Getting Ready For Miami
Outside of possibly some contests near the end of the 2020-21 campaign, Wednesday's crucial matchup vs. Miami is probably the most important regular season game the Knicks have played in a decade...
"The challenge for us is to get ready for Miami. That's the next thing in front of us. All of our games with them have been hard fought, and we know what it is going to look like, and we need to be ready for that challenge." - Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau Monday night.
It's the tail-end of March, and the New York Knicks play a very important game this evening. And, no, it has nothing to do with ping-pong balls or lottery odds. Instead, the 'Bockers are fighting for playoff positioning.
That alone is reason to celebrate. Over the last ten years, dating back to the start of the 2013-14 season, the Knicks are 178 games below .500 (305-483). Only two teams, the Pistons and the Magic, have lost more basketball games during this span. New York has won just one playoff game during this drought.
But the Knicks have a chance to change that this Spring.
And tonight at the Garden, they can send a message to their fans, and the rest of the Eastern Conference, that these are not the same old Knicks.
As of this morning, the Knicks are 5th in the East. They are 2.5 games ahead of Brooklyn and three games ahead of the Heat, who sit in seventh.
If New York can beat Miami this evening, not only would they stretch their lead over the Heat to four full games, but they would also secure the tie-breaker between the two teams. That would mean Miami must finish with a better record than NY to ensure a higher seeding. That would be a very tall task with just five games left on the schedule.
The last time NY saw Miami, the Heat were riding high. In their matchup last Wednesday, Miami shot 57% from the field and 57.1% from downtown en route to a 127-120 victory. It was their fourth win in five contests. It appeared they were in the midst of an impressive late-season sprint.
However, the Heat has since stumbled, dropping two straight. They were blown out in Brooklyn on Saturday, as the Nets outscored them 64-31 in the second half. Last night in Toronto, Miami was missing their leading scorer Jimmy Butler, who was sidelined by a sore neck, and fell to the Raptors 106-92. The Raps pummeled Miami inside, outsourcing them 62-36 in the paint. Asked about that discrepancy after the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra replied: "I don't have an answer for that. For four and half months of this season, we were the very best in the league at protecting the paint. Since All-Star break, we haven't done what we were able to do better than anybody."
Still, Coach Spo acknowledged his team did not have time to dwell on the loss. "We all feel a certain way about this, but we're going to regroup," Spoelstra said. "We've got 24 hours; we get to play in Madison Square Garden. That's the only thing we're thinking about right now."
The Knicks will have a rest advantage, as they haven't played since Monday's easy victory over the hapless Rockets. The Heat are 15-22 on the road.
However, New York has not played well defensively of late. The Knicks have given up 122.3 points per 100 possessions over their past four games, while allowing teams to shoot 53% from the floor (only the Rockets and Spurs have been worse) and a league-high 45.5% from downtown.
Ideally, New York would like to close out their surprisingly impressive 2022-23 season on a high note instead of limping into the playoffs. A victory on Wednesday would be huge in terms of momentum and psyche, and would also allow New York to rest their starters a bit over the next two weeks, as opposed to keeping the pedal to the metal right up until the season finale.
As of this morning, we are still awaiting two very important injury updates. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson (sprained right hand) is listed as questionable. Brunson has missed New York's last two contests, but Immanuel Quickley has been fantastic filling in at point guard. IQ exploded for a career-high 40 points (on 14-of-18 shooting) to go along with nine assists (vs. just one turnover) and five 3-pointers on Monday.
Brunson has been able to practice fully with the team over the past few days and is reportedly expected to return to action vs. Miami.
The Heat have yet to submit their injury report for tonight's game, but we can probably assume Jimmy Butler will be a game-time decision. Kyle Lowry (left knee soreness) and Gabe Vincent (back spasms) were questionable for Tuesday's game in Toronto, but both ended up playing.
Vincent, who lit up the Knicks for 19 points last Wednesday, did not look good Tuesday night, finishing with just two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes. Lowry had six points on 1-of-6 shooting off the bench. Victor Oladipo, who started in place of Butler, also struggled, tallying seven points on 2-of-7 shooting.
Even if Butler is cleared, this is a game the Knicks should win. Vegas has installed them as a 5.5-point favorite. Compared to Miami, New York is well-rested and relatively healthy.
This is also a game Knicks fans should appreciate. Due to the team's lack of success this century, it's not often the 'Bockers have earned the right to play meaningful games this late in the season. Throw in the fact that New York has a golden opportunity to wound the Heat and their old friend Pat Riley in the process… you can't ask for much more.
"It'll definitely have that playoff-type atmosphere for sure," Quickley told reporters. "Miami is a very good team. I think we're ready for that challenge, though. Playing a team your fourth time is basically almost like a playoff series. You know what the other team is going to run. Basically just coming out, got to be the hungrier team. So, we know Miami is a great team. We think we're a really good team, as well. So, we'll be ready for that challenge."
Outside of maybe some contests near the end of the 2020-21 campaign, this is probably the most important regular season game the Knicks have played since 2013.
The Garden should be rocking tonight. Buckle Up.
Around the League:
🏀 It has been assumed for a while now that if the Knicks finish 5th, they will take on Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs in the first round. However, it's worth noting that Cleveland has just one fewer win than the 3rd-seeded Sixers. Philly has lost three in a row and four of their last five. MVP-favorite Joel Embiid was unable to play Monday vs. the Nuggets and is questionable for tonight's game vs. the Mavs.
The Sixers also have a very tough schedule to close out the season. After tonight's game vs. Dallas, their final six opponents are the Raptors, Bucks, Celtics, Heat, Hawks and Nets. Conversely, the Cavs' last four opponents are the Pacers, the Magic (twice) and the Hornets.
Philadelphia will still likely hold onto the three seed, but it's no longer a lock.
🏀 Speaking of the Mavs, the situation in Dallas is dire. When the Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving last month, they were the 4-seed in the Western Conference. Yet, after losing back-to-back games to the lowly Hornets this past weekend, the Mavs have fallen all the way to 11th. Dating back to February 11 (the day Kyrie and Luka played their first game together), Dallas is 6-13. Only the Rockets and Pistons have more losses during this stretch.
However, the Mavs beat the Pacers on Monday, and OKC lost last night, so Dallas is now tied with the Thunder at 37-39.
How does this impact the Knicks? Well, New York owns the rights to the Mavs' first-round pick this year if it lands outside the top 10. As of this morning, Dallas would be tied for the 11th-worst record in the NBA, and the pick would transfer to New York.
🏀 The Knicks announced earlier this week that they signed swingman DaQuan Jeffries to a multi-year contract. He has yet to suit up for the big club but averaged 21.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in 21 starts for the Knicks G League affiliate this season. The benefit for New York inking him to a pact that is non-guaranteed for 2023-24 is that his salary can be used in a trade to even out the compensation in a potential deal.