The Miami HEAT fell to the New York Knicks 114-103 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 29 points.
1. Dragić Does All He Can
To put it simply, Dragić had the entire repertoire on display against the Knicks. From nifty finishes in transition to catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, the Dragon was breathing fire pretty much all night. That said, Dragić did the bulk of his damage in the second half, as he helped Miami stay neck-and-neck with New York. In fact, the point guard totaled 18 points, three assists and two boards after halftime.
While the HEAT ultimately fell short, it was great to see Dragić continue to play well. In addition to his 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from distance, the 30-year-old also led the team with seven assists.
2. Whiteside Mixes It Up
After a little bit of a slow start, Hassan Whiteside really started to get going in the second quarter. In the period, the 7-footer tallied 10 points and four boards thanks to some nifty moves inside against both Joakim Noah and Willy Hernangomez. That said, one of Whiteside’s best plays during the flurry came off a nice hustle play.
With 6:24 left in the second, the big fella grabbed the offensive board, gathered himself and threw down the two-handed flush despite getting fouled by Justin Holiday.
In all, Whiteside tallied 23 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 14 rebounds (five offensive) and three blocks.
3. Ellington Loves The Three
In short, Wayne Ellington continued to come up big for Miami from beyond the arc. Thanks to constantly moving off the ball, the swingman drilled four 3-pointers and scored 14 points on the night.
Other Takeaways:
-Rodney McGruder was absolutely relentless on the defensive end, as he made things as tough as possible on Carmelo Anthony.
One of his best plays came with 2:01 left in the first quarter when he read the passing lane and swiped an errant pass from Derrick Rose intended for Anthony. McGruder then passed it to Dragić, who took it inside for the smooth finish over Rose.
McGruder finished with five points, five rebounds and four assists.
-Tyler Johnson saved his best for last, as he led the HEAT with eight points in the fourth quarter. The 24-year-old ended up with 13 points, five rebounds and an assist on the evening.
-Willie Reed fought hard in his 10 minutes of action against the Knicks, especially on the offensive glass. In all, Reed scored six points, grabbed four rebounds (three offensive) and tallied a team-high plus-13 rating.
Game Note:
-James Johnson (strained right rotator cuff), Luke Babbitt (right hip flexor), Josh Richardson (sprained right ankle), Dion Waiters (pectineus tear) and Justise Winslow (sore left wrist) all sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will get right back at it Wednesday night against the Hawks in Atlanta at 7:30 PM. That game is part of a three-game road trip for Miami, which also includes stops in Cleveland and Chicago. After that, the HEAT will head home for a matchup with the Wizards on December 12 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.