Anatomy of a Comeback

The Knicks win a game as only they could.

Good morning, and yes, Happy Saturday - our fourth straight with a special weekend edition of the newsletter. What can I say (other than, of course: This. F——-. Team.)

The last time I wrote one of these was eight months ago, when the Knicks had perhaps their best fall-from-ahead, come-from-behind victory of the season against the eventual World Champion Nuggets. We knew then that this was a special group. Last night, we were reminded that their DNA remains intact even if they test our patience from time to time.

And boy, oh boy…was that patience ever tested yesterday.

But we know from experience that the night is darkest before the dawn, which is where we pick up the action…

Game 15: Knicks 100, Heat 98

Before every epic comeback, there’s always rock bottom.

Last night, in a game where New York’s starting power forward tied a 2,000 pound anvil around his waste and jumped off the starboard side, seemingly pulling the rest of his teammates down with him, that rock bottom moment ironically did not involve Julius Randle.

He was still in the game, but nowhere near the play in question, in which Josh Hart got his arm stuck in Jimmy Butler’s armpit as Butler spun around for an 11-footer. Jimmy got the whistle for an and-one, and then watched as his old coach used a desperation challenge in a game that was hopelessly slipping away.

After Butler made the free throw, the Knicks trailed by a game-high 21 points - a 22-point turnaround in the span of eight minutes.

Not that their minuscule halftime lead was all that impressive. In the first half, New York did none of the things that usually bring them success, piling up eight more turnovers than offensive rebounds and handily losing the possession battle in the process. They still held the lead though, thanks largely to Miami being ice cold from deep and Jalen Brunson making a handful of tough baskets against a Heat defense with an airtight game plan.

That plan: force the ball into Julius Randle’s hands and challenge him to make the right decision more often than not. In response, Randle made some difficult shots, but also committed six first half turnovers. By the third quarter, the Knick offense was completely out of sorts, and that malaise seeped into their defensive effort and body language¹. The Butler and-one and lost challenge felt like the nail in the coffin.

And then, after yet another Knick turnover, it began.

It’s appropriate that things started with a block from I-Hart and a three from IQ, because New York’s stunning turnaround was due to equal parts head and heart.

The heart was obvious, and has been obvious for almost a year now. Like a true New Yorker, these Knicks don’t know when they’re supposed to be down and out. They never give in and never give up. Imperfections and all, they do not accept their fate.

But they also got smart. Following three more turnovers over a 70-second span between the end of the fourth and start of the third, New York finally started taking care of the ball and stopped giving Miami easy opportunities in transition offense. As a result, the Heat were forced to navigate scoring in the half court. In that area, the Knicks actually did a nice job, limiting Miami to 80.5 points per 100 possessions according to Cleaning the Glass. Two minutes into the fourth, their best defense was yet to come.

But none of it would have mattered without a few timely hoops, which New York scored in a few waves.