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 oiubts 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.