Immanuel Quickley’s scoring off the bench has been a major strength for the Knicks all season, so much so that he finished as the runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
But Quickley played a season-low nine minutes in Tuesday’s 111-105 win over the Heat in Game 2 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The combo guard scored six points, and he’s averaging 8.6 points per game in seven postseason games, down from 14.9 in the regular season.
“We need him,” Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “Like, just get out there, and he got going a little bit [in the second half].
“He’s got a knack for putting the ball in the basket, and I don’t want him overthinking it. Shoot your shot, when he’s aggressive and attacking, he’ll be fine. We’ve seen him now, as everyone knows, he’s a scorer.”
The Knicks’ four-man second unit was outscored by Miami’s backups 17-2 in the first half — with the lone points scored by Quickley, who missed all four of his 3-point attempts in the game.
He is shooting 24.1 percent from long distance (7-for-29) in the playoffs.
Obi Toppin, who scored 18 points while starting in place of Julius Randle in Game 1, was held without a point in Game 2, missing both of his field-goal attempts in 10 minutes of action.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
- Vaccaro: Knicks’ failure to help Brunson is why their season’s over
- Knicks battle but fall in season-ending Game 6 loss to Heat
- Knicks couldn’t survive two minutes without Brunson
- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
Josh Hart made his fourth consecutive start in place of Quentin Grimes, who played 10 minutes off the bench in Game 1 after missing the final two games of the first round against the Cavaliers with a shoulder injury.
Grimes played 25 minutes Tuesday night, including nearly all of the fourth quarter.
“I like [Grimes’] defense and obviously the shooting piece of it,” Thibodeau said.
The MSG crowd featured its normal assemblage of high-watt celebrities, but also Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, two players from the previous Knicks squad to reach the second round in 2013.
Anthony received one of the loudest ovations of the night.
Jalen Brunson received one fifth-place vote for league MVP and tied for 12th in the balloting.
Fast Break
Hero
Really, was there any doubt? Despite a sore right ankle that made him a game-time decision, Jalen Brunson not only started but carried the Knicks to a gutty come-from-behind victory. Brunson scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half and hit six 3-pointers after going 0-for-7 from downtown in the series opener. He called that performance “horrific.” This one was brilliant.
Zero
One of the heroes of the Heat’s Game 1 win, Kevin Love couldn’t replicate that performance. He managed just eight points on 2 of 9 shooting and committed two turnovers.
Unsung Hero
Josh Hart hit the biggest shot of the Cavaliers’ series, his go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 1, and his 3-pointer with 1:38 left Tuesday was just as significant. It pushed a one-point lead to four.
The trade deadline acquisition was fantastic, notching 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in 33 high-level minutes.
Key Stat
16: 3-pointers the Knicks hit Tuesday night, their most this postseason by a wide margin. Their previous high was 10 in Game 3 against the Cavaliers.
Quote of the night
“It doesn’t even matter to be honest. [I’ll] do whatever I have to do to make myself available.”
— Julius Randle, when asked if he felt pain in his sprained left ankle
— Zach Braziller