The New York Knicks were the third-best rebounding team in the league. But in Game 4, they couldn’t get a board when it mattered.
Miami, who was the fourth-worst rebounding team in the NBA, outrebounded the Knicks 44-35 in their 109-101 Game 4 win.
The Heat missed nine of their first 11 shots in the quarter, but they rebounded four of them. Despite holding Miami to 19 points and zero three-pointers, seven of those were second-chance points.
The offensive rebounding ruined an excellent defensive quarter – though rebounding is part of defense. The Heat simply wore them out sending the Knicks’ defenders through screens all night, and often broke their hearts with late-clock shots.
New York keyed in on Jimmy Butler, but he still scored 32 points, in part thanks to 10 free throws. But he really hurt the Knicks as a passer, delivering a series of spectacular dimes with defenders in his face, on his way to 11 assists.
Butler has been the best two-way player in the playoffs so far — apologies to Anthony Davis — and he did it again in Game 4 with two big blocked shots.
A lot of things went right for the Knicks in Game 4. Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 boards. R.J. Barrett scored 24 points, his fifth 20-point effort in his last six playoff games. And Mitchell Robinson had two blocks and was +1 in 33 minutes.
But down 3-1 heading back to New York, the only way the Knicks are going to rebound in this series is to start rebounding in this series.