New York wouldn't allow LeBron James yet another stellar performance in Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, holding the Miami Heat star to 32 points as the Knicks rained down from behind the arc in the second half to take home a victory, 102-92.
Heat vs. Knicks recap: New York delivers surprising upset at MSG
The Knicks hit nine three-pointers on their way to an impressive win over the reigning NBA champions on Thursday.
The Knicks played the Heat tight in the first half as J.R. Smith sat on the bench and never saw the court. James and Carmelo Anthony have a history of dueling at MSG, and the Heat star has two 50-point games in New York since 2008. Miami finished the half up on the Knicks, 48-43.
The Heat came out in the third quarter attacking on offense, with James, Norris Cole and Dwyane Wade leading the charge. Surprisingly, it was Andrea Bargnani and Iman Shumpert who supplied additional firepower alongside Anthony as the Knicks took the lead, 75-71, at the end of the quarter.
Miami went without a point guard for much of the fourth quarter, playing a backcourt lineup of Wade, Ray Allen and James. It didn't help on the defensive side of the ball, where the Knicks connected from beyond the arc often to maintain their lead. The Heat couldn't make a push without New York coming right back, and eventually the Knicks proved to be too much for them.
James finished with 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting, adding six assists and five rebounds. Dwyane Wade put in 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, but failed to convert on a single free throw in six attempts. Chris Bosh had a disappointing night, scoring six points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Anthony led New York with 29 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including eight rebounds and five assists. Bargnani added 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Shumpert had 12 points, all on three-pointers. Raymond Felton had a game-high 14 assists.
The win moves New York to 13-22, putting them at third in the Atlantic division. Miami falls to 27-9 on the year.
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