Heat-Knicks Preview

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted May 05 2012 3:35PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) Those Heat-Knicks series of the late 1990s always went the distance, momentum seemingly turning with every game.

This chapter appears headed toward a much different conclusion.

The Heat have a 3-0 lead, and any momentum the Knicks have enjoyed lasts mere minutes. Miami will go for the sweep Sunday, with the Knicks trying to force a Game 5 and end the longest postseason losing streak in NBA history at 13 games.

"Our backs are against the wall and we are desperately trying to make a series out of this, and the only way to do it is we've got to win Game 4 to force Game 5," Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson said. "And our fans deserve a win and this organization deserves a win, so we've got to go out and give it all we can."

Miami and New York met four straight years from 1997-00, all going to a decisive game and the Knicks winning the last three of them. This series has none of the testiness or tension of its predecessors, with the Heat outscoring the Knicks by 20 points per game.

Yet the Heat expect a challenge they haven't seen yet in this series.

"It's going to be very tough," veteran Udonis Haslem said. "Obviously, they're a lot of veteran guys. They've got a lot of pride. At one point, Game 3 could have went either way. The score didn't reflect how close it was at one point. We've got to understand what it took to get that win and understand it'll be even tougher come Sunday."

Amare Stoudemire is a game-time decision after taking part in the Knicks' light practice Saturday. Woodson said Stoudemire was able to rebound and catch with his left hand, which is still covered by padding after he badly cut it punching a fire extinguisher case following Game 2.

That was the closest game in the series. Miami took the opener by 33 points, then won by 10, and turned a two-point lead after three quarters into an 87-70 victory in Game 3 on Thursday when LeBron James scored 17 of his 32 points in the final period.

The Heat have outscored the Knicks by an average of 97-77 in what could go down as one of the most lopsided sweeps ever if Miami finishes it off Sunday. Orlando beat Atlanta by 25.3 per game in a 2010 second-round series, and the only other four-game sweep with an average margin of more than 20, according to STATS, LLC, was when the Lakers routed San Antonio by 22.3 per game in the 2001 Western Conference finals.

Woodson was the Hawks' coach in that 2010 series and wasn't retained afterward despite a 53-win season. So it's only natural he'd worry about a bad last impression before the Knicks decide on his future, even after leading New York to an 18-6 mark after Mike D'Antoni resigned.

"Sure I do," he said. "Again, I don't want this record to continue. I want to see our guys experience what a win is like in playoff basketball and we got one more opportunity to do it here at home in front of our fans, and I'm going to push guys to be ready and try to play at a high level and play over 48 minutes, because we haven't been able to put one of those 48-minute ballgames together."

The Knicks briefly led by double digits in the first half of Game 3, but otherwise it's been all Miami. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all shooting above 50 percent, while Carmelo Anthony is 22 for 64 (34.4 percent) in the series.

The Heat had it fairly easy for three games in the first round last year, too, before being forced to play a fifth after Philadelphia beat them with a 10-0 run to win Game 4, which Wade said taught his team to never relax.

"We're just trying to come in, take each game as its own game at a time and not look at it like we're up 3-0," he said. "This is the fourth game. We've got to come in and play this game. And you can't think about anything else. After that, if we take care of business and do our job, then we get some rest and get ready for the next series. But it's a big game and we've got to approach it that way."

Anthony said the Knicks remain confident, even though no NBA team has overcome a 3-0 deficit. They were swept last year by Boston, and their last playoff victory remains Game 3 of a best-of-five series against Toronto on April 29, 2001.

"Not winning at all, it hurts," Anthony said. "I feel that, I go home at night, I think about that. But right now my focus is for tomorrow. Them three games is behind us, and tomorrow is all we've got."

The Knicks are used to early playoff exits, but it was something Tyson Chandler didn't want to think about after winning the NBA title last year with Dallas.

"It won't sit well," he said. "(If) you get swept, it's embarrassing because you've come in and you weren't able to get a game from a team. So I definitely don't want to go out like that."

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Anthony helps Knicks end 13-game playoff skid

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted May 07 2012 4:09AM

NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony made the big shots at the end. Amare Stoudemire provided a spark right from the start.

The two guys who came to New York to chase championships finally got their first playoff victory together, setting off a celebration 11 years in the making.

Anthony scored 41 points, Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a cut hand, and the Knicks snapped an NBA-record, 13-game postseason losing streak by beating the Miami Heat 89-87 Sunday in Game 4 of their first-round series.

"It's about time," interim coach Mike Woodson said. "This team is good enough to win games. We've proven that we can beat anybody in this league. But it could not happen to a better group of guys. And for the Knicks fans, I mean, they've been waiting for a long time, but it's just one game and we have a long way to go."

