NBA Playoffs 2012: New York Knicks Streaky Enough to Make History Against Heat

With the way the New York Knicks have played against the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, you would never think they could even win a game in this series, but New York's 89-87 win proved otherwise in Game 4.

The Knicks up-and-down season continues with their latest win and with that, they keep themselves alive for a Game 5 and a chance to make history.

No NBA team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit in a playoff series, and the chances that the Knicks can do that against an elite team like the Heat are about as likely as LeBron James scoring zero points in a game.

And especially with the way New York has played throughout this series, it's even less likely than that. Not to mention, Baron Davis' knee injury will sideline him, shortening the Knicks' roster by another player.

That is, of course, unless Jeremy Lin can make his return, which was originally slated for Game 4 of this series before soreness in his surgically repaired knee ended that hope.

But one thing the Knicks do have working for them is how streaky they've been all year long. New York has had numerous peaks and valleys during this condensed season with very little middle ground in between.

One minute they look like NBA Finals contenders and like bums the next minute.

In the first three games of this series, the Knicks looked like bums. But after this win, the Knicks are looking like they could be peaking at the right time while the Heat are struggling.

That combination is deadly for the Heat and although the Knicks still have a huge mountain to climb, they no doubt have the ability to turn things around and climb it towards history.

One thing's for certain: with their first playoff win in over a decade, the Knicks have absolutely no pressure on them any longer while their opponents have the pressure squarely on their shoulders.

Look for that to work to the Knicks' advantage as they attempt to win Game 5 and push this series back to Madison Square Garden. Only then will this series pick up and get truly interesting.

However, before that can happen, the Knicks need to take care of business in Miami.

If there was ever a team to turn an 0-3 deficit into a historical comeback, it's a streaky team like this year's version of the Knicks.