In what was an uphill task, the New York Knicks managed to defeat a shorthanded Miami Heat 111-105, evening out their second-round playoff series at one. Thanks to Jalen Brunson.
Although Jimmy Butler was out due to an ankle injury, Miami still led for a greater part of the match until Brunson ended the onslaught. He finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and two steals behind 6-of-10 shooting from deep, and his strong presence aided the Knicks in overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to leave the court with a victory.
But this was not a one-man event, Julius Randle missed a triple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists) in his return from an injury, and RJ Barrett (24 points) carried the offense in the early going.
However, Jalen got most of the adoration from fans on social media for his performance in Tuesday’s Game 2:
The Miami Heat could have easily given up and waited for Game 3 with Butler absent. They had home-court advantage no matter the results of Game 2 and were still on the road against a team that desperately needed a win.
Still, they went toe-to-toe with New York for the first half and brought a three-point lead into intermission. Caleb Martin was the only player that had double figures at that point, and this balanced approach was a challenge for the New Yorkers for extended stretches.
There was lower balance on the side of the home team, as Knicks not named Barrett, Randle and Brunson scored a grand total of seven points at the half. Barrett and Randle shooting outside gave a bright spot, yet the apprehension from the Crowd at Madison Garden was easy to pick up.
Miami’s injured players’ list did not end with Butler, Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo, as Max Strus went to the locker room in the third quarter. During Strus’ absence, New York took the lead temporarily, with Randle, Brunson, and Barrett staying aggressive, but there was no separation entering winning time in the fourth quarter.
When it looked like Heat were going to pull away with Martin and Gabe Vincent appearing like All-Stars, Brunson delivered multiple threes and a step-back jumper. This plus, Isaiah Hartenstein creating second chances by drawing fouls and grabbing boards and a monster corner three from Josh Hartm and there was enough power to generate a victory.
Things may be different if Jimmy Butler comes back for Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami.
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