Brunson, Randle help Knicks beat Heat 111-105 to even series

NEW YORK(AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and keyed the run the NewYork Knicks needed just in time to get by a Miami Heat team playingwithout Jimmy Butler, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals ata game apiece with a 111-105 victory Tuesday night.

JuliusRandle returned from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him inGame 1 with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and RJBarrett scored 16 of his 24 points in the first quarter for the No.5-seeded Knicks. Josh Hart finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds andnine assists.

“I thoughtJulius gutted it out, played tough. I thought Jalen was fantastic,”Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “RJ big, big start to the game forus, so we had a number of guys step up to get it done.”

But it wasBrunson, who pointed the blame at himself and said he had to bebetter after going 0 for 7 from 3-point range in the opener, whomade the biggest plays in a game the Knicks trailed much of theway.

CalebMartin scored 22 points in place of Butler for the Heat, who hostGame 3 on Saturday afternoon. They will hope to have Butler, theleading scorer in the playoffs who sat out after spraining hisright ankle late in their 108-101 victory in the opener.

They almostdidn’t need him.

Miami had asix-point lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks toundrafted players Martin and Gabe Vincent before Brunson, who hadbeen listed as questionable with a sore right ankle, took over.

He made a3-pointer that became a four-point play when Isaiah Hartenstein wasfouled on the play, and the point guard then scored to knot it at93.

The Heatwent back up 96-93 on Vincent’s three free throws, but Hart tied itwith a 3 before Brunson hit a 3 and scored again to make it 101-96with 2:48 remaining.

Brunsonwent 6 of 10 behind the arc.

“Obviouslywe feel a certain way right now that we weren’t able to find a wayto get this win, but we’ll get over it and we’ll get ready forSaturday,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Randle wasoriginally hurt against the Heat in a victory March 29 afterstarting the first 77 games. He returned for the start of theplayoffs but wasn’t sharp for much of the series against Clevelandbefore reinjuring the ankle in the Game 5 clincher.

He was muchbetter Tuesday for a Knicks team trying to advance to the EasternConference finals for the first time since 2000, when they gotthere after beating Miami in seven games.

“Whateverit takes to win the game,” Randle said.

Randle hadassists on two of the Knicks’ first three baskets, with the Heatpaying extra attention to him and leaving shooters open on theperimeter. But the No. 8-seeded Heat stayed right with them bymaking six 3-pointers and the Knicks led just 31-29 after one.

Like in theopener, the Heat dug in defensively from there. They limited theKnicks to just two baskets in the first 8 1/2 minutes of thesecond, building their lead to 46-38, and were ahead 54-51 at thebreak after Kevin Love’s 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds remaining.

The Knicksfinally went back into the lead when Brunson hit a couple 3s andthen another basket, but Vincent’s basket sent Miami to the fourthwith a 77-76 edge.

TIP-INS

Heat:Vincent scored 21 points. ... Max Strus finished with 17 points butmissed part of the second half after going to the locker room witha bruised lower back.

Knicks:Starting center Mitchell Robinson committed two fouls in the first2:31 and sat the remainder of the first quarter. ... The crowdincluded comedians Chris Rock and Mike Myers, retired tennis starRoger Federer, former Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony and actressJessica Alba.