MIAMI — Games against the New York Knicks used to provide nothing but drama for the Miami Heat. Friday night, that drama was back at FTX Arena.
Which was exactly what the Heat did not need amid a week that opened with a pair of ugly losses and a three-way bench spat, and now moves on to Saturday night’s home showdown against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
Up 17 early in the final period, the Heat collapsed to yet another hideous loss, this time 111-103 to a team headed to the lottery.
After falling on Monday night to a Philadelphia 76ers team lacking Joel Embiid and James Harden and losing on Wednesday night to a Golden State Warriors team lacking Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Heat again took on the look of a team that has lost its way.
No, this was not the internal strife of Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem and coach Erik Spoelstra creating quite the angry kerfuffle during a timeout in the loss to the Warriors.
But it again was an unnerving moment.
This time, Butler let his play do the talking, closing with 30 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. He was supported by 17 points and nine rebounds from center Bam Adebayo and 17 points and three 3-pointers from point guard Kyle Lowry.
But it was not enough for the team that continues to display befuddling late ineptitude despite its standing atop the Eastern Conference. The Heat were outscored 38-15 in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks were led by the 23 points of Immanuel Quickly and the 18 of RJ Barrett.
Five Degrees of Heat from Friday’s game:
— 1. Closing time: The Heat led by 14 in the second period, went into the intermission up 58-49, pushed their lead to 16 in the third quarter, and then went into fourth up 88-73.
But with Butler and Adebayo out at the start of the final period, the Knicks, after the Heat extended their lead to 17, rallied to a 97-94 lead with a 21-4 run.
From there, the Knicks went up eight, before a Max Strus 3-pointer with 1:28 left got the Heat within 103-98.
Later, a Butler 3-pointer with 29 seconds left got the Heat within 107-103, but by then it was too little, too late.
— 2. Solid start: Butler set the early tone, with 10 points and five assists in the opening period, up to 17 and six at the intermission.
Butler’s fourth assist gave him 1,000 with the Heat. He became the 14th player in franchise history to record 1,000, reaching the mark in the fourth fewest games in franchise history (161). Only Tim Hardaway (112 games), Sherman Douglas (126) and LeBron James (151) reached the mark faster.
— 3. Herro out: Tyler Herro missed his second consecutive game due to a sprained left knee, an absence than came on the heels of his 5 of 15 in Monday night’s road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
That had the rotation altered with Strus first off the bench, followed, in order, by Dewayne Dedmon, Caleb Martin and Markieff Morris.
The Heat also were without backup guard Gabe Vincent for a third consecutive game due to a bruised toe.
— 4. Morris recast: After an uneven run at backup center, Morris was cast in more of a perimeter role, providing an immediate payoff by converting his first two 3-point attempts.
Morris played his initial minutes alongside Dedmon, with much of his work on offense coming on the perimeter.
Morris closed 4 of 5 from the field for 10 points, utilized for 15:56.
— 5. The fallout: Bernie Lee, Butler’s agent, was among those at the arena, with his own answer to Wednesday’s bench dustup, offering, “No one ever queued for a flat rollercoaster. See you in June.”
And, yes, Haslem was back leaning into Heat timeout huddles. And no, no punches thrown, or invectives traded, all clipboards exiting intact, even on a night when emotions again were frayed.
