Knicks vs. Heat: Highlights, Grades and Reaction to Game 1

The Miami Heat opened up their quest toward the NBA Finals with an emphatic 100-67 win against the New York Knicks on Saturday.

Heat star LeBron James led all scorers with 32 points in a monstrous performance that helped Miami open up a 30-plus-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony shot just 3-of-15 from the field and was a complete non-factor for the entire game. If he doesn't drastically improve in Game 2 on Monday night, New York will get swept in this series.

Let's look at a complete recap of Game 1 from Miami.

Best Tweets

The "NotBillWalton" Twitter handle was in fine comedic form this afternoon, giving us this tweet:

"

I don't know what's more embarrassing for the Knicks, losing by 30+ points or allowing Mike Miller to have productive minutes against them.

— Not Bill Walton (@NotBillWalton) April 28, 2012"

The Knicks have some real issues at the point guard position because of injuries, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst points out:

"

Baron Davis' back has stiffened up, Knicks again playing without a point guard with Bibby also dinged. Paging Linsanity....

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) April 28, 2012"

After NBC Miami prematurely reported Derrick Rose had torn his ACL and MCL, CNBC's Darren Rovell poked some fun at the situation:

"

NBC Miami reporting the Heat have won the NBA Title.

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) April 28, 2012"

Must-See Highlights

Dwyane Wade drives baseline and finishes with a sweet layup.

Knicks center Tyson Chandler hit LeBron James hard during the first half, but the Heat star did flop a bit.

Grades for Knicks

Carmelo Anthony: F

Anthony was awful in this game and shot 3-of-15 from the floor after missing his first seven attempts. He scored just 11 points and didn't attack the basket enough for the Knicks.

In his matchup against James, Anthony cannot play as poorly as he did in Game 1 or the Knicks will be easily swept from the playoffs.

Baron Davis: B+

The Knicks didn't have Jeremy Lin available in this game, so Baron Davis had to start at point guard.

Davis' back stiffened up late in the game, but in the time he was on the court he played very well, especially offensively. He attacked the basket effectively and scored 10 for the Knicks.

Grades for Heat

LeBron James: A+

James was easily the best player on the court and led all scorers with 32 points. Most impressive was his 10-of-14 shooting from the floor.

James also added four rebounds, three assists and four steals in a complete performance. His defense and athleticism were huge for Miami in its dominating Game 1 victory.

Mario Chalmers: B+

Chalmers is going to be a very important player for the Heat during the playoffs because they need consistent production out of the point guard position.

Chalmers shot 3-of-5 from the floor for 11 points, and also added nine assists in 33 minutes. He been solid for Miami and limited his mistakes.

Deciding Factor: James vs. Anthony Matchup

The small forward matchup in this series has each team's best player going head-to-head. The victory in Game 1 went to James, who shot 10-of-14 from the floor for 32 points, while Anthony scored just 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Game MVP: LeBron James

James was unquestionably the best player on the floor and the Knicks had no answer for him all game. He was able to get anything he wanted offensively and shot very well. His 23 points at halftime helped the Heat earn a 54-31 halftime lead and they never looked back.

What's Next?

Game 2 of the series is Monday night in Miami at 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

Follow @NicholasGoss35