LeBron, Heat seeking revenge vs. Knicks
by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat have won 13 consecutive games.
They can tie the franchise record for most consecutive victories on Sunday. To do so, they will have to beat a team they have not beaten this season: the New York Knicks.
The Knicks are 2-0 against Miami this season — a 104-84 victory on Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden and 112-92 on Dec. 6 in Miami.
“They’ve drilled us twice. … Our guys will look forward to playing this game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after Miami defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 98-91 Friday.
The Heat who will face the Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden (1 p.m. ET, ABC) are not the same Heat who lost to the Knicks before the New Year. Miami was on cruise control earlier in the season, pacing itself for the stretch run.
Since Jan. 1, the Heat are tied with the San Antonio Spurs for best record in the NBA at 21-6. Miami, with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on top of their game, is ready for a run at its second consecutive title.
During the 13-game streak, Miami has outscored opponents by a dominating 15.4 points per 100 possessions. They are shooting 52% from the field and 42.2% on three-pointers.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are not the same team they were when they beat Miami in early December. On Dec. 16, the Knicks were 18-5 and in first place in the East. Since then, New York is a pedestrian 17-15. After a recent losing streak — their first four-game losing skid of the season — the Knicks dropped to third place in the East for the first time this season.
New York recovered and won three in a row, finishing off the Washington Wizards 96-88 on the road.
“Any win is sweet at this point, in the second half of the season,” Knicks point guard Raymond Felton told reporters after beating Washington. “We’ve got to have these wins.”
March is a brutal month for New York. It plays 18 games in 31 days — 10 of those games are against teams currently … [For more on LeBron James, Heat seeking revenge, record vs. Knicks, click here.]
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