Knicks 116, Heat 107: Scenes from KAT picking the meat from Adebayo’s bones

In his best game as a Knick, Karl-Anthony Towns delivers a 44-13 double-double while hot team second-half shooting defeats Tyler Herro and the Heat.

The New York Knicks (2-2) had lost eight of their last ten games played at South Beach against the Miami Heat (2-2). But that was without Karl-Anthony Towns.

Before this game got good, it wasn’t great. Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson combined to hit just 1-of-7 first-half three-pointers. New York lost the first quarter 32-26 but rallied in the second, powered by Towns’ massive 24-point half and 10 points from Miles McBride off the bench. Towns and Tyler Herro kept trading blows in the second half, with Brunson joining in. New York’s 22-7 third-quarter rally, punctuated by eight three-pointers, swung the lead, 87-80. The teams fought hard in the fourth, with Towns sealing the victory by scoring eight straight down the stretch. Final score: 116-107.

In his best game as a Knick, KAT scored at will, finishing with 44 points, 13 rebounds, and a team-high +15 plus-minus. He shot 17-of-24 from the field and 4-of-5 from deep, dominating Miami’s Bam Adebayo for position and delivering clutch buckets all night—from a Knicks center!

Josh Hart, playing through a lower leg contusion from Monday’s loss to Cleveland, posted another double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, plus six assists and a steal on 4-of-7 shooting. Another stellar showing from Hart.

After being stymied in the first half, Brunson broke loose in the second, finishing with 22 points and nine assists on 6-of-18 shooting (3-of-7 from deep).

Mikal Bridges struggled early but found his stride after halftime, hitting huge shots and scoring 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting. He added two steals, two blocks, and a handful of deflections while playing solid defense.

Miami was led by Herro’s 34 points, including 8-of-13 from three. Terry Rozier III, their leading scorer before tonight, added 16 points; Bam Adebayo logged 11 points and a measly three rebounds; and Jimmy Butler farted out 15 points.

Practice your free-throws, kids. New York made 18-of-20 freebies, and they made a difference.

First Half

Karl-Anthony Towns had a productive first quarter, scoring 12 points to lead New York early.

New York entered the game averaging a league-worst 28.3 three-point attempts per game. They took eight threes in the initial quarter, hitting four, while Miami went 5-of-11 from deep. For context, Boston averages around 12.5 attempts per quarter.

Tyler Herro, Miami’s all-time free-throw percentage leader (87%) and former Sixth Man of the Year, bounced back from Monday’s 3-of-12 three-point showing against Detroit. He scored 14 points in the first quarter, skillfully evading Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride. Miami surged with a 10-1 run mid-quarter and ended the frame ahead, 32-26.

Sparked by McBride, New York outscored the Heat 9-4 to start the second, then missed seven straight shot attempts, spanning almost four minutes. Deuce was feisty off the bench, scoring 10 points in his first 16 minutes of relief. His shot is automatic:

And here he turns on the jets for a jam:

The first center off the bench was Jericho Sims, surely disappointing of the growing horde of Ariel Hukporti fanatics. Meanwhile, Miami neutralized Brunson with double-teams throughout the first half. Jalen shot 1-of-7 from the floor for two first half points, but dished five dimes.

The Knicks were down 58-52 at the half.

With the mice occupied, KAT feasted. Towns made 9-of-14 shots for 24-first half points and six rebounds. He carried a squad that shot 42% from the field and made 7-of-21 triples, while Miami shot 49% and 9-of-21. New York stayed alive by making free throws—11-of-12 to the Heat’s 7-of-12.

Second Half

After intermission, Miami’s defense continued to disrupt New York’s offense, building a 13-point lead by the nine-minute mark. New York then answered with a 22-7 rally, fueled by three-pointers from Brunson and OG Anunoby, reclaiming a slim lead. The Kaseya Center buzzed with noisy Knicks fans as New York hit 8-of-13 from downtown in the third, winning the quarter 35-22 and finishing ahead 87-80.

Like two sweaty prizefighters, the teams traded punches through the fourth. Kat and Terry Rozier III scored on acrobatic drives. Bridges answered with a three-pointer, then Herro and Brunson sank their own, back-to-back. The Knicks clung to a six-point advantage with just six minutes remaining.

Down the stretch, Jimmy Butler showed signs of life and the Heat cut the lead to four, but Bridges came through with a steal, a deflection, and rebounds to help keep Miami off-balance. Josh Hart, questionable before tonight’s game, had the legs of an Olympian late and scored a big bucket to pad the lead.

KAT’s eight straight points in the final two mintues put him over the 40 mark and the Knicks back in the win column. Final score,

Up Next

The road trip continues with a trek to Detroit to battle the Pistons on Friday. Should be a good one—Detroit finally won tonight, beating Philly. Safe travels, Knickerbokers.

Box Score