The Miami Heat survived one of the wildest final sequences of the NBA season on Monday night, escaping the Kaseya Center with a 115–113 victory over the New York Knicks after a frantic, controversy-filled closing possession.
Norman Powell led Miami with 19 points, while rookie Kel’el Ware delivered one of the best performances of his young career, posting 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Heat held off a furious Knicks rally. Davion Mitchell added 18 points, Simone Fontecchio scored 14, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pelle Larsson chipped in 13 apiece for a Miami squad still navigating multiple injuries.
The Knicks were powered by Deuce McBride’s 25 points, Mikal Bridges’ 23, and a monster 22-point, 16-rebound outing from Karl-Anthony Towns. But despite New York’s relentless push in the final minutes, the comeback came up just short.
Miami led by 10 with just under three minutes remaining before New York stormed back with an 11–3 run. Towns buried a deep 3-pointer with 22.4 seconds left to cut the Heat’s lead to 114–113, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Mitchell was fouled almost immediately and split a pair of free throws, nudging the lead back to two. That sent New York into its final possession — one that lasted nearly a minute’s worth of real time and included everything from clutch rebounds to overturned calls.
New York initially believed the game was tied on a goaltending call against Ware after Towns’ putback attempt. But after review, officials overturned the call, determining Ware made a legal play.
Play resumed with a jump ball at midcourt, which the Knicks controlled. McBride missed a midrange jumper, but Towns grabbed two more offensive rebounds, missing both follow-up attempts. As Towns tried for yet another tip-in at the buzzer, Mitchell finally secured the rebound to seal the game as time expired.
The entire sequence — three missed Knicks shots, an overturned goaltending call, multiple offensive rebounds, and a jump-ball reset — left the crowd stunned and Miami relieved.
Both teams were without key stars: Heat: Bam Adebayo (toe) and Tyler Herro (ankle). Knicks: Jalen Brunson (ankle) and OG Anunoby (hamstring)
Miami’s depth proved decisive. The Heat bench outscored New York’s reserves 43–28, with only Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson contributing points off the bench for the Knicks — each finishing with 14.
Knicks: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Heat: Return home to host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Miami improves its standing in a tightly packed Eastern Conference race, while New York is left wondering what more could have been done after coming centimeters away — and one overturned call away — from forcing overtime.
