The New York Knicks prevailed on Friday against the Miami Heat without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. They managed to get big performances from several players en route to a 140-132 victory.
Knicks’ Rick Brunson makes a great suggestion that leads to a win
So how did they pull off such a big win without two key players? Head coach Mike Brown credited his coaching staff, more specifically assistant coach Rick Brunson.
“We wanted to play through him. It was great. Rick Brunson was the first one to say it,” Brown said. “He was like, ‘Hey, keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT,” Brown said via Jared Schwartz of the New York Post.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a huge first half, helping them overcome an early deficit with a 31-point first half. His shot-making was on point, and he was knocking down virtually any shot that came his way.
In the second half, the Heat made it tough for him to get clean looks, so he resorted to being a playmaker. The strategy worked, as they got a huge second half from Landry Shamet, who finished with a career-high 36 points in the win.
The Knicks found a way to run an offense without Brunson
Without Brunson on the floor to facilitate their offense, the Knicks have to look towards their other All-Star in Towns to control the flow of the game. Miami was having trouble containing Towns from start to finish, and the offense remained in a steady flow with him being the main engine of the offensive attack.
That’s a welcome sign for New York, as they now know that they can rely on others to maintain the flow of the game that Brunson brings to stay afloat. It’s still unclear how long they will be without Brunson for, but it cannot be understated how huge a win Friday’s was for them.
Towns and the Knicks will look to do it again on Monday against the same Heat squad, this time on the road in Miami.