Despite missing Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, the New York Knicks played hard and kept the game close. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure the win over the Miami Heat on Monday, falling 113-115.
Knicks shot poorly from three
After drilling 21 threes on Friday against Miami, they shot a tour date on Monday. As a team, they were just 9-for-36 (25%) from three, not getting enough production from beyond the arc to build a big lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns struggled mightily from beyond the arc, as he shot just 1-for-7 on the night. It wasn’t until the second half that he started to see shots fall, as he scored 18 of his 22 points in the latter half.
Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as he got blocked on a layup attempt (initially ruled a goaltend before a review reversed it) and then missed the game-tying jumper on the next possession in the closing seconds.
No matter who is on the floor, the Knicks are not going to be able to win games shooting that poorly. They were missing Anunoby and Brunson badly, but they still need to generate cleaner looks and convert them.
Miles McBride and Mikal Bridges played well against the Heat
Despite the loss, the Knicks can at least feel good about their backcourt. Miles McBride and Mikal Bridges both put in strong performances against Miami.
McBride turned in his best outing of the season with a team-high 25 points, including five three-pointers made. Despite the hot shooting, he wasn’t as efficient in the playmaking aspect, recording zero assists despite playing 39 minutes.
Mikal Bridges had a very solid effort all-around, and was arguably their most impactful player of the night. He finished with 23 points, four assists, four blocks, and two steals while shooting 9-for-14 from the field.
Alarmingly, Bridges was completely frozen out of the offense in the fourth quarter. He didn’t attempt a single shot down the stretch despite playing eight minutes in the fourth quarter.
Given that he had the hot hand, he should’ve had more plays drawn up for him to help keep the Knicks in control of the game. Instead, they force fed Towns into bad shots and were unable to generate cleaner looks offensive sequences.
Overview
The Knicks drop their first heartbreaking loss of the season, as they had several chances to win it but couldn’t pull it off. They’ll hope to bounce back on Wednesday when they take on the Dallas Mavericks.