NBA Playoffs – Nothing left in the tank as the Knicks lose game 3
It was more of the same for Carmelo and the Knicks who fell to the Miami Heat 87-70 in game 3. The Knicks have their backs against the wall as the Heat now take a demanding 3-0 series lead, with a chance to sweep the series on Sunday.
It no longer seems plausible for the Knicks to come back and pull off a miracle against a Miami team who have only one motto, championship or bust. They have lost too many key players (Stoudemire, Shumpert, Lin) to face such a strong and healthy Miami team who can smell blood. Reggie Miller said it best; “they brought a lot of knives to a gun fight”. (NBA.com)
This was the Knicks 13th straight post-season loss, which is an NBA record previously held by the Los Angeles Clippers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS-Xof-8QlM
KEY PLAYERS:
Knicks: J.R. Smith – 12 PTS, 2 REB, 5-18 FGM-A, 38:58
Once again, J.R. Smith was the most consistent player for the Knicks. He led all bench scorers with 12 points and played terrific defense on both James and Wade. What surprises me the most is how Smith never quits on a play, getting down and dirty on every position to benefit his team. He has the ability to change the flow of the game at any given time.
Heat: Lebron James – 32 PTS, 8 REBS, 5 AST, 35:50
Lebron doesn’t just change the flow of the game; he takes control of it. Despite struggling for most of the first half, he shook off all the jitters and went off in the second, including eight straight points to start the fourth quarter. With his confidence at an all time high, I don’t think anybody, or anything for that matter can stop this man from going to the basket.
KEY MOMENTS:
Knicks: J.R. Smith with a huge baseline windmill dunk.
When a crowd of 19,800 is silent and your teammates are struggling, what do you do? You go to the basket and do a windmill dunk from the baseline. The crowd goes haywire and your teammates are thriving off your energy. J.R. is the backbone of this team, not that it makes much of a difference now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmuSgKi1yc8
Heat: Lebron comes off the bench after 12-minute span
During the first half, Lebron James just wasn’t himself as he turned the ball over countless times, and got into foul trouble with the crowd roaring in satisfaction. He was glued to the bench for the rest of the second and the majority of the third, anxious to get back on the floor. Once his number was called, it was clear that he learned his lesson.
KEY STATS:
Knicks:
Steve Novak – 0PTS, 0-3 FGM-A
Heat:
11-29 3PM-A over the Knicks 4-20 3PM-A
Quotes:
Knicks:
Mike Woodson – “Offensively, we just didn’t have it. We were so stagnant. I gotta take the heat for that” (NBA.com)
Heat:
Chris Bosh on Lebron – “He was struggling a little bit and he had pretty much the whole third quarter to think about what was going on. I think that was good for him. I think it really built a desire in him a little bit and then he made sure we got off to a great start in the fourth quarter which was very important for us” (NBA.com)
Next Game:
Game 4 Sunday May 6th, 2012 @ New York
Series:
Miami leads the series 3-0
Notes:
Chris Bosh flew to the arena 30 minutes prior to tip-off for the birth of his son, Jackson.
Jeremy Lin nor Amare Stoudemire are expected to play in game 4. If the Knicks lose on Sunday, it will be their 2nd consecutive series sweep by an opposing team. Man, I thought Toronto had it bad.
Follow me on twitter at @JayLeung20