NBA Twitter Praises Knicks' R.J. Barrett for 'Bounce Back' Game in win vs. Heat

The New York Knicks bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday with a 106-104 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

With star point guard Jalen Brunson having been ruled out due to a non-COVID illness, it was R.J. Barrett who stepped up with a bounce-back performance against Miami after being benched in the fourth quarter by Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday against the Lakers.

The 22-year-old finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes against Miami. He made 13 of 23 shots from the floor, but missed all five of his three-point attempts.

Despite going 0-of-5 from deep, NBA fans were quick to praise Barrett for persevering and bouncing back with an impressive 30-point night following his benching earlier in the week:

Barrett entered Thursday's game averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 46 games while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 34 percent from deep. His numbers are right around where they were last season, which is good, but the Knicks are likely hoping he can take another step forward in his development as the season progresses.

The Knicks improved to 28-25 with Thursday's win over Miami and sit seventh in the Eastern Conference. New York will need Barrett to continue playing at a high level if they hope to improve in the standings.