Heat at Knicks
THE STORY: The New York Knicks’ frustration is about to have an impact on the on-court product in a significant way. Amar'e Stoudemire punched a fire extinguisher case after a loss in Game 2, cutting his hand to the point that he will have to miss at least Game 3. With Iman Shumpert already out and Jeremy Lin not quite ready to return, the Knicks are now working without three starters against the Miami Heat, who have had little trouble in taking a 2-0 series lead.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SUN (Miami), MSG (New York), TNT
ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami dominated at both ends in Game 1, getting most of their scoring from LeBron James while the entire team worked to hold the Knicks to 67 points. In Game 2, James handed off some of the scoring load to his teammates. Dwyane Wade led with 25 points and Chris Bosh scored 21 in a more balanced effort. The Heat, who went 18-15 on the road this season, should cruise into New York with plenty of confidence. Even the supporting cast, which had been the subject of some criticism prior to the postseason, has stepped up. Mike Miller and Shane Battier have delivered valuable minutes off the bench and Mario Chalmers is averaging 12 points and 7.5 assists.
ABOUT THE KNICKS: Stoudemire had surgery to repair a small muscle in his left hand on Tuesday and is doubtful for Game 4 on Sunday and the rest of the series, should New York be able to extend. Counting Shumpert (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and Lin (torn meniscus), the Knicks are down to just Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler from their projected starting five. Chandler, who was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, has been battling the flu but rebounded from a scoreless Game 1 to collect 13 points and seven boards in a 104-94 Game 2 loss. Anthony went for 30 and nine but New York still did not have enough to stop the Heat. That setback marked the 12th straight playoff loss for the Knicks, tying the NBA record.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Knicks went 14-5 without Stoudemire during the regular season.
2. New York went 22-11 at Madison Square Garden in 2011-12, but suffered a 93-85 loss in their only home date against the Heat on Apr. 15.
3. Wade has gone for 20 or more points in a franchise-record 71 of his 89 career playoff games.