The Miami Heat had a legitimate opportunity to grab a win against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but Jalen Brunson refused to back down.
New York, NY - The Miami Heat were once again presented an opportunity to return to the win column and get their season back on track. The team was set to conclude a three-game road trip, getting a win against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, Dec. 18th, then losing against the Boston Celtics 24 hours later. It's been a rollercoaster stretch recently, with lots of ups and downs. However, everybody in the league goes through these moments during the course of 82 games.
It's better for the Heat to face adversity now than closer to playoff time, but it's also important to regain control before the rest of the Eastern Conference pulls away. They would face the New York Knicks for a fourth and final time before returning home. Tyler Herro (right big toe contusion), Nikola Jovic (right elbow contusion/laceration) and Pelle Larsson (right ankle sprain) remained sidelined due to injuries.
On the locals' side, Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain) and Miles McBride (left ankle sprain) were ruled out for the game. However, the Knicks are currently the polar opposite of the Heat; they had a sluggish start to the season but recently picked up the pace.
It's worth noting that both Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins were available after missing the Celtics game, which was the second night of a back-to-back due to injuries.
The starting lineup:
Heat: Davion Mitchell-Norman Powell-Andrew Wiggins-Bam Adebayo-Kel'el Ware
Knicks: Jalen Brunson-Mikal Bridges-Josh Hart-OG Anunoby-Karl-Anthony Towns
Erik Spoelstra has gone in and out with the double-big lineup throughout the season, but has stuck with it for a third consecutive game. It was important for the Heat to start the game on a strong note, which is exactly what happened after Mitchell was the first to punch the scoreboard with a left-wing three-pointer.
The first quarter was a shootout from behind the arc, as both teams combined for 11 out of 19 attempts. The Heat sparked a 12-2 run, led by Kel'el Ware with a couple of shots from way outside. It later resulted in a 10-point lead, closing the first quarter ahead, with a score of 37-30.
Knicks' All-Star Jalen Brunson quickly caught fire with 14 early points, including a couple of three-pointers, which would become a theme throughout the game.
The second quarter started with a battle, tons of back and forth, and Mikal Bridges started to catch fire. He wound up scoring 14 points, including four three-pointers made, in 10 out of 12 minutes. The Knicks sparked a massive 18-5 run to close the first half, with a score of 66-62, locals now leading.
The Heat's strong start simply faded away due to inefficient offense creeping back. Captain and All-Star Bam Adebayo only had six points up to this point. As a team, they made only two three-pointers out of nine attempts.
As the third quarter began, Ware officially recorded his 12th double-double of the season, with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but there was still more basketball left to play. However, the Knicks maintained their momentum, sparking a mini 9-4 run.
After a quiet first half, Norman Powell scored 19 points, including three three-pointers made, throughout the period. It brought the Heat closer, with the scoring being 105-99 heading into the fourth quarter. After sparking a strong 12-3 run to bring the game to a closer margin, it wasn't enough to surpass the Knicks, who protected home court, with a final score of 132-125.
Brunson had a spectacular performance: 47 points, including six three-pointers made, three rebounds, and eight assists with no turnovers in 38 minutes.
"What I do know about Jalen Brunson is he's an incredible competitor," Spoelstra said. "If you want to beat a great competitor, you have to do above and beyond. It is possible, but you can't just play well, you can't just compete well, you can't just be there. You got to put him away, you got to put possessions away, and he's going to put his imprint on it. That's what great players do. He has a great knack for it. He's relentless and that's where we're going to get to."
Ware was dominant for a majority of the game, finishing with a new career-high in 28 points, including five three-pointers made, 19 rebounds, and a steal in 35 minutes. The second-year center has been challenged to impact winning since the preseason, and has answered the call on multiple games, but the new obstacle is consistency.
"We got to be more intentional with certain things," the 21-year-old said. "I feel like we'll be able to come out with more wins in the future."
The Heat will face the Raptors on Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, before going on a quick road trip to Georgia and face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Dec. 26th.
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