RJ Barrett wasn’t in a scoring mode on Super Bowl Sunday, but when he made a defensive mistake that was the final straw for Tom Thibodeau.
Barrett was benched in the fourth quarter, finishing with three points, while the Heat escaped with a 109-103 Garden victory in a Sunday matinee.
Julius Randle threw in 26 runs and added 12 rebounds and seven assists. Reggie Bullock was on fire from a 3-point range, knocking in seven 3s for 21 points.
But the Knicks (11-14) showed they can’t win unless Barrett is a major factor, and he was a no-show. Barrett played only 19 minutes and shot 1 of 6 when the Knicks broke their two-game winning streak. Barrett was winless in the first half.
Sources said the Knicks have agreed to a trade for Derrick Rose, in part to give them more offensive firepower in the final minutes. The Knicks were frozen at the end. Randle missed a corner 3 with the Knicks 103-99 down with 1:33 left.
Alec Burks – in game for Barrett – still behind with 3, had a 3 pointer on the front. Miami’s Tyler Herro came down to take the win on a 3-pointer with 33 seconds to go as Miami reversed some recent setbacks to go to 9-14.
Bullock, who has started all 20 games played, hit eight tries in six 3-pointers in the first half. Bullock got a handful of passes from Randle from the double team.
The Knicks tied for a season high with 17 3s, but that wasn’t enough, as they scored only 44 runs in the second half.
Bullock’s marksmanship put the Knicks within 60-59 at half time. Miami’s Kendrick Nunn, a non-drafted guard, led the Heat with 14 points in the first half – 4 out of 5 3-pointers.
With the Knicks missing backup center Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson came off the bench for a spark, scoring nine runs and making all four of his shots.
The Knicks have used the same base lineup 20 times – tops in the league for continuity. The only time Thibodeau stumbled is when Bullock was injured. Miami, on the other hand, has had 16 different starting lineups due to injuries and COVID-19 contact tracking.
Before the game, Thibodeau was delighted with his former player, Jimmy Butler, who finished with 17 points. He said the Heat was struggling because of Butler’s various injuries and other COVID-19 absences. The Heat is now 6-5 with Butler and 3-9 without.