A playoff rematch between the Knicks and Heat takes place Tuesday night in South Florida, and for the home team, it’s the start of a four-game week that could decide its playoff fate.
The Knicks (44-30) are just one game ahead of the Magic for fifth place in the East.
In seventh place is Miami (41-33), which is hoping to avoid the play-in tournament, even though that was the path it took to the NBA Finals a year ago.
After the Knicks on Tuesday, the Heat finish the week with games against the 76ers, Rockets and Pacers — all teams fighting for playoff position of their own.
Each game is nearing must-win status for Miami.
The Knicks took the first two in this three-game season series, but both were played at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks vs. Heat prediction
(7:30 p.m. ET, MSG)
Two months after beating Miami by two points, the Knicks won-handedly on Jan. 29, but the victory came at a cost.
Forwards Julius Randle and OG Anunoby were injured in that game, and the Knicks have gone just 15-13 since.
They are tenuously holding onto fourth place in the East.
New York appeared to be getting back on track in March, winning seven of the first eight games before dropping consecutive contests to the Spurs and Thunder to close the month on a sour note.
Losers of four straight games at Kaseya Center, the Knicks make their first visit to South Florida since Game 6 of the second round last May, a playoff series Miami used to propel it to the Finals.
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Miami is at home and in desperation mode, so let’s lay the points with the Heat against a Knicks team searching for consistency and health.
THE PLAY: Heat -3 (-110, FanDuel)