A huge fourth quarter from the Knicks was necessary in order to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole with two home defeats to the Miami Heat. Jalen Brunson and company – to say nothing of the return of Julius Randle – helped even the odds with a 111-105 win as the clubs travel south to continue the series.

The NBA savants have pinned the host Heat as -3.5 favourites for Game 3 on the NBA odds, with the total set at 208.5.

Knicks vs. Heat NBA Playoffs Betting Odds

It goes without saying that this series is, in all likelihood, over if Jimmy Butler can’t suit up. As of Friday morning, Jimmy Buckets is listed as day-to-day. But wait, there’s more! Jalen Brunson (ankle) didn’t practice much on Thursday and is also hampered by the same status. Two critically important players may or may not partake in Game 3.

All the same, there are still series odds to deal with. Right now, the series board lists Miami at -122 and New York at -109. We’re definitely in “coin flip” territory.

Game 3 was the first time in the 2023 playoffs that the Knicks were involved in a contest with which the over connected. New York also hasn’t covered the last two spreads. Conversely, Miami has successfully dealt with the last five spreads and the only postseason match (excluding play-in tournament) that didn’t hit the over was the Game 1 victory.

New York Knicks

Tom Thibodeau’s ensemble came perilously close to going behind the eight ball, as the expression goes. Even without Jimmy Butler, the Heat gave the Knicks a darn good fight in game 2.

The visitors ground out a 54-51 halftime lead, which sent a message to the home side and its fans that this second-round series was going to be a tough out, even without Miami’s main man. It took a long for the Knicks to steal momentum, but they did eventually pull it off. Randle’s return was welcomed to the tune of 25 points and 12 rebounds. Of course, now New York has Brunson’s health to worry about, and for good reason. His 30 points, his moxie and creativity paved the way to a superior second-half performance. The bench is a little worrisome, however. Only four players subbed in for playing time, one of which only got nine minutes and another 10. Josh Hart led in assists with nine.

Miami Heat

In the Game 2 preview, we alluded to the fact that the worst thing that can happen is Miami gets the split in Manhattan while Jimmy Butler rests for a few days. That’s precisely what transpired, so all is not lost for the Heat.

There are still positives to extract from the Game 2 defeat. Without Butler, someone had to step up, and a couple of players did their team proud. Caleb Martin tallied a team-leading 22 points, followed closely behind by Gabe Vincent with 21. The main issue was that they didn’t have a player who could hustle on defence like their undisputed leader. When push came to shove and the Knicks got desperate, the buckets came easily enough for the opposition. Miami went for a whopping 49 three-point attempts but only made 17. Even so, overage shooting efficiency, points in the paint, and assists were all comparable to the Knicks’ figures. Rebounding was an issue (50-34 for New York).

Game 3 Prediction: Who Will Win Knicks vs. Heat?