March 3, 2013
If you're a Knicks fan, before the game, you're probably thinking: 'Eh... it's okay if we lose this game, since we already took two against them this season.' And I was thinking the same. But saying it and it actually happening are two different things.
Watching this game today made me realize that a New York Knicks vs Miami Heat eastern conference Finals matchup would be bigger than the Finals. I truly believe that. With the exception of the Knicks going to the Finals; Knicks in the Finals is big, no matter who they face. But if we get a Knicks-Heat conference finals, then the Heat advancing to face (lets say) Oklahoma City Thunder, it would be a downgrade compare to Knicks-Heat.
To The Game:
Knicks blew it. They shouldn't won. And you know what hurt them? Something that might hurt them from go far in the playoffs, which is: they couldn't score anywhere, besides the three-point shot; they rely too much the three ball.
The Heat defense shut down the Knicks backcourt. Miami was going to let New York beat them with Amare Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler in the paint. Because they knew how the Knicks live and die with the three-pointer.
Knicks played great defense in the first half. Then at the second half they might've gotten a little too laid back with a large lead.
Miami didn't even play well. That's what hurts about this lost. But, they showed why they are the defending World Champions. The Heat know how to win when they're going bad -- and that's scary.
In that last play of the 4th quarter when Lebron James stole the bad pass from J.R Smith to Carmelo Anthony for the dunk to make it 99-93 (which was the final), I saw that turnover coming a mile away. When Smith was coming up with the ball, everyone knew Anthony was going to ask for the ball. And James did, too. That was too sloppy and predictable. If that didn't happen, Knicks might've had a chance.
But it's all good. Heat needed this game. They did what they had to do. The Knicks job from now on is to stay in that second seed. Also, the war hasn't ended between these two. It has just begun.
