MIAMI, May 8 (UPI) -- Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for 50 points and the Miami Heat dished out 28 assists to beat the New York Knicks, taking a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday in Miami.
Butler totaled 27 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the 109-101 Game 4 victory at the Kaseya Center. Adebayo logged 23 points and 13 rebounds.
"We always have a shot to win when we are guarding, playing hard and playing together," Butler said at his postgame news conference.
The Heat need one more win in the best-of-seven-game series to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 5 will be Wednesday in New York.
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"We've got a job to do and I think we are very capable," Butler said.
The Knicks, who played without guard Immanuel Quickley because of an ankle injury he sustained in Game 3, outshot the Heat 48.7% to 47.1%, but made just nine 3-pointers. The Heat made 13.
The Heat out-rebounded the Knicks 54-42 and outscored their foes 32-10 off the bench.
"Our guys have wrapped our minds around that this is what this series is," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You're just going to have to make these plays in the trenches."
Butler scored five unanswered off the tip off and the Heat held the lead for most of the first quarter. The Knicks later rallied with a 9-4 run to take a brief edge, but trailed 31-30 to start the second quarter.
Adebayo and Knicks forward Julius Randle scored nine points apiece through the first 12 minutes.
Cold shooting returned for the Knicks in the second quarter, when they missed their first seven shots and made just 28.6% of their attempts. The Heat started the quarter with a 9-2 run and went on to expand the advantage to 10 points.
The No. 8 Heat outscored the No. 5 Knicks 25-18 in the quarter and held a 56-48 advantage at halftime.
Butler scored the Heat's first seven points of the third quarter. The Knicks cut the deficit to two about five minutes into the frame, but the Heat responded with a 7-2 run and regained an 11-point edge.
The Heat carried a 90-81 lead into the fourth quarter. Butler poured in 11 in the third. The Knicks shot 76.5%, but were still outscored 34-33 in the frame.
The Knicks cut the deficit to six several times down the stretch, but could not get closer. They outscored the Heat 20-19 over the final 12 minutes.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 32 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, in the loss. He also logged 11 assists and four rebounds. Forward R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle scored 24 and 20 points, respectively, for the Knicks.
Guard Kyle Lowry and forward Caleb Martin scored 15 and 10 points, respectively, off the Heat bench. Heat guard Max Strus scored 16 points and made four 3-pointers.
"We need them," Adebayo said of the Heat bench. "At the end of the day. we need everybody. We need everybody contributing to get a win. Tonight, everybody contributed and we got a win."
The Knicks will host the Heat in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday in New York. Game 6, if necessary, will be Friday in Miami.
The winner of the series will face the No. 2 Boston Celtics or No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals. That series is tied 2-2.
