NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – The New York Knicks lost on the road to the Miami Heat once earlier this week, 95-78. New York looked to snap a three game losing streak, and seek revenge on the Heat for blowing them out last Monday. Friday night, the only thing about the outcome that changed was that the Heat scored two more points. This 97-78 defeat to the Heat, puts the Knicks at an 8-9 record and extends their losing streak to three games. This matches a three game losing streak that the Knicks had earlier this year, from November 2nd to the 6th.
This game was a tale of two halves. To start the game the Knicks were doing a great job of driving to the basket, and converting on tough athletic shots at the rim. The ball movement was high, and the Knicks were getting quality shot opportunities. Carmelo Anthony had a hot start, shooting 4 for 5 from the field for 11 points. At the 6:02 mark, Kristaps Porzingis had an alley oop dunk on a fastbreak from Langston Galloway that erupted the Garden to put the Knicks up seven.
However down the stretch of the second quarter, it started to unravel for New York. The turning point was at the 1:44 mark, when Dwayne Wade crossed up Galloway and made him fall. Wade then converted on the pull up jumper while Galloway was still on the ground. The basket by Wade brought the Heat to within three points. New York would not score for the rest of the half, and the Heat went up 50-49 to close out the first half.
The second half New York could not stop Gerald Green. Green finished the game with 25 points, and went 4 for 8 from downtown. There were also a few highlight reel dunks from Green, that drew amazed reactions from the 19,812 in attendance Friday night. Chris Bosh and Wade combined for a total of 37 points (Wade 17, Bosh 20). Rookie Justise Winslow was impressive, tallying nine points and seven rebounds.
The Knicks did a poor job defensively in the second half. The Heat were getting wide open opportunities, and converting on those chances. Miami shot 43% from the field, and got to the free throw line 28 times (24-28). The Heat also out rebounded the Knicks 42-39. New York shot 37% from the field, and only scored 29 points in the second half. The ball movement was not as good as its been this season, and the offense suffered as a result. Anthony couldn’t find his rhythm and that was it for the Knicks chances of winning.
Both teams only had three players score in double figures. Anthony was the leading scorer for the Knicks with 11 points, but was held scoreless for three quarters. Anthony missed his last eight shots, after his hot start in the first quarter.
Porzingis also had 11 points, but only played 23 minutes due to foul trouble. Porzingis also managed to grab eight rebounds. The youngster will need to figure out how to play defense without fouling. New York needs Porzingis on the floor for them to be at their best.
Kevin Seraphin had a decent game, tallying 10 points and 3 rebounds for New York. Kyle O’Quinn did a good job in his 19 minutes nabbing eight boards.
The Knicks need to do a better job getting out to shooters and defending the three point line. Miami was too comfortable on offense, and got whatever they wanted offensively. Also New York needs to stay within the offense, and stray from playing iso basketball. There were many head scratching shots that the Knicks shot in the second half. This all is a result of breakdowns in the offense, and the Knicks need to trust the system. Their trust in each other is what brought them to their 8-6 record prior to their losing streak.
New York will look to end their losing streak Sunday night against the Houston Rockets. The Knicks beat the Rockets last Saturday, 107-102.
Barry Holmes is a Senior Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732