Miami Heat outlast the New York Knicks in overtime, 107-103
Former Miami Heat lottery pick Michael Beasley nearly ended Miami’s win streak, but some overtime heroics lifted the Heat past the New York Knicks.
Following Kelly Olynyk’s career night against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, the Miami Heat suited up for their second game of the new year against the New York Knicks. Still nursing injuries to Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow, the Heat ran with the same starting five for the fifth game straight, hopefully a beacon of roster stability for the rest of the season.
Despite the victory, the Heat had their fair share of ups and downs as they try and keep their heads above a .500 record. The Knicks’ fourth quarter surge from ex-Heat Michael Beasley put the fear in Miami, and a Doug McDermott 3-pointer sent the game into overtime. The back-and-forth in the bonus period was sealed by a pair of James Johnson free throws, sending the Knicks to their third straight loss.
Matching their longest win streak of the season at three games, here’s a glance at some of Miami’s highs and lows throughout the night.
High: Wayne Ellington continues to earn minutes
Notching 11 points in the first half and 24 for the game, Ellington is still giving head coach Erik Spoelstra a reason to see first quarter action. Though his shooting ability is no longer the NBA’s best kept secret, Ellington’s penchant for moving without the ball continues to confound defenses and contribute an offensive punch off the bench.
Even more importantly, on the rare occasion Ellignton’s arm is off the mark, he’s built up a weighty resume that gives the guard the leeway to find his rhythm.
Low: Hassan Whiteside searches for consistency
Playing his fifth game since missing 13 to a knee injury, Whiteside is showing flashes of his former self. The big man swatted two shots and snagged seven boards, but his timing and footwork in the paint on offense appeared sluggish. Whiteside managed only four shot attempts in the first half, a sign of his poor positioning in the lane.
Though his minutes are steadily increasing, and he found his scoring stride in the third quarter (shooting 6-for-11 for 12 points), being able to maintain his interior intensity from the jump ball will help carry Miami deep into 2018.
High: Bam Adebayo doesn’t have “rookie feet”
In fact, Adebayo’s defensive footwork signals his growing basketball IQ. With the agility and size to matchup on the wing and in the post, Adebayo’s hesitation to jump at pump fakes is incredibly enlightening. Given his athleticism – his head is nearly at the rim for every rebound – Adebayo’s defensive smarts helped to bail out the Heat, both when the Knicks perimeter players broke to the lane as well as Enes Kanter or Beasley posted up and attacked the hoop.
Low: It’s a two-man game
The Heat held on to their reliance on high pick and roll situations, stagnating the offense and benefitting the Knicks. With Goran Dragic’s assists down to just 4.7 this year (compared to 5.8 last season), calling for a pick past the 3-point line moves bigs like Whiteside and Adebayo out of position, increasing the chances of misplaced passes and moving screen violations.
Next: 3 things Miami Heat fans can look forward to in 2018
Though the Heat were balancing the night’s highs and lows, Miami’s pesky defense encouraged Knick turnovers and limited their offensive runs. Miami will return to action on Sunday, January 7 against the Utah Jazz.