That got ugly fast, and then Iman Shumpert went down. So it was essentially the worst day for the Knicks. It could have been worse, but it would have taken some dark magic.
The Heat destroyed the Knicks 100-67, outscoring them 57-29 in the second and third quarters. It was total annihilation. After Tyson Chandler gave LeBron James a hard foul on the back (and LeBron flopped like his life depended on it), James ripped off a 9-0 run to end the second quarter. He hit an and-one after being slammed into on the pump fake, then sliced between two defenders and finished after contact. It was that kind of game for James. He gave the best and worst he can give, flopping to make everyone who hates him full of hatred, and playing like the best player in basketball.
Little example. LeBron and Mike Miller were on the floor together for 16 minutes Saturday. In that time, they had an offensive efficiency of over 150, and held the Knicks to an efficiency of 37.6 101 is considered good in that context. I’ve seen building demolished with less carnage.
The Knicks, on the other hand, drowned in a bucket of defense from Miami. Carmelo Anthony had 11 points on 3-15 shooting. James did that, too. Tyson Chandler was limited by foul trouble but also had trouble dealing with the Heat’s ball movement. The Heat created open looks, everything the Knicks did was contested. Miami rotated on the string. It was total and complete domination. The Knicks shot 36 percent. Their starters had a 45 percent eFG% which is downright miserable. They had 27 turnovers leading to 38 points off turnovers. They turned the ball over 23 percent of the time. More than two out of ten possessions, the just gave the Heat the ball.
So, no, the game did not go well for the Knicks.
What to improve on? Everything.
Ball movement, execution, shooting, passing, defense, rebounding, help defense, composure, aggressiveness. They need to smell better. They should call their mothers more. Basically, if there’s anything they can control, they need to do it.
This series likely won’t be like this throughout its time. But it’s also going to take a major turnaround from the Knicks. They need everything to change, and quickly. Otherwise the Garden won’t just be cheering the Knicks on in an 0-2 deficit, but a series in which no hope appears evident.
And Shumpert was injured.
