New York Knicks: 10 Reasons They Can't Snap the Miami Heat's 10-Game Win Streak
If one thing can be said about either the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat, it’s that the league is suddenly on high alert and taking notice. While the Heat were expected to dominate from the beginning and the Knicks certainly were not, both these teams have taken the league by storm over the past couple of weeks.
The Miami Heat are riding a ten game winning streak after beating Cleveland at home and the Knicks eight game winning streak came crashing down at the hands of the Boston Celtics, who are riding a twelve game winning streak of their own, after beating Atlanta Thursday night.
And while the Knicks stood toe-to-toe with the big green machine, the questionable thought process in the back of everyone’s mind is: How good could this Knicks team get if Carmelo Anthony came to town?
Friday night marks the first meeting between the Heat and the Knicks since their recent resurrections to NBA Goliath status and it also marks both LeBron James' and Chris Bosh's first visit to town since they spurned New York in favor of their southern nest.
Here are ten reasons why the Heat will prevail over the Knicks on Friday in what looks like the beginning of another heated NBA rivalry in the making—the kind that breeds animosity between the fans of two great cities.
LeBron James Always Plays Well at Madison Square Garden
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New York is the biggest sports town in the world, boasting several professional sports teams including two NFL franchises, two MLB franchises, two NHL franchises and one NBA franchise in the Knicks. Athletes across these sports love to come to the Big Apple and compete for the rush of being in the ultimate gladiators’ den.
LeBron James is no different and the fact that he seeks the spotlight works in his favor, ''As a fan and as a player, that's the one building in America that you would love to play that before your career is over. I'm blessed that I've been part of the NBA and getting an opportunity to play there at least once a year.''
In fact, James has played 11 games at Madison Square Gardens against the Knicks winning seven of eleven contests, all as a Cleveland Cavalier.
Dwyane Wade Always Plays Well at Madison Square Garden
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What can be said about LeBron regarding New York’s mega sports paradise essentially applies for Dwyane Wade as well, albeit at a somewhat less attention grabbing scale.
During Wades’ career, he has played against the Knicks in NY nine times and lost only three of those games by averaging 26.3 points per game.
So what are Wade's thoughts?
''Everyone looks for rivalries and it's a great story line. It's great for the game. The Heat-Knicks will always be one. And right now with both teams playing well off of this summer, with them getting Amare and all three of us coming here, the fans are going to make it a very big game.''
Miami Is Still Unbeaten While The Knicks Have Been Stopped
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The New York Knicks have certainly surprised the NBA during their eight game winning streak and also in the way they stood toe-to-toe with the Boston Celtics in a loss that put an end to that streak.
It was euphoria for the Knicks and their fans and you could see the despondent faces after losing to the Celtics. Facing a surging team in the Heat and rebounding with a win might not be in the cards for this team as the confidence of the unbeaten streak lies with Miami.
Surging point guard and double-double nightmare Raymond Felton tried to put the Boston loss into perspective with a readiness for the Knicks next challenge against the Miami Heat:
"Real basketball players and people who understand the game know we have a good team and we can play with anybody when we play our game. We play the same teams everyone else plays and I feel this team can play with anyone in this league."
The Heat Will Legitimize Their Winning Streak by Separating It From New York's
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The Knicks’ and the Heat’s recent winning streaks are eerily similar. While New York’s streak has just ended and Miami’s is still alive, both teams have feasted on NBA bottom dwellers with two exceptions: The Knicks have beaten both the New Orleans Hornets and the Denver Nuggets, and the Heat have beaten both the Hornets and the Utah jazz.
That being said, in order for the Heat to legitimize their streak and stop their critic’s cold, LeBron and company must not only dispose of the Knicks but continue their win streak by seeking vengeance over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
New York's Cold Reception Will Get LeBrons' Fire Started
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The holidays are fast approaching and the unanimous choice as the undisputed “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” this year is none other than LeBron James.
To say that LeBron has stolen several years of Christmas cheer from the city of Cleveland would be an understatement, but there were other victims that arose from the aftermath of the Decision and that included the city of New York.
In fact, New Yorkers were so sure that they would land a LeBron James coup that when they didn’t; it broke their hearts and ditto for Chris Bosh but to a much lesser extent.
An unfriendly reception at Madison Square Garden is almost as much assured as the one LeBron received in Cleveland and as “we are all witnesses” to that game, we saw how LeBron thrived without mercy.
