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Knicks at Heat: How & Who to Watch as Play-In Race Intensifies

A devastating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves has forced the New York Knicks into an uncomfortable situation when it comes to their Eastern Conference playoff race.

Geoff Magliocchetti

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What more can the New York Knicks do as they attempt to capture an NBA playoff spot? The team has responded to countless challenges this season and, from a purely mental perspective, has done more than enough to warrant inclusion among the Eastern Conference's six automatic playoff teams.

Alas for New York, there's more work to be done and part of that is their own fault. 

A loss to the depleted, desperate Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday has made the Knicks' next two Wednesdays extraordinarily relevant: a pair of meetings with the Miami Heat await, beginning tonight at Miami-Dade Arena. Miami sits in seventh place in the current standings, the first seed in the four-team Play-In Tournament. That places them a half-game behind Brooklyn for the sixth seed while the Knicks are three up on the Heat in fifth. 

New York will automatically clinch at least a Play-In Tournament spot with two more victories on their own. A win over the Heat tonight will also give them a 3-0 lead in the four-game season series and thus the tiebreaker that comes with it. Few will forget the Knicks' last visit to South Beach, when Julius Randle's game-winning triple in the penultimate second gave New York a narrow but crucial victory.

What: New York Knicks (42-31) @ Miami Heat (39-34)

Where: Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, FL

When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/MSG Go

Who's Favored: MIA -1.5

Keep An Eye On: Julius Randle

Randle's return to Miami is intriguing enough. But now a larger question lingers: after his 57-point, sharpshooting masterpiece against Minnesota on Monday ... what could he possibly do for an encore?

For Randle, the answer is simple: win.

“I’m such a results-driven person, I try to focus on process a little bit more," Randle said in the aftermath of Monday's loss, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "Are we taking the necessary steps to get better and build as a team? Hopefully, I will be able to, but tonight probably not. I’m a little bit upset about the loss.”

There's perhaps no better place to do it than the bright rays of South Beach: Randle is averaging 33 points and 9.5 rebounds in his pair of appearances against the Heat this season, his best scoring tally against Eastern Conference competition. Two more big performances will be required out of him in the coming weeks, showings that will affect both the Knicks' present ... and future. 

South Floridian to Watch: Kevin Love

Love had no place in the younger affairs of Cleveland's younger revolution. He has, however, found a sense of stability in Miami, serving as a veteran champion leader for an experienced group that has had its share of postseason success but has fallen short of the ultimate hardwood goal.

“It's tough after eight and a half years, moving in the middle of the season and still living out of a hotel, but in terms of welcoming me with open arms and a class organization, the Miami Heat have been just unbelievable," Love said, praising the Miami organization in an interview with Andrei de Guzman of TalkBasket.net. "I can see why they have that rich history and have had so much success because they have been so good to me.”

While Love's stats are hard in tune with the production the world is used to seeing from him, the Knicks are fully aware of what he can still accomplish: in October, they were on the wrong end of a vintage Love performance, one that saw him score a season-best 29 points in a win for the Cavaliers ... one the Knicks might want to have back if they fall a game short of potential homecourt advantage in a playoff series.

Prediction

This Knicks season has been all about overcoming resiliency. Sure, the Knicks have let losing streaks happen, but any bleeding has often been stopped by a win against an elite opponent. While Miami has left much to be desired, the Knicks have a big opportunity to make a statement after Monday's heartbreaking loss. With the first step of postseason play close enough to taste, expect the Knicks to take advantage.

Knicks 111, Heat 107

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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