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Game Thread 2023-24 Knicks vs. Heat (Non-In-Season Tournament Playoff Revenge Opener, which is a thing)

The Knicks host the Miami Heat for their first meeting between the two teams since the Knicks transformed their team with the addition of OG Anunoby, giving them the exact type of player every playoff contender wants to have on their squad in the playoffs (it’s no secret that the other teams that were trying to get OG were all playoff contenders, as well).

So this is a really nice “measuring tape” game against a team the Knicks might very well face in the first round of the playoffs.

But, honestly, after destroying the defending NBA champions the other day, the Knicks really don’t “need” this win at all. It would sure be nice to get it, but that’s how good they’ve played, they don’t even “need” games like this one.

Again, though, I sure would love to see them make a statement.

No 53-win tracker….yet. Win this one and I think it’ll be back.

Let’s go, Knicks!

308 replies on “Game Thread 2023-24 Knicks vs. Heat (Non-In-Season Tournament Playoff Revenge Opener, which is a thing)”

Wait, have I been doing the game thread titles all wrong during this recent streak? Isn’t the year supposed to come BEFORE the Game Thread title? Shit, I think it is.

Well, can’t change it now, or else you superstitious folk will freak out!

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If you mention revenge and Miami Heat, i’m always up for it! šŸ˜‰ Gooooo Knicks! šŸ€

iHart is back! šŸ™‚

I can’t celebrate that until we know that he’s back because he’s legit healthy, ya know?

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I’m usually pretty optimistic but I have a bad feeling about this game, Heat on a 5 game losing streak while being healthy worries me that they’re due for a course correction.

@Cyber,

I agree with you about Rokas, he’s still “one of the guys” and not a star here and we can use a 2nd rounder on a more useful player.

But squinting my eyes I saw small improvements, expecially on defense, and my predictions to see him in the NBA raised from 0,5% to 1%: progress! šŸ˜‰

(before someone take note and save this link, I’m joking on the percentages šŸ™‚ )

I dunno, BBA, Jaquez has been a huge part of their team this season, and he’s been out for a while now, all through this losing streak.

EDITED TO ADD: Oh, he’s back today, okay, never mind, then yes, feel free to be a bit concerned about the Heat. But, again, the Knicks do not need this game. They’re playing great with or without a win this afternoon.

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friend of mine sent me a tweet that had our lineup from the last time we played on a January 27

Your starters on this day in 2019:
Frank Ntilikina
Tim Hardaway Jr
Kevin Knox
Lance Thomas
Noah Vonleh

Your starters on this day in 2019:
Frank Ntilikina
Tim Hardaway Jr
Kevin Knox
Lance Thomas
Noah Vonleh

What a team! Those were the days! LOL

Your starters on this day in 2019:
Frank Ntilikina
Tim Hardaway Jr
Kevin Knox
Lance Thomas
Noah Vonleh

OMFG!!!

GO KNICKS!!!

How far weā€™ve come since 2019!

Gonna be a tough one today but letā€™s get it! Go Knicks!

I can’t stand that I’ve got to watch Stephen A. on ABC before this game. Since I live in SoFlo now NBA League Pass is blacked out. SAS was giving his excuses for voting for Haliburton. SAS sux.

Your starters on this day in 2019:
Frank Ntilikina
Tim Hardaway Jr
Kevin Knox
Lance Thomas
Noah Vonleh

I just threw up in my mouth a bit… how the $#@! was that an NBA team?

Intellectual curiosity.

The media conversation continues to be whether Brunson can be the #1 option on a championship team.

Who would you rather have as your #1 option?

Melo?

Brunson?

Melo had more moxie, and Stephen E. Smith called him a Dawg and Ruff Ryder

Melo from 2012-2014 was definitely worthy of being a #1 option on a championship contender. But Brunson as a PG and naturally better ball handler feels like the better option.

The Heat are starting a guy called Highsmith? Heā€™s going to go 12-15 today, isnā€™t he?