No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit, and yet another serious injury will make it even tougher for the Knicks as they try. But as streamers rained down from the rafters after the buzzer, they were clearly reveling in their postseason breakthrough.

"I think it's the first of many," said Stoudemire, who played with padding over his left hand and then put his arm back in a sling afterward to keep his hand elevated. "Tonight was a great win for us, for our fans to finally get over that hump of those consecutive games that we lost, I guess the Knicks, lost over those years in the playoffs."

Anthony made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 54.5 seconds left as the Knicks won a playoff game for the first time since beating Toronto on April 29, 2001, in Game 3 of a best-of-five series. Baron Davis dislocated his right kneecap in the third quarter, just as the Knicks were making the run that got them back into the game after a dismal first half.

"I'm just glad that we came together after that, kept our composure, kept on fighting and won the basketball game," Anthony said.

LeBron James scored 27 for the Heat, who will try to close it out in Game 5 at home on Wednesday. Dwyane Wade had 22, but missed a 3-pointer on the last possession that would have given Miami a lengthy rest before starting the second round.

"We'd love to take the week (off) but it's not in the cards for us to do that in this round," Wade said. "You know, we'll adjust. We play Wednesday in Miami at 7 o'clock. We'll be ready to play and give our fans another exciting game."

Wade's errant shot set off a loud celebration from Knicks fans whose team was on the verge of getting swept for the second straight year, and third straight time dating to 2004. It didn't look as if the elusive postseason victory would come in this series, after the Knicks had been blown out by 20 points per game in the first three games.

But they got a huge lift from Stoudemire, playing with padding over his hand just six days after he punched a fire extinguisher case after a Game 2 loss in Miami. And they got a sensational effort from Anthony, who shot 15 of 29 and was one point shy of his playoff career best after he made only 34.4 percent of his shots in the first three games.

"We stepped up to the challenge," Anthony said.

Now here comes another: The Knicks need a solution at point guard after Davis was carted off on a stretcher with his severe knee injury. Jeremy Lin is close to returning from knee surgery, but Iman Shumpert was lost with a torn knee ligament in Game 1.

A day after the Dallas team that beat them in the finals was swept by Oklahoma City, the Heat failed in their attempt for their first sweep since beating Washington in the 2005 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The series was on pace to be one of the most lopsided in NBA history through three games, but this one was within four points the entire fourth quarter, the crowd at Madison Square Garden growing louder with every play that moved the Knicks closer to their first playoff win in 11 years.

Mike Bibby's 3-pointer with 1:23 left snapped an 81-all tie, but the Heat called timeout and ran a play that freed James for a wide-open 3 that tied it again 7 seconds later. On the Knicks' next possession, Anthony came far beyond the arc to receive the ball after JR Smith picked up his dribble, then dribbled forward and pulled up for a 3 that made it 87-84 with 54.5 to play.

The Heat turned it over on their next possession when Chris Bosh's pass sailed into the backcourt, and Anthony was fouled by Shane Battier attempting a 3-pointer. He made only one foul shot, and the Heat cut it to one again when James converted a three-point play while drawing Tyson Chandler's sixth foul.

Stoudemire made a free throw with 14 seconds left to make it 89-87, and Wade lost control of the ball driving into the middle on Miami's last possession. He regained it and dribbled to the corner for a 3-pointer that was off.

"I had a lane and then I kind of lost the ball. When I lost it, I knew that they'd recover by then so it made me dribble it out," Wade said. "We got the switch and I got a little step on Amare and I was about to go to my shot. I was about to go to my shot but I kind of fumbled the ball a little bit. I thought I got a good look. I thought it was going in. But it came up a little short."

Stoudemire had surgery Wednesday to repair a muscle in his left hand and the Knicks had listed him as doubtful for Sunday, but he was back on the court during practice Friday and cleared to play in Game 4.

He was back in his usual spot as the last player introduced during starting lineups, getting a loud reception, and he quickly picked the Knicks up after their sluggish start.

"He's a good player. He's a great player honestly, and he gave them the spark that they needed," James said.

The Heat jumped to an 8-1 lead, holding the Knicks without a basket for almost 4 minutes to start the game. Then Stoudemire had three baskets in a 12-2 spurt to give the Knicks the lead, and they were up 20-18 after one quarter following two free throws by Anthony with 7.3 seconds left.

The game then turned into a foul-fest, with 23 called in the second period. The Heat shot 19 free throws, making 14, while the Knicks were 8 of 9. Stoudemire and Chandler both went to the bench with their third fouls, but the Heat failed to pull away even after forcing the Knicks to miss their first six shots of the period while opening a 10-point lead.

