The Knicks used some timely hoops to pull out a 116-107 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night at the Kaseya Center.
Here are some takeaways…
– Josh Hart came into this contest as a game-time decision due to a lower leg contusion, but after going through pregame warmups he was able to take the court with New York’s usual starters five of himself, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, AND Anunobyand Karl-Anthony Towns.
– Tom Thibodeau said the Knicks needed to generate more threes after their disappointing loss to the Cavaliers on Monday night, and they certainly answered the bell right out of the gate in this one, as more than half of the shots they attempted in the opening quarter was from behind the arch. Unfortunately for them, the Tyler Herro led Heat opened the game shooting a whopping 60 percent from the field to jump out to an early lead.
– One of the biggest reasons New York was able to hang on was an extremely hot start by Cities. After the big man attempted just eight field goals overall on Monday, they emphasized getting him involved early and often, and he responded by putting together easily his best half of the season.
Towns had it going from the start as he knocked down five of his first eight shots from the field for 12 first-quarter points. He continued to dominate in the second, becoming a Heat big man Bam Adebayo into early foul trouble, while also doubling his point total and hauling in four more rebounds. Miami continued the hot shooting of its own, though, and led by six at the half.
– The Heat came out of the break flying and they were able to push the lead to as much as 13, but after the break the Knicks answered right back in a big way. Started by eight straight points, New York went on an incredible third quarter run to help them not only close the deficit, but jump ahead by as many as seven. In a collective effort, the Knicks scored a combined 35 points and shot 8-for-13 from downtown in the frame.
– After a quiet start to the night, Terry Rozier came alive with 10 early fourth quarter points to help the Heat get back to within four. But the Knicks’ hot shooting proved to be too much down the stretch as they got clutch bucket after clutch bucket from up-and-down the lineup to pull out their second win of the season.
– Coming off his quiet night, Towns erupted for a game-high 44 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point land while hauling in 13 rebounds in 38 sensational minutes. This is exactly the type of effort the Knicks envisioned when they acquired the All-Star in a deal with the Timberwolves this offseason.
– Brunson had a quiet first half but he came through when the Knicks needed him most, finishing with 22 points on 6-of-18 shooting while dishing out a game-high nine assists. Hart showed no ill effects from his injury, making big baskets in the fourth to finish with 10 points of his own while hauling in a game-high 14 rebounds. Anunoby had 11 points, Bridges knocked down four threes, and Deuce McBride contributed 10 points off the bench.
Game MVP: Cities
The big man said coming into the night that he loved playing in Miami throughout his career and he certainly showed that tonight, putting together his best effort since joining the Knicks.
highlights
Upcoming schedule
The Knicks continue their road trip as they travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday at 7:00 pm
