The Miami Heat are at home again on Wednesday, as they take on their Eastern Conference rivals, the New York Knicks. Moved to be a nationally televised game, it will be broadcasted on ESPN at 7:30 pm Eastern.
The Miami Heat sit atop the Eastern Conference right now with a 30-17 record, as the Knicks, with a 23-25 record, look to jump back into the top ten of the Eastern Conference seedings. They are currently one game behind the Washington Wizards.
This will be a tough one for the Knicks though, as they’ll head into what can be a hostile environment for visitors.
Here is what Miami Heat big man, Bam Adebayo, had to say on those circumstances.
"“Definitely, the sixth man is our crowd. I will say that. It’s a different energy when we get in there in front of our fans and around the fourth they play the… what’s the… what’s the song? Papa’s? Papaya’s? Pepas. Yes! That right there get’s the crowd going”"
He’s certainly not stretching it, as they are intense when it’s winning time. Now that you know what to expect from the Miami Heat faithful though, what can be expected from the Miami Heat squad heading into this match-up?
Looking A Bit Closer At Miami Heat’s Matchup With New York Knicks
In the last game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami had multiple players step up in a game that was a dominant all-around performance for the Heat, for the most part. It was a dominant enough showing for former Miami Heat champion, current Laker, and NBA All-Timer, LeBron James, to specifically note it after the game.
Here is what to watch for in their next one.
Players to Watch
Jimmy Butler will be the one player to look for, securing a record-breaking triple-double in their last game, while also averaging 21.4 points per game this year.
His style of play, from driving to the basket to a renewed shooting inspiration from the three-point line, could prove to be too much for the Knick’s defense. With a wide range of three-point shooters around him, looking at Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and P.J. Tucker, the Knicks won’t be able to key in on Jimmy, for fear of not allowing an open deep shot.
Bam Adebayo will also play a factor in the paint as well, as he will most likely match up with Nerlens Noel with Mitchell Robinson day-to-day with an ankle injury, one suffered versus the Cleveland Cavaliers per the reports.
Adebayo’s only problem might be, again, staying out of foul trouble. He played a great game in the last one but fouled out with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter.
Luckily, his Heat brethren were still able to secure the victory. Here are a few keys to the game for the Miami Heat.
Jimmy Butler Needs To Be Best Player On Floor, For Miami Heat Or Otherwise
Though this shouldn’t be a super-tough matchup for this Heat squad, it is still a dangerous Knicks team on the other side if they don’t come prepared for battle. Here are a few keys to the contest.
Keys to the Game
1. Miami needs to stay in control of this game. Even though Miami held the lead for the entire game against the Lakers, they managed to allow the Lakers to fight back, making it a closer game than it should have been in the end.
Miami needs to control things, start off hot on both ends of the court, and can’t take their feet off of the collective gas pedal towards the end of the game.
2. Miami needs to capitalize on the open opportunities. They need to make sure that when the three-point shot is open, they knock those shots down.
They need to control the paint and draw the fouls. Going 18-20 from the free-throw line in their last one, 90 percent shooting, that kind of efficiently can help rack up a ton of points for them.
3. They need to trust in Jimmy Butler to perform as the All-Star he is. Butler needs to come out hot and on his way towards being a huge factor in this game, going head to head with Julius Randle as the opposition’s lead dog.
He needs to play both ends of the court, as he always does, with great intensity.
Overall Predictions
As many league followers are, how can you help but not be a fan of this rivalry? Also, personally being from New York and having a grasp on what they do, I would expect both teams to come out hot from the start.
However, I see the Heat’s style of play as being too much for the Knicks to handle on both sides of the court. Miami will take the game, 113-97 according to my calculations, a victory over the Knicks and one to stay atop the Eastern Conference.