Randle’s game winner lifts Knicks to their 8th straight win

The New York Knicks secured a nail-biter 122-120 victory at the Miami-Dade Arena over the Heat in a thriller game that saw Julius Randle making a game-winning 26-foot step back jumper with only 1.1 seconds left on the clock.

Randle got the pass from Jalen Brunson but struggled to secure it, had it stripped by Jimmy Butler, regained control and shot the three while being defended by Tyler Herro.

“Fate. It felt good honestly when it left my hand. I was in the zone I guess.”

– Julius Randle

The game was tightly contested, with the Heat giving the Knicks a run for their money, and Herro providing Miami with a one-point lead by making a driving layup with only 23 seconds remaining.

The Knicks had led by as many as 17 points before halftime, but the Heat managed to make a comeback and took their first lead since the first quarter behind Caleb Martin’s three-pointer with 5:45 left in the game.

Randle was the standout player for the Knicks, finishing with 43 points and nine rebounds, while Brunson contributed 25 points and eight assists.

Immanuel Quickley also had a strong performance off the bench, adding 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.

For the Heat, Jimmy Butler put up 33 points, Tyler Herro contributed 29, and Bam Adebayo had 18.

The Knicks’ win marked their eighth straight victory, and the team now has a 38-27 record, surpassing their total wins from last year. The Knicks are now only one game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, with plenty of momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Up-next: The Knicks (38-27) will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics (45-19) on Sunday from 7:30 pm.