The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 100-98. Immanuel Quickley and Jalen Brunson keep New York’s In-Season Tournament hopes alive!
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The NBA’s In-Season Tournament continued as the New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 100 to 98. The teams spent the first half in a back-and-forth duel, as the intensity from their playoff match-up seemed to carry into this rematch. But the Knicks came out of halftime flat, giving up 37 points in a single quarter and trailing by 16 points heading into the fourth. That’s when New York locked in and held the Heat to an 11-point fourth quarter that sparked a huge comeback and victory.
The Knicks were out of sorts until their second unit came in and brought the game within reach. From there, Jalen Brunson took over as a scorer while RJ Barrett pieced together stops against Jimmy Butler. There’s plenty to discuss about the individual performers, so let’s get right into it.
New York’s starters struggle early but close strong
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS (10/16 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/5 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 2 TO in 34 mins
Jalen Brunson finally missed some threes, but that didn’t stop him from scoring. Brunson’s midrange magic went into overdrive, and his touch around the rim finally returned to last season’s form. The Heat threw defenders, switches, and help-defenders at Brunson but couldn’t slow him down.
Brunson took his game up a notch after entering the fourth quarter with about 6 minutes left. He scored 8 points during this span, which mainly was crunch time. The Knicks’ leader visibly picked out his screeners to capitalize on Miami’s switching and line up with Miami’s rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. The only flaw in Brunson’s closing time was free throw shooting, which can be forgiven after he hurt his shoulder, even if he embellished the injury.
New York hasn’t had a closer like this since Carmelo Anthony retired. Whenever Jalen Brunson had the ball in the clutch, the Garden poised itself to explode. The Heat tried everything and couldn’t slow down New York’s star. Brunson gets a 4 out of 5 for his clutch performance.
Quentin Grimes: 3 PTS (1/4 FG, 1/3 3PT), 2 AST, 1 STL in 21 mins
Quentin Grimes is still going through it. He couldn’t get much going, though his only jumper did manage to ignite the crowd before halftime. He missed a couple of good looks otherwise while failing to score on trips inside the arc.
But Grimes’ pair of assists flashed a skill that’s been missing since last season. He got off the line faster, turning catch-and-shoot opportunities into quick trips toward the rim. While Grimes had trouble scoring, he did find cutting teammates for quick dimes.
The quicker decisions should translate to better results. Grimes struggled again, but he finally flashed hints of breaking out of the doldrum. Grimes gets a 1 out of 5 for the challenging game, and I see hints of his rhythm returning.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (7/14 FG, 1/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 3 TO in 34 mins
RJ Barrett started slow, mainly because he couldn’t get the jumper to fall. Not only did he miss his threes, but he also bricked a midrange attempt. His forays into the paint were a mix of tough finishes and turnovers throughout most of the action.
But Barrett flipped a switch during his fourth-quarter minutes with the second-unit. He found another gear that turned him elusive on drives; then he knocked down his only three-pointer of the night to cut into the lead. Beyond scoring, Barrett stepped up defensively and held Jimmy Butler at bay throughout crunch time. That’s a tough defensive match-up for anyone, but RJ embraced the challenge and contested several of Butler’s attempts, including his three-pointer at the buzzer.
Broadway Barrett was bound to regress somewhat from three. But he pieced together a strong performance without his jumper, another promising sign of growth. The rising prospect didn’t contribute a lot of playmaking but made up for it with some quality rebounds to join his scoring punch. Barrett gets a 3.5 out of 5 for the night.
Julius Randle: 13 PTS (5/12 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 7 AST, 8 REB, 6 TO in 35 mins
The Heat’s best answer to stop Jalen Brunson was to bait Julius Randle into long isolations. Randle had some offense going early, hitting his first three and beating up the Heat inside. His post-game included some impressive finishes and a few nice kickouts for teammates.
But Randle’s success from the post came at the expense of offensive flow. He had to pound the rock and fight for every point. The big man was as liable to turn the ball over for a fast break score as he was to produce points. It’s no shock that the team found a better rhythm once he sat.
I won’t bury Randle for a lousy game. He visibly tried to move the ball, even picking out Mitchell Robinson in mismatches. When the offense started to flow, Randle re-entered the game and didn’t force a thing. He let the hot hands close the game without showing signs of frustration at the lack of touches. Randle gets a 1.5 out of 5, but his humble end to the night was a nice turn.
Mitchell Robinson: 5 PTS (2/4 FG, 1/4 FT), 7 REB, 2 STL in 20 mins
I’m less concerned about Mitchell Robinson matching up with Kristaps Porzingis for seven games than Bam Adebayo. Mitch ran into quick foul trouble, never got his dominant rebounding into place, and failed to contain Bam. Whereas some shooting bigs can beat Mitch thanks to New York’s drop coverage, Adebayo simply outplayed the rim protector.
On the bright side, Mitch wasn’t unplayable. He still had moments of presence in the middle, though Miami was smart enough to foul him with the ball in the paint. Robinson’s contributions were slowed but not completely shut down. Mitch gets a 1.5 for his worst performance of the season.
