Two score years ago today, Patrick Ewing played his first game as a Knick, logging 18 points and six rebounds in a loss to the Sixers at the Garden. Forty years later, they lost, too. So much for a perfect
season: Heat 115, Knicks 107.
The New York Knicks (2-1) were at Kaseya Center to face the Heat (2-1) in their home opener. With 14 ties and 13 lead changes tonight, the Knicks had numerous chances to take control in the second half, but shoddy shooting cooked them. Overall, they attempted 54 threes, tying a franchise record, and converted only 15 of them. Even though they took 15 more shots than the Heat, the Flamingos made 46% from the field and 35% from deep and that was enough for the victory.
The Knicks bench shot 1-of-18 from deep in an ugly effort. More about that below. Spoilers: Guerschon Yabusele continues to look like an unhelpful slab of meatloaf, Jordan Clarkson is an early frontrunner for player we’d rather not see again, and Landry Shamet wore his basketball uniform like a halloween costume in his 19 minutes.
On a positive note, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 37 points in 35 minutes, shooting 14-of-26 from the floor (he finished a +6). Coach Mike Brown held out Jalen to start the fourth quarter, and it was a questionable decision in hindsight given that Captain Clutch was the only reliable scorer and the Heat were ready to rip the lid off. (And they did.) When Brunson finally did check in, the home team was ahead by double-digits and were unwilling to budge.
Mikal Bridges added 20 points on 70% from the floor, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a 15-point, 18-board double-double. KAT’s foul trouble and Hukporti’s struggles put the Knicks in trouble against Bam Adebayo (19 points, 13 boards) and the Heat’s front court. Norm Powell added 29 for the victors.
First Half
On Friday, Coach Brown went small to match Boston’s speed and size, leaving sophomore center Ariel Hukporti glued to the pine. Tonight, with Miami rolling out the Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware twin-tower look, Brown adjusted again and started Hukporti next to KAT. A coach who adapts his lineup to the matchup? Pinch me.
Huk looked jittery early, and he wasn’t the only one. Both teams pushed the pace, resulting in sloppy passes and gassed faces. With New York trailing 13–11 after four-ish minutes, a sweaty Huk checked out and did not return in the half. Josh Hart was first off the bench, immediately resuming his role as the Hungry Hungry Hippo of Rebounds.
The Knicks continued their winning formula from the first two games with active defense and relentless rebounding. Towns owned the paint with five rebounds and two blocks in the first quarter, while OG Anunoby buried a pair of threes on his way to 10 points in 10 minutes.
Look at KAT’s hustle.
Brown’s mandate for longballs held as well, with 13 of New York’s 21 attempts coming from deep. Meanwhile, Miami’s early-season scoring leader Norman Powell (21.5 ppg) traded buckets with Brunson. The former finished the frame with 13, the latter with 11. The Knicks took a 27–24 lead into the second.
Sticking with his formula, Brown sent Tyler Kolek out as floor general to start the second quarter. The Knicks kept heaving from downtown, but with little success: they’d made 19% (4-of-21) by midway through the quarter. Note that Deuce McBride was absent tonight (personal reasons) and would have at least canned a couple. The bench crew—Hart, Clarkson, Yabusele, Shamet, and Kolek—converted just 1-of-10 in the half. Here’s the one:
While they missed ’em, the Flaming Neons made them (49% FG, 39% 3PT); and they beat the ‘Bockers on fast-break points, 16-3. Fortunately, tough defense bailed out the bad first-half shooting, with New York stealing the ball five times and pressuring Miami into 10 turnovers. And New York outrebounded the home team, 26-20.
By intermission, our heroes were down 57-54. Brunson led the score sheet so far with 15 points on 50% shooting and KAT already had 10 boards. For Miami, Powell had 15 and Adebayo was flirting with a double-double.
Pick your adjective for this:
Second Half
The Knicks starters returned to start the second half. Brunson was on fire, scoring from all levels and dropping 12 points in the third period, while Anunoby added more from deep and Bridges added a catch-and-shoot trey. The Knicks’ defense forced more turnovers and KAT controlled the boards, but Miami stayed close behind Powell and a Kel’el Ware triple.
Here’s a sweet Hart-to-Bridges sequence:
Both teams cooled midway through the frame. With Mitchell Robinson absent (again, always) and Hukporti playing inconsistently, we were nervous when KAT picked up his fourth foul early in the third. New York briefly took a small lead, but with Towns and Brunson on the bench late in the quarter, the wheels came off. They missed from all over, included point-blank range, and fell behind 88-81 at the break.
As in the last game, Coach Brown started the fourth quarter with Brunson on the bench. It was a gamble, given the Knicks need for points and Jalen’s hot hand. In under two minutes, Miami lurched ahead by a dozen, thanks to Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s drives and Simone Fontecchio’s deep shooting. Towns, Anunoby, Bridges, Shamet, and Clarkson tried to and failed to find the net.
At the nine-minute mark, Captain Clutch subbed in for Anunoby. At the 7:30 mark, Miami reached 100 points and a 14 point lead while the Knicks dented the rim on shot after shot. Brown was clearly searching for shooting, but Clarkson and Shamet weren’t it—by halfway through the quarter, they had combined for 2-of-14 from the field and 0-of-8 from deep. Mike tried an assortment of Jalen, Clarkson, Bridges, Yabusele, and Towns—same result. Powell swished from 26 feet, and the hole was 18 points.
Pissed, Bruson led a 14-3 run. When Hart scored a layup in traffic, New York trailed by eight with three on the clock. They fell asleep on the next play, allowing Bam to dunk a bunny. And yet! Towns hit from deep at the two-minute mark: 110-103. When Miami chased down a loose ball and called timeout, there was still daylight for our ‘Bockers.
Jalen picked Adebayo’s pocked and ran it back for two. Andrew Wiggins hit a dagger three in Josh’s face. New York had two chances up the floor, but committed two offensive fouls (KAT and Hart), and eight-points was too much to overcome in the final thirty seconds. Ball game.
Up Next
Our heroes travel to Milwaukee to face the deer on Tuesday. Safe Travels, Knickerbockers.
