Game Preview: Knicks vs. Heat, Nov. 14, 2025

NY seeks to avenge October’s loss, but will have to do so without Captain Clutch

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

Tonight, at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks (7-4) welcome the Miami Heat (7-5). Both teams are missing key pieces but will be hungry to hold their ground in the NBA Cup tourney, with tonight being an East Group C affair. I hope you can tune in; it’s streaming on Amazon again.

This tilt is their second meeting of the season after Miami’s 115-107 win on October 26. That game that featured 13 lead changes and 14 ties and a whole lotta Norman Powell.

New York is closing out a seven-game homestand

during which they have gone 6-1. Miami is trying to stop a two-game skid and has gone 2-4 on the road. Both squads come in off losses but have been potent offensively.

The Knicks had their five-game win streak snapped by Orlando on Wednesday, falling 124-107 after a sluggish first half and a 44% shooting night (it was the second night of a back-to-back, in case you hadn’t already heard). Our heroes are scoring at 120.5 points per game and remain a top-ten rebounding teams.

Miami is the NBA’s top point-scoring squad (124.8) and play faster than you remember, thanks to Erik Spoelstra adjusting his strategy to match the roster. On Wednesday, they dropped a 130-116 game to Cleveland after leading by 14 in the third quarter, then crumbling in the fourth. It was a fair split: they beat the Cavs in the previous game with a buzzer-beating inbounds lob.

The Heat surrender 120.7 per game, but their defense is rated eighth in the league, the make 38% of their threes (attempting 43 per game), and rank top-10 in at least 12 categories at Basketball-Reference.com. (First in points, assists, and field goals.)

The injury report looms large for both teams. Jalen Brunson is OUT for New York after spraining his ankle in Wednesday’s loss. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges will need to carry the load. Towns is averaging 24.5 points and 12.6 boards, no worries there. Bridges struggled against Orlando’s tighter defense, however, and Anunoby has lost the touch from deep, making just 3-of-14 3P over the last two outings. We expect Miles McBride to start at point for Mike Brown tonight, and Jordan Clarkson / Tyler Kolek to organize the second unit.

For Miami, Bam Adebayo is nursing a left big toe sprain. Thus, the offensive burden falls to Powell, who has quietly put up 24.8 points per game while keeping Miami afloat. The Knicks would be wise to neutralize Norm from the start.

Prediction

ESPN.com likes New York at 65%. I dunno. If the threes are falling, the Knicks stand a good chance of padding an early lead and sailing to victory. Should this game become a defensive slugfest, there will be rough waters ahead. Although New York has a strong home record, their success has come mostly against weaker opponents. Tonight, they’ll play without Captain Clutch and face a tougher team. The Tarot says a tight game is in the cards, with New York losing steam at the end.