Knicks vs. Heat score, takeaways: Jalen Brunson leads New York to victory over Miami to avoid elimination

The Knicks live to fight another day

The New York Knicks needed a win on Wednesday night to extend their season. They got the job done at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 thanks largely in part to a second and third quarter where the Knicks outscored the Heat by a combined 20 points to take control of the game. Despite a late charge from Miami in the fourth quarter, New York was able to hold off Jimmy Butler and the Heat to come away with a 112-103 victory.

Jalen Brunson was the best player on the floor tonight when the Knicks needed him to be, finishing with 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead New York to a much-needed victory. Brunson had plenty of help as well, with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle combining for 48 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Jimmy Butler led five scorers in double figures for Miami with 19 points but, in the end, that wasn't enough to pull off the comeback.

With the win, New York forces a Game 6 in South Beach on Friday night. They will need to pick up another win to extend this series and have a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Otherwise, it will be the Heat making a conference finals appearance for the third time in the last four years. 

Here are some key takeaways from the game:

Knicks keep their season alive

After cruising past the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, the Knicks were riding high as they entered the second round. The Miami Heat upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks only increased their confidence, and had them dreaming of a first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.

And then they lost Game 1 at home, and were outclassed on the road in Games 3 and 4. Even worse, Julius Randle suggested the Heat may want it more than the Knicks, which did not bode well for a must-win Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. 

But credit to Randle and the Knicks; they showed they weren't ready to go down without a fight. They battled back from a disastrous first quarter and withstood another furious Heat comeback attempt to keep their season alive and force a Game 6 down in South Beach on Friday. 

Their Eastern Conference finals dream is still alive. 

Brunson was the best player on the floor

Jalen Brunson has been one of the few Knicks players who hasn't looked shell-shocked in this series. Entering Game 5, he was averaging 26.8 points, five rebounds and seven assists on 45.8 percent shooting; 3-point shooting was about the only thing he wasn't doing well. 

Brunson kept that trend going on Wednesday with a brilliant performance. He played all 48 minutes and was by far the best player on the floor as he poured in a game-high 38 points on 12-of-22 from the field to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists. 

The gaudy numbers were supplemented by a few extremely key plays in the fourth quarter. Twice after the Heat had cut the deficit to four and had the Knicks on the ropes, Brunson responded to give his squad some breathing room. There was his pull-up 3 with 7:32 to play, and a mid-range jumper with 4:08 remaining. 

We saw glimpses of this last season when Brunson took over some playoff games for the Dallas Mavericks when Luka Doncic was sidelined, and this was the vision the Knicks had when they gave him $100 million in the offseason. He'll need to have a few more games like this if the Knicks want to keep their season going, though. 

Grimes gives the Knicks a boost

Quentin Grimes was moved into the starting lineup in Game 4 and retained that spot for Game 5. He doesn't have to worry about his status moving forward; after playing all 48 minutes in a stellar effort on Wednesday night, it's safe to say he'll be a starter for as long as the Knicks' playoff run lasts. 

Grimes did a little bit of everything in Game 5, finishing with eight points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. He also came up with one of the biggest plays of the game late in the fourth quarter. After getting crushed by a Bam Adebayo screen, Grimes hobbled to his feet and stripped the ball from Jimmy Butler. 

While the Knicks didn't end up scoring on the ensuing possession, the extra time they were able to run off the clock was invaluable as they tried to withstand the Heat's comeback attempt. 

Grimes not only offers the same defensive versatility and effort as Josh Hart, but has the shooting ability to demand respect from the Heat's defense, which helps open things up for Jalen Brunson and company. 

[May 10, 2023 at 10:02 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Heat may run out of time

If there was another two minutes, the Heat might be able to steal this game, but it seems like they're going to run out of time. They do have the ball, but they're down by six with 25 seconds to play and are going to have to play the foul game. As long as the Knicks make their free throws, they should win

[May 10, 2023 at 9:57 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Grimes with a huge steal

Quentin Grimes just got rocked by a Bam Adebayo screen and was hobbling around out there but still managed to steal the ball from Jimmy Butler. That may end up being the game-defining moment if the Knicks hold on. They're now up six with 1:23 to play and have the ball. A bucket here would really make that a massive swing

[May 10, 2023 at 9:47 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Hack a Robinson ineffective

The Heat have gone to the "Hack a Robinson" to send Mitchell Robinson to the line on the last two possessions. It hasn't worked, though, as Robinson has made three of the four free throws. Still, Tom Thibodeau is going to take Robinson out of the game so the Heat can't keep doing that

[May 10, 2023 at 9:42 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Can the Knicks survive?

The Heat have an incredible ability to make teams panic and fall apart down the stretch, as we've seen multiple times during the playoffs. They've cut the deficit to six points with 5:54 to play, and now the Knicks will face that pressure with elimination looming. Will they be able to survive? 

[May 10, 2023 at 9:34 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Heat right back in it

The defining characteristic of this Heat team is they just will not give up. They've found their 3-point shot since the middle of the third quarter and have knocked down some clutch ones in the fourth to cut the deficit down to seven. The Knicks are still in control, but all of a sudden there's a ton of pressure on them and the Garden is feeling a bit antsy

[May 10, 2023 at 9:25 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Third quarter: Knicks 84 -- Heat 74

The Knicks picked up where they left off before the break and dominated the majority of third quarter to build a double-digit lead heading into the fourth. However, the Heat hit some timely 3-pointers late in the frame to stay within striking distance. The first few minutes of the fourth will be crucial; can the Knicks pull away or will the Heat turn it into another dogfight down the stretch? 

[May 10, 2023 at 9:15 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Robinson rolls ankle

Mitchell Robinson just rolled his ankle prior to that last timeout and is now sitting on the bench. It didn't look terrible and he didn't need to go to the locker room, so hopefully it's nothing too serious. His presence in the paint is crucial for the Knicks on both sides of the ball 

[May 10, 2023 at 9:06 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Randle has finally stepped up

This has been a rough series for Julius Randle, and he got off to another bad start in the first quarter, but he's stepped up since then, which has helped change the game for the Knicks. He's up to 17 points, two rebounds and three assists and is playing quicker and more assertively. The Knicks are just a completely different team when he's playing like this 

[May 10, 2023 at 8:59 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Knicks taking control

The Knicks looked terrible in the first quarter, but since then they have largely dominated that game. They're playing with more force and urgency, are taking better care of the ball and, of course, have knocked down a few shots. Middle of the third now and they've got a double-digit lead for the first time tonight