Knicks 116, Heat 112: “Garden South”

The Knicks deliver their biggest come-from-behind win of the year.

Heading into tonight, the New York Knicks (40-20) and the Miami Heat (28-31) had both won two consecutive games. The latter dominated early, outscoring the Knicks 62-45 by halftime behind a 16-0 run and strong performances from Bam Adebayo, rookie Kel’el Ware, and Tyler Herro. New York’s offense struggled, shooting just 36% from the field, and their defense was tough as tissue. The Knicks won the third quarter and erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to end regulation with a 105-105 tie. Jalen Brunson sparked the Knicks in overtime, their defense tightened, and after Alec Burks’ late three made it a one-possession game, an OG Anunoby dunk sealed the win, 116-112.

For the Knicks, Captain Clutch led the scoresheet with 31 points, six dimes, five boards, and two steals. He shot 13-of-25 from the field and 3-of-11 from deep. OG Anunoby added 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals in his 43 minutes. His defense was outrageous in the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns had a 19-16 double-double, and Josh Hart logged 14 points and seven boards. Mikal Bridges played just 28 minutes (five points, eight assists). No minutes for Precious Achiuwa.

For the Heat, Adebayo logged 30 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and Herro contributed 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting.

Quoth @back: “Garden South.” The Pat Riley Court at the Kaseya Center might be the home of the Heat, but we heard those MVP chants for Jalen Brunson all the way up the coast.

First Half

Miami’s coach Eric Spoelstra has started 15 different lineups this season. Tonight’s assortment included OAKAAKYUOAK Alec Burks, and Spo was missing injured rotation players, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins. No sweat. The Heat came out blazing, jumping to a 10-point lead and taking the first quarter 27-22. Of Miami’s total, 24 points came in the paint, while New York struggled, missing 14 of 23 shots and coughing up five turnovers. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby chipped in five points apiece for the visitors.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ sore knee still seems to be hampering him, but Mitchell Robinson looked sharp off the bench:

The second quarter started much the same. New York’s second unit provided a brief spark, with Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet knocking down three triples to cut the deficit to one by the midway point. Don’t get too excited—they wouldn’t get any closer. The Heat responded with a 16-0 run, ballooning the lead to 19 by halftime. Fun fact: that was Miami’s longest scoring streak of the season. They hit the break ahead, 62-45.

In a game defined by bruising, Spoelstra-style basketball, the first free throws weren’t taken until the second quarter, and only 15 fouls were called through the first 24 minutes. Get well soon, refs! Benefiting from the friendly whistle, Miami’s frontcourt trio of Bam Adebayo, rookie Kel’el Ware, and Davion Mitchell combined for 33 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Ware made New York’s bigs look foolish, swatting five shots in his first 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Tyler Herro—one of the league’s premier irritants—added 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Nothing from Burks yet.

The vaunted Knicks offense sputtered, shooting just 36% from the field and 6-of-23 from deep. Josh Hart led the team with 10 points, while KAT posted nine points and eight boards.

Second Half

Struggling to get stops in the first half and needing to outscore Miami by 17 just to tie, the Knicks’ prospects were less than promising. Their fortunes dimmed further when Alec Burks hit the gas in the third quarter, drilling three triples . . . but Jalen Brunson was starting to feel crafty out there:

Tyler Herro cooled off, missing six of seven shots, while the Knicks surged with a 13-0 run, fueled by an energized Mitchell Robinson:

New York won the frame 36-25 and entered the fourth up 87-81.

Cameron Payne, spelling Brunson, opened the final quarter with a three, but things unraveled fast—Anunoby bricked two triples, McBride missed a jumper, and just like that, Miami was back up by 12. McBride redeemed himself with a three, Brunson (back in the mix) sliced through for three slick layups, and suddenly, the Knicks were within one. Davion Mitchell missed two free throws, and with three minutes left, Deuce cooked Herro for a mid-range dagger to give New York the lead.

Pining for defense? Here’s some:

Herro answered with five straight points to put Miami back on top inside the final minute. Anunoby cleaned up a Brunson miss with a putback, Haywood Highsmith bricked at the other end, and Captain Clutch raced for a contested layup to tie it at 105.

Anunoby and McBride locked down Herro, forcing a miss with three seconds left, and OG secured the board for a quick timeout. Mikal Bridges, who sat the whole fourth, checked in for the final play. Brunson, swarmed by defenders, found him in the corner—but the shot hit the side of the backboard.

Overtime

Jalen outscored the Heat 5-4 to open the bonus period, as New York’s defense kicked into another gear—Anunoby locked up Herro, and Deuce denied Davion Mitchell at the rim. A Josh Hart bucket, courtesy of a Brunson assist, gave the Knicks their largest lead yet at four with 1:15 to play. Hart then stripped Adebayo on what should have been an easy putback. These ‘Nova cats are wild:

During a timeout, Spoelstra dialed up a play for Big Money Burks, who buried his fourth triple with 27 seconds left. The Knicks burned two timeouts to get their strategy straight, but crisp ball movement set up an Anunoby dunk to seal the win.

Up Next

The Knicks host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday before starting a five-game west coast swing. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score