Knicks at Heat
The Miami Heat will have had three days off to digest a painful loss in their home opener, and to hopefully get a bit healthier ahead of a matchup with the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday. The Heat rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to tie the Charlotte Hornets in the final minute on Saturday before falling 113-112.
Miami played once again without Justise Winslow (hamstring), Wayne Ellington (ankle), James Johnson (abdomen) and Dion Waiters (ankle), while Hassan Whiteside (hip) and Derrick Jones Jr. (foot) were both held out of Monday's practice. The Knicks also made a late charge but fell short 124-113 at Milwaukee on Monday, their third straight loss. "This is the suffering you must go through to become a good basketball team," coach David Fizdale told reporters. "The best part about it is our guys found a way to make it a basketball game." Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 24 points for the second straight game and is averaging 27 points through the first four for New York, although the veteran swingman is shooting just 41.8 percent.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (1-3): Monday marked New York's first game without rookie forward Kevin Knox, who sprained his left ankle in a loss to Boston on Saturday. Damyean Dotson picked up some of the slack after Knox left the game against the Celtics and Dotson played a big part in Monday's contest with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks off the bench. Enes Kanter recorded four straight double-doubles to begin the season, the first Knick to do so since Zach Randolph did it in seven straight to open 2007-08.
ABOUT THE HEAT (1-2): Dwyane Wade had the best game of his "Last Dance" season with Miami, scoring 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting against the Hornets. Goran Dragic added 20 points and seven assists against one turnover as he continues to be the steadying force amid the team's many physical issues. "You can bank on what he does virtually every single night," coach Erik Spoelstra told the media of Dragic. "That's why he's an All-Star and one of the best point guards in our league. He can do it with different kinds of teams, different kinds of style. He's a model of consistency."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks SG Courtney Lee (neck) has yet to play this season and remains day-to-day.
2. Whiteside entered Tuesday tied for third in the NBA with 14.3 rebounds per game.
3. The teams split four meetings last season with the home team winning each time.