New York Knicks defeated Miami Heat 111-105 to tie the series at a game apiece as Jalen Brunson bounces back with a 30-point performance with stars Michael Rainey Jr., Jessica Alba, Chris Rock and Roger Federer watching on MSG
- Randle returned from ankle injury to record a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebs
- Jimmy Butler sat out for the Heat with a sprained right ankle sustained during the final game
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Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, scoring the run the New York Knicks needed just in time to get past a Miami Heat team that played without Jimmy Butler, and reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a game apiece with a 111-105 win Tuesday night.
Julius Randle returned from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him in Game 1 with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and RJ Barrett scored 24 points for the No. 5 seeded Knicks. Josh Hart finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
But it was Brunson, who blamed himself and said he had to be better after going 0 for 7 from 3-point range in the opener, who made the biggest plays in a game where the Knicks trailed much of the way stood.
Caleb Martin scored 22 points in place of Butler for the Heat, who will host Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.
They hope to have Butler, the playoff leading scorer who was out after spraining his right ankle late in their 108-101 win in the opener.
The New York Knicks picked up a 110-105 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the series
Jalen Brunson bounced back from his rough shooting performance with a game-high 30 points
Jimmy Butler sat out for the Miami Heat with a sprained right ankle sustained in Game 1
They hardly needed him.
Miami held a six-point lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to undrafted players Martin and Gabe Vincent before Brunson, who had been labeled questionable with a sore right ankle, took over.
He made a 3-pointer that became a four-point play when Isaiah Hartenstein fouled on play, and the point guard then scored to bring it to 93.
The Heat went back to 96-93 on Vincent’s three free throws, but Josh Hart tied it with a 3 before Brunson hit a 3 and scored again to make it 101-96 with 2:48 left.
Brunson went behind the arc 6 out of 10.
Randle was originally injured against Heat in a win on March 29 after starting the first 77 games.
He returned for the start of the playoffs, but was off focus for much of the series against Cleveland before re-injuring the ankle in the Game 5 clincher.
Actor Michael Rainey Jr. shows the Knicks playoff towel while sitting on MSG’s celebrity row
He was much better on Tuesday for a Knicks team attempting to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, when they got there after beating Miami in seven games.
Randle had assists on two of the Knicks’ first three baskets, with the Heat paying extra attention to him and leaving shooters open at the rim.
But the No. 8-ranked Heat stuck with them by making six 3-pointers and the Knicks led just 31-29 after one.
As in the opener, the Heat dug in defensively from there.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett also shone offensively to help New York tie the serious 1-1
They limited the Knicks to just two baskets in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the second, built their lead to 46-38, and led 54-51 at the break on Kevin Love’s 3-pointer with 6.1 left seconds to go.
The Knicks eventually went back into the lead as Brunson hit a pair of 3s and then another basket, but Vincent’s basket sent Miami into fourth place with a 77–76 lead.
Vincent scored 21 points, Max Strus finished with 17 points but missed part of the second half after going to the locker room with a bruised lower back.
In addition to the long roster of celebrity personalities common to celebrity row at MSG, Knicks legends Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Benard King were also in attendance.