The New York Knicks maintained their status as the hottest team in the NBA on Saturday, beating the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 125-109 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
New York improved to 29-17 on the season with the win, which was its sixth in a row and 12th in the past 14 games.
As has become commonplace throughout their winning streak and for the entirety of the season, likely All-Star guard Jalen Brunson led the way Saturday with a game-high 32 points, plus eight assists and five rebounds.
By virtue of Saturday’s victory, the Knicks moved up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, putting them within striking distance of the second-place Milwaukee Bucks and third-place Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks have won only two playoff series since reaching the NBA Finals in 2000, but based on how they are playing currently, fans are starting to believe they can go on a run, and many suggested on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they have a legitimate chance to reach the NBA Finals:
Ismet 🌟@IsmetHimself
THE NEW YORK KNICKS WILL WIN THE 2024 NBA FINALS!! <a href=”https://t.co/Ip7D3B1iWU”>pic.twitter.com/Ip7D3B1iWU</a>
Lew 🦍💪🏾 giants mets knicks@lmathis318
The Knicks are one player away from being a championship team. Their coming along
In addition to Brunson, five other Knicks scored in double figures Saturday, including OG Anunoby, who was tied with Julius Randle for second on the team in scoring with 19 points.
Although Brunson has been the Knicks’ unquestioned go-to guy this season, it can be argued that the acquisition of Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors has been the catalyst that took the Knicks from a good team to a potential title contender.
Since Anunoby made his Knicks debut on Jan. 1, the Knicks are 12-2 and have played like one of the NBA’s best teams.
That was on full display the past two games, as the Knicks blew out the teams that made the NBA Finals last season in back-to-back outings.
After crushing the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 122-84 on Thursday, New York followed it up with another dominant performance against Miami.
The Heat erased a 13-point deficit to briefly tie it in the third quarter, and Jimmy Butler is the biggest reason why they got back in the game, as he led Miami with 28 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
However, Randle hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter to put the Knicks on top, and they never looked back, as they outscored the Heat 36-23 in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks should have a great chance to keep their winning streak going when they face the 10-33 Charlotte Hornets on the road on Monday, while the 24-22 Heat will look to get back on track against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
