Heat defeat Knicks 106-91

The Miami Heat showed why they are the World Champions as they defeated the New York Knicks 106-91.

They made it so hard for the Knicks to run their offense in the fourth quarter and took away just about everything New York had. They rotated on defense and more importantly took away lanes to the basket. This would allow the Heat to force turnovers and make life tough on the Knicks.

LeBron James was really good tonight as he scored a team high 30 points. James just abused the Knicks defense with his power and strength. James also passed well out of double teams tonight and racked up seven assists with excellent passes. His defense was also strong as he pulled off six steals. He was in the passing lane the entire night and read the Knicks offense perfectly. This was a very dominate performance by James and the Heat, they came to play and out played the Knicks tonight.

But the true important factor for Miami was Dwyane Wade. He really played well in the second half and really sparked the Heat. His play this season has been limited due to knee injuries, but when he’s played the Heat have been really good. Tonight was possibly one of his better games as he scored 22 points. Wade is very important to Miami and tonight he showed why.

The turnovers for New York really limited their ability to win tonight. They committed 17 turnovers that really didn’t help them tonight because it took possessions away. Carmelo Anthony had seven of the 17 turnovers committed by the Knicks and most of those came out of terrible passes by Anthony. The Heat pressured him and it seemed as if Anthony were rattled tonight. He couldn’t even put the ball on the floor at times. Credit the Heat for game planning well because they definitely took the Knicks out of their flow.

Anthony did score 26 points, but that really was a struggle. JR Smith was the secondary scorer for New York as he contributed 20 points in his second consecutive start. Those two were the only starters in double figures.

Tim Hardaway Jr. came off the bench to put in 17 points. He came in and really shot the ball well for the Knicks. His play this season has been something to really smile at. He has played exceptionally on offense and is showing improvement on defense. He plays strong for New York in key moments, tonight he didn’t have that moment, but overall he has been an impact player for New York.

This was a very solid game by the Heat. The Knicks have nothing to be upset about. Just move on and win the next game. The Heat are a really good team. They came out with energy and the right mindset to get this win. They showed tonight that nothing will come easy against the best team.

The Heat and Knicks are now tied 1-1 in the season series with two more games looming.

Photo Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images