NBA Playoffs 2012: Miami Heat Eliminate New York Knicks In 5, Advance To Semi-Finals
By Editorial Staff
The Knicks never even made it close as the Miami Heat cruised by with a convincing 106-94 win. Once again the Knicks struggled to find players other then Carmelo Anthony to carry the offensive load. Amare Stoudemire had little to no impact on the game as he fouled out in the middle of the fourth quarter. I can only imagine the off-season acquisitions the Knicks need to make as their season comes to an end.
With suffocating defense and an all around offensive effort, Miami let their game speak for itself. Four out of five Miami starters scored in double digits, and Lebron James played liked his MVP self. Indiana will have their hands full as the two teams are set to meet for game 1 on Sunday
KEY PLAYERS:
Knicks: Carmelo Anthony – 35 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL, 41:31
Don’t be fooled by the numbers, this was no easy night at the office. Carmelo Anthony struggled from the field shooting under 50%; and yet he still decided not to pass the ball to his teammates despite being double-teamed for the majority of the game. It was difficult to choose who the Key Player was for the Knicks since no one else had a chance to touch the ball. I’m sorry Knicks fans, the Melo era is just not working out.
Heat: Lebron James – 29 PTS, 13-15 FTM-A, 8 REB, 7 AST, 39:38
Who can stop a freight train from coming at you with a full head of steam? The Knicks threw every possible defender at Lebron James; even 6’2 guard Mike Bibby rolled the dice against the King. Scoring 29 PTS and finding his way to the charity strike 15 times, Lebron made it clear that he has only one thing in mind, round #2.
KEY MOMENTS:
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire’s Baseline Facial
These two points did not make a difference at the end of the game; but it did spark some much-needed energy from the Knicks bench. Driving past Chris Bosh and posterizing Joel Anthony, Amare meant business early in the game; too bad Carmelo tried to keep all the glory for himself.
Heat: Dwayne Wade Massive Block on Carmelo Anthony
The Knicks…wait let me correct myself, Carmelo Anthony tried to bring the game back within arms reach until Dwayne Wade swatted Melo’s lay-up attempt with his forearm. The momentum was clearly one sided for the majority of the game, but this block solidified Miami’s victory with yet another quarter to play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnssVcJbdXw
KEY STATS:
Knicks:
Carmelo Anthony – 15-31 FGM-A, Amare Stoudemire – 4-7 FGM-A
Heat:
Lebron James – 13-15 FTM-A
Quotes:
Knicks:
Mike Woodson – “We had opportunities but you have to give the Miami Heat credit because every time we made a run and cut the lead to ten or eleven points, they made plays coming back the other way. That is what great teams do.” (NBA.com)
Heat:
Lebron James – “We will savor this win tonight. And then we get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana” (NBA.com)
Next Game:
Sunday May 13th, @ Miami
Series:
Miami wins series 4-1
Notes:
Danny Granger vs. Lebron James will be the talk of the next series. Both arguable the best players on their respective teams, Miami will have a much different, and more challenging opponent in the next round. But the kicker is the play of Roy Hibbert. My prediction for round 2? Indiana in 7!