Heat earn home-opening win over Knicks with second-half spurt

Norman Powell scored 29 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 115-107 win over the visiting New York Knicks on Sunday night.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a game-high 37 points on 14 of 26 shooting. He made 5 of 11 from three, dished out seven assists and led an 18-5 fourth-quarter run that ultimately fell short.

The Knicks also got 20 points from Mikal Bridges, who went 3-for-5 on 3-point attempts. Karl-Anthony Towns added 15 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.

Bam Adebayo scored 19 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds in Miami's home opener. The Heat's reserves outscored the Knicks' bench 44-21, led by Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 17 points. The Heat also dominated on fast-break points, 31-10.

The key for Miami was an 11-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters and gave the Heat a 93-81 lead on Jaquez's layup with 10:15 to play. Brunson was on the bench for the entire stretch.

The Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years last season, were without guard Miles McBride due to personal reasons. This also marked New York's first loss of the season after two home wins.

New York led 27-24 after the first quarter, with Powell (13) and Brunson (13) the only players scoring in double figures.

The Heat surged ahead in the second quarter, taking a 57-54 lead into halftime. Adebayo, held without a field goal in the first quarter, scored nine points in the second.

Miami extended its lead to 88-81 after three quarters. Brunson scored 12 points in the third, and Powell responded with a perfect 9-for-9 at the line.

The Heat's extended run through the third and fourth quarters rose to 22-6, and that was enough to beat the Knicks.

For the game, Miami shot 45.8% from the floor compared to 38.8% for New York.

The Heat also outscored the Knicks at the foul line, 26-16.

--Field Level Media