Julius Randle scores 43, Knicks top Heat 122-120 for 8th straight win

MIAMI (AP) —Here’s just some of the things Julius Randle did in the finalseconds Friday night: He lost the ball, fell to thefloor,sent New York coach Tom Thibodeau sprawlingandcollided with a security guard.

Oh, and hehit a game-winner— as the red-hot Knicks found a wayagain.

WHAT A CRAZY SEQUENCE TO END KNICKS/HEAT🤯Tyler Herro steals it and scores for the lead, and Julius Randlefollows with a cold-blooded game winner!The @nyknickshave won 8 straight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SlZvM1mZSL

Randle scored43 points, the last of them on a go-ahead 3-pointer off a wildlybroken play with 1.7 seconds left, and the Knicks extended theirwinning streak to eight games with a 122-120 win over the MiamiHeat on Friday night.

“A lot ofenergy,” Randle said. “Friday night in Miami.”

Tyler Herrohad a steal and layup to put Miami up by one with 23.1 secondsremaining. Randle got the ball from Knicks teammate Jalen Brunsonwith 11 seconds left. It bounced away and Randle had to scurry tojust inside the midcourt line to pick it up, clock then down to 9seconds and with Miami’s Jimmy Butler right on him.

Randle headedtoward the sideline, only to have Butler knock the ball away with5.7 seconds left — yet it somehow stayed inbounds and skipped rightback into Randle’s hands. His shot was good, and the celebrationwas on.

“If you didthat play 100 times ... 99 times out of that, it’s going to end upin our favor,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Butler wasmore succinct: “We didn’t deserve to win,” he said after Miami lostfor the sixth time in its last seven games.

Randle was 16of 25 from the floor, including 8 of 13 from 3-point range. Brunsonscored 25 points, Immanuel Quickley added 21 and RJ Barrett scored17 for New York.

Butler scored33 points and Herro scored 29 for Miami, which got 18 from BamAdebayo and 14 from Caleb Martin.

Now at 38-27,the Knicks have topped last season’s win total — the sixth team inthe NBA to do so already this season, joining Sacramento, Indiana,Oklahoma City, Portland and Orlando.

It was a badnight for Miami (33-31) in the standings. They’re now 4 1/2 gamesbehind No. 5 New York, fell 2 1/2 games behind No. 6 Brooklyn afterthe Nets erased a 28-point deficit to stun Boston, and saw theirlead over No. 8 Atlanta trimmed to a half-game after the Hawks beatPortland.

Atlanta playsits next two games at Miami, the first Saturday and the rematchMonday.

New York led71-56 at the half, after another first two quarters of Miami beingunable to get stops. The Heat also gave up 71 points by the breakon Wednesday in a loss to Philadelphia; it’s the first time in theteam’s 35-year history that Miami allowed at least 71 points inconsecutive first halves.

“When wedon’t guard,” Adebayo said. “it gets ugly.”

But Miami gotback into the game after halftime, chipping away and eventually gotthe lead — 107-106, on a 3-pointer by Martin with 5:45 left. Thelead changed hands three more times, the last off Randle’swinner.

“Unbelievable,” Thibodeau said.

TIP-INS

Knicks: NewYork has averaged 66.2 first-half points in its last nine gamesafter managing only 40 at Orlando in the first 24 minutes on Feb.7. ... Randle had 25 points at halftime; his previous high for afull game against Miami was 26, done twice.

Heat: PG KyleLowry missed his 11th consecutive game with left knee soreness, andwill miss another on Saturday when Miami plays host to Atlanta.Lowry is hoping to return at some point next week. ... The Heatallowed New York to shoot 58%.

EIGHTIS ENOUGH

It’s NewYork’s second eight-game winning streak of the season, joining onefrom December. The Knicks haven’t had a season with two eight-gamewin streaks since 1972-73 — the last season in which they won anNBA title.

PLAYING FAVORITES

The Heat, whoentered Friday as 2-point underdogs, were 1.5-point favorites bytip-off according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That marked the 46th timein the last 48 Heat-Knicks games, including playoff matchups, sinceDec. 25, 2009, that Miami entered as a favorite. The exceptionswere a home game in 2013 and a road game in 2017.

UPNEXT

Knicks: VisitBoston on Sunday.

Heat: HostAtlanta on Saturday.