The Heat dominated the Knicks throughout the regular season, but many still expected a competitive game on Saturday. However, the Heat quickly established their dominance in the first quarter of the game, stifling the Knicks with their defense and never letting up.
"Our guys had a noticeable look in their eyes the last 24 hours," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "We wanted to get back to the basics and play to our identity. For the most part, we were able to do that by being aggressive."
The Knicks tried to intimidate the Heat by playing physical basketball, but that only made Miami's players more fired up. LeBron James in particular was on the receiving end of multiple hard fouls, but he responded by putting points on the board. LeBron had an incredible shooting night against the Knicks, converting on 10 of his 14 field goal attempts. By halftime, Miami fans were already raining down "M-V-P!" chants.
Dwyane Wade also played well against the Knicks, putting up 19 points and 3 assists. Chris Bosh struggled a bit against the Knicks, but he still put up respectable numbers, finishing with 9 points and 6 rebounds.
Miami's "X-factor" Mario Chalmers did his job against the Knicks, often playing the role of floor-general. Chalmers played a complete game against the Knicks, walking away with 11 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals.
Overall, the Heat played a solid game against the Knicks. Their defense was definitely impressive, and they also did a decent job of protecting the ball. However, their rebounding and free throw shooting wasn't anything special, and there is room for improvement as the series progresses.
The Heat will try to take a 2-0 lead, when the two rivals meet again on April 30.
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, "LeBron James, Heat throttle Knicks, take 1-0 lead"
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