After landing, Chen Xi turned and moved toward the right sideline.
After drawing a great deal of defensive attention, he feinted a turn toward the top of the key. At the same time, he flicked the ball discreetly to the corner, straight into Grant's hands.
No-look pass!!
Jerami Grant caught the ball and immediately launched a three-point shot.
The ball swished through the net!
10–2!
The New York Knicks had come out blazing, opening the game with a tremendous offensive surge.
Spoelstra stopped hesitating. He turned toward the scorer's table and signaled to the referee for a timeout.
The Knicks' offense in the opening minutes had become too much for them to handle.
If they couldn't put a stop to this run soon, they'd be in serious trouble...
Spo's decision was certainly the right one.
After a brief timeout to regroup, the Heat returned to the court and quickly found their rhythm again.
At the same time, the Knicks' offensive efficiency finally dipped a little.
Over the next few minutes, that allowed the Heat to regain the pace of the game they preferred.
The score gradually began to climb at a more normal rate.
It wasn't until the final two minutes of the first quarter that another twist came along.
The Heat made their usual rotation adjustments, bringing in several bench players.
The Knicks did the same.
Tari Eason, Josh Hart, and Drummond also entered the game in succession.
The teams then entered the battle between their respective bench units.
After another dead-ball substitution, play resumed.
The Heat had the first possession.
Vincent took the inbound pass near the sideline, brought the ball past the top of the key, then initiated a pick-and-roll.
Using Love's screen, he moved right toward the sideline and handed the ball off to Kawhi.
Kawhi