NBA Notes: Angry Knicks and Heat
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| Mike Neri - 3/5/2011 11:01 PM |
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NBA Notes: Angry Knicks and Heat by Mike Neri Despite the fact that we just saw the NBA All-Star break, the playoffs are really just around the corner, so it's time for teams to get healthy and put rotations in order. That's why this week so several teams crushed by tough losses. The worst occurred in Miami. The Heat is looking at a grueling stretch in March, a lot of tough games. They are No. 2 in the East but have a shot to overtake the No. 1 seed over banged-up Boston, a team they are 0-3 SU/ATS against. And they don't have many signature wins, with a string of losses against good teams, so March is the time for LeBron and Dwyane Wade to strap it on and flex their muscles. However, two games in two nights have left Miami reeling and their fan base jumping ship. Blowing a 24-point lead at home to rival Orlando was embarrassing enough, but then they went to San Antonio and, with the whole country watching, got whipped from start to finish. The Spurs blitzed the Heat, setting a franchise record for three-pointers in a game and finishing with eight players in double figures as Miami suffered its worst loss of the season Friday night in San Antonio, 125-95. Sorry, LeBron, but no one's feeling sorry for you after you put this team together and embarrassed yourself by dissing the your hometown city on national TV. That's why you're replaced A-Rod as the guy so many fans are rooting against. The Heat's inability to close games has become an issue, especially which is off with the biggest stars in the league in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Both had monster first halves and quiet second halves against Orlando. So much for taking over a game down the stretch. Miami is a great defensive teams statistically, but got smoked by the Magic and Spurs. The Spurs shot 56.1 percent from field, set a season-high in points and set a franchise record for three-pointers in a game (17). Eight players scored in double figures: Manu Ginobili (20), Matt Bonner (18), Gary Neal (16), Tony Parker (15), Tim Duncan (11), George Hill (11), Richard Jefferson (11) and DeJuan Blair (10). The Heat has lost three straight games to teams with winning records but still has eight straight games remaining against playoff-caliber teams. Things are just as bad in New York, where the Knicks went from celebrating the big trade that brought in Carmelo Anthony, but now getting a sober dose of reality: you don't win in the NBA unless you play defense. And the Knicks don't play any 'D'. Anthony committed two charges in the final 1:32, including the crusher with 1.8 seconds left, and Knicks blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in allowing the league-worst Cavaliers to score at will down the stretch in a disgraceful 119-115 Garden defeat. As an exasperated coach Mike D'Antoni walked out of Madison Square Garden and said, "We can't guard anybody." Cleveland is 12-49 this season, but 3-0 against the Knicks! And two of those games were with Anthony aboard. One week ago, the Knicks allowed the Cavs to score 115 points. Anthony called the rematch a "payback" game, but Cleveland got 119 and won again. Oh, and the team that traded Carmelo, Denver, started 5-1 without him, including a win over the Celtics. Boston is battling more injuries, but it would be worse if they hadn't traded anybody. Traded to Cleveland along with Luke Harangody, Semih Erden arrived out of game shape according to Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, and isn't expected to play for several games. Harangody is dealing with a hip injury, though he scored 18 points in 22 minutes last night in a 119-115 win over the Knicks. Barely a week after the Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder, both players are on the inactive list with injuries. Robinson played just one game for Oklahoma City before undergoing arthroscopic surgery yesterday on his right knee. He'll be out 4-6 weeks and Perkins 2-3 weeks to recover from the MCL sprain. The Celtics traded away five players at the deadline. Only one of them was healthy, and injury issues were a concern. Guard Von Wafer is the 10th Celtics player to go down with an injury. Shaquille O'Neal (right Achilles') and Jermaine O'Neal (left knee) are still out, along with guard Delonte West (sprained right ankle) and Glen Davis is out a few games with a strained patella tendon in his left knee. Are the Bulls for real? They have a chance to overtake Miami for the No. 2 seed in the East this month and went 22-10 with Joakim Noah on the shelf, their leading rebounder. And now he's back! They are becoming the team no one wants to meet in the playoffs. |
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