Knicks vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
Carmelo Anthony's 35 points fueled the lethargic New York Knicks to their fourth straight win on Tuesday night with a 114-103 victory over the Miami Heat from AmericanAirlines Arena.
After starting the game 2-of-8 from the field, Anthony hit 11 of his final 19 shots with three three-pointers.
Kristaps Porzingis provided his second straight double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Kyle O'Quinn shot 6-of-8 off the bench for 12 points and seven rebounds.
In one of the Eastern Conference's fiercest rivalries, which has been dormant for the better part of two decades, the Knicks came into Tuesday's game as the better team during the early part of this 2016-17 season.
They had been scorching-hot as of late, winning eight of their last 11 games, while the Heat had lost three of their previous five. It created a stark contrast in narrative within a rivalry Miami has dominated for so long.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 29 points, with Hassan Whiteside adding 23 points and 14 rebounds of his own in the loss.
It didn't help Miami that its depth was thin on Tuesday because of injuries to Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters. The Heat were forced to play five different players for 30 minutes or longer.
The Knicks joined the Heat in terms of injury issues during the game as point guard Derrick Rose left the game in the third quarter with back spasms and missed the remainder of the night, per Newsday's Al Iannazzone. A timetable for his return has not been disclosed yet.
Other than Porzingis, a lackadaisical New York start early on allowed the Heat's hustle to keep the game close despite the second-year Latvian's prowess down low, via the Knicks:
New York's woes, though, were bothering DailyKnicks:
Neither offense was lighting it up, either, as they both struggled to shoot 40 percent from the field during the first half.
The Knicks were also plagued by the turnover bug, as they gave away possession 11 times on the night, most of them coming in the first half, inducing easy fast-break opportunities for the Heat, via Miami's official Twitter account:
Miami opened up a lead as large as nine in the first half, but Anthony's seven straight points in the final 54 seconds of the second quarter shrunk the Knicks' halftime deficit to just one, via the NBA:
During that stretch, he hit the team's first three-pointer of the night after it started 0-of-11. The Knicks hit five of their next 13 three-point attempts to close things out.
The Heat were the more efficient team when shooting from three, as they went 11-of-25 on the night. The contrasting offensive success was enough for the game to hover near varying one-possession advantages for both teams during the first portion of the third quarter.
But the Knicks sprang to life at the end of the third quarter, outscoring Miami 19-11 in the final 4:20 to take a seven-point lead into the fourth.
Anthony scored 13 points in the process and even garnered extra attention, via the Knicks:
Miami turned to Whiteside in an attempt to keep things close as he flexed his muscles down low on his way to scoring his 2,000th career point, via the Heat:
But inspired New York play carried over into the final 12 minutes, though, as the visitor's lead grew to 14 with 7:30 left in the game to create an insurmountable lead.
Three games over .500 isn't much to bat an eye at in the NBA, but for the Knicks, it's a sign of progress. With the win, they improved to 12-9 on the season, making it the first time since the 2012-13 season that New York is three games in the black.
It doesn't look like that mark will last too long, though, as the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers will be traveling to Madison Square Garden to meet the Knicks on Wednesday night.
Postgame Reaction
After the game, New York's head coach Jeff Hornacek broke down Anthony's hot second half and Porzingis' contributions (via the Knicks):
And it's all a good omen for Anthony, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "Any time you can put together some wins you feel confident, you feel comfortable, you feel like you're heading in the right direction, and I really feel we're doing that. We're heading in the right direction."
Hornacek also provided an update on Rose (via Basketball Insiders' Albert Breer):
A Rose-less Knicks will be lacking a facilitator who can pair as an aggressive, slashing point guard if he were to miss time. Given the quick turnaround, though, it could be unlikely he'll suit up on Wednesday against the Cavs.
That will make it even harder for New York to continue its winning ways. However, this is the best the Knicks have looked in over three years.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
