Knicks-Heat Preview

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Apr 27 2012 7:05PM

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James started thinking about what a playoff opener against the New York Knicks would mean a few days ago. Amare Stoudemire started talking about taking down the Miami Heat a few months ago.

Here they are.

One of the most hotly contested NBA postseason rivalries of a generation ago is about to be rekindled.

The second-seeded Heat open defense of their Eastern Conference championship - and look to take the first step toward grabbing a bigger prize - when they host Game 1 of the playoffs against the seventh-seeded Knicks on Saturday afternoon.

Miami went 3-0 against the Knicks this season, two of those wins coming before New York ended the regular season with 18 victories in 24 outings.

"We're all looking forward to the challenge again," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday. "And what we did was recommit to an unknowable future. There's more than a handful of teams that feel exactly like us right now, that feel like they have a legitimate chance to contend for a title.

"Nothing is guaranteed. We understand that. But what can be guaranteed is our commitment to each other and to this journey."

It's the first time the Heat and Knicks play a postseason series since an epic run of four straight years of matchups from 1997 through 2000. All of them started with Game 1s in Miami. All of them went the distance. New York won the final three.

The history may add some intrigue, but the players involved this time around say they already know this one won't be lacking for spice.

"It's going to be a fun series," said Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, who'll likely be matched up much of the time against James, a favorite to garner his third MVP award in four years. "It's going to be a tough series. At this point, we're just ready to play."

Still, to get ready what's coming up against Miami, the Knicks have spent some time talking about the past.

New York center Tyson Chandler's last postseason game was also in Miami - the one where he and the Dallas Mavericks wrapped up a victory in the NBA finals last June. And yes, Chandler (who couldn't practice Friday and was left at the hotel with the flu) has talked to his new club about what it takes to capture the moment in the playoffs.

So has Allan Houston, who hit a shot to win the 1999 New York-Miami series, still a painful moment for Heat fans. Knicks coach Mike Woodson asked Houston - now an assistant general manager for the team - and another veteran of those series, Larry Johnson, to provide some motivation not long ago. They happily obliged.

"We shared a couple of things," Houston said. "Mostly it was about them. It really wasn't about us. It was about what they have the potential to do."

It probably hasn't been easy for either side to completely prepare for this series. For starters, the game will tip off about 36 hours after the Heat returned home from the regular-season finale in Washington.

Also, even the teams involved aren't sure what to expect from themselves.

Stoudemire played in only four games over the final month of the season because of a back injury, and he and Anthony have looked far from in synch during their time on court together in the last week.

"We're focused, man," Stoudemire said. "We've got a keen sense of what we've got to do to win. Easier said than done, but preparations have been great. Everybody's studying. So we're good to go."

For Miami, Wade has been out with a dislocated left index finger, Heat backup center Ronny Turiaf - New York's starter in last season's playoffs - is coming back from a hamstring problem, and Chris Bosh missed the season's final six games with his own hamstring troubles. On Friday, Bosh insisted that he's good to go.

"If I step on the court, I'm not limited," Bosh said. "If I play out there, no matter what happens, there are no excuses. If I'm out there I expect to play at a high level."

Same goes for James, who got the final two games off to rest a number of nagging issues.

He didn't wait for the Knicks to clinch the No. 7 seed on Thursday night - Philadelphia, last year's first-round foe for Miami, also could have gotten the 7 spot if the Knicks stumbled - to start prepping for his matchup with Anthony, J.R. Smith or anyone else New York throws his way in this series.

"Mentally, I got in on them," James said. "I didn't go through the books, I didn't go through the film session, but mentally I started thinking about the Knicks, thinking about the matchups, thinking about their personnel, things like that. The mind had already started working."

Hey, it was December when Stoudemire was overheard in the Knicks locker room saying that the team could go "hunting" in Miami this season - and then clarifying to say the team could hunt "D-Wade and LeBron."

All in good fun, but it shows that even before the season started, New York probably figured Miami would be in its postseason path.

"We all talked about it before, playing against each other in the playoffs," Anthony said. "Right now, the time is now. I know I can't wait. I'm pretty sure they feel the same way."

