc didn’t allow it to capitalize on Miami’s powerless artillery strikes. Forty of the Knicks’ points through two quarters were inflicted in the paint, and the Heat’s defensive rating was 117, equal to the 26th worst squad in the category for the regular season.

In the third quarter, Miami’s paint protection and Love’s precise outlet passing swung the pendulum of control to the visitors. It was fitting that on primetime TV, he burned the team that carbonized his old crew. Assuredly, some Cavaliers honcho must have remembered then that every time Love makes the Playoffs, his team goes to the Finals.

Aside from two fastbreak dunks, Butler curled into the paint for a turnaround hook and pulled up on the baseline for two points over Hart in quarter three. Max Strus supplied two long-range bangers when swinging the ball on the wings unfastened New York’s defense.

Entering the last frame, Miami was up six points. Bam Adebayo and Lowry combined for 17 of the Heat’s 27 on the scorecard. #13 demanded the ball when Duncan Robinson beat Quickley and drew the attention of Isaiah Hartenstein for a dunk. Lowry’s deceptive tricks fooled the refs into calling a foul on Quentin Grimes.  It was New York’s third penalty in four minutes.

When “crunch time” started, the Heat’s lead was 95-92. Butler drove to the paint, but upon making contact, Hart flopped into his ankle, rolling it. For a moment, JB lay face down, laboring.

When his vigor was restored, he walked to the line and buried two.

Butler limped up and down the court until there were 23 seconds left. As he performed impaired, the Knicks chose not to attack him and, in the last five minutes, went on a stretch missing seven consecutive tries.

On a three-on-two break, Miami had the numbers as Butler picked up Quickley, the trailing marksman. Barrett barrelled into the lane for a layup, but it was spiked away by Martin to initiate another boat race.

The Heat struck first blood 108-101, but the present concern is Butler’s status. He slogged to the finish line because adrenaline raced through his veins. But he’ll likely need around-the-clock treatment to lower swelling and diminish the pain.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said he has no idea what is the severity of Butler’s ankle injury.

“I don’t know if we’ll even know more by tomorrow,” Spo said. “We’ll just have to see. It will be a waiting game, but he did not want to come out of the game so we left him in there.”

Game 2 is on Tuesday, so Butler won’t have much time to recover. If he misses work, Adebayo must turn into the focal point without lowering his RPMs on defense.

Monday morning, it was reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo would return to the Bucks’ lineup for Game 4 in Miami. He hurt his back in the first match and was pulled out 11 minutes in, following multiple check-ups in the locker room.

Antetokounmpo picked up where he left off, piercing the lane with zero regard for obstacles. In quarter one, he logged nine points and four assists. During the first timeout, he walked around his team’s space so his back wouldn’t tighten up.

Six minutes into the game, the Heat was down 20-10. Two quick fouls on Bam Adebayo earned him an early spot on the bench. But then Jimmy Butler went nuclear, scoring 22 points in the frame.

Butler was unguardable while defended in single coverage. He entered the paint at will, taking guys off the dribble for a shot past or over them. On his second attempt of the night, JB isolated Khris Middleton for a runway to the cup. Antetokounmpo tracked the drive and met him at the summit, but Butler slammed it with two hands over his head. On the next try, he buried a 25-foot jumper while draped by Middleton on the right wing.

Through the first half, Butler recorded 24 of Miami’s 50 points. The Heat was down 50-57, and aside from #22, no one had broken past single digits on their scorecard. The team’s next-best offensive option was prolific benchwarmer Duncan Robinson and his nine points. Miami’s disregarded sniper canned two triples against drop coverage and splacked another 3-pointer in transition on the left wing.

Twenty seconds into the third quarter, Middleton intercepted Max Strus’ pass to Adebayo in the paint and raced down the court for a step-back left-wing triple over Gabe Vincent. Miami was again on its back foot. Butler stayed in every play of the period to stop the bleeding inflicted by Milwaukee’s front court, plus Jrue Holiday.

The Greek Freak hammered a putback dunk, finished a fastbreak layup, and maneuvered around Cody Zeller in the drop for a layup in quarter three. In this stretch, the visitors converted 32 points on 52.2% field goal efficiency.

JB responded with a step-back jumper over Grayson Allen in the mid-post, a pivot past Holiday and Brook Lopez at the cup, and a pull-up in front of Antetokounmpo in drop coverage for scores in the third. His evening output reached 35 points, and then Coach Erik Spoelstra gave him a breather for nearly four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee started the last period ahead by 11 points. The Bucks converted four out of 11 attempts before Butler checked back in for the last time. He finished the game scoring an additional 21 points in the last frame, the most by any Heat player ever in the fourth quarter or overtime in the Playoffs, per Stathead, ending the night with 56.

The Heat was down 12 points in crunch time. Inspired by Butler, Miami went on a 13-0 run to reclaim the lead. Milwaukee took the advantage back twice as the time ticked away, but Butler logged 12 points in the last two minutes, seven of which were free throws. Miami won the game 119-114.

At his post-game sideline interview with TNT, Butler shot down the inquiry of what it felt like to hear MVP chants. He said that honor should go to Joel Embiid. Before stepping away, he answered on going back to Milwaukee for Game 5. “To play basketball in Milwaukee, in front of their crowd, and to be together on the road, that’s where championships are won, and we got a shot.”

JB’s 56 points tied Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan for the fourth-highest individual scoring output by a player in the postseason. MJ, Elgin Baylor and Donovan Mitchell have the highest playoff game point totals in league history at 63, 61 and 57. Their marks were safe because of Spo’s habitual habit of resting Butler between four and six minutes in closing intervals.

Butler’s Homeric eruption pushed the Heat to a 3-1 lead over the one-seed in round one. Miami still has to win another, but these types of deficits are almost insurmountable. Only 13 outfits have come out alive.

As Bob Seger sang, “Some men go just where they want… some men never go.”

Butler is the former because fortune favors the bold. I’m lucky enough to have seen some of the best that wore White Hot, and in the Playoffs, there’s no right or wrong answer as to who is best fit to lead a squad.

Like Dwyane Wade at this time of year or Batman when Gotham is in danger, Butler raises his game when it matters most. He’s the beast of the east, and he comes out of hibernation in April.

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