Heat Win Game 2, On to New York

Dwyane Wade scores 25 and the Heat overcome Carmelo Anthony's 30-point effort to take a 2-0 series lead

When we last left the Miami Heat, they were busy humiliating the New York Knicks into their worst playoff loss in over two decades. The Knicks played better on Monday night, but still lost by double digits, as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh combined for 65 points in a 104-94 victory in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

James did not put up the eye-popping stat line that he did in Game 1, but if 19 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds are a ho-hum day for you, then it probably means you are the best basketball player in the universe. Wade led all Heat scorers with 25, while Bosh added 21 points.

Carmelo Anthony, who put up a stinker of a line on Saturday, improved greatly, scoring 30 points and adding 9 rebounds. As expected, he came out of the gate shooting aggressively, making 5 of 11 field goals in the first quarter. At halftime he was 9 for 18 with 21 points.

But the Heat made him work for every last point. Anthony shot just 46 percent from the field on 26 attempts, with many of those shots contested and coming far from the hoop.

Miami, on the other hand, moved the ball freely, resulting in many open looks. The team combined for 28 assists and shot 9 for 21 from three-point range, aided by all those uncontested attempts. Mike Miller and Shane Battier each combined for three treys off the bench, and even Chris Bosh got in on the action.

When Chris Bosh hits a three-pointer as the shot clock expires, which he did in the fourth quarter, it's a pretty good sign that it is not the Knicks' night.

In fact, the only thing that didn't go Miami's way Monday was a missed dunk attempt by Wade during the fourth quarter. With a wide-open path to the basket, Wade went in for a tomahawk dunk, but the ball bounced high off the back of the rim. Heat president Pat Riley could be seen shaking his head in the stands after the play.

The game went so poorly for New York that forward Amar'e Stoudemire reportedly punched a fire extinguisher after the game, causing his hand to bleed. Even when the Knicks are aggressive, they can't help but hurt themselves.

Now the series shifts to New York for Thursday's Game 3, where New York will try to at least make a game look close. The Knicks tied an NBA record with their 12th-straight playoff loss, a fact which should make all Heat fans laugh to no end.

New York has not won a playoff game in 4,019 days. Sunday was the 11-year anniversary of the franchise's last playoff victory. The Heat will look to make it 4,022 days and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

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