MIAMI — If it looks familiar, it was. The Knicks lost three games, much like this one last spring. They will play the Heat even if only for a short time. The Heat will lead. The Knicks will look to counterpunch. The Heat will extend their lead. The Knicks will go on a final onslaught.
The Heat will fight back. And the Heat will win.
This happened three times in three games played here at Caseya Center in the Eastern Conference semifinals last May. It happened again Tuesday night, and it ended up being 109-99.
The Knicks looked like they were going to get blown out. He ultimately tied the game at 92-all with just under four minutes left. However, they were sent to the gas chambers. They used up all the potions of power coming back. It wasn’t enough to finish the job.
Same script, different day.
rinse. repeat.
“We fought well and played well in the second half,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game, before lamenting nightly about the frequency of referees swallowing whistles when Jalen Brunson was involved. “And in the end, we didn’t come close.”
It’s short after all.
rinse.
repeat.
Is it a little frustrating to lose to a team that has the courage to wear a jersey with “HEAT CULTURE” sewn on the front? Of course it is. Is it even more infuriating that Kaseya dribbles past the giant “HEAT CULTURE” logo painted in midcourt 100 times in one game? of course.
But until the Knicks, or really anyone else, knocks the Heat off their hallowed pedestal, they have every right to scream about their culture and indulge in self-righteousness. Because until proven otherwise, the Heat are an unpleasant and indigestible opponent this time of year. The Knicks realized that a year ago — so did the Bucks and Celtics.
And the Heat have spent much of this year doing what the Heat usually do. they were hurt. They lost some inexplicable games. They looked good just a week ago and were buried in the play-in range, but now they seem to wake up as soon as they smell the playoffs. Perhaps this is the year when culture alone is not enough.
But someone has to prove it first.
“They’re a physical team,” Josh Hart said. “You always know when you come here.”
And they’re peaking at the right time, and that’s probably the most frustrating thing if you’re a Knicks fan. It’s easy to pinpoint when the Knicks were at their peak this season. It was Jan. 27, a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the last time the Knicks and Heat met, two days after defeating the Nuggets by 30 points and the Knicks outscoring them 125-109.
But that was also the night Julius Randle landed incorrectly on his shoulder. It was OG Anunoby’s last night before going down with elbow pain. It was the last night the Knicks felt complete, even though they were still without Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks had a 29-17 lead that night. Since then, they’ve won 15 and lost 14, but it seems like a semi-miracle that they’ve gotten that many wins.
It would be great if the Knicks could take it easy on the rest of their schedule, especially since the top nine looks like they tripped over the tape in a marathon every night. But that’s not possible.
“Some teams have the luxury of building a big cushion,” Thibodeau said. “Those teams can rest. A lot of teams can’t do that. Especially teams that are undermanned all year. We have to find a way to win games.”
The No. 3 seed seems like a pipe dream, especially right now, with the Knicks waking up Wednesday morning just two games out of the No. 7 spot. This will be a double whammy. The first game for the play-in main draw will likely be against Joel Embiid and the 76ers.
That’s why the Knicks’ next game, Thursday night against the Kings at the Garden, will be the first close to a must-win of the year. It’s not easy. The Knicks are still short on players, and the Kings need games just as much as the Knicks need games in the East to get some chance in the West.
But at some point the bleeding has to stop. This is a three-game losing streak. All three games either had the Knicks leading or were tied with less than four minutes left. No one doubted that they were salty competitors. However, things are now trending sideways.
It’s good to get out of Miami and get away from the culture for a while. It is better to accumulate some victories and hope that January 27th is a false peak. Even though that may seem fanciful now.
