After allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to make a comeback down 13 points in their last game, the New York Knicks completed a 13-point comeback of their own against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, winning by a score of 116-107 behind a massive game from their biggest offseason acquisition, Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks and Heat are now both 2-2 on the season.
The Knicks trailed by six at halftime and went down by as much as 13 early in the third quarter. However, the Knicks stars heated up after quiet first halves, including Jalen Brunson who scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to go along with nine assists.
Josh Hart recorded yet another double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges finished with 17 points and made four three-pointers. Those contributions fueled their comeback effort and allowed them to claim their first road victory of the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns was brilliant for the Knicks against the Heat
Towns had his best game as a Knick in this one, scoring 44 points on 17-for-24 shooting from the floor and 4-for-5 from three. He added 13 rebounds to his tally and was a team-high +15 on the night. Before this game, Towns was significantly less involved in the offense, including taking just eight shots in their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks made Towns the focal point Wednesday against Miami. He was scoring in every which way, making his presence felt both inside and outside the arc. Towns also got to the line six times and nailed all of his free throws, which is an underrated benefit of having a floor-spacing big man.
The Knicks showed off their resilience against the Heat
The Knicks found themselves trailing by double digits in the second half, by quickly erased that with an 8-0 run led by Bridges and Hart. New York would outscore Miami 35-22 in the third quarter, which was the biggest difference in the game. The Heat’s third quarter struggles through the early part of the season continued despite Tyler Herro’s 34 points, and the Knicks capitalized on that.
All five Knicks starters scored in double figures once again, and they got an additional 10 points from Miles McBride off the bench. Their depth was on display as they got some big contributions from others after Towns kept the game close despite a rough first half.
The Knicks had their best shooting game of the season
Entering Wednesday, the Knicks had taken the least amount of threes per game in the NBA. This time, nearly half of their shot attempts came from beyond the arc, and they did so at an efficient rate.
New York took a season-high 40 threes and made 18 of them, good for 45%. All five starters knocked down multiple threes, with Towns and Bridges leading all scorers with four each. All of OG Anunoby’s shot attempts came from three, to which he shot 3-for-6 and finished with 11 points. He made his presence felt on the defensive side as well by registering two steals.
The Knicks did not play the best game defensively
Despite the outcome, it was not the prettiest of games for New York. The Knicks struggled to contain the Heat from outside the arc, allowing them to shoot 43% from distance. Herro was tough to stop in this one as he nailed eight three-pointers on 13 attempts, and Terry Rozier knocked down four shots from distance as well. The Knicks’ defense shored up in the second half, which is a good sign moving forward.
However, the Knicks need to do a better job at containing the three-pointers from their opponents if they want to win more. They have an offense that is capable of keeping up with a team’s hot shooting, but providing a better effort defensively will prevent them from having to claw their way back each night.
Regardless, the Knicks can feel good about the outcome of this game given the crushing loss they suffered in the game prior. New York will have the Halloween holiday off before they head off to Detriot to face the Pistons, where they will look to be over .500 for the first time in the early part of the new season.