NBA
No active franchise has a better win percentage in Game 6 than the Miami Heat at 14-7 in NBA postseason history
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated12 May 2023
On Wednesday night, the New York Knicks had to win Game 5 to keep their series alive. They got a much-needed 112-103 win to force a Game 6 in Miami tonight. New York has a tall task at hand if they want to win tonight vs the Heat. No active franchise has a better win percentage in Game 6 than the Miami Heat at 14-7 in NBA postseason history.
Miami struggled offensively in Game 5 and Jimmy Butler led the team with 19 points. The Heat are not known for their three-point shooting and the team was (.302) percent from deep. Kevin Love went 0-7 and Max Srtruss went 4-10 from deep.
The Heat had a chance to close out the series in Game 5, but they were not successful. Miami has another crack at ending the series tonight with a win in Game 6. Florida Sports Betting sites have the Heat at (-225) to win Game 6 at home.
The Heat have their 2nd chance to close out the series against the Knicks, this time on their home court in Miami.
No active franchise has a better win percentage in Game 6 than the Heat.
The Knicks hope to buck that trend and force a Game 7.
Tipoff at 7:30 ET on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NUN1kxihiD
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 12, 2023
The Miami Heat are looking to make their third ECF appearance in the last four seasons
Before his 19-point outing in Game 5, Jimmy Butler had scored at least 25 points in all nine playoff games he played in. He was 5-12 from the field in 43 minutes played and that was his worst playoff game this postseason. The six-time all-star lives for big moments like these and he won’t back down from a challenge.
Butler will almost certainly play well tonight in front of the home crowd. In four home playoff games in 2023, Butler is averaging (35.2) points per game. It’s going to take a bit more than a 35+ point game from Butler to help the Heat win tonight. They need the rest of the starting lineup and bench to thrive alongside him.
Most importantly, Miami needs to be able to knock down those timely three-pointers. Duncan Robinson was 5-10 for 17 points in Game 5. The Heat need that production from their starters who take a large number of threes like Gabe Vincent or Max Struss. New York outrebounded the Heat 50-34 in Game 5 and that needs to be a point of emphasis for Miami tonight.
