Game Preview: New York Knicks vs Miami Heat, November 24, 2023

The New York Knicks last played the Miami Heat on May 12, 2023, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Miami Heat won, 96-92, thereby advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the game, Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Jalen Brunson posted 41 points for the Knicks. This victory marked the Heat’s 10th appearance in the conference finals, their third in the last four years, and sent the Knicks home to their summer jobs.

Tonight they meet again, this time in an In-Season Tournament game. Our first look at the orange court!

The Heat (10-5) began the current campaign 1-4 start to the current campaign, and since then won nine of ten. All but one of their victories came by single digits. Their secret? A top-ten defense and a top-12 offense.

The Knicks went 6-4 over their last two games. Both teams fall in the league’s bottom third for field goal percentage and points scored per game. The Heat don’t take a ton of threes, but they make their attempts at the league’s fourth-best rate (the Knicks, ninth).

In tonight’s NBA Cup game against the Knicks, don’t anticipate a high-speed match. Both teams have below-average field goal percentages and rank in the bottom third for points scored per game.

Mounting injuries could start to slow down Miami’s win parade. The team’s anchor, Bam Adebayo, has averaged 22.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists this season, and a sore hip has him questionable for tonight’s game (you’ll see Thomas Bryant or Kevin “Dorian Gray” Love if he sits). Tyler Herro remains out. Duncan Robinson is having a resurgence in South Beach; this season, the Wallace & Gromit-lookalike has shot 62% eFG and averaged 14.5 points while hitting 43% from downtown on about seven attempts per contest. Last season, Spoelstra played him only about 17 minutes per game; this season, almost 30. He, too, is questionable for tonight (sore thumb).

Jimmy Butler (20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1) remains in action, and he’ll round out the starting lineup with Kyle Lowry and Haywood Highsmith. Caleb Martin could see extened action, especially if Robinson is nursing an ice pack.

As for the Knicks, all their important guys are off the injury list (sorry, Evan). He might not reach these goals tonight, but last week’s Easter Conference Player of the Week Jalen Brunson is 28 points shy of 2,000, and eight assists away from 500. Keep track!

And Julius Randle needs 15 more three-pointers to pass Jamal Crawford and claim fourth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard. I predict he’ll achieve that during New York’s West Coast road trip in mid-December. Place your bets.

Projected Starters

Miami Heat

• Kyle Lowry
• Haywood Highsmith
• Jimmy Butler
• Duncan Robinson (Q)
• Bam Adebayo (Q)
• New York Knicks
• Jalen Brunson
• Quentin Grimes
• R.J. Barrett
• Julius Randle
• Mitchell Robinson

Prediction

The Bucks and Heat are undefeated in In-Season Tournament, Group B play. If the Knicks want to keep their NBA Cup-hopes alive, they need to knock off Miami tonight.

Both teams sink their three-ball at a high rate, so there’s a chance for the score to run up, but a grind-it-out affair is more likely. The Knicks will be smart to fight this one in the trenches, especially if Adebayo sits—the Heat are a bottom-five rebounding team, even when Bam plays. New York’s frontcourt should control the paint tonight and make hay with second-chance points.

In a closely contested game at MSG, the Knicks will seal the win in the final minute and savor just a morsel of Playoff redemption. The full meal will come in May and June.

Game Details:

Who: New York Knicks vs Miami Heat

When: 7:30 pm EST, Friday, Nov. 24

Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC

Watch: MSG Network

Follow: @ptknicksblog