These guys sucking for a lot of the season and then coming out like gangbusters against us was downright inevitable

Shit, the Heat are doing that thing again where they absolutely suck on offense all season but play like the 2017 Warriors against us.

Not great so far, despite a lot of Strat approved passing. They need to clean that up, which has been their big issue since the trade.

Donte looks off

Funny part is you can’t really underestimate how bad the Heat have been this season despite their decent record, they actually have a negative point differential.

Funny part is you canā€™t really underestimate how bad the Heat have been this season despite their decent record, they actually have a negative point differential.

They did last season too… It’s some form of trolling.

Also Dejounte Murray is not going to be our sixth man

Why would rich paul and his client who is in his prime years agree to come off the bench for anything other than a super team?

The Heat have had Butler for like 10 games this season

I just read this is the first time the entire roster has been healthy

Butler has played 30 games this season including every game during their current 5 game losing streak.

It’s really annoying because they’re always going to be better coached than everyone, so no matter how shit they are, they’re always capable of winning against everyone. Really annoyed at the Spoelstra extension.

Of course their scrubs come in and they score every possession… but at least we’re starting to score too.

Erased a quarter of bricks in like 90 seconds, not bad! Increasingly convinced Deuce is an NBA player, just not a point guard.

Erased a quarter of bricks in like 90 seconds, not bad!

It’s amazing! I’m starting to believe we can make noise this season! šŸ™‚

Allan Houston’s game winner vs the Heat still my favorite single Knicks moment ever.

Getting blocked by Jaquez on a dunk is a certified RJ Barrett moment.

Yeah, OG is so great that he even inserts some RJ Barrett in his game for the fans that miss him. šŸ˜€

The Heat always know how to turn every game into a dogfight, but our guys are hanging on… Brunson is too good.

After an ice-cold star the Knicks turn it up. I really want this game. Last year’s finals: MIA vs DEN. Beating them back-to-back is very telling.

Strong close to the half. The HartAchoochoo combo has had some nice highlights.

Pressure Achewa might be a perfectly fine backup, it doesn’t feel like an urgent need anymore.

God I’d love nothing more than to officially establish that these guys can’t hang with us in the second half.

Hart lowkey the MVP of that quarter. He was involved in lots of good things on both ends of the court.

OG reminding me of RJ on these drives

I mentioned it yesterday. He doesn’t finish well unless he gets the dunk. The good news is that’s he’s strong to finish and get the dunk more often than a guy like RJ. But his handle and finish are things he can work on this off season to take another step.

Hubert mustā€™ve loved that Hart to DDV pass for 3!

Head exploded.

Hartā€™s playing like Magic off the bench today.

I mentioned it yesterday. He doesnā€™t finish well unless he gets the dunk.

OG doesnā€™t finish well YET unless he gets the dunk. #growthmindset

Precious was also a Heat player so the theory that he loves having revenge games is still alive.

Much better 2nd quarter of course, but I still think their defense has not been as good compared to the recent stretch. The Heat were getting open corner 3s almost at will and missed some pretty open shots (the Knicks didn’t miss much – I think only one super open Brunson corner 3).

Precious def insulted that weā€™ve been clamoring on KB for a backup, ā€œI JUST got here, man.ā€

So is the growing consensus that we keep Fournierā€™s contract for a next season trade?

I would still trade Evan for Brogdon. A backup playmaker would do so much for this second unit.

I still want to wait till the deadline to see what happens with these guys, they’ve done a lot to alleviate my concerns the last few games. We could use upgrades, but there aren’t a ton of guys worth the asking price this deadline.

Maybe somebody’s price drops at the last minute

+1 for Brogdon. I think the backup unit is still too easy to shut down in the playoffs, which might lead Thibs to want to stagger Randle and Brunson, which will lead to point-Randle, which will lead to turnovers.

I would like someone like Brogdon for something like a game where JB gets in early foul trouble

Ugh, why the hell did we bring Hartenstein back early, something we obviously did? I’ve largely come around on Thibs but this is the kind of shit that drives me insane.