The Knicks’ second unit sparks the comeback win
Immanuel Quickley: 20 PTS (8/17 FG, 4/8 3PT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 26 mins
While Jalen Brunson was the closer, none of his heroics would be possible without Immanuel Quickley. Quickley played a solid first half and catapulted the Knicks’ offense in the third and fourth quarters. IQ entered a 21-point game, turned a Hartenstein chase down into a momentum-building three, then trimmed that lead to 16 before the fourth quarter and 8 points before Brunson returned to the floor.
From that moment, it was off to the races with Quickley. He knocked down jumpers and floaters en route to 8 fourth-quarter points, riding New York’s hot defense to quick counterattacks. When Brunson returned, IQ’s presence represented an additional threat to open things up.
It might be downplayed, thanks to his offensive contributions, but IQ’s defense was equally important. During a crucial possession, Jimmy Butler had a moment of separation from RJ Barrett, but a quick hedge by Quickley shut Butler down. So, Quick did everything to contribute to this victory. IQ gets a 4 out of 5 for his big night.
Donte DiVincenzo: 5 PTS (1/4 FG,1/2 3PT, 2/3 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 16 mins
Donte DiVincenzo’s hot and cold ways continued with an ice-cold performance. He didn’t get many open looks and struggled when he put the ball on the floor. That left DiVincenzo with few options to help the offense out.
Donte typically finds other ways to contribute when his scoring fails. But he had 3 turnovers to just 1 assist, and his few rebounds couldn’t make up the difference. The struggles left DiVincenzo with limited minutes, a 1 out of 5 for a rare negative impact.
Josh Hart: 10 PTS (4/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 26 mins
I get the sense that the fanbase is more critical of Josh Hart than he deserves. He’s hesitant to shoot at times, which can be harmful on a team that often needs spacing to succeed. But Hart does so many other things well that I can typically forgive, and this game was a perfect example.
Hart hit a three in the flow of offense early, but everything else carried his game from there. Hart led the Knicks in rebounds and repeatedly turned rebounds into transition attacks. He clocked 10 points and 4 assists, which was mostly produced from playing fast. Meanwhile, Hart matched Jimmy Butler’s physicality for long chunks of the action.
This wasn’t Hart’s best performance, but it was a solid game nonetheless. The Heat have mastered the art of slowing New York’s offense to a crawl. They did in the playoffs and continued the trend here until Josh Hart was on the floor. Hart’s pace shouldn’t be underestimated, and he gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his work in transition.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 2 PTS (1/3 FG), 1 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 28 mins
The beauty of New York’s big-man tandem is that Isaiah Hartenstein can pick things up when Mitch struggles. I-Hart got extended minutes thanks to Robinson’s foul trouble. The big man didn’t provide much offensive punch, but his defensive presence was more prominent than the numbers suggest.
The Knicks’ frantic comeback was book-ended by a pair of I-Hart’s blocks. First, I-Hart chased down Haywood Highsmith and sent a block off the glass to start a counter by New York. Then, with less than a minute left and New York clinging to the lead, Hartenstein stepped in front of Bam Adebayo, who had a running start. I-Hart wasn’t credited with a block, but his challenge altered the shot and changed the dynamics of the decisive possessions of this game.
As much as IQ sparked the team’s offense, Isaiah Hartenstein did the same for the defense. His chase-down block told everyone that New York wasn’t going away. Then he jumped in front of a monster to show that New York wouldn’t back down with the game on the line. He gets a 3 out of 5 for a significant defensive impact.
Tom Thibodeau goes to the bench just in time
I was frustrated with Tom Thibodeau’s rotation during this game. The Knicks looked flat in the third quarter, forcing Tom Thibodeau to use a pair of early time-outs to try and shake things up. But he didn’t make any substitutions, and the TOs did not impact the game’s trajectory.
Thibs’ typical substitution pattern brought IQ and I-Hart into the game in the nick of time. But they should have been called upon much sooner. Thibodeau got away with it this time, but I’d like faster moves in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I talked about New York’s need for a signature win last time. The Knicks gave me that signature win against Miami. The Heat were the hottest team in the East over the past ten games, and New York took them down in a playoff-intensity battle.
Suddenly, a tournament I could care less about feels important. New York is in the lead for the wild-card spot, which goes to the team with the best record outside of division winners and uses point-differential as a tie-breaker. This strange new tournament suddenly feels like a fun and exciting new addition.
The Phoenix Suns are next, and beating the Suns after Miami would be a huge statement. That said, this has all the makings of a hangover game. New York will play an early Sunday game after a draining and emotional win, while Phoenix enters tied for the longest winning streak in the league. But that’s what makes this a golden opportunity; this win would put the league on notice.
We’ll see how the Knicks handle their second formidable opponent in a row. Then I’ll be here to talk to you about it. See you next time, Knicks fam!
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. Subscribe to the newsletter for KFTV content and events, shop discounts, and more at bit.ly/kftvmail. And in case you missed it, check out CP on SNY with Ian Begley and Brendan Brown to discuss the fit of Karl-Anthony Towns on the Knicks!
