This was exactly the kind of output New York Knicks needed from Barrett because Randle, their All-Star finisher and complementary facilitator, was observing the game in street clothes.
Tom Thibodeau was kind enough to share some insight on which statistics he does consider when assessing the calibre of defence during a pregame explanation of why he is not a big fan of certain defensive metrics, such as the one that says his Knicks finished 19th in points allowed per possession during the regular season, the lowest defensive rating in his three seasons for the Knicks. “The rating systems that some people use, I don’t go by,” Thibodeau told reporters before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals of NBA on Sunday. “My markers are, you know, field-goal percentage, defensive field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebound margin, points in the paint, fastbreak points allowed. When did you look at those markers? we’re pretty strong.”
By some of those metrics, the Knicks put on a decent showing to start their second-round game against the visiting Heat. In Game 1, Miami only managed a field goal percentage of 42.4%. The Knicks outrebounded the Heat, 59-49, and while scoring 62 points themselves, they only allowed 38 points in the paint. However, Miami came to Madison Square Garden four days after pulling off a stunning upset of top-seeded Milwaukee and stole home-court advantage from the hosts, winning Game 1 108-101 in large part due to a Thibs’ shot that didn’t fall for New York. The thing is, the discrepancy on the threes,” Thibodeau said after the loss. “There’s a lot of ground to make up if they’re making 13 and we’re making seven.”
In Game 1, New York made just 7 of 34 long-range shots while the Heat made 13, an 18-point deficit that the Knicks’ superior interior finishing couldn’t close. (It didn’t help matters that the Knicks team, whose formula for offensive efficiency all season long has depended on handling the ball carefully and getting to the free-throw line more than the opponent, took nine fewer free throws than Miami and coughed the ball up five more times.) Gabe Vincent, the star of Game 1, made as many long balls by himself as the entire Knicks starting lineup (five), and four of those came off the fingertips of Obi Toppin, who was starting his first playoff game in place of the injured Julius Randle.
Randle is still recovering from an ankle sprain he aggravated in Game 5 of New York’s opening-round victory over the Cavaliers and is still working his way back. Toppin played 31 minutes, finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds on 7-for-15 shooting from the field. The game might have changed with a few more jump shots here and there. The Knicks will instead have to be content with the bittersweet knowledge of how close they came, hoping that by Tuesday their jumpers will have defrosted.
Read more: Stephen Curry breaks the Game 7 record with 50 points to lead the Warriors
R.J. Barrett fought from the first tip, starting Round 2 against Miami the same way he finished Round 1 against Cleveland: by keeping his head down and attempting to outmuscle smaller, outmatched defenders whenever possible. With Vincent, a 6-foot-2 player, as his primary matchup, Barrett consistently found his open shots and scored in rhythm, pouring in 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
This was exactly the kind of output New York Knicks needed from Barrett because Randle, their All-Star finisher and complementary facilitator, was observing the game in street clothes. However, Miami’s increased physicality and paint-packing defence in the second half eliminated his rhythm looks and simple reads, forcing the 22-year-old to make challenging decisions and take shots in tight spaces. He struggled to create quality shots for himself and others against a top-notch defence focused on him, and the results weren’t pretty: 4-for-13 in the second half, three assists against three turnovers.
Lowry’s tenure in Miami has been up and down, marred by prolonged absences brought on by personal matters and injuries; he has rarely been able to contribute at the same level as he did in Toronto, where the Raptors won championships. However, he provided a reminder of the main reason the Heat hired him on Sunday.
The Knicks will, too, but they’ll have to wait knowing that they might have missed an opportunity to seize control of this series with both hands, allowing a hard-charging Heat squad that doesn’t require assistance to survive, to get across the finish line and continue their astounding and sensational start to this postseason.
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