They say a series doesn’t start until the road team wins right? Well, that’s exactly what the Miami Heat did on Sunday. Despite taking down the Milwaukee Bucks in round one, the Heat still entered Sunday’s contest against the New York Knicks as underdogs. New York was without their all-star Julius Randle, who was sidelined with an ankle injury. The Knicks punished the Heat early on with 40 points in the paint. All in the first half. However, the Heat’s defensive intensity picked up and they took momentum the rest of the way. With the win, Miami takes a 1-0 series lead over New York. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s Game 1 victory.
Aggressive Gabe
Without Tyler Herro, the Heat have needed scoring from their role players. Gabe Vincent took on the challenge and more. In the first period alone, Vincent led all Heat players in shot attempts. The Heat starting guard was not shy when it came to taking shots whether it was in transition or within the halfcourt. He made five three-pointers in Game 1. With Herro down, Vincent’s aggressive and shot making was what the doctor ordered. He also did a good job of taking care of the ball with only one turnover. Overall, a solid performance from the Heat guard. In the end, Vincent finished with 20 points and five assists.
Knicks Defensive Coverages on Butler
There was a lot of talk heading into Game 1 about the Knicks defensive coverages on Jimmy Butler. Butler entered Sunday’s game having scored 98 points in the past two games. Unlike the Bucks who mostly played man defense, the Knicks coverage was very different. New York played tough on-ball defense with the help defense waiting behind. They did a solid job on Butler early on, with Butler shooting 1 of 4 to start. On each drive, there was Butler’s defender and help defenders collapsing on him. This forced him into early playmaking mode. Butler did get going later on the second half despite the Knicks defensive pressure. Unfortunately, he got injured in the fourth quarter, when he rolled his ankle after drawing a foul. Butler remained in the game but mostly as a decoy. Butler and the Heat will see how things are in the next 48 hours.
Love’s Outlet Passing
Kevin Love continues to be solid during these playoffs. There were questions about the signing when he struggled during the regular season. But now, the signing looks very good so far. Love is now shooting his three-pointers at a better percentage. He’s also become a better positional defender with his charges and his outlet passing has been huge as well. Speaking of his outlet passing, it became a big energy shifter in the third period. He first threw one to Max Strus for the layup after a key stop. A couple of plays later, he found Butler twice on the other end for two wide open dunks. With the Knicks making things tough in the halfcourt, Love getting the outlet passes going was huge for Miami. He finished the day with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
Fourth Quarter Kyle
Usually, the fourth quarters were reserved for Butler. However, with Butler injured, it was Kyle Lowry who controlled the reins in the fourth quarter. Lowry was huge for Miami on both sides of the floor. He did a great job of settling up the offense and hitting timely shots. Defensively, he was great on that end as well. Lowry had FOUR blocks by the end of the game. Looking back at the videos it didn’t seem like blocks, but it did stop the Knicks from scoring at times. Lowry’s on-ball defense was huge on Sunday. This is the kind of performance the Heat envisioned from the guard when he signed with them in 2021. They will continue to rely on it as the playoffs continue. Lowry finished the day with 18 points, 5 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks.
