Butler scores 28, Heat top Knicks 105-86 for 2-1 series lead

MIAMI (AP) —Jimmy Butler returned from his sprained ankle to score 28 points,Max Strus added 19 and the Miami Heat topped the New York Knicks105-86 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conferencesemifinal series.

Bam Adebayohad 17 points and 12 rebounds for Miami and Kyle Lowry added 14points as the Heat never trailed.

DuncanRobinson opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, giving Miamian 11-point lead — and the lead remained double digits the rest ofthe way.

Jalen Brunsonscored 20 for New York, which got 15 from Josh Hart, 14 from RJBarrett and 12 from Immanuel Quickley — who left midway through thefourth quarter after appearing to twist his left ankle. JuliusRandle added 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks.

Game 4 isMonday.

There waseven a Heat-Knicks dustup under a basket,justlike the good ol’ days of the teams’ playoff rivalry—though this one was nothing like P.J. Brown flipping Charlie Wardin 1997 to start a bench-clearing mess that led to suspensions, orJeff Van Gundy tugging on Alonzo Mourning’s leg in 1998.

This one,such as it was, happened with 14.7 seconds left in the third, aftera basket by Quickley got the Knicks within 87-70.

Randle andCody Zeller got tangled as they fought for rebounding position.Randle ended up getting shoved to the floor, Isaiah Hartensteintook offense and shoved Zeller, Caleb Martin took offense andshoved Hartenstein, and it took about five minutes to sort out amess that lasted for about five seconds.

The finaltally: offsetting technicals on Zeller and Hartenstein, plus atechnical on Martin. Randle missed the free throw. And right afterit happened, Butler was dancing a bit, enjoying the aftermath ofthe show.

“Much adoabout nothing,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Butler missedGame 2 with his ankle sprain and limped at times in the second halfSaturday, but was effective throughout. He had 10 points in theopening quarter as Miami set the tone on both ends; the Heat made10 of their first 15 shots, the Knicks missed 13 of their first 17,and it took until midway through the second quarter for New York tomake a shot from anywhere other than the paint.

TIP-INS

Knicks: The86 points were New York’s second-fewest of the season. The Knickshad 85 in a loss to Brooklyn on Nov. 9. … Barrett was whistled fora technical foul early in the second quarter for throwing the ballinto the stanchion in frustration.

Heat: GabeVincent was whistled for an offensive foul while shooting a3-pointer with 2 minutes left in the third; after Spoelstrachallenged it, the call was overturned to a shooting foul onBrunson and Vincent made all three free throws for a 21-point lead.… Udonis Haslem (stomach illness) missed the game. It was the 224thHeat playoff game of his 20-year tenure; he’s played in 148 ofthose, but this was his first postseason instance of being listedas inactive.

SCORINGSPREE

The 58first-half points by Miami were the most for a team by halftime ofa Heat-Knicks playoff game. The Heat had 57 in the first half vs.New York on April 24, 1998. New York’s most by halftime in aplayoff game against the Heat is 55, set in Game 1 of thisseries.

CLANK

The teamscombined to shoot 15 for 72 on 3-pointers — 8 for 40 by the Knicks,7 for 32 by the Heat. It was the 1,290th game played in the NBAthis season and only eight other had a worse combined 3-pointpercentage than the .208 put together by New York and Miami in thisone.

EXPERIENCEMATTERS

The Heat havea huge edge in this series when it comes to playoff experience.Lowry played in his 115th playoff game, Butler his 104th, KevinLove his 71st, Adebayo his 54th and Robinson his 46th. Brunsonplayed his 33rd, which is tops among those in the Knicks’rotation.