(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks were hoping to make fans at Madison Square Garden happy on Sunday afternoon.
But the Miami Heat had other plans and they wound up being victorious.
The Heat beat the Knicks, 108-101, in the first game of the second round, proving that they are still dominant after shocking the Milwaukee Bucks last week.
It was a disappointing loss for the Knicks and one of the team’s biggest fans, Stephen A. Smith, is certainly concerned.
On Monday morning, he said his team is “in trouble” and gave them direct orders.
“They’ve gotta win Game 2. They’re not beating Miami for four out of five if they fall 0-2 on their home court,” Smith said on First Take.
.@stephenasmith says his Knicks are in trouble pic.twitter.com/G5BNETjFJN
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 1, 2023
Smith said that it’s clear that the Heat are going to be posting shots from all over the court and New York’s defense has to get a lot better.
They won the game even though they shot at 42.4% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point line.
With the way that Jimmy Butler has been playing and the strong showings from others like Gabe Vincent and Bam Adebayo, the Knicks will need to get smart and tweak their game plan.
The Knicks have never won a playoff series after losing Game 1 at home.
Because of that fact, many fans are terrified that they are again on the path to defeat.
But Smith still believes they can win this series, especially if the team changes its defense and Julius Randle returns.
However, he knows victory is only possible if they secure their first win in Game 2.
There is no way the Knicks can move onto the next round if they head to Miami with a 0-2 record, he said.
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