Knicks fall to Heat, crazy season comes to an end

HEAT 106
KNICKS 94

It got to a point in this dismal first round playoff series against the Miami Heat that no matter what the Knicks tried to do, the Heat would still come out victorious in Game Five at home. It was as if the Knicks never bothered showing up for this game; they went through the motions in a heartless 106-94 loss. As a result, the Knicks are eliminated from the playoffs.

The Knicks never gave themselves a shot in this game. They held an early 20-14 lead, thanks to a Mike Bibby three pointer, but that is where the Knicks momentum would end. A three pointer by Mike Miller cut the Knicks lead to 17-14. Then, Udonis Haslem's six foot hook shot cut the Knicks lead down to one, 20-19. After LeBron James tied the game with a free throw shot, Shane Battier and Miller went back-to-back from behind the arch to expand the Heats lead to four, 28-24.

At that point, it was down hill for the Knicks. They never led again and trailed by 11 at halftime. At one point, New York was down by as many as 19 late in the fourth quarter. Clearly, the Knicks had packed it in and were ready to head into the off-season.

Now that the Knicks season is over, questions will arise with regard to the job security of coach Mike Woodson. Reports on Wednesday morning asserted that the Knicks were leaning toward keeping Woodson next year as the full time head coach. There were rumors that the Knicks would pursue Phil Jackson, but there has been no indication that Jackson is interested in coaching again, and the Knicks have had no reported contact with him.

In addition, the Knicks already extended the contract of their once interim General Manager Glen Grunwald to full time status. It would make sense that Woodson would get similar treatment. Plus, out of fairness to him, Woodson hasn't had a chance to coach this team at full strength. He didn't have Jeremy Lin for the stretch run and didn't have Amar'e Stoudemire at different points in this season. It is only fair to see how Woodson does with a full training camp, and a healthy ball club.

If the Knicks remain healthy next year, maybe then they can be conisdered a legit contender; however, there will be questions about the durability of Stoudemire, and whether the Knicks want to keep him, especially after the fire extinguisher incident in Game Two of these playoffs. Also, Lin is a free agent. Do the Knicks break the bank for a point guard who hasn't had a full season as a starter? Do they dare look elsewhere and alienate a fan base that craves Linsanity? Those are questions that will have to be answered this summer and early fall.

It will be a interesting off-season.