It has been almost two weeks since the Miami Heat last won a game. This bad run of play continued on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, as the Heat (24-22) fell to the New York Knicks (29-17) 125-109, dropping their sixth straight game. Since losing six straight games in March 2021, this is the Heat’s first six-game losing streak. With a 12-2 record in their last 14 games after acquiring forward OG Anunoby in a trade in late December, the Knicks, meanwhile, are trending in the opposite direction.
With 13.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter on Saturday, the Heat tied the game at 86, putting themselves in a position to snap their losing streak. However, with 6:19 left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks went on a decisive 26-10 run to take a 16-point lead and open the game. The Knicks’ lead increased to as much as 22 points in the closing minutes, and the Heat never recovered. The Knicks’ victory was sparked by Jalen Brunson, who finished with a game-high 32 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
With 4:01 remaining in the first quarter, the Heat had already taken control and were leading by as many as 10 points. However, the Knicks took over and ended the first half by outscoring the Heat 52-32, turning a 10-point deficit into a 10-point lead at the half. In the first two quarters, New York scored eight second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds and made an effective 9 of 18 (50 percent) three-point shots. With 3:30 remaining in the third quarter, the Knicks then increased their lead to 13 points, but with 13.2 seconds left, Jimmy Butler-led Heat responded with a 17-4 run to tie the game. Nine of the Heat’s 17 points came from Butler during this time.
