If familiarity indeed breeds contempt, there could be hostility in the air when the visiting New York Knicks face the Miami Heat on Monday.
The teams are completing a two-game set and meeting for the third time this season after New York beat the Heat 140-132 on Friday. Miami won the first matchup 115-107 on Oct. 26.
The Knicks are beginning a five-game road trip minus two starters in guard Jalen Brunson and forward OG Anunoby. Brunson is out with a sprained right ankle that happened in Wednesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, while Anunoby exited Friday’s game with a strained left hamstring and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
New York relied on its depth in the win Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 39 points and reserves Landry Shamet (career-high 36 points) and Josh Hart (12 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) helped the Knicks win for the sixth time in their last seven games.
“It’s about the next man up. Who that next man is going to be, I don’t know,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “We have a standard that we all bought into and all embraced and a way we play offensively and defensively, and if we stay within that, good things will happen most times.”
While Brunson is out, Brown figures to give additional playing time to guards Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson, as well as Shamet, who shot 12-of-19 from the field and 6-of-12 from 3-point range Friday.
“People can sleep on (Shamet) if they want, but if you think of him at Wichita State, he was a point guard then and was extremely athletic,” Brown said. “He will dunk on you in a heartbeat. It’s not just about his shooting, and he’s making great decisions.”
Miami is having to make lineup adjustments of its own while Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are sidelined. Adebayo missed the past five games due to a left big toe sprain, while Herro is recovering from left ankle surgery.
Both players practiced Sunday, with Herro out for at least another week while Adebayo is questionable to play Monday.
The Heat lost two straight following a three-game winning streak and were outrebounded 51-46 on Friday. Miami’s rebounding struggles have been an ongoing concern, and Adebayo’s absence isn’t helping matters.
“We pride ourselves on our rebounding. It just has to improve,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The league is also changing. We have to adjust to that. More teams are crashing four guys and crashing their perimeter players.”
Miami lost on Friday despite shooting 43.2% (19 of 44) from 3-point territory. Guard Norman Powell continued his strong play with a season-high 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 8 of 15 from beyond the arc.
Powell has impressed his teammates while becoming the first player in franchise history to record nine 20-point games in their first 10 games with the Heat.
“He wants a win,” Adebayo said. “Doesn’t matter who scores. Doesn’t matter if he gets his. You know, at the end of the day, he wants a win. And I like having Norman around. He’s slowly starting to creep and be one of the co-pilots for this team.”
