Takeaways from the Knicks’ triumphant night in South Beach

KAT deserves his flowers for his best game as a Knick, but OG was a quiet killer.

Last night, Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks executed a thrilling comeback over the Miami Heat to win 116-107. Here are the key takeaways from the game.

KAT’S Dominant Performance

Karl-Anthony Towns delivered his best game yet as a Knick and proved why he’s such a significant addition to the team. He tallied an impressive 44 points and 13 rebounds, scoring from wherever he desired, much to the consternation of Miami’s big man Bam Adebayo. Dunking, hitting mid-range shots, raining threes, and sinking free throws, KAT’s buckets were butter. Notching a new season-high, his eight straight points in the final two minutes were pivotal in securing the victory.

The Boston Celtics take a league-leading 50 three-point attempts per game. After taking 40 last night, New York’s updated average is 31 three-point attempts. Last night, Towns shot 4-of-5 from downtown, and with Thibs playing an eight- or nine-man rotation, he’ll need at least that many attempts from the big fella. Sheesh . . . if my math is correct, the team will need an average of at least five or six attempts from every player to keep pace with Boston in a playoff series. Let’s pray Mitch has been working on his shooting form.

Resilient Defense and Second-Half Surge

The Knicks displayed incredible resilience by overcoming a poor team-shooting performance in the first half. They rallied after intermission, turning the game around by outscoring the Heat 64-49 to complete the comeback. In particular, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson fixed what ailed them during the break; they combined for 10 points before halftime and 29 after.

Bridges and Brunson had GameScores of 2 in the first half; in the second, they both topped 12. That speaks volumes about the team’s mental toughness and the coaching staff’s effectiveness in making strategic halftime adjustments.

On the defensive end, we saw New York’s wings effectively neutralize Miami’s top-scorer, Terry Rozier III. (More on OG Anunoby below.) Scary Terry shot just 1-of-6 in the first half, and when he came alive in the fourth quarter (4-of-5, 13 points), it was too late to stop New York’s momentum. All five Heat starters broke double-figures, but only Tyler Herro flourished, finishing with 34 points and hitting 8-of-13 from downtown. If Herro didn’t make 60% of his triples, the Knicks would have wrapped up the dub much sooner.

Team Effort Supporting Towns

While Towns was the standout performer, the victory was a collective effort. Other players stepped up to support his big night, and everybody made their free throws—New York scored 18 at the line and missed two.

Jalen Brunson shot just 6-of-18 from the field, mostly due to Miami’s stifling first-half double-teams, yet the Captain found other ways to contribute. He fell just shy of a double-double with 22 points and nine assists, and played a big role in creating opportunities for his teammates.

Josh Hart delivered another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds), once again corralling rebounds as well as anyone in the league. He made just 2-of-5 from deep, but both felt like daggers in Miami’s heart.

Mikal Bridges shot 2-of-9 in the first half but improved to 4-of-7 in the second, including a couple of huge buckets as the team’s third option.

Fellow wing OG Anunoby’s box score won’t reflect it, but he was crucial to the win. He shot only threes, converting 3-of-6, and focused on his defense. He had two steals, a number of deflections, and his presence lurking in the passing lanes kept the Heat players on guard. This is what a PhD in defense looks like.

Besides KAT, Miles McBride, our Sixth Man of the Year candidate, was New York’s only other offensive weapon in the first half, shooting 3-of-5 for 10 points in 16 minutes. He went scoreless after intermission, but his defensive clamps helped in New York’s comeback. Last but not least, Cameron Payne gave Thibs solid minutes in relief, dishing out five dimes, a block, and a steal in his 11 minutes. He finished with a +4 rating.

The season’s still young, folks. The Knicks were paddled by the Celtics on opening night, but then spanked the Pacers in Game Two—and last night, the Pacers handed Boston their first loss of the season. Less than two weeks into the campaign, Washington and Brooklyn have already recorded a fifth of their projected wins for the season. The new look Knicks have plenty of time to learn each other’s preferences and tendencies. Once they have smoothed out the wrinkles and are finally whole (first with Precious Achiuwa and then with Mitchell Robinson back) . . . a team with this potential and resilience? Hoo, baby.

On to Detroit. Go Knicks.