KNICKS 93
One quarter, doesn't make up for the rest of this game, and it doesn't make up for the Knicks' season of late, as costly turnovers, terrible shooting, and daggers by LeBron James killed New York's chances against the Miami Heat at the Garden on Sunday.
The Knicks had a lead as many as 16 points in this game, thanks that explosive second quarter. After New York struggled behind the arch in the first quarter, they turned it on like a light switch; and they shut it down just the same later on.
Jason kidd provided the early jolt for the Knicks; he connected on three consecutive three-pointers to help build a 39-34 advantage for the Knicks, and with the veteran waking up from his two month slump, it appeared New York would be on its way.
New York was feeling it. Miami started to make their mistakes; a bad pass by Dwayne Wade, an errant shot by Mario Chalmers, and a quiet LeBron. That set the stage for another Kidd three-pointer at the top of the arch to make 42-37.
Soon the other Knicks followed suit. Carmelo Anthony hit a couple jumpers, Tyson Chandler hit a couple shots and J.R. Smith hit an open 24-foot jumper as the Knicks built their lead to double digits.
When it mattered the most in the second half, the Knicks defense disappeared, and their offensive play was ... well ... offensive. Through the first eight minutes of the third quarter the Knicks only had four points, and missed nine shots. Raymond Felton and J.R. were the biggest culprits. Felton missed two easy layups, and Smith rushed a couple of three pointers where bounced off the rim.
The Heat pulled within four, 63-59, before Carmelo Anthony stole a pass and scored on the turnover, and Smith hit his last three of the day to build the lead back to 70-59; but that was the final time the Garden would go nuts.
Instead the game turned into the LeBron James and Dwayne Wade show as the duo brought the Heat back to within 77-68, before Shane Battier brought Miami all the way back with a huge three-pointer o cut the Knicks lead to four.
After Battier's clutch shot, James played an entire fourth quarter with the kind of killer instinct we have only seen from Knicks' opponents of the past, a la Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan. James was unstoppable in the fourth. He nailed back-to-back three's to tie the game at 79.
After Battier gave the Heat a slim 82-81 lead, James nailed two clutch layup's on his own rebounds late in the quarter to give Miami a 95-91 lead.
The Knicks went into a total panic offensively. Smith started missing three pointers every time he touched the ball for New York, and the Knicks started to turn the ball over at a rapid pace. Nowhere was Kidd or Anthony to be seen.
The Knicks did have a chance to do something, down 97-92, but for some reason New York never put the ball into the hands of either Kidd or Anthony. Instead it was Felton and Smith who touched the ball and both of them turned it over in the final minute killing the Knicks hopes.
Why didn't Kidd or Anthony touch the ball at the end of the game?
Who knows, but this is an example of what has plagued this team all season -- no structure. Nobody seems to know when they are supposed to touch the ball. The Knicks made a zillion mistakes in this game because they couldn't figure out whom to get the ball to; when they had guys open, they never touched the ball either. While some will point to the fact that the Knicks gave the Heat all they could handle, this was a game, if better executed on both ends of the floor New York could have easily won.
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