Heat Checked 🔥

04/27/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Jimmy Butler Circus Shot Forces OT Before Heat Eliminate Bucks; Knicks Win 1st Playoff Series in a Decade; Warriors & Grizzlies Win Game 5s Out West

The night owls got a treat! If you stayed up late to watch basketball, you weren’t disappointed. Four critical games took over Wednesday night with two closeout road upsets in the East and a pair of swing games in the West.

Game 5 Recaps: The Knicks closed out the Cavs to win their first playoff series in a decade before the Heat — with another epic performance from Jimmy Butler (42 points) — rallied from 16 down in the fourth quarter to beat Milwaukee in an overtime thriller. Butler hit a game-tying inbounds circus shot at the end of regulation to force OT before the Heat survived foul trouble to close out Giannis and the 1-seed Bucks. Meanwhile, in the West, the Grizzlies staved off elimination against the Lakers and the Warriors outlasted the Kings on the road to take control of the Highway Series. Overall, five teams are now through to Round 2 with the remaining three series all 3-2 heading to Game 6. But if there’s one player putting his stamp on these NBA Playoffs, his name is Jimmy flippin’ Buckets…

Heat History: The Heat became just the sixth 8-seed ever to upset a 1-seed in 1st round of the NBA Playoffs.

Knicks History: The Knicks won their first playoff series since 2013 — the Carmelo Anthony era. They haven’t reached the conference finals since 2000 and the NBA Finals since 1999.

1st-Round Series Highlights

Gm 5: Heat def. Bucks (128-126, OT) | MIA Wins Series (4-1)

Gm 5: Knicks def. Cavaliers (106-95) | NYK Wins Series (4-1)

Gm 5: Grizzlies def. Lakers (116-99) | LAL Leads Series (3-2)

Gm 5: Warriors def. Kings (123-116) | GSW Leads Series (3-2)

Advanced to Round 2: Nuggets, Suns, 76ers, Knicks, & Heat

Star Spotlight

J. Butler (MIA): 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists

G. Antetokounmpo (MIL): 38 points, 20 rebounds

K. Middleton (MIL): 33 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists

D. Bane (MEM): 33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists

J. Morant (MEM): 31 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists