RJ Barrett scored a career-high 46 points, but the first game out of the All-Star break turned into Black Friday for the Knicks at the Garden.
After Derrick Rose’s return was scrapped by another “procedure’’ to his right ankle, the black-clad Knicks lost to the Heat, 115-100, and to make matters worse, they lost rookie shooting guard Quentin Grimes to a subluxation of the patella, which is a partially dislocated kneecap.
The new losses of Grimes and Rose and the loss on the court nearly overshadowed Barrett’s career-high scoring night, while Julius Randle came back to Earth with a stinker.
The Knicks dropped 10 games below .500 at 25-35. The totality of Black Friday means the Knicks’ chances of making a play-in push look to be over.
“You got to play for 48 minutes especially against a team like that,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. “There’s a different intensity in the fourth quarter. So your decision-making is different.”
The loss spoiled Barrett’s career night. He notched a 30-point first half and had his new high in the third quarter.
“Of course I was going for 50,’’ Barrett said.
Barrett’s line was slightly marred by a 14-for-22 night from the free-throw line. Barrett went 13-for-22 from the field — 6-for-11 from 3-point range — as he took over the game.
“It’s bittersweet,’’ Barrett said. “Especially when you have a night like that, you want to get the win, which is the most important thing. For us, we fought. We really battled. They’re the No. 1 or 2 team in the East. Fourth quarter I feel like they showed their maturity more than we did. Especially myself, I had terrible turnovers. I don’t know what I was doing.’’
The Heat’s Jimmy Butler said Barrett will be “the face of the Knicks.’’ It’s noteworthy because Barrett is looking like a young Butler.
“He was attacking every chance he got in transition,’’ Butler said. “Getting to the cup. Getting to the free throw line. Making the 3-ball. He had a hell of a game, an all-around game at that. I don’t think anybody is surprised or should be surprised.’’
“He had great month last month,’’ Thibodeau said of Barrett. “He’s playing great basketball. He played very aggressively. It’s a good sign he’s growing. His shooting the 3 opened up the drive.’’
The worst-case scenario for Grimes, a pillar whose playing time figured to increase as the Knicks fall out of the race, is that he could be out for the season. The timetable ranges from two to six weeks. His knee buckled when getting around a screen by Miami’s P.J. Tucker in the first half, and he had to be helped off by teammates and training staff.
Grimes later tweeted: “Everything’s all good y’all!”
Things got so bleak late in the half, fans chanted “Let’s Go Heat’’ — a chant normally associated with Miami visiting the Nets’ Barclays Center home. The chant arose in the final seconds. It’s a good thing owner James Dolan was nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, Randle, who had been hot entering the All-Star break, looked broken. He has a history of poor first games out of breaks.
Randle made his first shot, then missed his next 12. He threw errant passes and heard boos. He finished with 11 points on 2-for-15 shooting, with four turnovers.
“I told you,’’ Randle said. “I knew it was gonna happen. I just hoped we win. I was hoping RJ saved me. But I told you, I’ll be fine next game. I was shooting the ball well pregame, so I was like, maybe I break out of this first-game-after-All-Star slump, but nope. It didn’t happen. It’s all good though, man.’’
On one odd play, Randle stole the ball, was fouled on his charge to the basket and apparently thought he was at the Slam Dunk Contest when he tried a wild, over-the-head slam that he flubbed embarrassingly. He also got blocked at the rim by Bam Abedayo.
Barrett was on fire while Randle wilted. With the Knicks down two late in third quarter, Randle threw away a back pass, which Tyler Herro gobbled up and drove in for a fast-break slam.
Despite Barrett’s 30-point first half, the Heat led by 65-55 at halftime. With the fans chanting his name, Barrett buried a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half, but the Knicks still trailed by 10.
The Knicks raced to a 10-0 lead before folding behind Herro’s 3-point shooting. Herro finished with 25 points and Butler had 23.
Afterward, Randle claimed he didn’t know Rose had a setback nor did he know about Grimes’ exact status, continuing his being in the dark on Black Friday.