, Derrick Rose (knee) and Lance Thomas (hip). It was only the fourth win in the last 15 games for New York.Goran Dragic scored 22 points and Hassan Whiteside had 17 points and 16 rebounds for Miami, which missed 15 of its final 16 attempts from 3-point range. Tyler Johnson scored 15 for the Heat.Even with the loss, Miami (37-39) held onto the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings because No. 8 Indiana (37-39) also lost, the Pacers falling to Toronto. The Heat and Pacers are just a half-game ahead of No. 9 Chicago.The Heat had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Dragic missed a layup and Whiteside was called for offensive basket interference as he tried to tip the rebound.Lee then sealed the win by hitting a pair of free throws."These guys have got to play like we want to win the game," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We're not just going out there to play. You're not out there playing a pickup game - you're out there to try to win. So no matter who you have on the court, that's the way we should be approaching it." It may prove to be a costly loss for Miami.This was possibly the last game the Heat will play this season against a team eliminated from playoff contention. Miami hosts Denver on Sunday, followed by a three-game, four-night trip next week to Charlotte, Toronto and Washington. After that, it's back home for games with Cleveland and Washington - who may still be jockeying for playoff seeds.New York trailed for only 1 minute, 48 seconds, and never by more than a point. The Knicks' lead was four after one quarter, four at halftime and two after the third quarter.Miami tied the game five times in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter, and New York answered with a basket to reclaim the lead every time.TIP-INSKnicks: New York needs to finish 4-2 to avoid a third straight season of at least 50 losses. ... Anthony averaged 17.3 points in March. The only other month when he averaged less while playing at least eight games was February 2012 (16.5). ... New York had 25 assists on 38 field goals.Heat: Dion Waiters (ankle) continues progressing, though no timetable has been set for his return. Friday was the seventh game he missed with the sprain. ... Tyler Johnson got hit in the face in the first half, with some blood getting on his uniform and the court.GRANT HONOREDFormer Heat player Brian Grant, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease nearly a decade ago, was at the game and is hosting a fundraiser Saturday in Miami to aid his foundation. "With Parkinson's, the main thing you want to happen, the best thing that can happen, is for you to progress relatively slow. And I've been progressing slowly," Grant said. He and Heat President Pat Riley - his former coach - chatted at courtside just before tipoff, both smiling broadly.VALUE GUYSWith Anthony, Rose and Thomas hurt and Joakim Noah suspended, the Knicks played without four of their five highest-paid players - that group making a combined $68 million this season. Lee was the only Knicks player with a salary over $4.1 million who was on the court Friday.UP NEXTKnicks: Host Boston on Sunday, the start of a three-game homestand.Heat: Host Denver on Sunday, Miami's final game this regular season against a Western Conference opponent.)
Mar 31, 2017 MIAMI -- South Florida fans won't get a very appealing matchup on Friday when the Miami Heat host the lowly New York Knicks at AmericanAirlines Arena.Miami (37-38) defeated the Knicks (28-47) on Wednesday night in New York, producing a rather easy 105-88 victory in which a "Let's Go Heat" chant was loudly heard at Madison Square Garden.Now, here comes the rematch.The Heat entered Thursday as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and is likely looking at a first-round playoff battle against the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers."Our guys embrace what's at hand," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Miami's playoff chase. "We embrace this challenge and enjoy it." The Heat have seven games left in the regular season, and the final four could be particularly difficult with two games against the Washington Wizards and one each against the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland.All three of those teams are safely in the playoffs, each among the top four in the East. But what remains to be seen is if those games against Miami will mean anything to them in terms of seeding or if their respective coaches will use them to rest their stars.And while the Heat are preparing for yet another important stretch of games, the Knicks -- as has become their custom -- are already thinking about the draft and free agency.That loss on Wednesday eliminated New York from playoff contention for the fourth straight season. It was a mathematical elimination for a Knicks team that had been counted out by virtually everyone many weeks ago in a nightmare trend that has continued for over a decade now.In fact, since the 2000-2001 season, the Knicks have won just one playoff series, which is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the fewest among any NBA franchise. Also during that span, the Knicks have won just 41.8 percent of their games, a record that is the third worst in the league. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets have been worse.Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis has been, pretty clearly, bitterly disappointed with his team's performance."I thought we would be in the playoff race," Porzingis told the media after Wednesday's loss. "I thought we would be the six, seven or eight seed, but things didn't go like we wanted." Things are so bad for the Knicks that forward Carmelo Anthony -- the team's superstar -- took just two shots in a scoreless first half against Miami and finished with just nine points."I don't think me going out and trying to score 30 or 40 points every night is going to help the team in the long run," Anthony told the media. "I'm just here to help those (young) guys." With Anthony playing a subservient role and starting point guard Derrick Rose sitting out with a sore left knee, Miami took full advantage and is favored to do so again Friday.The Knicks, who have lost nine of their past 11 games, should be an easy mark for the Heat.Even if Rose is back for New York on Friday -- which Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said was probable -- it is likely not enough to derail a Heat team that is playing for something significant.With a win on Friday, the Heat would become the first NBA team ever to reach .500 after a start that led them to 19 games underwater. It would also be the most wins (38) of any NBA team that at one point was 19 games below .500, breaking the record it now shares with the 2013-2014 Knicks.The Heat, which is expected to get shooting guard Dion Waiters back from an ankle injury shortly, is 26-8 since the halfway point of the season. The Cavaliers, their possible first-round playoff opponents, are just 17-15 during that span.
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