In a tightly contested game throughout, the Knicks fell apart offensively at the end of the fourth quarter, spelling their demise in Game One. New York would lose 108-101 to Miami, and in doing so lost homecourt advantage.
Injuries
Coming into this series, it was a guarantee that injuries would play a role as Tyler Herro will be missing the entire series for the Heat due to a broken hand. For the Knicks, Julius Randle was ruled out prior to the game due the the ankle injury he sustained in the final game of their previous series against the Cavaliers.
At this point, it is unclear when Randle will be able to return. He was seen working out on the court prior to Game One, however he would still end up being ruled out for the game. One certainty for Randle is that New York needs him to be able to win this series. Randle has had great success against the Heat all year, and it was clear that the Heat were able to take advantage of the Knicks being down their All-Star forward.
For the majority of the game, Jimmy Butler matched up against Jalen Brunson defensively. Butler made life very difficult on Brunson as he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he has a near seven inch height advantage on him. Although Brunson scored 25 points, he was 0-7 from three and had five turnovers. In the regular season, Butler consistently matched up against Randle, so if Randle were healthy the Heat would have had a much more difficult time defending Brunson.
Speaking of Butler, he went down hard in the fourth quarter after rolling his ankle. He appeared badly injured, as he could not get up from the ground for over a minute. However, Butler still managed to finish the fourth quarter to secure the victory for the Heat.
Although Butler finished the game, he was clearly hindered by the injured ankle. For pretty much every offensive possession after the injury, Butler sat in the corner, uninvolved in any offensive action. The one time he shot the ball, he left it well short from the corner.
For Miami, Butler missing any time would be devastating as he has carried this Miami team on his back so far these playoffs. On the other side, New York desperately missed Randle down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Health could end up being the biggest factor in determining this matchup.
Knicks' Dreadful Shooting
Although Randle was missing, New York could have won this game if not for the way they shot the ball from three. As a team, the Knicks shot a mere 7-34 from three, with Obi Toppin accounting for four of the seven makes. Brunson and Hart combined for 0-11, while Barrett, Quickley and Grimes each made one three.
From Miami's perspective, forcing New York to shoot threes was clearly their gameplan defensively. The Heat were more than willing to send multiple bodies towards Brunson when he drove to the paint. Many times, Brunson made the right decision to move the ball, however the shots did not fall consistently enough.
This style of defense is a stark contrast to the strategy the Knicks faced in the first round against the Cavs. Cleveland was content playing individual defense and live with the results. That is not at all what Miami did in Game One, and history would show that they will continue to play unique defense.
Erik Spoelstra has proven to be one of the most creative coaches defensively throughout his time with the Heat, as Miami plays more zone defense than any other team in the NBA. Knicks' role players must be ready to step up this series, as Miami's defense will do everything in their power to make it that one player does not beat them.
Fourth Quarter Collapse
With 4:53 remaining in the game, Jalen Brunson made a layup to make the score 97-94 in favor of the Heat. From that point, New York did not score another point until a RJ Barrett free throw with 1:03 left to make the score 104-95.
In this stretch, the Knicks turned it over three times, got their shot blocked three times and missed three free throws. This was the point that Randle's absence was most glaring, as New York desperately needed an option outside of Brunson and Barrett to create offensively. Barrett really struggled during this stretch as he accounted for two of the blocked shots, two turnovers and one missed free throw.
The Knicks need to execute better down the stretch of games against this Miami team. New York was thoroughly outplayed in this stretch, even with Butler practically playing on one ankle.
New York will get a chance to tie the series back up Tuesday night in MSG, in a now crucial Game Two.
- Knicks start playoff march with first round matchup against 76ers - April 18, 2024
- Knicks lose Julius Randle for remainder of season as playoffs approach - April 6, 2024
- Knicks Launch into 3rd-Seed in the East With Ten Games Left - March 28, 2024
