The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 106-104. RJ Barrett bounced back by dropping 30 points after being benched in the last game.
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The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat in a back-and-forth affair that ended 106-104. The game’s physicality gave it a playoff vibe, with both teams trading runs that rarely allowed big leads to build or last. The Heat jockeyed between double teams and zone defenses that pushed New York to extra turnovers, even in crunch time. But New York survived the battle thanks to significant contributions from leaders and helpful scoring from the second unit.
Jalen Brunson missed the game due to a non-COVID-related illness, leaving New York without its lead ball-handler in an important match. But Julius Randle and RJ Barrett stepped up, providing just enough to win despite their turnovers. In addition, Obi Toppin and Deuce McBride scored important baskets late to give the bench an edge despite Immanuel Quickley’s move to the starting line-up.
So let’s take a closer look at how each player made a difference in this nail-biting victory.
The Knicks starters survive without two regulars
Immanuel Quickley: 8 PTS (3/8 FG, 2/5 3PT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 37 mins
I mentioned that Immanuel Quickley fell to the wayside when he played with the starters last game. This time around, he got the start, and the same thing happened. IQ didn’t play poorly, but his game lacked the edge that it’s had since he took over the second unit. Quickley still hit shots and made a few nice passes, but he watched other players isolate more often than not.
But IQ contributed despite fewer opportunities to create. He did so with great rebounding and some fantastic defense. He snuck a few rebounds away from bigger players and stopped Jimmy Butler from a putback on another occasion. Also, you could find IQ using his long arms to deny shooters and passing lanes all game long.
The Heat’s defensive scheme has usually slowed down New York’s ball movement for years. So, it’s not surprising that the Knicks’ offense sometimes became stagnant, especially with Jalen Brunson out. But I still hoped to see more assertion from IQ, especially when Barrett or Randle were pressing. Nevertheless, Quickley turned in a solid performance worth a 2.5 out of 5, but I know he can provide more than this.
Quentin Grimes: 17 PTS (6/9 FG, 3/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 4 REB, 1 TO in 37 mins
Quentin Grimes played the role of an unsung contributor. He added his three-point shot to those flashy drives and finishes I praised last game. Also, Grimes continued his clever passing to breakdown and beat rotations. When the Heat oversold Randle or Barrett, a weak side pass to Grimes turned into points and assists nearly every time.
Grimes’ defense was every bit as enjoyable as his offense. He held Jimmy Butlers (a 20 point per game scorer) to just 10 points on 5/13 from the field. In addition, the sophomore defender’s work in the post was impressive. Butler rarely turned in without moving away from the basket, which forced him to become a jump-shooter on most possessions.
Grimes played a fantastic game. His numbers aren’t as flashy as Barrett’s or Randle’s, but his impact isn’t far off. Grimes took less than half their attempts while locking up one of the top players in the league. That’s easily worth a 3.5 out of 5, and if you think he deserves a higher score, I’m not mad at you.
RJ Barrett: 30 PTS (13/23 FG, 0/5 3PT, 4/6 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB, 5 TO in 41 mins
RJ Barrett turned a rough first half into an incredible second half. He shot the ball miserably from deep but curbed the shooting at halftime. Barrett began to attack the basket frequently and with bully ball, various spins moves, and crafty finishes. By the end of regulation, the Knicks were running every play through Barrett.
Those closing possessions led by Barrett turned dicey. He threw the ball away twice in the late stages of the game. Barrett sometimes had tunnel vision, forcing his way into traffic or hesitating on passes and getting into trouble. But to his credit, he also threw some nice kick outs when he had the wherewithal to anticipate a double-team.
Defensively, Barrett showed great effort early. He took the baseline away from Herro on his first defensive play of the game. But as time wore on, the Maple Mamba stopped getting over screens fast enough, and Herro began to knock down jumpers. So, RJ showed effort on defense but still has plenty of room for improvement there. Barrett gets a 4 out of 5 for leading the Knicks to the win but mixing in some glaring errors.
Julius Randle: 23 PTS (8/19 FG, 3/9 3PT, 4/5 FT), 6 AST, 10 REB, 3 STL, 7 TO in 34 mins
Julius Randle helped New York by knocking down big three-pointers early. He kickstarted the Knicks offense, riding high off an All-Star selection. Randle slowed down as the game continued, but the Heat’s defense played a heavy hand. A double team was waiting whenever New York’s star big man touched the ball. Without Brunson to take pressure off, Randle backslid into old turnover-prone mistakes.
But Randle also looked for opportunities to help the team beyond scoring. When he made quick decisions against the double-team, he’d find RJ Barrett cutting to the middle or Grimes and IQ for three. Randle also chipped in on the boards, knocking Udonis Haslem into the photographers as he chased one particular offensive rebound down.
I’ll commend Randle’s defensive effort as well. He added three steals and seemed to get back quickly in transition if he wasn’t responsible for the turnovers. I’d like to see his help defense make even more of a difference, but this wasn’t bad. Randle gets a 3.5 out of 5 for starting strong and helping however he could late.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 1 AST, 2 REB in 19 mins
Jericho Sims continued his battles against tough match-ups. This time he battled Bam Adebayo, and Sims struggled. Bam’s tough to contain for any big man, and New York’s sophomore center had trouble.
