NEW YORK, NY — Mike Brown’s offense struggled on the road Sunday night as the New York Knicks fell to the Miami Heat, 115-107, handing Brown his first loss as New York’s head coach in front of a sellout crowd of 19,600 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
As a team, the Knicks tied a franchise high with 54 three-point attempts, knocking down 15 and shooting 27.8% from downtown as Brown’s squad struggled to find consistency from deep.
The Knicks experienced their first loss of the 2025-2026 regular season on Sunday night vs. the Heat in Miami, falling by a final of 115-107 – Image Credit: NBA
Sunday’s game marked the Knicks’ third straight without starting center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle management). Ariel Hukporti made his second start of the season after a DNP against the Celtics in the team’s previous game Friday night, and the Knicks were also without key reserve Miles McBride, who missed the game for personal reasons.
With this being only the third game of the season, Sunday’s loss may be early evidence that this offense still has room to grow as a unit—with some learning curves to iron out. The Knicks struggles weren’t limited to the perimeter overall, they shot 38-of-98 (38.8%) from the field, below league average. Without McBride, New York’s bench was outscored 44-21, led by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. (17 points) of Mexican-American descent and Simone Fontecchio (14 points).
The Heat, currently in a slight rebuild following Jimmy Butler’s trade to Golden State last season and Tyler Herro’s absence due to offseason surgery, were led by OG Anunoby’s former Toronto Raptors teammate, Norman Powell, who recorded 29 points and Bam Adebayo who compiled 19 points and 13 rebounds. It was Miami’s first home game since the news broke that guard Terry Rozier was placed on leave by the NBA following federal charges related to an alleged sports betting scheme—an investigation that remains ongoing.
For the second straight game, Knicks captain Jalen Brunson scored over 30, finishing with a game-high 37 points. Brunson, still adjusting to Brown’s new system, has become less predictable compared to prior years. He’s taking more threes, getting to the free-throw line more often, and he has done a better job at involving his teammates within the flow of the offense—recording seven assists on the night. Playing more off the ball has also allowed him to stay fresh for the fourth quarter.
Last season, Brunson averaged 6.2 three-point attempts per game; through three games under Brown, he’s averaging nine. Brunson also passed Knicks legend Trent Tucker for seventh on the team’s all-time three-pointers list with 506.
New York entered the game with a significant edge in free-throw attempts through its first two contests (61-33), with Brunson accounting for 22 of those. Against Miami, however, the Heat got to the line 31 times compared to the Knicks’ 21—and in an eight-point loss, that margin proved costly.
The Heat scored more points in the paint than the Knicks Sunday night (48-42) and got to the free throw line 31 times compared to the Knicks’ 21 – Image Credit: NBA
One of Brown’s points of emphasis since taking over as head coach has been improving the team’s three-point shooting. The Knicks tied a franchise high in attempts (54) but made just 15. After the game, Brown addressed the offensive issues:
“Could we have played better offensively? Yes. But it’s going to be hard to win against a good team on their home floor if you give up that many fast-break points (31) and send them to the free-throw line 31 times.”
Brown added that while the team’s offensive reads are improving, “nothing looks good when you shoot 15-of-54.”
Karl-Anthony Towns struggled offensively through the first three quarters, hitting his first three-pointer with 5:43 left in the fourth. The Dominican-American finished 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-8 from three while battling foul trouble, getting to the line just once (1-of-2). Despite the offensive struggles, Towns dominated the glass, leading all players with 18 rebounds and also had two blocks.
Even in defeat, the Knicks have established themselves as one of the league’s best rebounding teams. They out rebounded the Heat 52-50, including 16 offensive rebounds—all without Robinson, one of the NBA’s elite offensive rebounders. His status for the next game remains uncertain.
The Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele experiment off the bench has not looked promising early in the season as the duo has combined to shoot 3-of-17 (0-of-8 from three), finishing -12 (Clarkson) and -15 (Yabusele). Both players were viewed as major offseason upgrades for a bench in need of scoring punch when Brunson and Towns sit, but with Malcolm Brogdon’s retirement—who was expected to serve as the backup point guard—the Knicks’ depth, once seen as a strength, may now be a concern, especially with Robinson sidelined.
Malcolm Brogdon, who announced his retirement days before the NBA regular season starting up, was expected to serve as a backup point guard for the Knicks in 2025-2026 – Image Credit: NBA
The Knicks return to action Tuesday night in Milwaukee for a nationally televised matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks—the first meeting between the two teams this season and the first since reports of trade negotiations between the Knicks and Bucks surfaced via NBA insider Shams Charania.
All eyes will be on Milwaukee as the Knicks look to bounce back from their loss in Miami.
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