Knicks Embarrassed By The Heat In Game 3

Yes, shooting was a significant issue for New York in their embarrassing blowout loss to the Heat in Game 3 on Sunday. The Knicks were just 8-for-40 (20.0%) from downtown. That's not going to get it done.

And, yes, the game plan on the defensive end was far from ideal. The Knicks still aren't switching well enough up top, and I'd prefer to see fewer immediate double-teams on Jimmy Butler. 

However, the biggest problem for New York on Saturday afternoon was the lack of focused intensity they brought to the court. Right from the opening tip, the Heat punched first. They were the more physical and aggressive team all afternoon. They were the first team to the floor on countless loose balls. 

Afterward, few Knicks acknowledged the difference in approach and focus between the two teams. "I think we just didn't come out physical, come out communicating, felt like we were a step slow on everything -- diving on loose balls, being early on the help side, we were a step late," Isaiah Hartenstein told reporters after the contest. "And offensively, we just didn't move the ball. So it's hard to win like that. "We just weren't locked in on certain moments… They got all the 50-50 balls, they were always there on rotation, and I think we were always a step slow."

That is NOT what you want to hear after a crucial playoff game. 

When things have gone well this season, Julius Randle has been credited and praised accordingly. He is the team's only All-Star and the highest-paid player on the club. 

His lack of effort in Game 3, especially on the defensive end, was jarring. 

This is the first three minutes of the game. Randle lazily closes out on Max Strus, a quality three-point shooter who has torched the Knicks this series.

Unacceptable. Yet, unfortunately, predictive of what we'd see in an immensely important contest. 

We pick things up late in the second quarter. Randle halfheartedly waves at a driving Jimmy Butler, giving up an easy layup. 

Eight minutes left in the third, and Randle is just sorta hanging around. Then he jogs back on defense and weakly closes out on Strus. 

This one… this is just embarrassing. 

It's the "bad version" of Randle that we saw far too often in 2021-22.