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The Knicks\u2019 bench lets them down in Miami<\/h2>\n
For the first time this season, New York\u2019s second unit completely lost control of the game\u2019s tempo. Jordan Clarkson shot 2\u201311 from the field, Guerschon Yabusele went 0\u20134 from three, and Landry Shamet missed all four of his attempts. Tyler Kolek, who had been solid in his early outings, couldn\u2019t get anything going either, scoring just five points on 2\u20136 shooting and failing to record a single assist.<\/p>\n
Every time the starters clawed the Knicks back into contention, the bench gave it right back. Miami\u2019s second unit outplayed them decisively, swinging momentum with quick ball movement and energy.<\/p>\n
Brunson continues to shine, but he needs help<\/h2>\n
Brunson\u2019s performance was everything the Knicks could ask for from their leader \u2014 aggressive, efficient, and resilient. He scored from all three levels and kept the team within reach despite Miami\u2019s runs. But no point guard, no matter how composed, can win alone when the bench produces almost nothing.<\/p>\n
The lack of balance was glaring. When Brunson sat, the offense stalled completely. New York struggled to generate clean looks, and the spacing fell apart without their rhythm-creator on the floor. Miles McBride\u2019s absence didn\u2019t help either; the young guard missed the game due to personal reasons, and his ability to attack the rim and hit timely shots was sorely missed.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to Milwaukee<\/h2>\n
The Knicks won\u2019t have long to dwell on the loss, as they face another tough matchup Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. At 2\u20131, the Bucks will test whether New York can respond with energy and focus. The key will be getting their second unit back on track and giving Brunson the support he needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The New York Knicks suffered their first loss of the young season Sunday night, falling to the Miami Heat 115\u2013107 in a game that exposed the cracks in their<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":114587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n