Getty Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks
On February 2, the New York Knicks eeked out a victory over the Miami Heat, courtesy of their ability to convert their three-point shots.
When speaking to the media following the game, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra noted how he believes Miami’s defense didn’t do a good enough job impacting those shots, which is why the Knicks had so much success.
“Some of the threes they hit in the first half, that just wasn’t us being on top of our game. And that’s not to take away anything from the Knicks. But, we’re at our best when we’re disruptive; we’re covering ground. We typically do a much better job. They were able to get some easy clean looks at the beginning and then some breakdowns in the second half…I think those were aberrational,” Spoelstra said.
Interestingly, the Knicks actually shot a marginally lower percentage from deep than the Heat, with New York converting 12 of their 36 attempts compared to the Heat’s 13 of 36. Still, it would appear that Spoelstra believe’s the Knicks early shooting had an impact on the final outcome of the game.
Bam Adebayo Credits Knicks Crowd For Victory
When speaking to the media following the game, Bam Adebayo noted how the Madison Square Garden crowd provided the Knicks with additional energy throughout the contest.
“I feel like we let them get comfortable, and they get in a rhythm. And that’s when the crowd gets into it, and that’s when they get the extra energy of Madison Square. But I think that was the toughest thing. When we got going, they could combat that with, you know, they had that crowd, and they just get bursts of energy,” Adebayo said.
The Knicks currently sit 7th in the Eastern Conference and will feel confident in giving their fanbase a taste of playoff basketball once the regular season reaches it’s inevitable conclusion later this year.
Julius Randle Believes Jalen Brunson Should Be An All-Star
Shortly before New York’s game against the Heat tipped off, Julius Randle found out that he had made the 2023 All-Star team. As Randle sat for his post-game press conference, he noted how he believes Knicks guard Jalen Brunson should also have received an All-Star selection.
“Night in, night out, not only in the impact he’s had on this team, but me personally. He takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. He’s somebody I know I can trust every night to get the job done – that goes for everybody on our team. Obviously, JB has been incredible this season, and what he’s done for this team on a night in night out basis is amazing. So, like I said, I feel like he should be an All-Star as well,” Randle said.
Brunson is currently averaging 22.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game whilst shooting 46.9% from the field and 39.4% from the perimeter. Unfortunately, Brunson and the Knicks will have to settle for Randle being their only All-Star player this season, but they will be hoping that Brunson’s high level of play can help push them toward the playoffs and help them embark on a deep post-season run.