Knicks-Heat is a game that smells of the 90s and the Playoffs and the scenario is not far from it. No Alonzo Mourning or Patrick Ewing but a match that delivered its truth in the last moments and that’s just what we like.
Those who have seen the game know it: it is not the game of the year. However, failing to be a showtime meeting where basketball IQ sweats on the floor, we at least had the right to a close duel with catchy locals who did not lower their eyes in front of the last NBA finalists. The proof is with this very good start to the game for the Knicks who quickly take the lead. The Heat’s defense is not there and New York offers itself the first run with a 10-0 in the gums of the men of South Beach. Miami is stunned but not sunk and they make it rain at three points to force the time out for Tom Thibodeau. Reggie Bullock has already caught the heat in this quarter and he does not stop there: he has already planted 5 bombs in the parking lot while we are barely attacking the middle of the second quarter. Julius Randle, meanwhile, continues to give us the benefit of his new skills as a passer, his little pass in the back for Alec Burks to go cream. He is already in 9/15/6 at halftime. Opposite it is the Nunn-Adebayo duo who keeps Miami in the match while Jimmy Butler is particularly clumsy. There is only one point difference at the break.
We are attacking a third quarter which will be particularly disappointing and messy. Kelly Olynyk is a little too confident on his long-distance shot, he goes on fails including a nasty airball. The friend Julius is more in his match and he slams one and one then a very hard fadeaway on Bam’s head. The Heat decided to trap him on almost every attack and the Knicks failed to sanction the two-man catches. Miami takes advantage of this more disjointed period to take the lead, New York continues its lagging game, nothing is finished before the final period. We had absolutely not seen them from the match and then the Obi Toppin-Immanuel Quickley pair is out of the box. They are the ones leading the revolt to pick up. Toppin scores his first seven points while Quickley causes a turnover before going on the line. 94 everywhere 5 minutes from the end. We then go back to this little cat and mouse game that we ate during the whole match with the Heat as the leader. Jimmy Butler pulls away to go and do his numbers on the line, successfully. There are four points of difference one minute from the buzzer. This is Miami’s time to release a big big defensive pressure and cause a Knicks cap shoot. Defensive rebound, recovery of the ball and Tyler Herro left absolutely alone by a badly returned defense extinguishes the light at 3 points. The Knicks are not coming back.
For the good points of the day, we will again retain the big job of Julius Randle and to a lesser extent Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock (although he has gradually disappeared). RJ Barrett was obviously on vacation and we had to check the box score to be sure he had really participated in the match. For the men of Spoelstra, Bam Adebayo did his usual slaughter and tried to limit Randle at best while Jimmy Butler, clumsy and with slippery hands has blackened the sheet and especially ensured the throws at the right time. The scoring was well distributed and six players finished in double-face. As said above, it was not the game of the century but it is a victory that is worth taking, especially at this complicated start to the season.
The Heat is tearing away in the money time to contain the catchy Knicks, it’s officially not a phrase that sounds 2020 and maybe that’s good. The step-up came at the right time and Erik Spoelstra can therefore savor a second consecutive victory before receiving… New York.
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