Knicks leaning on road proficiency for Games 3 and 4 in Miami vs. Heat: ‘It’s the next challenge’
With the series tied at one apiece, and the basketball world expecting Heat star Jimmy Butler to return from an ankle injury for Game 3 on Saturday, the Knicks cannot afford to come up empty in Miami. The Knicks are 10-6 on the road since Hart’ s arrival in February as part of the Cam Reddish deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. They will be tasked with securing at least...
The Knicks have been a better team on the road than at home this season.
It’s a strong suit that will come in handy for a team heading to Miami for Games 3 and 4 of their second-round playoff series against the Heat looking for a split at a minimum.
The Knicks finished with a 24-17 record away from Madison Square Garden this season, good for the fifth-best road record behind only the Bucks, Celtics, Sixers and Kings. That’s one game better than their home record (23-18) in front of some of the most faithful fans in all of professional sports.
With the series tied at one apiece, and the basketball world expecting Heat star Jimmy Butler to return from an ankle injury for Game 3 on Saturday, the Knicks cannot afford to come up empty in Miami.
Of the 273 teams that have taken a 3-1 playoff series lead in NBA history, only 13 have ever gone on to lose that series.
“I feel like we had confidence going into Game 1, and I feel like we had confidence going into Game 2,” starting forward Josh Hart said at practice at the team’s Tarrytown facility on Thursday. “We’re going into Game 3 as confident as we’ve ever been.”
The Knicks are 10-6 on the road since Hart’s arrival in February as part of the Cam Reddish deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. That record includes victories in Games 1 and 5 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, meaning the Knicks both opened and closed the first round in a hostile environment.
They will be tasked with securing at least one series-swinging victory in Miami after three days of rest before Game 3 on Saturday. Those Heat fans will be ready.
“It’s the next challenge. So just be ready,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau. “Each game, that’s the nature of the playoffs. The intensity goes up each game, so be ready.”
Hart said road games create an environment with fewer distractions. When at home, players are tasked with getting their friends and family game tickets. They also have to decide whether or not they’re going out to dinner with their hosted parties after the game.
On the road, however, it’s different.
“It’s only basketball,” Hart said on Thursday. “So being able to do that, it’s just the guys in that locker room: the coaching staff, the front office that’s there, so sometimes, you’re able to be locked in a little bit more.”
There’s also the luxury afforded to big-market, brand-name teams — like the Knicks, whose rabid fanbase knows no bounds. Hart remembers fans at FTX Arena for a regular-season game against the Heat cheering his team on.
“We play for the Knicks. Knicks fans, they show up wherever we play,” he added. “Whether that’s Oklahoma City, or — I know you guys were down in Miami at the end of the year, we were getting “Let’s go Knicks” chants. So I think it’s the camaraderie that we have, being able to be locked in and focused, and the Knicks fanatics that travel and show out.”
The Knicks find themselves in familiar territory, preparing to secure a critical victory on the road. They’ve already done it once, having handed the Heat a 122-120 defeat on their home court in March.
With the stakes higher, the Knicks believe they can do it again.
“I think the confidence has been built throughout the year,” Julius Randle said. “Every year, we stepped up to the challenge and showed ourselves what we’re capable of, so just keep building on it.”
()