MIAMI — Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Miami Heat are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals after topping the New York Knicks 96-92 on Friday night.

Max Strus scored 14 points and Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists for the eighth-seeded Heat, who won the semifinal series 4-2 to go to the conference finals for the 10th time overall and the third time in the last four years.

Miami became the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to make the conference finals – joining the Knicks, who pulled it off in 1999. The Heat will visit Boston or Philadelphia in Game 1 on Wednesday. The Celtics and 76ers play Game 7 of their series Sunday.

Jalen Brunson was spectacular for New York, scoring 41 points on 14-for-22 shooting. But his teammates combined for only 51 points – Julius Randle had 15 and RJ Barrett 11 on 1-for-10 shooting. Josh Hart also had 11 points for the Knicks.

It was dicey at the end, but Miami survived. Gabe Vincent was called for a flagrant-1 against Brunson with just under a minute left, starting a run where the Knicks scored four points in 4.6 seconds.

Brunson made the free throws, Hart added a layup and a 92-86 lead was down to 92-90.

The Knicks got a stop at the other end, but never got a shot off on the next possession. Lowry knocked the ball away for a steal, Butler made two free throws with 14.4 seconds left and the countdown back to the NBA’s final four was on.

Miami was whistled for four fouls in the first 2:15 of the fourth quarter, setting the tone for New York to keep getting to the line throughout the final period.

The Knicks tied it early in the third, but missed 10 other field-goal attempts in the second half – along with two free throws – that would have pulled New York into a tie or given it the lead.

Miami bent – but never broke. Vincent set up Adebayo for a dunk with 1:05 left that put Miami up 92-86, and at that point it became a matter of getting stops.

Brunson had 22 points in the first half, tying his third-most before intermission in any game this season – and his most ever by halftime of a playoff game. He had 15 in the first quarter when the Knicks came out flying to grab early control.

New York led 14 in the opening quarter, and Miami never led by more than two in the first 24 minutes. But it was Miami with the lead at the half, going up 51-50 by the break in large part because it finally kept New York off the line.

NOTES

NUGGETS: Coach Michael Malone said it was around December when he thought this could be a championship-caliber team.

Jamal Murray was a believer even sooner. Like in 2019.

“When we’re healthy, we know what we can do,” Denver’s point guard said. “We just need everyone on the court. We’ve always had the potential.”

After watching the Nuggets steamroll the Suns in Game 6 to clinch the Western Conference semifinals, it’s hard to argue with him.

Nikola Jokic scored 32 points and finished with a triple-double, Murray added 26 and the Nuggets are off to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020 after beating the Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 to clinch the series. Denver has never made the NBA Finals.

The top-seeded Nuggets will play the winner of the Lakers-Warriors series. The Lakers have a 3-2 lead.

No matter who advances in the other series, the Nuggets will likely get less press than their opponent. The Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Warriors have Steph Curry.

“You can sit there and fight it and complain, or you can embrace who we are and what we have,” Malone said. “I’d rather not waste time with all the pundits who count us out or don’t give us the respect that we deserve as a team.”
Malone said the Nuggets’ critics have one valid argument.

“There’s one thing we haven’t done,” Malone said. “Until we win a championship, people are going to keep saying (negative things) about us. So that’s what drives us, winning a championship. Getting to the Western Conference finals doesn’t do it. Getting to the Finals doesn’t do it.

“It’s winning a championship.”

SUNS: Phoenix pushed all-in at the trade deadline, blowing up their roster nucleus to add 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a quest for the franchise’s first championship in its 55-year history.

It didn’t happen.

Now it feels like big changes are on the horizon after another embarrassing playoff exit.

Phoenix is headed to the offseason after losing to the Denver Nuggets 125-100 in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. The Suns fell into a 30-point halftime hole on their homecourt one season after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in eerily similar fashion.

“When it comes to a screeching halt, it’s like everyone just flies all over the place and you’re trying to figure out what just happened,” coach Monty Williams said. “It just comes to a stop you don’t expect.”

Suns new owner Mat Ishbia enters his first offseason with the franchise and it remains to be seen how aggressive he’ll be in reshaping the roster. The assumption is that three-time All-Star Devin Booker – who averaged nearly 36 points per game in a brilliant postseason performance – and Durant will be back.

The rest of the roster is in flux.

The biggest questions surround 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul and former No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton, who were both out with injuries by the end of the series. It also remains to be seen if Williams – the NBA’s coach of the year in 2022 – will be back on the sidelines.

The 38-year-old Paul was solid when he was on the court for the Suns this season, but his body gave out again in the playoffs and he missed the final four games with a strained left groin. He’s under contract for next season with a partially-guaranteed deal.

“We train, we practice to be in these moments,” Paul said. “When you can’t be out there it’s tough.”

The 24-year-old Ayton was ineffective for much of the Denver series, averaging 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, which were both well below his season and career averages. He suffered a rib contusion in Game 5 and watched the final game from the bench.