NBA Playoffs Heat vs Knicks: Knicks Give Home Audience Reason to Rejoice by Forcing Miami Hosts Game 6

On Wednesday night, Bam Adebayo’s crushing screen sent Quentin Grimes to the ground at Madison Square Garden. Right over the basketball in the Knicks logo at midcourt, Grimes took a clumsy step and smacked his knee, leaving him on his back, writhing in agony.

The ever-dangerous Jimmy Butler, who was supposed to be his defensive assignment, had snuck out to the left wing while he was stranded far from the action and was barely able to hobble back.

With 1:45 left in Game 5, Grimes maintained his composure despite the ball swinging back in Butler’s favor. He stopped the Heat All-Star’s drive at the foul line and managed to wriggle Butler’s dribble away. With a victory of 112-103, New York avoided elimination.

I was slightly wounded, but it wasn’t going to stop me from trying to disrupt the play and gain a stop, said Grimes. “Since it’s the playoffs, you have to win at any costs. This is what you watch when you’re young.

The Knicks responded to every Miami haymaker sent in New York’s direction throughout the whole game, responding to a 3-1 series disadvantage overall. The Knicks had the third-best offense in the league during the regular season, but the Heat stifled it in the first quarter, holding it to just 14 points as it faced a 10-point hole. Before New York opened the second frame with an 18-2 run.

On May 10, 2023, in New York, Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks drives past Caleb Martin (16) of the Miami Heat during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference playoff semifinal.

On May 10, 2023, in New York, Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks drives past Caleb Martin (16) of the Miami Heat. The game is Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Knicks triumphed 112-103.

But it wasn’t until that first quarter finished with a bust that there was such a change in momentum. For closing in on a Butler 3-point shot and taking away his landing area, Josh Hart, the Knicks’ trusted trade-deadline acquisition, received a flagrant 1 charge.

As Game 4 in Miami on Monday slipped away, frustration with the officials appeared to show on Hart and Jalen Brunson’s furrowed brows and gaping mouths. Hart then stomped past New York’s bench and into a dark tunnel, where he disappeared to simmer down in the depths of MSG, ripping off his white headband in shock at what constituted his third personal.

Midway through the second quarter, even after the Knicks’ wild start gave them the lead back, Brunson was unable to conceal his own frustration with the referees. Kyle Lowry blocked Brunson’s attempt to get past him in the post, and the veteran yelled that it should have been called a foul.

By the time head coach Tom Thibodeau called for a timeout, Brunson’s temper had reached a boiling point. As he approached the Knicks’ bench and the baseline official who had angered Brunson, Julius Randle bear-hugged Brunson.

“We weren’t getting what we wanted. Collectively, we were grumbling,” said Brunson. “And so we made the decision to just play it out. You must simply complete things without giving it any thought. Simply said, we managed to stay united and pull through to victory.

Knicks swingman R.J. Barrett remarked, “You’ve got to scratch and claw.”
Randle had a 1-of-7 shooting start to the game before connecting on his next six field goal attempts to finish with 24 points on the same night he was nominated to the All-NBA third team. He played a significant role in the Knicks’ 23-7 run that opened the second half and helped them open up a 19-point lead with 5:55 left in the third quarter.

We jumped the gun and didn’t panic, Thibodeau said.

According to Brunson, Miami caught New York off guard when, midway through the fourth quarter, with the Knicks’ lead down to 95-91, the Heat purposefully hacked Knicks center Mitchell Robinson on back-to-back plays. A

fter Robinson complained about being used offensively at various points throughout this lengthy season, Miami put the 48.4% free-throw shooter to the line with the season on the verge of ending. He finally had the scorching limelight he was hoping for.

And after Robinson calmly made 3-of-4 shots, the energized Garden crowd didn’t have to stand for his applause because Thibodeau replaced Robinson with backup big Isaiah Hartenstein. His free throws were already being applauded by the crowd, who were acting as though they had just won the match.

The endurance of Brunson and Grimes, who played the full 48 minutes to assist New York in winning this game, was evident.

Brunson flopped over on Barrett’s last free shots, his hands on his knees, staring down at the hardwood and doing nothing else, not because of a declining performance down the line.

With 38 required points on 12-of-22 field goal shooting, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, Brunson was the top scorer for the team.

Brunson struck from long range and clawed his way to the rim to routinely stem any Miami wave after being fourth in the regular season in clutch scoring. His trademarked drives into the paint, where he rips the ball past defenders’ arms to provoke contact and bumps everyone in his path with his shoulder to create the space necessary to loft a floater through iron, have become a trademarked performance.

“He’s just a phenomenal player all around. Greater toughness under a superb leader. Both physical and mental toughness,” stated Thibodeau.

“The capacity to act quickly, to take charge, to connect with others, and to bring out the best in people. That is what distinguishes him. Play after play follows.

The level of this franchise has increased since Brunson’s free agency coup about a year ago because of his ability to bring that kind of consistency, or at the very least because of his ability to tilt the dangerous seesaw of a fourth quarter in the correct direction.

Friday’s Game 6 at South Beach will be difficult, to put it mildly. However, if the Knicks’ triumph over Penn Station serves as their farewell performance in front of these exuberant supporters and the rest of the NBA environment, it will be remembered as a lovely final taste for the Big Apple.

All New York could have hoped for at the start of this season was a quick first-round series victory and a solid second-round performance. It can only pave the way for even brighter lights in Manhattan if there is anything more. A dog serves as the starting point guard for the Knicks.

And you can be sure that they’ll be looking for additional All-Star players who can compete with the postseason wolves.

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