As the New York Knicks enter Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Miami Heat trailing 3-1, Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle spoke about the team’s mindset as they approach a do-or-die game.
Randle questioned if the Heat simply want it more than the Knicks, especially as it appears that the confidence the Knicks had to open the NBA Playoffs as dwindled away.
“Maybe they want it more,” Randle said, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “I don’t know. That’s been who we are all year and we got to find a way to step up and make those plays, keep the season alive.”
With the Knicks facing the end of the road, Randle gave a quick answer when asked what it will take to get back into the series and keep their season alive.
“Look within,” Randle said. “That’s all I can say, look within, and how bad do you want it?”
The Heat have certainly played well on the big stage of Madison Square Garden, where Game 5 is taking place tonight, and are 14-0 all time when they are leading a best-of-seven series 3-1, so history is certainly on their side.
“I think that we found the value in the grind of a regular season,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “In the grind and the struggle. I’ve said that repeatedly. We found a beauty in that struggle, but without that struggle where we didn’t have to find different solutions to win and different guys stepping up so that they had the confidence for these kind of moments. If we didn’t have a regular season, then you have zero chance to be able to do that in the playoffs.”
“My mindset I think going forward, we’re on the brink of elimination, so [give] everything you got,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. “That should be the mindset of everybody. No matter what you do, no matter what you have to do, you just got to go out there and give it your all and keep your confidence. I know it’s kind of easy to say, but it’s a big thing to keep your confidence.”
In order for the Knicks to keep their season alive they must get the best out of Randle and Brunson, but also find a way to contain Heat superstar Jimmy Butler, who has been having a phenomenal run in the playoffs.