The wonderful thing about Brogdon is he doesnā€™t disrupt anything like Murray would. He just comes in, probably takes Grimesā€™ spot, everything else stays intact, and we get much better.

Spoels was not feeling that sequence that ended with the OG dunk. He was practically halfcourt calling the Timeout.

He just comes in, probably takes Grimesā€™ spot, everything else stays intact, and we get much better.

When you put it this way it clarifies the real issue: is the difference between Grimes and Brogdon worth the value of Fournier’s contract moving forward?

Brogdon makes $22.5MM next year so you maintain that flexibility while actually getting production.

I was about to compliment Precious again but then he lost a jump ball to Jimmy Butler and fouled him

Feels like the Knicks should be up 20 and the game is almost tied.

Edit: my feed is late – ugh.

Everybody knows by now that this fucking foul baiter will try to do this every time and they all still fall for it

The whistle Butler gets is ridiculous. On those last two and-1ā€™s he was hardly even touched.

Precious wasted two consecutive successful PNRs by Deuce and gets blown by to give up the lead

Those two pick and rolls between Deuce and Achiuwa… yeah we still need a trade I guess.

Something that feels different compared to last year is that we manage to answer every run. Last year this wouldā€™ve ended up being a three point heat lead going into the fourth rather than a three point Knick lead. We just seem mentally tougher.

Need to keep taking advantage of the non-Butler minutes, love everything about OG.

Hahaha. If Grimes is gonna start hitting then I really donā€™t know what Iā€™m gonna do ā€¦ hahaha ā€¦

That was a few minutes of some beautiful 2 way balling closed out with a Brunson dagger 3. šŸ˜Ž

Like others said, it does feel like this Knicks team knows they can turn it up when they need it and just blow past inferior teams.

It’s amazing how we got a player like Brunson, he just fell from the skies to elevate this team

I love this team! And i’m also very curious about what the pessimists will come up with tomorrow! šŸ˜€

You can tank for years, hit on your high pick, and get a star to build your team around.

Or you can hire his father as an assistant coach and get him in free agency.

Grimes is getting into the paint and to the line a lot. If he’s doing that he’s going to need to hit his foul shots!

Itā€™s really hard to find anything to complain about with this team right now.

(Thatā€™s a challenge E)

Or you can hire his father as an assistant coach and get him in free agency.

Trust the Process*

*Nepotism

I-Hart didn’t return after the fall in the 3rd and now Juliusā€¦
I’m worried, things were going too wellā€¦

I mean, I know itā€™s my brand to blame Josh Hart for things but he had a clear path to the basket there and really set Julius up for a hard foul when he passed it up.

I mean, I know itā€™s my brand to blame Josh Hart for things but he had a clear path to the basket there and really set Julius up for a hard foul when he passed it up.

Are you serious? Come on man.

The problem with dislocated shoulders — let’s assume it’s that because it probably is — is that unless you get them surgically repaired, they pop back out really easily.

Surgery is months, not weeks typically.

This sucks.

Randle has been such an Ironman, really hate to see this.

Jeez, I guess this changes the trade deadline strategyā€¦

Motherfucker. Pisses me off.

Itā€™s just unreal to be a Knicks fan.

That was like a Joe Theisman moment

If it’s a peck muscle or some kind of other tear is that worse than the shoulder?

If it weren’t for the Randle injury, this would be the most satisfying win of the season. Not necessarily the best, but I just hate the Heat

Jaime Jaquez must not be allowed to leave NY before he can be brought to justice

Damn. That kind of statement can get you put in Twitter prison on X.

The vibes were immaculate until the Randle injury…I’m almost dreading the update since it’s so obviously bad

The way he grabbed his pec, seemed like more of a muscle thing

He also ran over to the trainer as if he was asking for it to be popped back, like he expected it was dislocated.

Much sadness on an otherwise glorious day.

