New York Knicks: Who Stepped Up Against The Miami Heat?

Lance Thomas

The New York Knicks have played 10 of the first 21 regular season games without backup forward Lance Thomas. That was a devastating blow to a team that was attempting to build a second unit to ideally complement the starting lineup.

For the second consecutive outing, a healthy Thomas stepped up with a strong performance that propelled the Knicks to victory.

Thomas finished with 11 points and three rebounds in 21 invaluable minutes of court time. He shot a nearly perfect 5-of-6 from the field and made his only 3-point field goal attempt during what was a truly clutch performance.

Thomas scored six of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and gave the Knicks the necessary spark to close out the win over Miami.

With a healthy and productive Thomas, the Knicks have additional options on both ends of the floor. He can shoot the 3-ball and stroke it from midrange, and is positionally versatile on the defensive end of the floor.

If Thomas can continue to excel as a 3-and-D contributor and midrange scorer, the Knicks can build the bench that Phil Jackson envisioned.

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The Knicks will play five of the next six games on the road, but 12-9 is a nice place to be entering that grueling stretch.