Knicks fall in Miami after failed comeback

In a vintage battle against the Heat, the Knicks fell short, 109-99. Donte DiVincenzo scored 31 points alongside 4 assists and 4 steals, while Miles McBride added 24 points, shooting 9-16 from the field and 4-8 from beyond the arc.

The Knicks mounted a comeback rally in the closing minutes after trailing by 16 points late in the third quarter. They slowly chipped away at the lead, tying the game at 92-92 with just 4 minutes remaining. However, their struggle to score effectively down the stretch proved costly. They allowed the Heat to execute a full 24-second attack, ultimately leading to a dagger three-pointer from Terry Rozier that sealed the Heat’s victory at 107-99, with just 34 seconds left on the clock.

“They came out with more urgency, more will from the beginning. Second half, we got our heads out of our asses and started playing. But I think at the end, you have to give them credit. They executed.”

– Donte DiVincenzo

Jalen Brunson, who had a slow start with just 6 points in the first half, finished the game with a total of 20 points. However, he faced challenges with his shooting efficiency, going 5-18 from the field while contending with constant double-teams.

The team as a whole struggled with shooting in the first half, managing only a 15-41 field goal percentage. Bojan Bogdanovic provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, shooting 6-10 from the field and contributing 7 points during the Knicks’ fourth-quarter comeback. He was one of the few players, along with Isaiah Hartenstein, to finish with a non-negative plus-minus rating.

On the Heat side, Jimmy Butler led the scoring with 17 points, supported by Bam Adebayo with 15 points and Haywood Highsmith with 14 points. The Heat dominated from beyond the arc, shooting nearly 45% and making 17 shots from long range.

Although Mitchell Robinson made his third appearance in the last four games after a long absence due to left ankle surgery, the Knicks were still without O.G. Anunoby and Julius Randle.

The Knicks have now dropped to 5th place, tied with Orlando Magic (4th place) while the Cleveland Cavaliers consolidated their 3rd place with 6 games to go.

Up-next: The Knicks (44-31) will host the Sacramento Kings (44-31) on Thursday from 7:30pm.