Karl-Anthony Towns and Landry Shamet stood out in a well-rounded team performance, helping New York to their second NBA Cup win of the year, moving them to 2-1 on the season.
Without Jalen Brunson available, there were questions about whether Mike Brown’s squad could keep up with Miami. It was clear from the start that they’d need someone to step up in a big way.
They found two. Towns put up 39 points and 11 rebounds, while Shamet came off the bench to add 36. Josh Hart chipped in too, finishing with a triple-double – 12 points, 12 boards and 10 assists.
Speaking after the game, Brown said: “I just told those guys how proud I was of them because this is something we are all building together.”
“It’s not just me at the front of it trying to push everything through or push all this stuff onto you guys. You guys deserve every single minute of it…you guys f****** earned this one.”
Mike Brown credits Knicks’ win over Miami Heat to coaching staff and players
While many would naturally credit Mike Brown for guiding his team to an impressive win, he’s always been quick to share the praise. This time was no different, as he pointed out the efforts of both his players and assistant coaches.
Towns had a standout first half, pouring in 31 points. Initially, there was some hesitation from Brown about sticking with the same rotation. It was assistant coach Rick Brunson who pushed to keep playing through Towns, recognising the momentum he was building early on.
The decision paid off for New York, who fed off Towns’ energy to build their lead in what started as a close contest against Miami.
“He reacted to what the defense gave him first of all,” said Brown after the game. “But secondly, we wanted to play through him, and it was great. Rick Brunson was the first one to say it, keep playing through KAT.”
“Chris Jent was fabulous. Rick Brunson was fabulous… They were all good and were on point helping me with substitutions, mixing in zone (defense), trying to figure out where we needed to go with the ball.”
“We did it naturally through our stuff,” he added. “We didn’t hunt for a mismatch; we did it naturally through our early offense a lot of times… They did a hell of a job coaching this game tonight.”
There’s genuine promise in this Knicks roster
The Knicks seem to be turning a corner under Brown. There have been standout performances across the board, even from Towns, who had a slow start to the season but has found his form lately. Mikal Bridges didn’t have his best shooting night against the Heat, but he was active on defence, coming up with seven steals.
“Karl started off great tonight and had it going early. We talked as a staff about making sure we continued to go through him until he either needed a blow or until they were able to stop him.”
Brunson was also missed due to injury but is expected back for the next matchup against Cleveland. Landry Shamet made the most of his increased playing time, putting up 36 points and helping fill the offensive gap left by Brunson.
He keeps players focused and makes it clear that winning comes first. That mindset is crucial for a team with ambitions as high as New York’s.
The Knicks are among the favourites in the East alongside rivals like Cleveland. With last season’s playoff experience under their belt and Brown steering them forward, this could be the year they make a serious push toward an NBA title.
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