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James scores 32, Heat roll by Knicks 100-67

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Apr 28 2012 9:26PM

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James dropped to the floor holding the back of his head, grimacing and then staggering a bit when he reached his feet.

A few moments later, he was fine.

And a few moments after that, the Miami Heat had complete control of Game 1 against the New York Knicks.

James scored 32 points after shooting 10 for 14 from the field, and the Heat rode the strength of what became a 32-2 run to easily beat the Knicks 100-67 on Saturday, striking first in the series between clubs that waged classic annual battles from 1997 through 2000 and are meeting for the first time since.

Dwyane Wade added 19 points in his first game back after dislocating his left index finger.

"Our guys had a noticeable look in their eyes the last 24 hours," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We wanted to get back to the basics and play to our identity. For the most part, we were able to do that by being aggressive."

No, this wasn't redemption for falling short in last season's finals.

But for James and the Heat, it sure was a fine start.

"I'm a different player this year, a different person this year compared to last year," James said. "I've waited to get back to the postseason, prepared myself all season, throughout the offseason to get back to this point."

It was physical, it was heated - and it was one-sided. New York's 67 points matched a franchise playoff low.

Mario Chalmers finished with 11 points and nine assists for Miami, which turned 27 New York turnovers into a franchise playoff-record 38 points. The Knicks were called for 21 fouls in the first half, Miami enjoying a 28-5 advantage in free throws attempted in the first 24 minutes alone, and center Tyson Chandler sent James flying with what was called a flagrant foul as the Heat were blowing the game open.

J.R. Smith scored 17 for the Knicks, who lost Iman Shumpert to a torn knee ligament and have dropped 11 straight playoff games dating back to 2001. Carmelo Anthony missed 12 of 15 shots and finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Baron Davis added 10 points for New York.

It was the worst playoff loss for the Knicks since a 126-85 defeat at Chicago on April 25, 1991.

"This series is not over," Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire said. "We've got to learn from our mistakes today and get ready for Monday."

The series isn't, but Shumpert's is. The Knicks said the rookie guard also tore a lateral meniscus and would miss approximately six to eight months. Even before an MRI at a hospital, Anthony said what was obvious to anyone who saw Shumpert take a non-contact tumble in the third quarter.

"We know Shump is not going to be with us," Anthony said.

Maybe it was ironic that this game took a turn when someone who helped doom Miami in last season's finals sent the two-time MVP flying.

Chandler - who helped Dallas win the 2011 title over Miami - set a back pick near midcourt with 1:34 left in the half, and James never saw it coming. The original call was a flagrant-2 against Chandler, which would have meant an automatic ejection. After review, it was downgraded to a flagrant-1, so Chandler could stick around for the rest of the debacle.

Given that he spent Friday and Saturday fighting the flu, Chandler would have probably rather left anyway.

"They played really well," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said, "and we played awful."

An awful 9 minutes for the Knicks decided this one.

After all, this is a Heat-Knicks playoff series. It's almost required to have emotions boil over.

With Jeff Van Gundy and Alonzo Mourning in the building - remember, the former Knicks coach once tugged on the Heat center's leg during one memorable Miami-New York playoff dustup - along with Knicks assistant general manager Allan Houston, he of the game-winner to eliminate the Heat from the last playoffs following a lockout-shortened season of 1999, things got heated once again.

There were early hints that tensions were high, like Stoudemire and Udonis Haslem getting double-technicals after jawing back and forth with 4:10 left in the opening quarter. A few minutes later, after Shane Battier committed a hard foul on Anthony - who missed his first seven shots - Davis ran about 50 feet to give Battier a light shove.

That was all little stuff, compared to what was coming. Said Woodson: "All hell broke loose."

Mike Miller's 3-pointer with 2:22 left in the half capped a run of 13 straight points by the Heat, and they were just getting started.

After making both free throws awarded for the Chandler foul, James banked in a 20-footer from the left wing while getting hit by Smith 10 seconds later for what became a five-point possession for Miami.

