Knicks vs. Heat Madison Square Garden 8:00 PM
Where to Watch: ESPN, MSG, SunSpm, WAXY, WEPN
Team Reports
New York: The Knicks are itching to hit the floor after their season opener was postponed due to the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy. Thursdays nationally televised game was supposed to feature the Brooklyn Nets against New York in the brand new Barclays Center. The Knicks will enter their home debut without Amare Stoudemire as he is sidelined 6-8 weeks after undergoing a left knee debridement on Wednesday. Iman Shumpert will miss the next couple of months while he rehabs a surgically repaired knee. On the bright side, Tyson Chandler avoided a scare in the preseason finale and he returned to practice earlier this week. Ronnie Brewer is back to full practice and is regaining his conditioning. Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby will be available for Fridays showdown against the Heat. New York compiled a 3-3 record during the exhibition season and will play three games in four nights to start the year.
Miami: After a tumultuous season in 2010-11, the Heat silenced the critics with an impressive run to the championship last year led by MVP LeBron James. Miami celebrated its second title in franchise history and was aggressive this summer by acquiring future Hall of Fame sharpshooter Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. James now has the monkey off his back, Dwyane Wade appears to be healthy, and this squad is ultra confident as the favorite to repeat this year. James picked up right where he left off in the Finals with a 26-point, 10-rebound performance against Boston on Tuesday night. He also only played 29 minutes due to leg cramps that kept him off the court for most of the fourth quarter. Wade added 29 points to help jumpstart Miami to a 1-0 record.
Last Time Out
New York: The Knicks concluded their preseason with a 97-95 overtime win past the Nets at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Miami: The Heat cruised to a 120-107 victory over the Celtics in their season opener in Miami.
The Numbers Game
The Heat will feature a small starting lineup, which provides an opportunity for Chandler to take advantage of his superior height in the paint. Last season, Chandler registered the highest field goal percentage since 1972 by posting 67.9 percent from the floor. Furthermore, 95.5 percent of his field goal attempts were in the paint.
Match-up to Watch
Carmelo Anthony vs. LeBron James
Anthony enjoyed a terrific summer highlighted by his performance in the 2012 Olympics. Riding high after winning Gold in London, Anthony continued to push himself during the offseason and looks primed for a career year. New York will need his offensive output without Stoudemire in the lineup. Anthony proved that he can find success against Miamis strong defense as seen in Game 4 of the playoffs last year when he scored 41 points to lead the Knicks to a victory. Across the floor is one of the most difficult defensive assignments in the entire league. James understands that he must play to his major strength, which is bulldozing his way to the rack on almost every possession. He remains a gifted passer and Miamis top rebounder as well. These two players will not face each other during the entire game due to matchup circumstances forcing Ronnie Brewer and Anthony to share minutes on James. However, Anthony and James are the two centerpieces for their squads and their play will go a long way in determining the outcome.
What to Look For
The one knock on the Heat last season was their stagnant offense. At times, Miami would rely on James or Wade to create in isolation while bailing out their unit with the shot clock winding down. In the Heats first game against Boston, the offense looked crisp and there was improved movement. Miami scored 120 points and shot 54.4 percent on the Celtics vaunted defense. Jason Kidd said the Knicks must take care of the basketball and avoid costly turnovers that could lead to fast break offense for the Heat. Additionally, New York will need to quickly chase shooters on the perimeter, specifically Allen, who is fresh off a 19-point night on Tuesday.
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