MIAMI – The Knicks’ first road trip of the season didn’t exactly come with beach vibes. Despite another scoring clinic from Jalen Brunson and a spirited late push, New York couldn’t hold off the Miami Heat, dropping a 115-107 decision in a game that slipped away late in the third quarter.
Brunson was electric again, putting up 37 points on a mix of crafty finishes and deep jumpers. Mikal Bridges added 20, and Karl-Anthony Towns continued to grind in the paint with 15 points and 18 rebounds. OG Anunoby contributed 14 and 6 boards, while Jordan Clarkson led the second unit with 8. Josh Hart, still getting back into rhythm after missing time early, came off the bench for a classic stat-stuffing line – 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
“We’re getting good looks. We’re getting a lot of good looks. The ball is in the paint, making plays in these first couple of games. I have faith in us that we’ll knock them down.”
– Jalen Brunson
For three quarters, it was a tight, physical, and entertaining matchup. Neither team managed to create much separation, and when Anunoby drilled a three with 1:43 left in the third, the Knicks were down just 81–82 and very much in striking distance. Then the offense just… disappeared.
Over the next five minutes, the Knicks went ice cold, failing to score while the Heat ripped off an 11–0 run to take control. Suddenly, it was 105–87 with six minutes to go – Miami’s largest lead of the night – and New York was in survival mode.
Still, if there’s one thing this Knicks team doesn’t do, it’s quit. Led by Brunson, they clawed their way back into it, forcing turnovers, pushing the pace, and cutting the deficit to 110–105 with just 1:32 remaining. It felt like another one of those Knicks miracle comebacks was about to happen – until it wasn’t. Andrew Wiggins buried a dagger three, and Bam Adebayo followed with an alley-oop to shut the door for good.
Miami’s balance and pace were the difference. Norman Powell led the Heat with 29 points, Adebayo delivered 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a spark off the bench with 17. Simone Fontecchio added 14 in reserve minutes, part of a Heat bench that gave New York trouble all night.
The stats told the story: Miami’s transition game was relentless, outscoring the Knicks 31–10 on the fast break. They also won the battle in the paint, 48–42, and took advantage of every Knicks miss to push the tempo – something Mike Brown’s squad will definitely want to tighten up before their next outing.
It wasn’t a blowout, but it was a frustrating loss – the kind where a handful of dry spells undo three quarters of hard work. The Knicks showed grit and fight, but against a Heat team that feeds on momentum, those few scoreless minutes were all it took to turn a winnable game into a long flight home thinking about what could’ve been.
rady
KnicksOnline.com founder. Software tester by day time, sports shooter by free time. Rocking with the orange and blue since the mid 90s.