The New York Knicks found themselves trailing 21 points late in the third quarter of Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat. But unlike some other Knicks teams in the past, this one wasn’t about to give up.
After Heat’s superstar Jimmy Butler converted a free throw to make it 83-62 with 3:40 left in the third quarter, the Knicks decided they had enough. Guard Immanuel Quickley made two three-pointers while the New York team collectively stepped up their defensive intensity to stop allowing easy points.
The fourth quarter saw a completely different Knicks team, as they outscored the Heat by 18 points to claim a 98-100 victory. Quickley scored 14 out of his 20 points during the comeback stretch while R.J. Barrett and Jalen Brunson contributed eight each.
“It’s a decision to mentally check out or not,” Quickley said after the game. “It’s a decision to keep fighting. It’s a decision to tell yourself, ‘You got to keep fighting,’ no matter what.
This was an important win for the Knicks, as it kept them alive in the NBA’s in-season tournament. They also got a bit of revenge on the Heat after Miami eliminated them in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.
The Knicks are currently at No.6 in the Eastern Conference with a 9-6 record. The Heat are one spot ahead at 10-6.
