The New York Knicks kept their season alive with a thrilling Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat, winning 106-98 at home at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. Here are five takeaways from the game:
- Julius Randle Bounces Back
After a few subpar games in this series, Knicks All-Star Julius Randle had his best game yet, scoring 27 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out five assists. Randle had struggled with his shot, shooting just 27.4 percent from the field in the previous four games, but he found his rhythm on Wednesday night, hitting 9-of-22 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. - Derrick Rose Continues to Shine
Derrick Rose was once again the Knicks’ best player off the bench, scoring 20 points, dishing out four assists, and grabbing two rebounds in just 30 minutes of action. Rose has been a revelation for the Knicks this season, and he has been even better in this series, averaging 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. - Miami’s Turnovers Hurt Them
The Heat committed 15 turnovers in the game, which led to 20 points for the Knicks. Miami had been taking care of the ball in the first four games of the series, averaging just 11.8 turnovers per game, but they were careless with the ball on Wednesday night and it cost them. - RJ Barrett Steps Up
After a slow start to the series, Knicks guard RJ Barrett had his best game of the playoffs, scoring 19 points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out three assists. Barrett had been struggling with his shot, shooting just 28.1 percent from the field in the first four games of the series, but he found his touch on Wednesday night, hitting 7-of-14 from the field. - Knicks Show Resilience
The Knicks were facing elimination in this game, but they came out with a sense of urgency and played with a lot of heart and energy. They trailed by six points at halftime, but they outscored the Heat 31-22 in the third quarter to take control of the game. The Knicks showed that they are a resilient team and that they are not going to go down without a fight.
In conclusion, the Knicks’ victory in Game 5 sets up a must-see Game 6 in Miami on Friday night. The Knicks will look to build on their momentum and force a Game 7, while the Heat will try to close out the series and move on to the second round. It should be an exciting game and an exciting series as these two teams battle it out for a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals.