The Miami Heat (9-4) defeated the New York Knicks (8-7) Monday 95-78 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.
The Heat pulled together a collective team effort, with five different players scoring in double figures, and they took control of the game from there very start. The lead ultimately opened up in the second quarter, where a huge scoring drought led the Knicks to lose to period 26-11.
Miami was led by the play of starting point guard Goran Dragic, who scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out five assists and managed three steals in 31 minutes. Hassan Whiteside recorded yet another double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds on top of five blocks, while both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade added 16 points each. Tyler Johnson gave solid minutes off the bench as well, scoring 12 points in 21 minutes.
Even in defeat, Kristaps Porzingis still shined for the Knicks, scoring 20 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds in 37 minutes. It was the rookie’s second straight game with at least 20 points and 14 boards. Carmelo Anthony added a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds, while the rest of the Knicks combined to score just 37 points.
Up next, the Heat will head to Detroit Wednesday to take on the Pistons, while the Knicks will travel a short way to Orlando to play the Magic Wednesday.
