The Knicks’ offense struggled in Game 3 against the Heat and ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose thinks he knows why.
After New York shot a woeful 34.1% from the field on Saturday, as well as 20% (eight of 40) from three-point range, Rose boldly attributed their struggles from beyond the arc to a lack of acclimation to the heat in Miami, and he wasn’t talking about their on-court opponents in Game 3.
“When you’re the road team, you gotta pay attention to that weather and that heat. It effects the endurance of your muscles and causes tiredness. If you notice the Knicks, in particular, are making shots in the paint, but they’re missing shots outside of the paint, in particular, from three,” said Rose.
"When you're the road team, you gotta pay attention to that weather & that heat because it…affects the endurance of your muscles & causes tiredness"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 6, 2023
–– Jalen Rose on the Knicks in Miami pic.twitter.com/J9PSSb67mL
New York was held to just 86 points against the Heat on Saturday, their lowest scoring output of the playoffs. While some might consider it to be a rough night at the office, Rose had some other ideas, placing the blame on the shoulders of Miami’s climate.
It wasn’t just the Knicks struggling from three-point range, however. The Heat converted on just seven of 32 attempts (21.9%) from long distance and also had a 38.9% field goal percentage for the game.
While fatigue certainly plays a role in the playoffs, it seems more likely both teams just had a poor night shooting rather than some external elements impacting their ability to get buckets.