No matter what, it’s not a good injury. Coming back from a pec or a shoulder isn’t going to be easy. And the impact on long range shooting can be substantial.

Assuming the Maxey/Embiid-less Sixers lose, they will be just one game ahead of the Knicks.

Fuck Miami, even when we beat them they take something… well, now it’s just hoping the injury is not serious and we can hang on without Julius for a while.

A muscle tear is not good. A dislocation without torn tendons would be better than a muscle tearā€¦

Worst fall for a Knicks big man since Ewing broke his wrist at Milwaukee in December 1997.

Move OG to PF with Hart sliding into the starting unit, Achiuwa plays some 4 & 5?

I think we can cobble together a fine team for a month or two with Hart moving into the starting lineup. We’d obviously be worse, but I don’t think we’d collapse.

If he’s out for longer and the playoffs become a question, we’re donezo.

Worst fall for a Knicks big man since Ewing broke his wrist at Milwaukee in December 1997.

I swear to god as he was going up for that basket my mind went straight to that play.

Iā€™m not blaming him or Hart or anyone, Iā€™m just fucking mad bc I saw that shit coming as soon as he passed the ball to him. Randle had a full head of steam but was too far away, and Jacquez was right there to challenge him. Shit almost looked scripted.

What a weak move by Embiid,
itā€™s the 4th consecutive year he ducks the game in Denverā€¦

Has any team ever beat the two current NBA finalists by a margin of 54 points in back to back games?

From Katz:

Julius Randle is being evaluated right now, Tom Thibodeau said. Said it’s a shoulder injury but did not specify further. He said it’s “very” concerning, “but you’re concerned any time somebody gets hurt. You hope for the best. If he’s out, next guy get in there and get it done.”

Damn.

If it was a dislocation, and it’s his right arm, might not be season ending?

What a bummer

Embiid dodging yet another game in Denver… as good as he obviously is, I’m glad I don’t have to root for this guy.

I hope Julius is okay. The team is really coming together, next man up… That’s really weak on Embiid’s part. 4 years in a row!

I am cautiously optimistic that this injury isn’t as bad as it sounds. Thibs’ “very concerned” is worrying, of course, but I dunno, doesn’t he sound like the type of guy who would say that about pretty much any injury?

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God what a gut punch to what is otherwise a satisfying win.

I think we can survive a 4-8 week diagnosis. Season ending imma cry.

Trade deadline gets interesting now. I wouldā€™ve been ok standing pat but if Randle is out a lot a second scorer becomes paramount.

Send our guys to pro wrestling training so they can learn how to take a fall without using their hands to brace the impact. I’m only half joking.

A dislocated shoulder seems like the best outcome

Yeah, I think that’s correct. What does the timeline look like for that?

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New York Knicks F Julius Randle has suffered a dislocated right shoulder, source tells ESPN.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 27, 2024

Probably one of the better scenarios?

“The X-Ray didnā€™t show much damage, source said. An MRI is coming later tonight.”

Update from Woj.

Probably one of the better scenarios?

Yep. That’s why I was cautiously optimistic. It seemed like a dislocated shoulder to me.

So, what’s the timeline on a dislocated shoulder?

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Woj says dislocation. ā€œ The X-Ray didnā€™t show much damage, source said. An MRI is coming later tonight.ā€

So if itā€™s only that, itā€™s not a season ender, but could be a month? Six weeks? Dunno.

Something extra we have to worry about with Randle is how many games heā€™ll play when he should be out.

He might just rub some dirt on it and play 36 mins against the Hornets Monday, you know?

Oh man, Randle could be dodging a bullet. He would probably still miss at least 4 weeks if itā€™s a non-tear dislocation. Letā€™s hope for the best.

So not a season ender, but could be a month? Six weeks? Dunno.

It sounds like the MRI is really the key. He could still require surgery, which would be a season-ender. More likely, though, we’re talking at least a month (and, of course, we have to worry about him returning too soon).

