The Miami Heat took a 2-1 series lead against the New York Knicks following a 105-86 win Saturday afternoon. It was the return of Jimmy Butler, who missed Game 2 with a right ankle sprain, and he immediately made his presence known with 28 points, four rebounds and three assists. His intensity on the defensive side of the ball also helped contain a Knicks team that struggled to find any sort of offensive consistency. The Heat had four players score in double figures, including 14 points off the bench for Kyle Lowry, and 19 points from Max Strus.
For the Knicks, it was an abysmal shooting performance, as the team shot just 34.1% from the field and 20% from deep. Jalen Brunson finished with 20 points on an inefficient 7-of-20 from the field and 0-of-5 from deep. Julius Randle also struggled mightily, going 4-of-15 from the field, as he finished with just 10 points.
The Miami Heat will look to extend their series lead in Game 4 on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here are three takeaways from Miami’s Game 3 victory.
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