Thanks to a disappointing second half, the New York Knicks fall to Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
New York Knicks 78 (8-9)
Miami Heat 97 (10-5)
NBA, Final Game Box Score
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
By Robby Sabo
When young Kristaps Porzingis left the game early in the third quarter, thanks to picking up his fourth foul on a nitpicky moving screen, the New York Knicks lead was one.
By the time the third quarter ended, the Miami Heat had ballooned their own lead to 11.
With Carmelo Anthony doing very little – 11 points on just 4-13 shooting – the Knicks couldn’t even sniff a run thereafter. Miami pulled away for the dominant … victory.
Gerald Green turned out to be a huge story. The guy was simply bonkers all night scoring 25 points on a ridiculous 8-of-14 shooting from the floor. Whatever he put up in the second half went in.
While most of the Garden crowd was expecting a huge night for Porzingis, another rookie came to play. Justise Winslow shut down Melo. Most of it was unnoticeable, as he denied countless entry passes to Anthony. Whether it was the low block or the extended wing, Winslow was draped all over Melo.
After an extraordinary four-game winning streak (considering last season), Derek Fisher’s squad has now dropped three straight to move their record to 8-9.
The lesson learned here is quite simple. These guys just aren’t yet ready for primetime.
Despite a strong start, the #Knicks suffer a 97-78 defeat to the Heat. #NYKvsMIA RECAP https://t.co/QxsQfkJJ3k pic.twitter.com/EJvUpTbmE1
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 28, 2015
A little foul trouble in the form of Porzingis (24 minutes) and Robin Lopez (14 minutes) completely destroyed any shot they had to overcome a tough Heat team.
No depth and a poor structure on the defensive end haunted them all night. Miami shot 43.4 percent from the floor while limiting the Knicks to just 37.6 percent as Hassan Whiteside did his usual damage from underneath the rim (six blocks).
Once again, an actual structured rotation was non-existent. Fisher played 12 Knicks in the game.
Moving forward, job No. 1 for Fisher will be to make sure KP6 doesn’t find himself in foul trouble. They just can’t keep up the offensive production when he’s off the floor. Additionally, him not roaming the defensive floor to alter shots in the lane is a gut-punch. His 24 total minutes tonight pale in comparison to fellow rookie Winslow’s 35.
Dwyane Wade finished with 17 on 7-17 shooting including this pretty cross and step-back sending Langston Galloway screeching to the Garden floor:
It’s time for Melo and the boys to regroup. Understanding their not yet ready to hand with the elite in the East is top priority. Next comes rolling up the sleeves and getting at it.
They’ll take Saturday off before hosting the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Green (25 pts), Bosh (20) and Wade (17) help @MiamiHEAT dominate 2nd half @nyknicks 97-78: https://t.co/ovepL2nA4k pic.twitter.com/owws0aZh7p
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) November 28, 2015
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