How the Knicks filled a Jalen Brunson-sized hole in Game 1 without an All-Star PG

The New York Knicks struggled in a recent loss to the Orlando Magic— their first home loss of the season. And while fatigue likely played a role considering it was the second night of back-to-back games, the game was more damaging than the loss.

Head coach Mike Brown kept Jaylen Brunson and other starters in the game in garbage time and Brunson turned his ankle, which will cause him to miss at least a week (and probably more).

Brunson’s injury left the Knicks looking to fill a big void—and the injury OG Anunoby suffered early in Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat left the Knicks with even more catching up to do. But New York was able to secure a strong win despite missing big pieces, 140-132 against the Heat. But what exactly did the Knicks do well to get their first win of the season without Brunson? And how can they make sure their strong play continues until they are fully healthy again?

Landry Shamet’s unusually strong play was the biggest catalyst on the success of the Knicks without Brunson. Shamet scored a game-high 36 points in 37 minutes on 12-for-19 shooting. Despite an unusual amount of shooting the ball, Shamet didn’t force the issue. Most of his shots came on offense. But when you make six threes (in 12 tries), you’re sure to have a good night.

But the Knicks needed more than a warming-up backup to secure a win against playoff-level competition without Brunson. Enter Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson.

Towns had a historic first half, scoring 31 goals in the first two quarters. While adding just eight points in the second half, Towns shot 13-for-26 from the field and 6-for-14 on 3-pointers. Those shooting numbers mean he was hot enough to keep the Heat’s defense focused, giving Shamet and others plenty of space.

Speaking of others, Clarkson also had a night. He scored 24 points in 33 minutes, demonstrating the exact benefit he adds to the team. Clarkson, like Shamet and Towns, also shot the ball effectively. He connected on six of his 13 shot attempts, making 50% of his threes.

Combined, Shamet, Towns and Clarkson scored 99 points on 31-for-58 shooting (53.4%). The three averaged a combined 37 points per game before the Miami game—and no one shot better than 47% from the field. So if the Knicks can get this kind of performance out of multiple players, especially non-superstars like Shamet and Clarkson, they’ll be in good shape.

Mitchell Robinson continued his a wildly unusual offensive rebound against the heat. Mike Brown was cautious with his injury-prone big man, playing him just 14 minutes, but that didn’t stop Robinson from making a deep impact on the game.

Robinson grabbed 10 rebounds in his limited time on the floor, eight of which were offensive rebounds. His dominance on the offensive glass led the Knicks’ second-chance scoring streak. New York outshot Miami 20-10 in second-chance points for the game.

Including his standout performance against the Heat, Robinson is averaging about six offensive rebounds in just 16 minutes per game. That means 13 offensive rebounds in 36 minutes played.

Mikal Bridges compensated for the absence of Brunson, Anunobi

Mikal Bridges also helped steady the ship for the Knicks in this one. He started the night as the team’s de facto point guard, shooting things in the backcourt alongside Myles McBride. And it was Bridges who took over the primary ball-handling duties.

Bridges finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, seven steals and two blocks in 42 minutes of action. Granted, he didn’t necessarily add to the offense, but his poise and all-around power play helped the Knicks keep their composure.

The Knicks have to get a lot from a number of their players if they expect to continue winning without Brunson — let alone without Brunson and Anunubi. But their recent win against the Heat proves they have the firepower, skill and guts to do it.

However, that can only work for so long. In the end, the absence of Brunson and Anunoby will be too much to bear. So while Knicks fans should be pleased with what they saw against Miami, they also have to hope their stars return sooner rather than later.