Both teams shot 33 percent in the quarter, played at a glacial pace while the teams paraded to the free-throw line. Miami led 44-38 at halftime.

Miami led 51-40 before the Knicks' offense finally got going. Stoudemire made a jumper and converted a three-point play, Anthony made a layup, and Smith stole the ball and made a 3-pointer for a quick 10-0 run.

James missed and the ball was batted up ahead to Davis, who drove in with a chance to give the Knicks the lead. But his leg buckled near the foul line and he crumbled to the court, called for a travel. Concerned teammates quickly waved for help, and Davis was wheeled off the court.

But New York regrouped and surged into the lead, going up by six late in the period before taking a 64-61 advantage to the fourth. After making only 13 baskets in the first half, the Knicks shot 10 of 20 in the third, getting 11 points from Anthony.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Notebook: Knicks 89, Heat 87

Posted Sunday May 6, 2012 7:57PM

By Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Carmelo Anthony hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 54 seconds left and finished with a game-high 41 points as the Knicks staved off elimination and snapped a 13-game postseason losing streak by beating the Miami Heat, 89-87, in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference playoff series at Madison Square Garden.

After Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire made just 2 of 5 foul shots in the final 25.9 seconds, Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired.

Game 5 will be played Wednesday night in Miami.

After missing Game 3 with a lacerated left hand, Stoudemire returned to mostly cheers from the fans and finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Anthony scored 23 points in the second half and 12 in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer over Shane Battier that made it 87-84 with 54 seconds left. But Anthony missed his first two foul shots after being fouled by Battier while shooting a 3 with 25.9 seconds left. His third made it 88-84.

LeBron James scored a conventional 3-point play that drew the Heat to within 88-87 with 20.3 seconds left and Stoudemire made 1-of-2 for the game's final points.

James finished with 27 points, Wade had 22 and Chris Bosh 17 for Miami.

QUOTABLE: "It was a great feeling, especially to win here in the Garden. The fans were tremendous tonight despite all the stuff that's been gong on with our team, with Amar'e hand and Shump's injury and Baron's injury. It's a great feeling."
-- Anthony.

THE STAT: The last time the Knicks won a playoff game was April 29, 2001 in Toronto. George Bush was in his first term as President, 9/11 hadn't occurred and Facebook had not yet been invented.

TURNING POINT: After the Knicks trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, Anthony's 3-pointer over Battier put them up for good, 87-84, with 54 seconds remaining.

QUOTABLE II: "We weren't able to capitalize and they made big plays down the stretch. They made big shots and we couldn't quite match that or exceed that down the stretch. So we have to go back to Miami, gather ourselves and try to get this win on Wednesday."
-- Heat head coach Erik Spolestra.

WHO'S HOT: After averaging 21 points on 34 percent field goal shooting in the first three games, Anthony poured in a game-best 41 on 15-for-29 shooting.

WHO'S NOT: The 3-point shooting of both teams. The Knicks went 5-for-22 from deep (23 percent) and the Heat shot 3-for-19 (16 percent).

QUOTABLE III: "I wanted to do whatever I can to heal up as fast as I can, mainly for my teammates and also for the fans who know how passionate we are about winning."
-- Stoudemire.

QUOTABLE IV: "It's about time. This team is good enough to win games. There's no doubt. We've proven we can beat anybody in this league....This is what they [the fans] have been waiting for a for long time, but it's just one game. We still have a long way to go."
-- Knicks interim head coach Mike Woodson.

NOTABLE: With a little more than five minutes remaining in the third period, Baron Davis went down with a knee injury that was diagnosed as a dislocated right patella. He was taken off the court in a stretcher and waved to the crowd as he left. Davis's future remains uncertain. "It looks like a dislocated knee," Woodson said. "How bad it is we don't know at this point." Woodson also said he didn't know if Jeremy Lin would be able to play in Game 5; he is still recovering from meniscus surgery April 2. "Don't know," Woodson said. "I really can't answer that."

NOTABLE II: Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert, who tore his ACL in Game 1, said he hopes to be back by December. "It's definitely going to set me back," he said before the game. "But I'm not worried. I'll be able to pick it up. I'll figure it out. The biggest thing is just coming back healthy. Not trying to come back too early."

INSIDE THE ARENA: Bernie Williams, Michael Douglas and Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nix of the Giants sat courtside.

UP NEXT: Game 5, Wednesday, Miami.

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

• Heat: --
• Knicks: Chandler

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #49 Tom Washington, #11 Derrick Collins
• Attendance: 19763
• Duration: 2:50