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Average recovery time for an athlete is 3-4 weeks. Not great, but not completely devastating. That means heā€™d return by the end of February.

Iā€™m going to miss crushing opponents like puny little grapes though.

This could drastically change our trade deadline strategy. At minimum, Grimes becomes much less expendable, if you assume OG moves to PF and Hart starts at SF. And Precious could get a lot of backup PF time.

Sounds like it all comes down to whether he tore the labrum too. Thatā€™s the season ender.

Yep. We’ll know tonight.

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Theyā€™ll just pop it back in and run him 40 next game.

I hate this.

If this was 1990, I seriously wouldn’t be surprised if a team did that. Thibs probably does miss those years.

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He might just rub some dirt on it and play 36 mins against the Hornets Monday, you know?

I know youā€™re joking but credit to Randle and his reputation as a tough dude. Sometimes to his detrimentā€¦

From NYU Langone:

Doctors recommend using a sling or brace to immobilize the affected arm and shoulder for four to six weeks to allow the muscles and other soft tissues to rest and heal.

https://nyulangone.org/conditions/shoulder-dislocation/treatments/nonsurgical-treatment-for-shoulder-dislocation#:~:text=Doctors%20recommend%20using%20a%20sling,tissues%20to%20rest%20and%20heal.

This could drastically change our trade deadline strategy. At minimum, Grimes becomes much less expendable, if you assume OG moves to PF and Hart starts at SF. And Precious could get a lot of backup PF time.

I don’t see him as being less expendable now, since he’d certainly be returning a combo guard if he was traded, right?

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Iā€™m going to miss crushing opponents like puny little grapes though.

Yeah, no matter what the outcome, this has been maybe the best month of Knicks basketball since the 90s, and it probably just ended.

We could be fine, but this run of crushing teams every single night probably wonā€™t last.

What a bummer.

I think we have to consider giving Jaime Jacquez the Denis Potvin treatment.

If you donā€™t know the storyā€¦

On February 25th, 1979 at the Garden, the Rangers were playing the New York Islanders when ā€œPotvin Sucks!ā€ was born. Ulf Nilsson, a young and quick Rangersā€™ forward filled with potential, was going for the puck with a minute and twenty seconds left in the period. The Islandersā€™ captain, Denis Potvin, came around and checked Nilsson into the end boards, causing the rookie center to limp off the ice and not return to the game.

Nilsson was out for months with a broken ankle and his first season as a Blueshirt was over, leaving the Rangers without one of their top scorers. Every time Potvin touched the puck that night, Rangers fans yelled ā€œPotvin Sucks,ā€ starting from the upper seats and working its way down towards the ice.

And they never stopped. 44 years later, they still chant Potvin Sucks at every Rangers game.

Depending on how this turns out, I am inclined to carry this tradition over to the hardwood.

Jacquez Sucks.

I donā€™t see him as being less expendable now, since heā€™d certainly be returning a combo guard if he was traded, right?

I think he’s saying that we should slide Grimes to SF with Hart & OG playing the 4 instead of playing Achiuwa more. Whoever you bring in takes Grimes’s guard minutes.

Bruce Brown becomes more likely.

I hate this.

Can we survive 12 games without Randle?

Sure. OG might even get some more of that usage heā€™s wanted. We wonā€™t dominate, but we could stay afloat for a dozen games or more.

But I KNEW things were going too well, as I posted about this morning. Itā€™s not PTSD if it keeps on happening in the present.

TSD it is! I’d probably drop Charlie Brown, who serves no purpose, and add another big. Maybe my boy Roby.

The February schedule isn’t the hardest, but the annoying part is that it includes 2 vs Indiana, 1 vs Philly, and 1 vs Cleveland (first game of March). There is also a back-to-back with Philly on March 10-12.

Unless Thibs can translate to power forwards his magic of giving to his backup center his starting center abilities, I think this likely means that the hope of getting a 3 seed is far fetched, and there’s a real chance Indiana or Cleveland passes the Knicks.

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