Knicks' Quentin Grimes effectively contains Jimmy Butler in Game 5 win
Knicks' Quentin Grimes (6) defends against Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler (22) during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference playoffs semifinal Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Credit: Frank Franklin II
Quentin Grimes wasn’t surprised when Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau put him back in the starting lineup for Game 4 against the Heat. He didn’t even take it as a present for his 23rd birthday Monday.
“I just feel like there was a switch in the rotation,” Grimes said. “Thibs wanted to try something new — he tried it earlier with the Cavs series, in the beginning against Miami — so he was trying to figure out what the best option [was] to win a game.”
His second start in Game 5 on Wednesday proved Thibodeau right. Grimes played all 48 minutes and had a critical defensive stop on Jimmy Butler during the Knicks’ 112-103 win to cut their series deficit to 3-2.
With 1:36 left and the Knicks holding a 107-101 lead, Grimes forced a steal on Butler as the shot clock was winding down by reaching out and swiping the ball after bumping Butler.
It was his second steal of the game and despite banging his knee on a screen, Grimes recovered knowing he had to finish the play. “It’s the playoffs. You got to do whatever you can to win,” Grimes said. “It’s what you live for, it’s what you watch as a kid so I knew I was hurt a little bit but it’s not going to stop me from doing whatever I can to get a stop or disrupt the play.”
It was a return to form for Grimes, who missed Games 4 and 5 against Cleveland with a right shoulder injury. He came off the bench the first three games against the Heat and struggled to have much impact.
That changed Wednesday when the second-year guard played every minute, as did Jalen Brunson. Brunson continued his torrid postseason with 38 points and Grimes did the dirty work defending Butler.
Butler, who was named to the All-NBA second team before the game, was held to just 19 points after scoring at least 25 in his past three games this series. It was Butler’s lowest scoring total of the postseason after he entered Wednesday averaging 33.5 points per game.
The loss also snapped a six-game winning streak for the Heat this postseason with Butler in the lineup.
“He’s probably been the best player of the playoffs so far,” Grimes said. “So knowing I have that matchup every night, I have to be more disciplined and probably have to play 48 or 25 [minutes], it really doesn’t matter to me. I just got to make sure I’m locked in on him defensively and try to do whatever I can to slow him down.
Sitting next to his fellow backcourt mate, Brunson called Grimes’ effort unbelievable. He also told him to rest up because the team will need more of that effort Friday in Miami in Game 6. Grimes could only chuckle. Neither he nor Brunson expected to play the entire game but they realized late in the second half that it could happen.
For Grimes, he did just enough to both validate Thibodeau returning to him as a starter while also helping extend the Knicks’ season.
“The things he brings to the game, a lot of it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet . . . but he’s willing to do whatever it takes,” Brunson said. “When you have a guy like that on the court, you’re ready to do whatever for him out there.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