"I thought it was a legal pick, honestly," Chandler said.

And James still wasn't done, first hitting a fadeaway with 48 seconds left, then a layup while getting hit by Jared Jeffries with 3 seconds left in the half.

"Spectacular," Spoelstra said of James' flurry. "His play spoke for itself. It seemed on both ends of the court he had his hands on every single play, in some form or another."

The run then was 24-2. The lead was 54-31. For good measure, the Heat scored the first eight points of the third quarter as well, making it 62-31.

"Very eager to start this series off right," Heat forward Chris Bosh said.

A bad day got even worse for the Knicks midway through the third.

Shumpert - who started the final 17 games of the regular season after Jeremy Lin had knee surgery - was carried off the court by teammates after going down in almost the exact spot as where the Chandler-James collision took place.

Shumpert was bringing the ball up the right sideline and tried to dribble behind his back when he pulled up and immediately grabbed at his left knee. He was brought into the Knicks' locker room for evaluation, and as he was lifted from the floor Anthony looked at the scoreboard, shaking his head in disbelief.

Absolutely everything was going Miami's way.

"We're just trying to play our game," Wade said, "trying to come out and take care of business."

James provided the exclamation point with 1.4 seconds left in the third quarter.

He made a 3-pointer over Anthony, and then got the fourth quarter off. Through three quarters, the entire Knicks roster had only outscored James by 15, and Miami took an 81-47 lead into the final 12 minutes.

"I think the Miami Heat right now are feeling great about their performance," Stoudemire said. "Which they should."

NOTES: The 33-point victory margin was the second-largest in Heat history. ... Toney Douglas (virus) was inactive for the Knicks. ... Lin had a lengthy shooting workout before the game. ... All fans sitting courtside were to receive a version of the Nike sneakers James is wearing in this year's playoffs. ... Woodson was captured by television cameras before the game telling his team in a huddle, "It is a process to win an NBA title."

Notebook: Heat 100, Knicks 67

Posted Saturday April 28, 2012 7:21PM

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat sent an early message with a 100-67 victory against the New York Knicks Saturday in the Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The Heat went on a 32-4 run over the second and third quarters to turn the game into a rout. Despite not playing in the fourth quarter, LeBron James led all scorers with 32 points. Guard Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points while Mario Chalmers added 11 and nine assists.

The Heat held the Knicks to 35 percent shooting and forced 27 turnovers. New York, which lost all three games to Miami in the regular season, was led by J.R. Smith's 17 points off the bench.

QUOTABLE: "LeBron really led the way, obviously attacking, getting to the free throw line. He was on the back line of our defense, like a free safety, reading the offense in front of us."
-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra

THE STAT: The Knicks' top three players, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, combined to shoot 5 of 25 from the field.

TURNING POINT: The Heat outscored the Knicks 30-13 in the second quarter to take control, including a 24-2 run just before halftime.

QUOTABLE II: "They hit us in the mouth so we've got to see what we're made of now."
-- Knicks coach Mike Woodson

HOT: James finished 10 of 14 from the field in his short night. He was also able to get to the foul line, making 11 of 14 free throws.

NOT: The fact Anthony missed his first seven shots was the beginning of the bad night. He struggled all game, making 3 of 15 from the field.

GOOD MOVE: The Heat tried a new strategy on Anthony by fronting him in the post. It worked to almost perfection as Anthony's statistics show. Look for it to continue in the series until the Knicks find a way to combat it.

BAD MOVE: The Knicks let the Heat get to the line far too frequently. Twenty-eight free throws in the first half resulted in them being in foul trouble most of the way. Chandler had four fouls and Baron Davis three before halftime.

NOTABLE: Chandler was away from the team for three days because of the flu. He is expected to be fully recovered by Monday.

UP NEXT: Game 2 Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.

• Knicks: Douglas, Lin
• Heat: Curry, Harris

• Knicks: Anthony, Stoudemire, Woodson
• Heat: Haslem

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #14 Ed Malloy, #59 Gary Zielinski
• Attendance: 19621
• Duration: 2:30