Sun. 3/19 Heat @ Knicks - Postgame & Comments

Preview: Miami (44-21) at New York (19-45) 7:30 pm EST

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Fresh off an upset victory over the top team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks try to knock off the second-best squad in the conference when they host the Miami Heat on Sunday.

One of the league's worst teams, the Knicks have won four of their last six, including a stunning 105-103 triumph over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Reserve Jamal Crawford scored 18 points and knocked down the game-winning shot with just over two seconds remaining.

The league-leading Pistons were limited at the start of the fourth quarter as they played without two All-Star starters. Forward Rasheed Wallace was ejected for arguing at the 11:03 mark of the third period and guard Richard Hamilton followed him seven minutes later after he threw the ball into the stands.

Eddy Curry had 16 points and 11 rebounds while Steve Francis chipped in 15 for New York, which beat Detroit for the first time in three meetings this season.

The Knicks aim for another upset Sunday over a Heat squad which will carry momentum from a thrilling 85-84 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

Dwyane Wade scored 13 of his 15 points from the free-throw line and James Posey drilled a 3-pointer to give Miami the lead for good.

Shaquille O'Neal and reserve Antoine Walker scored 13 points apiece for the Heat, who have won three straight and 13 of their last 14.

Recap: NEW YORK, March 19, 2006 -- After beating the best team in the NBA, the Knicks couldn’t quite close the deal against the hottest. The sizzling Heat (45-21) defeated the Knicks 111-100 for their 15th victory over the last 16 games.

But it didn’t come easy.

“I thought our big guys did about a well as you could do,” coach Larry Brown said. ”Jerome (James), Eddy (Curry), David (Lee), all of them played hard. They executed great. They did a lot of good things. Stephon (Marbury) defended Dwyane Wade about as well as you can. But in the third quarter, once we got back into the game, we got a little too quick for our own good. And to overcome a team of this caliber, you have to shorten the game.”

“They are better than we are,” added Brown. “We played well and they still shot 54 per cent from the floor.” Not to mention getting 34 free throw chances to the Knicks 20.

The Knicks played well -- ”in spurts,” according to rookie forward Channing Frye. “But we have to learn to put 48 minutes together. And I think we haven’t been able to do that because we’re still kind of trying to figure everything out.”

Against the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade you’d better have everything ALREADY figured out. Shaq, in foul trouble all game, dominated early -- the Knicks simply couldn’t deal with size and power -- while Wade did his thing late. “And they also have other quality people around those two guys who really know how to play their roles,” guard Jamal Crawford said.

Such as point guard Jason Williams (21 points, 9 assists) who hit an avalanche of killer “three”-s. Or backup center Alonzo Mourning who had an outrageous 8 blocks. “As good as Shaq is -- and he’s the greatest -- they have a different defensive look with ‘Zo in there,” said Brown. “He gives them a new and different presence.” For one thing Mourning, constantly on the move, is a great WEAKSIDE shot block-er, sort of lurking in the shadows then exploding to the ball seemingly out of nowhere (something the enormous Shaq is obviously incapable of doing). For another, “When ‘Zo blocks the ball he gets it TO guys which gets them out in transition,” added an immensely impressed Brown. “And all their players can really run.”

Against all this overwhelming greatness the Knicks came up with a much-improved performance of their own -- and did it for the third game in a row. “I think we’re doing far better in the effort area,” said Curry. “We’re executing and defending better as well. But we still have our lapses. We still have some ways to go but, yes, we’re playing at a far higher level.”

Several Knicks played well, but none had a complete game. Jalen Rose had an awesome first half (14 points on 6-8 shooting, 7 rebounds) but didn’t do much in the second. Curry, just the opposite, appeared psyched out by Shaq early but came on strong in the late going.

As a result, Miami had a 9-2 lead before the Knicks got out of the gate. The spectacular Rose soon got the Knicks back within three (11-8) with a couple of funky fakes and invisible crossover dribbles -- but Shaq was just too much early on (22-14 Miami). Then Jerome James came in for the struggling Curry and showed why the first thing he said when the Knicks acquired him was “I wish I could play Shaq every day”.

The 7-1 center, certainly with the size and strength to play Shaq, was spectacular with a Knicks-high tying 13 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a block. One of his up-and-under reverse dunks, quicker than the eye could follow, was simply out of this world.

James continued his strong play in the second quarter as the Knicks defense tightened. Still, Miami, playing incredibly well, pulled out to a 12-point lead (39-27) before New York could make its run. Which the Knicks did in fine fashion, cutting the edge all the way down to 47-46 with James doing great damage and Rose spraying treys from every conceivable spot.

The Knicks owned the Big Mo with their 19-8 run -- and only a funky last second flip by Wade had the Heat ahead at halftime 49-46.

A clever drive by Frye opened the second stanza, drawing a fourth foul on Shaq. Now Curry, after an invisible first half, exploded onto the scene with a soft hook and a strong dunk at the end of a delicious whip pass by Rose. The game was tied at 51 when Zo began to fly all over the place -- he blocked out the entire basket area beautifully -- and the Jordan-esque Wade started to really percolate. Miami got out on a key 8-0 run, earning a lead they’d never give back.

The Knicks, however, kept returning the punches, led by the suddenly unstoppable Curry who had 14 points on 5-7 shooting in the third quarter. However, Wade had 16 (and Williams 9) during the same period as Miami led 78-69 after three.

Shaq came back and Williams stayed sizzling, keeping the lead in the low double-digit range in spite of some fabulous plays by Jamal Crawford (11 fourth quarter points on 4-5 shooting) and David Lee (another 11 on 4-4). The Knicks shaved the lead down to 8 (94-86) but their spurts of excellence -- delicious as they were -- were just not enough to overcome Miami’s consistently outstanding play. Six Knicks ended up scoring in double-figures, led by Curry’s 18 points (16 in the second half). Rose had 14 points, none in the second. Crawford had 16 (11 in the second), James 13 (11 in the first), while all of Lee’s 11 points came in the final quarter.

Spurts, spurts, and more spurts -- against an extremely well rounded team led by Shaq and Wade. “We made our runs at them, over, and over, and over,” said Crawford. “I think we played hard and the effort was certainly there. But we were not consistent -- so we just could not get over the hump.”