MIAMI – The Miami Heat are heading back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season.
The Heat eliminated the New York Knicks Friday with a 96-92 victory in game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Jimmy Butler led the way with 24 points while Bam Adebayo added 23 of his own.
It was a closely contested battle that the Knicks led early on, but after New York failed to get a shot up on a potential game-tying possession with under a minute remaining, Miami pulled away and sealed the game at the foul line.
The Knicks got the most out of Jalen Brunson, who scored 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting.
Despite a playoff career-high from Brunson, the rest of the Knicks struggled as they made just 13 field goals in the entire game.
Local 10 News was outside the Kaseya Center where fans remained confident before and after the game.
“I figured Jimmy (Butler) was going to come in clutch like he always does,” said one Heat fan.
Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood spoke with fans that traveled from Turkey to see the Heat make history.
After Friday’s win, the Heat became the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the conference finals.
Miami will await the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
Friday night’s win became the first time in sports history that two South Florida teams (Panthers, Heat) advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals on the same night.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Brunson and Quentin Grimes played all 48 minutes of Game 5, but that was quickly off the table in Game 6. Grimes sat for 6:41 of the opening half, Brunson for 2:44, though some of that was because he got his third foul with 37.6 seconds left. … Immanuel Quickley (sprained left ankle) missed his third consecutive game. … New York finished 53-40, its best record in a season since going 60-34 in 2012-13.
Heat: Victor Oladipo was at the game, on crutches and braced after surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon. … The Heat had three starters (Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Butler) all shorter than the Miami Marlins’ starting pitcher a couple miles away — rookie Eury Perez, who made his big-league debut, is 6-foot-8. … Miami had 3-point tries as time expired in each of the first three quarters. They all missed.
CELEB WATCH
Among those at the game: Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel – even on a rookie minicamp weekend for his team – and Dallas (and former Knicks) guard Tim Hardaway Jr., whose father’s jersey is among those retired by the Heat.