MIAMI — The Knicks found themselves in need of a hero, but one was sidelined in street clothes.
Without Jalen Brunson for the second straight game due to an ankle sprain, the Knicks struggled to make crucial shots, ultimately falling 115-113 to the Heat. In the final 20 seconds, Miles McBride and Karl-Anthony Towns misfired on four chances to tie the game.
With just a two-point lead, McBride took a questionable jumper that veered off target, setting off a frantic end to the match.
Towns grabbed the rebound and tried for a putback, yet Heat center Keel Ware blocked him. Initially, the referee called goaltending, resulting in a tie with 13.2 seconds remaining.
However, after a review, that call was reversed. The Knicks were left with two more opportunities in the last minute, but both attempts—one from McBride and another putback by Towns—fell short.
The game concluded—in a tense moment for the Knicks. Earlier, they had managed a five-point lead in the fourth quarter but lost it during a three-and-a-half-minute dry spell without scoring.
Facing a ten-point deficit with around three minutes left, they rallied, thanks to Towns, who notched 22 points and 15 rebounds, and McBride, who contributed 25 points. Unfortunately, their effort wasn’t enough when it truly counted.
Missing two of their key players, Brunson and OG Anunoby, due to injuries, the Knicks had Mike Brown stepping in, with McBride and Landry Shamet starting in the backcourt.
This marked Anunoby’s first absence, having sustained a hamstring injury during a win over the Heat. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks and didn’t join the Knicks on their three-game road trip commencing in Dallas.
Brunson, who injured his ankle during last week’s loss to the Magic, is close to returning and participated in warm-ups without any issues before Friday’s game.
Without him, the offense struggled, shooting merely 25 percent from three-point range. Mikal Bridges, who scored 23 points but was silent in the fourth quarter, commented that the team needs to adapt to playing without their top scorer.
Bridges noted, “There aren’t many players in the league like Jalen. You can’t just bring someone in to replace him, but we need to play to our strengths.”
While the Heat were also missing some talent—Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were out—they managed to get seven players into double digits, led by Norm Powell’s 19 points.
This game was a rematch from last Friday’s encounter, and it unfolded quite differently. The Knicks had celebrated a 140-132 victory the first time, fueled by impressive performances from Towns and Shamet, who together racked up 78 points in the first half.
However, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made tactical adjustments, introducing smaller defenders against Towns, which seemed to disrupt his rhythm, and Shamet struggled, finishing with only 10 points on poor shooting.
The Knicks, by the way, have found it tough on the road, with an 0-4 record away from home contrasted with a strong 7-1 at MSG.
Coach Brown expressed the challenge of implementing a system with limited practice time, saying, “It’s tough. You need to trust your team and know where they stand.” He reflected on his previous coaching experiences, underscoring the importance of understanding each team’s dynamics and leveraging the coaching staff effectively.
