Brunson scored 30 points Tuesday night and keyed the run the Knicks needed just in time for a 111-105 victory over a Miami Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler.
Julius Randle returned from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him in Game 1 with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and RJ Barrett scored 16 of his 24 points in the first quarter for the No. 5-seeded Knicks. Josh Hart finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
“I thought Julius gutted it out, played tough. I thought Jalen was fantastic,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “RJ big, big start to the game for us, so we had a number of guys step up to get it done.”
Breaking: Jimmy Butler is out for Game 2 vs. the Knicks, the Heat announced. pic.twitter.com/NrjbsboJiQ
— ESPN (@espn) May 2, 2023
Melo in MSG. Iconic.
📺 Knicks-Heat | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/5ap70eMRs4
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2023