Even before Jimmy Butler got injured Sunday, the Heat needed others to step up in support.
And it was the veterans with rings, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love, who rose to the occasion in a 108-101 win in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Lowry had 18 points and six assists in a turn-back-the-clock performance.
And Love unlocked the Knicks’ defense with long passes that new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers admired from courtside.
“[Lowry] is a winner. He’s our leader, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench,” Butler said in an on-court postgame interview. “He’s a champion, and he’s been doing a great job for us all year long and since he’s been here. He’s one of the engines that helps us go, and we’re going to ride that wave.”
The 37-year-old Lowry missed five weeks earlier this season with a sore left knee, and averaged just 7.6 points in Miami’s first-round series against Milwaukee.
But Sunday, he looked like a six-time All-Star again, the healthiest he has been all season, according to coach Erik Spoelstra.
“Lowry is an absolute warrior,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been able to do some amazing things even on one leg this year. But those five weeks where he was able to step away and just really focus on getting himself healthy for these kinds of moments was critical. But just an absolute winner. And when you need him most, that’s when he’s going to show up.”
Love (let go by Cleveland, which proceeded to get bounced by the Knicks) agreed, saying Lowry’s veteran calm took over late.
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After Butler got hurt with Miami clinging to a 95-92 edge, Lowry sparked a 9-2 run.
“That’s a Hall of Famer,” Love said. “It’s just how smart he is man. I ran over to him. I said you’re a smart MF. That last four minutes, he knew what he needed to do. It was really between him and Bam [Adebayo], and everybody fit in around it. It was a beautiful thing to watch a guy that I had a lot of admiration for over my career now get to play with go and do his thing.”
Love had swung the momentum Miami’s way.
After he was stymied for much of the first half, three of Love’s trademarked long outlet passes (two to Butler, one to Max Strus) cracked the defense open in a 24-11 run.
“We don’t [teach that],” Spoelstra said. “That’s such an incredible skill. There’s not many guys in this association that can throw it 90 feet, let alone see the play happen, and then on time on target. That’s an incredible skill set that he has.”
It’s the second time Love had three assists that traveled at least 60 feet in a game.
No one else has done it over the past 10 seasons (per Second Spectrum).
“It’s just as much the receiver as it is the passer, so I rely on my teammates. Max was a recipient as well, but Jimmy certainly made me look good on that one,” said Love, who joked with Rodgers afterward. “I just said I’ve got the best QBR in New York as of right now.”