The Knicks began Friday night without Jalen Brunson, who watched the game from a back room as he nursed a right ankle sprain suffered Wednesday night. And midway through the first quarter, OG Anunoby limped off the floor and to the back, lost for at least the remainder of the game with a strained left hamstring.

Desperate times, desperate measures. Unpredictable outcomes.

The Knicks turned to Karl-Anthony Towns first and he responded, scoring 31 of his season-high 39 points in the first half. And when the Miami Heat tried to clamp down on him, an assortment of heroes emerged.

Landry Shamet scored 30 of his career-high 36 points in the second half, which was even more unlikely than Towns' scoring outburst — and the fans at Madison Square Garden chanting his name was evidence.

Shamet, me

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