A New York Knicks' Game 4 victory would tie up their second-round series with the Miami Heat at 2-2. Ahead of Monday's Knicks-Heat game, we'll be making our Knicks' Game 4 predictions.
The Knicks fell behind the Heat 2-1 in their playoff series with a 105-86 Game 3 loss. New York never threatened Miami, trailing by double digits for the contest's final 35 minutes. After missing the previous game with an ankle injury, Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 28 points. Every Knicks player struggled offensively. New York shot just 34.1% from the field and was outscored in every single quarter.
Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle will have to be much better for the Knicks in Game 4. New York's two stars both put up big numbers in the team's Game 2 victory over the Heat. Can they rebound and even up the series before the two teams head back to Madison Square Garden?
Let's take a look at 3 Knicks predictions for Game 4 against the Heat.
3. New York Knicks G Jalen Brunson will score at least 35 points
There's no way around it. If the Knicks are going to beat the Heat, Brunson needs to have a terrific offensive performance. The overwhelming evidence suggests that Randle is a subpar playoff performer. Randle is averaging 16.4 points on 32.3% shooting in 12 career playoff games with New York. Brunson, on the other hand, has carried the Knicks' offense at times during their 2023 playoff run.
Brunson is going to bounce back from Game 3, which was his second-worst shooting performance in the playoffs with New York. The point guard went 7-of-20 from the field and missed a few looks that are likely to go through the net if he takes them in Game 4. Brunson led the charge in the Knicks' Game 2 victory, particularly in the second half. He finished with 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting.
Brunson might be forced to carry an even greater offensive burden in Game 4 because backup point guard Immanuel Quickley sprained his ankle. During his time with the Dallas Mavericks and his first postseason run with the Knicks, Brunson has shown that he's up for the challenge when his team needs him to step up. He's scored at least 20 points in every game during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
2. New York Knicks will make 40% of their 3-pointers in Game 4
The biggest area where Brunson should improve is his 3-point shooting. Brunson missed all five of his 3-pointers in Game 3. In the series opener, Brunson went 0-of-7 from downtown. The Knicks' guard nailed six of his 10 shots from distance in New York's Game 2 victory. Don't be surprised if Brunson has a similar shooting performance in Game 4.
The law of averages suggests that the Knicks as a whole will be much better from behind the arc in Game 4. New York missed 32 of its 40 attempts from 3-point range Saturday afternoon. Even if Randle continues to struggle with his shooting, he probably won't miss all five of his 3-point attempts for a second straight contest. R.J. Barrett and Josh Hart are also due to have better shooting nights.
The Knicks beat the Heat 111-105 in Game 2 by going 16-of-40 from 3-point range. Don't be surprised if they put up similar shooting numbers in Monday's pivotal Game 4.
1. New York Knicks will win Game 4 and give up no more than 95 points to Miami Heat
The Knicks' offense has struggled throughout the entire 2023 NBA Playoffs. While Jalen Brunson can play better and New York is bound to improve its 3-point shooting, the team isn't going to score a ton of points. New York's defense is going to have to lead the charge, just as it did in the classic Knicks-Heat series of the late 1990s.
It's hard to know what the Heat can expect to get from Butler. In his return from a sprained ankle, Butler missed 12 of his 21 field-goal attempts. He came up limping in the third quarter after falling to the ground. If last year's postseason was any indication, Butler could have a couple of offensive duds in this series. In between some classic “Playoff Jimmy Butler” games during the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, Miami's superstar had a pair of single-digit scoring performances while battling a knee injury. Maybe Game 4 will be another one of those nights.
The Knicks' 106.3 defensive rating is the second-best in this year's playoffs, ranking behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. Bam Adebayo is scoring 16.9 points per game on 47.9% shooting. Gabe Vincent, the Heat's third-leading scorer, is only shooting 39% from the field this postseason. Max Strus is unlikely to replicate his 2023 playoff-high 19 points from Game 3. Mitchell Robinson should be better, leading a strong Knicks' defensive effort in Game 4.
Follow Us
Subscribe