How It Happened: In a game that featured 17 lead changes and nine times it was tied, the Knicks found the rhythm to hold off a decimated Heat squad. Miami entered the game with injuries to James Johnson, Dion Waiters, and Justise Winslow. On the other side of the floor, New York was a bit sluggish to start and trailed early in the first quarter. However, a 19-11 run to conclude the first half closed the gap to just one point and the Knicks then outscored the Heat 31-23 in the third quarter. Carmelo Anthony was the offensive catalyst in the second half as he scored 13 points in the third frame on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor. Miami simply did not have a capable wing to defend Anthony and he feasted with his second highest output of the season by scoring 35 points. Down the stretch, New York extended the lead as Brandon Jennings beat the 24-second buzzer to push the advantage to 104-93. The Knicks never looked back in securing the 114-103 win and improving to 12-9 on the season with a four-game winning streak heading back to New York.
Knick of the Night: As mentioned above, Anthony was dialed in during the second half of action. The All-Star hit 13-of-27 shots from the floor, three long bombs, and connected on 6-of-7 at the charity stripe. He also posted four boards and two assists in 36 minutes.
Notables: Kristaps Porzingis registered a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, Kyle O’Quinn was once again a factor on both sides with 12 points and seven boards, and Joakim Noah added a double-double (10/10) in the road win.
News and Notes: Courtney Lee returned to the lineup tonight in Miami after missing two games due to an ankle injury. Derrick Rose could not complete as he suffered from back spasms in the second half. Rose missed the entire fourth quarter.
Statistically Speaking: New York outscored Miami 56-36 in the paint, 36-25 in bench points, and only turned the ball over 11 times.
Next Up: The Knicks will board a plane back to New York directly after tonight’s game. On Wednesday night, the defending champs enter MSG for the second matchup of the season against the Knicks. Tipoff set for 8 PM.
