RJ Barrett gave the Knicks a clutch performance, even if he didn’t play all the clutch minutes.
Facing a must-win Game 2 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, Barrett poured in 24 points to help lift the Knicks to a 111-105 victory over Miami before a sellout crowd of 19,812 at the Garden.
“RJ a big, big start to the game for us. So we had a number of guys step up for us and get it done,” said Tom Thibodeau, who got an offensive boost from Barrett then sat him late for defensive purposes.
“Yeah, just you’re doing the things that you think are going to help you win the game at the end. And they’re tough decisions. And so you have to [sacrifice]. We’re asking everyone to sacrifice and put the team first. So sometimes it’s just the way the defense is unfolding. The way they were shooting the 3s, I thought we had to continue to [the] ball and get back to people. So the group that was in there, I thought gave us the best chance of doing it.”
That aforementioned big start from Barrett was 16 points in the first quarter on 5 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
“I just play basketball,” Barrett shrugged. “Thankfully shots were falling since the beginning, I was able to help get the team going and we were able to just fight through the night.
“Just try to be aggressive. Just trying to be aggressive, [attack] the defense. I know is going to be a brawl, I know it’s going to be a battle so I just try to come prepared for the start.”
For a Knicks team that struggled from deep, his shooting was key.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
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- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
After going just 1 of 5 from deep in the Knicks’ Game 1 loss, Barrett bounced back to go 5 of 9 from behind the arc on Tuesday.
He was one of the few Knicks who was dangerous throughout against Miami’s maddening 2-3 zone.
“Huge difference,” Barrett said. “They played really good defense and they tried to pack the paint and take away easy stuff in there. So being able to knock down those 3s was huge.
“The positive is that we’re going in 1-1,” Barrett said. “It’s been a good series, challenging series so far. It’s been a dogfight, and we love it. So going in there really confident.”
Thibodeau had sat Julius Randle the entire fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This time around, after getting Barrett’s hot start offensively, he sat him for most of their defensive-fueled game-closing 24-12 run.
“It just was the way the game unfolded, that’s all,” Thibodeau said. “Look, RJ has played terrific for us. Sometimes you need a different matchup. So when we got the matchup and then we got going, we got into a little bit of a rhythm, so we wanted to ride it out. That’s all. But RJ is key to the team. I’ve asked the same thing with Jalen [Brunson], Julius, all those guys, everyone to sacrifice, put the team first. You can’t worry about anything but winning right now.”