The New York Knicks struggled in a recent loss against the Orlando Magic—their first home loss of the season. And while fatigue probably played a role considering it came on the second night of a back-to-back, the game was more detrimental than just the defeat.
Head coach Mike Brown kept Jalen Brunson and other starters in the game into garbage time and Brunson turned his ankle, which will cause him to miss at least a week (and probably more).
Brunson's injury left the Knicks searching to fill a major void—and an injury that OG Anunoby sustained early in the game against the Miami Heat on Friday night left the Knicks with even more to make up for moving forward. But New York was able to secure an emphatic win despite missing major pieces, 140-132 against the Heat. But what exactly did the Knicks do well to get their first win this season without Brunson? And how can they make sure that their strong play continues until they're fully healthy again?
Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Karl-Anthony Towns carry scoring load
Landry Shamet's unusually strong play was the biggest catalyst to the Knicks' Brunson-less success. Shamet scored a career-high 36 points in 37 minutes on 12-for-19 shooting. Despite shooting the ball an unusual amount, Shamet didn't force the issue. Most of his shots came within the flow of the offense. But when you make six 3-pointers (on 12 attempts), you're bound to have a good night.
But the Knicks needed more than a reserve player getting hot to secure a win against playoff-level competition sans Brunson. Enter Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson.
Towns had a historic first half, scoring 31 through the first two quarters. While he only added eight points in the second half, Towns' shot 13-for-26 from the field and six-for-14 on 3-pointers. Those shooting numbers mean he was hot enough to hold the attention of the Heat's defense, providing sufficient space to Shamet and others.
Speaking of others, Clarkson also had himself a night. He scored 24 points in 33 minutes, demonstrating the exact benefit that he adds to a team. Clarkson, like Shamet and Towns, was efficient shooting the ball, as well. He connected on six of his 13 shot attempts, making 50% of his 3-pointers, too.
In total, Shamet, Towns, and Clarkson scored 99 points on 31-for-58 shooting (53.4%). Those three averaged 37 points per game combined before the game against Miami—and no one was shooting better than 47% from the field. Thus, if the Knicks can get this type of performance from multiple players, especially non-superstar ones like Shamet and Clarkson, they are going to be in good shape.
Mitchell Robinson dominant on the offensive glass
Mitchell Robinson continued his wildly unusual offensive rebounding against the Heat. Mike Brown was cautious with his injury-prone big man, playing him only 14 minutes, but that didn't stop Robinson from making a profound impact on the game.
Robinson grabbed 10 rebounds in his limited time on the floor, eight of which were offensive. His dominance on the offensive glass spearheaded a Knicks barrage of second chance points. New York outscored Miami 20-10 in second-chance points for the game.
Including his exceptional performance against the Heat, Robinson is averaging about six offensive rebounds in just 16 minutes per game. That translates to 13 offensive rebounds per-36 minutes played.
Mikal Bridges made up for absence of Brunson, Anunoby
Mikal Bridges also helped steady the ship for the Knicks in this one. He started off the night as the team's de facto point guard, kicking things off in the back court alongside Miles McBride. And it was Bridges who took over primary ball handling duties.
Bridges finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, seven steals, and two blocked shots in 42 minutes of action. Granted, he did not necessarily power the offense, but his poise and all-around strong play helped the Knicks keep their composure.
The Knicks must get a lot from a number of their players if they expect to keep winning without Brunson—let along without Brunson and Anunoby. But their recent victory against the Heat prove that they have enough fire power, skill, and grit to do so.
However, it can only work for so long. Eventually, the absence of Brunson and Anunoby will be too much to bear. So, while Knicks fans should be happy with what they saw against Miami, they must also hope that their stars are back sooner than later.
