Carmelo Anthony was out with an injured finger. The Knicks traveled to Miami to face the defending champions. It was the second night of a back-to-back. Things didn't look good.
Hot shooting by Raymond Felton, gritty work by Tyson Chandler, and the steady presence of Jason Kidd kept the Knicks in the game in the first half. Kurt Thomas had his best game of the season with inspired play early. The game was tied at 53 at the half. Steve Novak contributed with sharp shooting int he second quarter.
The Knicks destroyed the Heat int he second half .A 37 point third quarter helped. Felton ended with 27 points on 10 for 20 shooting. Novak had 18, and Chandler had 13. J.R. Smith, Rasheed Wallace, and Kidd all scored in double figures as well, though none shot the ball well from the field.
This was a total team effort. Five players grabbed six or more rebounds, including Pablo Prigioni and Thomas. James White even added 7 points by making all three of his shots. Felton and Chandler worked beautifully int he pick and roll. The Knicks were able to move the ball and find the open man. The team shot 18 for 44 from three. They've shot 85 three pointers in the past two games.
LeBron James was the only Miami player who showed up. He scored 31. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh shot a combined 6 for 25. The Heat turned the ball over 14 times. The Knicks gave the ball away only 7 times.
The Knicks won 112-92, their second straight twenty point win over Miami. The Knicks are now 14-4 and extended their lead for the best record in the Eastern Conference. New York has won five straight.
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