NBA offers clarity on Heat-Knicks. And scout weighs in on series. And Vincent’s impact

The Heat, which appeared on NBA non-cable rights-holder ABC just once this season, will get two ABC games in the next week.

The league announced late Friday night that Game 3 of the Heat-Knicks series, Miami’s first home game in the series, has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6 on ABC.

Sunday’s opener of the series at New York will at 1 p.m. on ABC.

The NBA also announced a 7:30 p.m. start time for Game 2 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 on Monday, May 8 in Miami also will tip at 7:30 p.m. Both of those games will be TNT.

Start times haven’t been set for a potential Game 5 on May 10 in New York or Game 6 on May 12 in Miami.

Mark Jones and Doris Burke call Game 1 for ABC, and Ian Eagle and Jim Jackson call Game 2 for TNT.

Per NBA rules, Bally Sports Sun isn’t permitted to carry any more Heat playoff games. But Bally will have postgame shows with analysis and press conferences after each game.

VINCENT’S PLAY

If NBA players made a resume tape when they enter free agency, Gabe Vincent’s wouldn’t require much editing.

Simply submitting a copy of Game 5 of the Heat-Bucks playoff series would suffice.

Vincent’s fingerprints were all over the Heat’s 128-126 Game 5 overtime win against the Bucks.

There were the two jumpers to give the Heat an early lift.

There was the critical three that pulled the Heat to within 117-116 with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter.

There was the immensely difficult, pinpoint inbounds pass - over Giannis Antetokunmpo - to Jimmy Butler for the basket that forced overtime in the final second of regulation.

There was harassing defense on Jrue Holiday, who shot 4 for 11.

When it was over, Vincent had outplayed the decorated veteran Holiday in Game 5, closing with 22 points, six assists and one turnover.

It was an impressive statement, as Vincent approaches free agency in July.

“You all don’t see the man [take hundreds of practice] shots, the late nights, the cold tubs, you all don’t see the work this man has put in to get here,” Bam Adebayo said, sitting alongside Vincent at the podium inside Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum early Thursday morning.

“Even when he first got here on the court with a slightly torn knee and was out there trying to win a spot. He had some of the biggest moments in the series and throughout the season.”

During the regular season, Vincent held the player he was defending to 45 percent shooting, which was fourth-best among NBA players who ended the season as starting point guards, behind only Derrick White, Ja Morant and Russell Westbrook.

During the play-in win that sent Miami to the playoffs, Vincent held Chicago’s Zach LaVine to 1 for 7 shooting.

Bucks players shot 7 for 16 when Vincent was their primary defender in Game 5. Of Holiday’s 34 baskets in the series, only seven came with Vincent defending him, per the NBA’s tracking data.

Offensively, Vincent’s 23 field goal attempts in Game 5 were his most in 222 NBA games over four seasons (195 regular season games and 25 playoff games). Before Wednesday, he had never attempted more than 20 shots in an NBA game.

“Gabe was a great scorer for [the Heat G- League team in South Dakota] and we really developed him into being a combo guard,” Erik Spoelstra said. “Whatever his stat line was, I mentioned this to him in the locker room: If he didn’t have the kind of game he had [Wednesday], we weren’t winning this. We were missing Tyler [Herro], Vic [Oladipo].

“Guys were feeding him a bunch of confidence at the shootaround [before Game 5], telling him we needed him to score, be aggressive, be assertive. When Jimmy [Butler] and Bam are telling you that, you feel like you can conquer the world.”

Vincent, incidentally, has made 26 three-pointers in his past 12 playoff games, since the start of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against Boston.

SCOUT’S TAKE

For insight on the Heat-Knicks series, we solicited input from an Eastern Conference scout who has evaluated both teams. His feedback, offered on condition of anonymity:

▪ The scout predicted the Knicks would win in six games because “they’re better offensively than Miami when you consider the Heat doesn’t have Tyler Herro. And I think the Heat shooting 45 percent on threes against Milwaukee was an outlier. Milwaukee’s general strategy was to give the opponent the three. The Knicks defend the three-point line better. Cleveland scored over 100 once against the Knicks in five games.”

Worth noting: The Heat shot 42.2 percent on threes in four games against New York, but the Knicks were ninth best in the league in three-point percentage allowed in the regular season (35.5 percent), compared with 14th for the Bucks.

The scout added that if Julius Randle (ankle) is out or not at full strength, then the series becomes closer to a toss up. The Knicks say they are hopeful he will play in Game 1.

▪ On the backcourt: “The Knicks are better there, especially without Herro. [Jalen] Brunson is a star; give the guy his due. [Immanuel] Quickley didn’t have a good series against Cleveland but he was terrific this year. RJ Barrett, if he gives them three good games, they’re clearly better offensively than Miami.

“Josh Hart is the best rebounding guard in the league, a good defensive player, can make shots. They went from having nothing with Cam Reddish to a real asset with Hart.

“Quentin Grimes, if he’s healthy, and Hart are legitimate defenders. Can they slow [Jimmy] Butler a little bit? We’ll see. But who’s going to slow Brunson on the other end?”

▪ Butler, of course, gives the Heat a big edge at small forward, but “without Herro, he has to be at that [past two-week] level for them to win. He’s been so ridiculous, and making threes on top of everything. But it’s a lot to ask to have him repeat what he did against Milwaukee.”

▪ On the Bam Adebayo/Mitchell Robinson center matchup: “Bam was just not a factor often enough in that series, until late in game 5. Robinson destroyed [Evan] Mobley and [Jarrett] Allen, is coming off a great series defensively.

“You give the Heat an advantage at center, but there are questions because of how well Robinson is playing and Adebayo’s [inconsistent first round]. Robinson doesn’t need to do anything but block shots and rebound. Robinson is much quicker off the floor than Brook Lopez. They really need Bam to pick up his scoring. They’ve got a huge hole in their offense. The Knicks could put Barrett on Bam some.”

▪ On the bench: If Grimes is back starting (he missed Game 5 against Cleveland with a shoulder contusion), “I give the Knicks a slight edge with Hart, Quickley, Obbi Toppin, Isaiah Hartenstein” over Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson and Cody Zeller. “But Martin was terrific in that Milwaukee series. Toppin is on a short leash.”

▪ Found this interesting: In the summer of 2019, Kevin Durant joined the Nets, Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers and Butler joined the Heat. Since then, Miami has won six playoff series; Leonard (who has been injured a lot) and Paul George won three; and Durant won one before forcing his way out.

For all their struggles during the regular season, the Heat still commands great respect. Celtics star Jayson Tatum, asked about the Heat beating the Bucks, said: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it an upset. Miami is a really good team, they have a great coach and obviously they got some great players and they made great plays. I guess people weren’t expecting them to win but I wouldn’t call it an upset.”

INJURY UPDATE

The Knicks listed starting forward Julius Randle (ankle) and starting guard Quentin Grimes (shoulder) as questionable for Game 1.

Heat center Bam Adebayo, who said his hamstring is feeling better, was listed as probable.