Gabe Vincent on fire as Miami Heat outlast New York Knicks

The Miami Heat recorded a 127-120 victory against the New York Knicks in an NBA fixture played in the early hours of Thursday, March 23, 2023.

The Heat in the mix for a playoff spot had a battle at home against Eastern Conference rivals Knicks.

In a first quarter where both teams were unable to get stops, the Knicks established a one-point lead.

The Heat bounced back with 33 points in the second quarter to establish a three-point lead at the halftime break.

In a close third quarter, the Heat were able to extend their lead to four points.

Heat All-star Jimmy Butler made huge plays down the stretch to hold off the Knicks and record a seven-point victory.

American professional basketball player Femi "Bam" Adebayo was a huge presence in the front court for the Heat in the victory against the Knicks.

In 40 minutes of action, Adebayo recorded 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.

Adebayo made five of 11 shots and five of six from the free-throw line.

Nigerian-American professional basketball player Gabriel Nnamdi Vincent played a crucial role for the Heat in the victory against the Knicks

Vincent retained his spot in the starting lineup and featured for 25 minutes.

He contributed 19 points and three assists making eight of 12 shots, including three of five from three-point range.

Speaking to Bally sports about his performance after the game, he said, "I was just trying to be aggressive yeah you know my guys have been encouraging me to shoot the ball when I'm open.

"They do a lot of work to get me open so when I had my opportunities I just took advantage."

Victory against the Knicks, the Heat are now just one game back of the Brooklyn Nets in the race to clinch the last automatic ticket to the playoffs.

The Heat will return to action against the Nets on Saturday, March 25, 2023.