Sims wasn’t detrimental for New York. But he also failed to contribute much beyond setting screens. He ceded minutes to Isaiah Hartenstein, even without foul trouble. On the bright side, he had the best +/- on the team, but the eye test doesn’t comport with that. Sims gets a 1.5 out of 5 for having such a quiet night.
New York’s second unit steps up even without its leader
Miles McBride: 8 PTS (3/3 FG, 2/2 3PT), 2 AST, 1 TO in 11 mins
Miles McBride knocked down his first jumper and seemed energized after. He’s always an unruly defender, but McBride looked more active on offense. Part of that is because IQ moved to the starters, leaving McBride as the defacto point guard of the second unit. But he responded with 8 points and 2 assists, including a couple of big fourth-quarter baskets.
McBride still sat after just 11 minutes of action. He hasn’t shown enough playmaking to be trusted with extra time conducting an offense. But his recent play has included more assertive movement and ball handling, which gives me hope for future development. McBride gets a 2.5 despite playing so few minutes that I usually wouldn’t rate it.
Evan Fournier: 5 PTS (1/7 FG, 1/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL in 18 mins
Evan Fournier got an opportunity to play due to Jalen Brunson’s illness. This game seemed like the perfect night for a sharpshooter because the Heat was constantly doubling or using zone. Fournier didn’t shy away from shooting opportunities but failed to convert on all but one attempt.
To the French wing’s credit, he made things happen as a passer. Fournier beat some closeouts off the dribble and found open players from there. But his game is far too reliant on his jumper to go 1/6 from the field. As a result, Fournier gets a 1.5 out of 5, but I’ll chalk the poor shooting up to rust.
Obi Toppin: 7 PTS (3/6 FG, 1/4 3PT), 2 REB in 14 mins
Obi Toppin had a quiet first half before providing key scoring in the early fourth quarter. Toppin hit an important three and followed with a pull-up jumper from midrange. He didn’t convert, but Toppin got good looks by faking swing passes to create space. He looked confident in his shot, which led to scoring once he got going.
We also got a glimpse of the Obi Toppin fast break. He made a nice catch and finished from a long pass. But Toppin leaking out meant that his rebounding numbers looked pedestrian. His 14 minutes were productive, but that all came in one burst. So Obi gets a 2 out of 5, but if he can sustain his scoring across all of his minutes, that number will take a leap.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (3/7 FG), 1 AST, 10 REB, 3 STL, 3 TO in 29 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein continued to come into his own with a near-double-double. He was strong on the glass, including some putbacks and opportunities. But he also missed some bunnies that drove me crazy. He missed off lead passes, offensive rebounds, and rushed moves inside. The big man should have had more points.
But Hart’s not out there to be a scorer. He covered his big-man role well, with 10 big rebounds and plenty of excellent rim-protecting sequences. His three steals showed active hands in the passing lanes as he dropped to protect the middle.
Hart’s not quite Nerlens Noel on defense, but also not as bad as Nerlens Noel around the basket. He’s also a much better backup big man in terms of versatility. Hart continued to help the team by working away from the basket at times. He’s outplayed Jericho Sims recently, earning starting minutes despite coming off the bench. Hart gets a 3 out of 5 and could receive more if he finishes the easy ones.
A significant win for Tom Thibodeau’s crew
Tom Thibodeau got more from his depleted bench than he has when the team is fully healthy. That’s important because he can sometimes habitually move away from the second unit too fast. But Thibodeau saw his bench players producing in the fourth and kept them in for a few extra minutes. That time might have made the difference as the Knicks held on by getting a few big stops late.
I’m still not happy about late-game decisions on offense. New York didn’t have Jalen Brunson, so it shifted the same iso-heavy role to RJ Barrett. Barrett handled that role respectably, but his late turnovers could have turned an outstanding performance into a disappointment. I wish the offense were more dynamic in crunch time.
But a win’s a win, so Thibs enjoys a 3 out of 5 for trusting his bench just a little more and reaping the rewards of that decision.
Closing Thoughts
Congratulations to Julius Randle for the All-Star selection. Even as he struggled a bit last night, we could see why he made it. Randle was a force until the Heat pushed everything on defense in his direction, and then RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes feasted against the unbalanced defenders. Of course, Brunson should also be selected, but let’s all take this as a lesson: we’ll need to vote twice as much i the future to ensure he doesn’t get snubbed.
The Knicks and Heat felt like two teams in a similar space. They’re good enough to compete with nearly anyone but haven’t proven good enough to break away from the pack. The difference is that Heat started two players over thirty years of age and only utilized one player under-25. Seven players that I wrote about in this recap are under-25. So the two teams seemed similar in trajectory, but factor in age and picks to change that equation.
We live at the whims of each passing game when the big picture is brighter than we’ve given it credit for. RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley have all shown flashes of growth that could turn into leaps. Several young players are contributing nightly, and this team is firmly entrenched in the race for the sixth seed. Is New York a contender? Probably not, but they’re in a great position to become one in the futre.
The schedule won’t let up, with a Saturday meeting with the suddenly healthy LA Clippers. But I expect this team to compete with everyone because that’s what they’ve done all year. Let’s appreciate that, root for a win, and meet back here to discuss the results. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Knicks News, where CP discusses RJ’s benching, OG Anunoby trade rumors, and the Cam Reddish situation!
