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NBA Scores: The Knicks and Heat are set for a throwback, ‘90s series in 2023 NBA Playoffs – SB Nation
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Plus: Golden State takes control in Sacramento and Memphis stays alive.
I can’t believe it. You can’t believe it. No one can believe it, but believe it: The Miami Heat have ended the Milwaukee Bucks’ season in five, short games. Giannis Antetokounmpo became human down the stretch despite an epic 38-point, 20-rebound performance. He committed a foolish foul in the game’s closing minutes to make things significantly more difficult for his squad. Grayson Allen dribbled out the clock on the game’s final possession, a lapse in judgment on the player’s front and his coach’s.
But before all that, Jimmy Butler — who poured in yet another masterclass on both ends — made one of the most improbable game-tying shots of the season. Without it, this series shifts back to Miami for Game 6. Without it, Milwaukee may have felt in control yet again, despite the hole they’d dug themselves into over the course of the series’ first five games.
And yet, it fell.
Jimmy Butler.
Poetry.#PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/RbHtsm3kyL
This bucket counted for just two of Butler’s 42 points on the night, but it was undoubtedly the most important of the night, and almost certainly of the series. Remember: Miami had to win a do-or-die play-in game just to get to the playoffs officially. Now, the Heat are the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed.
The Heat will now play the fifth-seeded New York Knicks in the second round, with Game 1 coming on Sunday.
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Speaking of those pesky Knicks, they finished off the Cavaliers in five games on Wednesday to win their first postseason series since 2013. Jalen Brunson led the way with 23 points for New York, who were in control for the majority of the series, containing the Cavs’ primary contributors at bay. RJ Barrett added 21 and Mitchell Robinson had 18 rebounds (11 of them offensive) for the Knicks to help close out the one-sided series in short order.
The Cavs, meanwhile, have a bit of soul-searching to do this offseason. Donovan Mitchell is a surefire offensive bet, but he was rendered ineffective in this series by a stellar Knicks’ defensive scheme. Darius Garland arguably should’ve been the team’s offensive leader, yet he never seemed to have the ball in his hands when it counted — only when the game no longer hung in the balance. Evan Mobley is shaky on offense; Caris LeVert isn’t reliable; even Jarrett Allen faltered in the paint when face-to-face with Robinson.
It was a great regular season for the Cavs, but it ended with a whimper. For the Knicks? It continues with nothing short of a roar.
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The Memphis we all knew and used to love — you know, before the B.S. meter broke due to their antics — finally showed up on Wednesday night, as the Grizzlies won Game 5 to send their first-round series with the Lakers back to L.A. Desmond Bane led all scorers with 33 points, adding 10 rebounds, while Ja Morant had 31 points and 10 boards of his own. Newly-minted Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 18 and 10.
Though the score was 75-74 in the third, Memphis roared ahead on a 26-2 run to give them a 94-76 lead entering the fourth. The Lakers did what they could in an effort to come back, going on a 20-7 run, but couldn’t cut Memphis’ lead to anything fewer than 12 in the final frame. Anthony Davis (31 points and 19 rebounds) and Austin Reaves (17 points) handled the offensive load for L.A. on a rough night for LeBron James, who finished with just 15 points on five-of-17 shooting.
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Never mind about Golden State’s road woes, I suppose. Though the Warriors won only 11 games away from the Chase Center this season, and lost the first two games of this series in Sacramento, they put a convincing stamp on this series with Wednesday’s seven-point win over the Kings. Steph Curry finished with 31 points, while Draymond Green had 21 points and seven assists.
Sacramento trailed by 12 early in the fourth quarter, but thanks to 11 points in five minutes from Malik Monk cut Golden State’s lead to one with a little more than four minutes to go in the game. But the Warriors’ experience proved pivotal over the Kings’ youth down the stretch, as rushed offensive possessions from Sacramento all-but handed Golden State the win and a 3-2 lead in the series. The action shifts back to San Francisco on Friday night, where the Warriors will aim to win a fourth-straight game in the series to move on to the second round.
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