New York, NY (Sports Network) - In what was a tragic and agonizing week for
the city of New York and the tri-state area, the Knicks gave people a reason
to smile.
After their scheduled season opener was postponed in Brooklyn due to the
aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Carmelo Anthony led a solid, all-around New York
Knicks performance, scoring 30 points to help give the hosts a 104-84 blowout
victory over the defending champion Miami Heat.
Anthony grabbed 10 rebounds and came away with two steals. His scoring output
was a game-high, but he got a lot of help from his teammates, as five other
Knicks scored in double-figures.
Offseason acquisitions Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd both started in the
backcourt for New York and helped facilitate the offense. Felton dropped in 14
points and dished out nine assists, while Kidd drained 3-of-5 from 3-point
range, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Steve Novak, last season's leader in 3-point field goal percentage, finished
with 17 points and converted five of the Knicks' 19 makes from 3-point range.
Off the bench, J.R. Smith contributed 11 points and six assists for the
Knicks, who lost in five games to Miami in the first round of the playoffs
last season.
After winning their season opener on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, the
Heat found themselves trailing by double-digits most of the night on Friday.
LeBron James scored a team-high 23 points while also grabbing seven rebounds
and dishing out five assists. Dwyane Wade shot 7-of-10 from the field and
scored 15 points, while Chris Bosh finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network