And LeBron has accepted his role as villain extraordinaire and will relish the process of rubbing salt in the wounds of New York fans with a show of the same extreme domination he recently displayed in Cleveland. And the executioner already has his cold and practiced verse ready in anticipation of his visit to New York:
''Winning appeals to me,'' James said. ''And it's all about winning. I'm not about saving franchises or saving this or that. It's about me winning and that's what I said all over the summer when I decided to come here, I felt like this was my best possible chance to win. So that's why I'm here.''
Defense Is The Name Of Miami's Game
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The Heat’s defensive stats are now among the league's best. They rank first in opponents three-point percentage (31.3), first in opponents’ field-goal percentage (42.7), first in point differential (tied with Boston at plus-9.7) and second in points allowed (91.3).
To put things into perspective, every Heat loss points out the glaring fact that the Heat have been out rebounded by their opponents. During the win streak, the Heat have out rebounded every single one of its opponents.
"Defend and rebound—that's who we are,'' Spoelstra said. "And when we try to do it the other way—get into a flow by scoring and pacing and sparring with them—that hasn't been a successful thing for us, but we got back to our identity.''
As far as league rankings go, Miami is third in rebounding and New York is eighth. In addition, Miami is ranked ninth least in turn overs and New York is the fifth worst.
Offense Is The Name of Miami's Game
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During the current win streak, the Heat have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 16.5 points per game with the exception of their low margin against Cleveland on Wednesday night, and of all people, Mark Cuban (owner of the Mavs) is impressed:
"They're pretty damn good,'' Cuban remarked just one day before Dallas' 12-game winning streak ended. "Just the way they play is different than anybody else. That's a big adjustment. They've got those guys that can finish. They get out like the old Suns, but they don't stop at the three-point line. They just try to dunk over you. That makes it tough.''
Miami has two top ten scorers in Lebron James and Dwyane Wade (ranked seventh and tenth respectively). New York has one top ten scorer in Amare Stoudemire currently ranked third.
To round out the top fifty scorers, Miami’s Chris Bosh is ranked thirty-third and New York’s Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler are ranked twenty-sixth and thirty-sixth respectively.
While New York’s starters can score with some of the best of them, Miami has the edge especially if both James and Wade have good games.
Two Superstars Vs Just One
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Amare Stoudemire is having a career year and is proving that he is a legitimate superstar in the NBA. Many thought that his game would recede without Steve Nash but on the contrary, he has been nothing short of brilliant.
Many Miami Heat fans are wondering what if they got Amare instead of Bosh because then they would really have a Big 3.
In the end, Miami has two legitimate superstars in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and if Miami’s recent play is any indication, they are just getting their party started.
Miami’s two superstars to New York’s one could very well be too much for the Knicks to handle.
Miami Thrice Needs to Make a Carmelo Anthony Statement
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Carmelo Anthony has created quite a stir this season with his trade demands to the Denver Nuggets which has the media blitz approaching Miami Thrice levels.
The biggest of the annoying Carmelo rumors has this melodramatic discontent going to the New York Knicks. And one way or another that scenario has many NBA fans scratching their heads as to the kind of dominating two-headed monster it would create in New York.
To say Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony would be a kickass combination would be an understatement.
Objectively speaking, if the Knicks can go toe-to-toe with Boston without Carmelo in the mix, what will they do to NBA teams when he finally arrives at his preferred destination?
Indeed, and if the Miami Heat lose to the Carmeloless Knicks or even win by a small margin—what would that say about Miami Thrice?
The logic behind this hypothetical probability must have also crossed the minds of Miami’s big three, enough in fact that it will compel them to bring their A games to New York--and make a Carmelo Anthony statement that will shake some fright into Amare Stoudemire, robbing him and New York of their Christmas cheer.
The Miami Heat Win Streak Predictions Have Already Been Made
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In my previous article I had predicted that the Heat would faceoff against Dirk and his gang this Monday night with their unbeaten streak in tact. For that to be true, than Miami would have to beat New York on Friday night, wouldn't they?
Now, because I correctly predicted all those Miami Heat wins there must be some substance to both New York and Dallas falling to the Miami Heat.
Check it all out here: Miami Heat Collision: Ten Reason the Hot Dallas Mavericks Will Get Burned
The Vegas lines are open.
