Everything came together for a big match tonight, in a packed Madison Square Garden, against the Heat, one of the Knicks’ historic enemies, and with qualification for the final stages of the NBA In- Season Tournament. The spectacle and suspense were there until the last second with the added bonus of a crazy “comeback” achieved by the locals in the fourth quarter.
At the end of a balanced first half, where both teams had their strong moments, it was the locals who finished the best before the break with a 10-3 initiated by an ever-excited Jalen Brunson and concluded by the 3-pointer from Quentin Grimes at the buzzer to put his team in the lead at halftime (51-50). Enough to get back on track to attack the second half? It has not happened !
The Knicks paralyzed
On the contrary, the Knicks returned as if paralyzed on the floor, unable to stop an endless series successful by Miami, between good defensive sequences which nourished the transition game of Erik Spoelstra and generally fairer choices in attack. At 3-points, Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and Haywood Highsmith had a field day. The series finally ended with a devastating 19-0 after two shots from Josh Richardson (51-69).
In the process, a very good pass from Jaime Jaquez Jr. followed by a 2+1 from Jimmy Butler allowed Miami to seal the biggest gap of the match, at +21 (62-83). Enough to ensure victory without trembling? It’s not a good idea to know these Knicks who never give up! Even at -16 at the start of the last act (71-87).
The Garden explodes!
It only took two 3-point baskets from Immanuel Quickley and Donte DiVicenzo to reignite the spark which allowed the locals to return to -6 following two new outside baskets, signed RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley (87-93) . MSG almost exploded with joy when Josh Hart’s long-range attempt was a failure, but it was only a postponement. It was then Jalen Brunson’s turn to donate his body to finish twice near the circle, including a 2+1. And in a flash, New York was back to -2 (94-96)!
On the following transition, it was RJ Barrett who finally put his team in the lead with a new drive enhanced by an “and-one” (97-96). Facing Jaime Jaquez in isolation, Jalen Brunson then executed a perfect shot from mid-distance to make the Garden exult for good this time. Jalen Brunson, however, missed a final throw that could have changed everything, but Jimmy Butler’s last 3-point attempt ended up rolling on the circle, giving the Knicks victory after a breathtaking comeback!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The heart of the Knicks! Who would’ve believed that ? On the street in a one-sided third quarter, the New Yorkers managed to reverse the trend to secure a victory that looked like a perfect hold-up. As with Miami twelve minutes earlier, it was the home team’s defense that changed the situation, with of course some welcome 3-point shots to quickly close the gap. At the end, it was Jalen Brunson who turned into a hero, not hesitating to go against the opposing interiors to finish catching up with the Heat, but also to score the last points synonymous with victory.
– Jimmy Butler from everything to nothing. For three quarters, Jimmy Butler still looked like an MVP, all with a little heroic side since he twisted his ankle in the first half but was able to grit his teeth to come back and shine by stringing together the brilliant shots in the third quarter. Until the trend completely reversed and “Jimmy Buckets”, like his team, no longer put one foot in front of the other, missing his last five attempts. As a symbol, his last two shots, to return to -1 then to play the win at the buzzer, rolled on the circle, a sign that it was not the Floridians’ evening.
– Heat cold. This is the stat that probably best sums up the black hole experienced by Miami in the last twelve minutes of the match during which NYC dominated the proceedings by passing a 29-11 to their evening opponent. During this nightmare, Erik Spoelstra’s men only found their way to the circle three times in 21 attempts in the game! It’s hard to do worse…
– We loved Jaquez… Building on the momentum of his last match, his best since the start of the season, the rookie was again valuable last night with very good passages, in the first half or even in the third quarter. But the young winger ended up faltering at the end, due to lack of lucidity and experience. Even if Josh Richardson also did the job alongside him (unlike Haywood Highsmith), it was at this time that the absences of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson were felt. The Heat lacked an outside threat, finishing 10/37 from distance, and ended up paying a high price for it.
– NBA tournament. Everything still remains to play for Miami and New York in Group B of the Eastern Conference even if Milwaukee is alone at the top of the group with three successes. Floridians and New Yorkers can still claim a “Wild Card” by qualifying among the best runners-up. This will require finishing with a record of three wins for one loss, which means that Miami must beat Milwaukee on Tuesday and that the Knicks must obviously win against the Hornets. It will then be time to do the math in terms of point average to designate the lucky ones.
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
