For a moment, it looked like the Heat would complete their first round sweep of the Knicks, but a poor third quarter got them in serious trouble. The Knicks cut down an 11 point lead in the third, setting the stage for a very entertaining fourth quarter. At the end of the day, the Knicks proved to be the better team, walking away with the two point victory.
"They made big plays down the stretch," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "They made big shots. We couldn't quite match or exceed that."
Miami's "big three" did their part in Game 4, finishing with a combined 66 points. Unfortunately for them, their role players struggled offensively, putting up a measly 21 points.
With the loss, the Heat won't get as much rest as they would have liked before the second round of the playoffs. They'll now head back to the American Airlines Arena, where they'll try to close out the series on May 9.
"We'd love to take the week [off] but it's not in the cards for us to do that in this round," Wade told reporters. "You know, we'll adjust. We play Wednesday in Miami at 7 o'clock. We'll be ready to play and give our fans another exciting game."
Big picture wise, Miami's loss against the Knicks really doesn't mean much, but Game 5 is certainly a must win situation. A second straight loss to New York will bring the Knicks right back into the series, with the opportunity to even things out at Madison Square Garden. After playing so well in the first three games, the Heat would be wise to avoid that scenario, and finish off the Knicks on Wednesday.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Associated Press, "Knicks top Heat to get first postseason win since 2001"
Jeff Zillgitt, "Heat blow their chance to sweep Knicks"
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