The Miami Heat lost to the New York Knicks 103-112 in game five on Wednesday night. Miami had an opportunity to end the series, but it’s likely that Jimmy Butler and company will take care of business in game six.
The Heat made a good team effort in this game, but they had shooting struggles for the majority of the game. Here’s a quick recap of Miami’s close loss to New York.
Jalen Brunson Should Be the Focus for Game Six
It was clear that Tom Thibodeau treated this battle as an elimination game from the start. Both Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes played the full game, and they will likely play 48 minutes in Kaseya Center as well.
While there are several playmakers on the Knicks, the offense primarily runs through Brunson. He dropped 38 points in game five, so the Heat have to figure out how to limit him better on the defensive side.
Both Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are capable of creating their own shots; however, the full court press slowed them both down, so Erik Spoelstra should aim to use that strategy early in the game.
Concluding Thoughts
Obviously, Butler and Lowry need to be more assertive and efficient on the offensive end to win this series. The Heat are yet to lose a game at home, so they have good fortune on their side heading back to South Florida. Regardless, the Knicks will come out in full force and their stars could play big minutes in need of a victory. Miami has to be ready to counter.
The Heat had 21 free throws less than New York; this means that Miami relied on outside shooting too much, which is not the team’s recipe. Getting Butler the ball early during the play in isolation will change the players’ mindset.