No Bosh Or Dragic, Heat Still Beat Knicks 111-87
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NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) — Even though Chris Bosh was in the hospital and Goran Dragic was unavailable following the trade, the Miami Heat still shellacked the New York Knicks 111-87 on Friday night
Dwyane Wade scored 12 after a seven-game absence for a hamstring injury. Rookie Shabazz Napier scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Heat, adding seven rebounds and six assists.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said nine players would have to be enough and it was — easily — against a Knicks team with more bodies but far less talent with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire now gone.
Bosh was still getting tested to determine the cause of his back and side pain.
Spoelstra said before the game it was premature to comment about the All-Star forward's condition, amid speculation that the concern was blood clots had worked their way from his legs to his lungs, putting his season or even career in jeopardy.
"If I were to comment on that right now, I would be talking out of line," Spoelstra said.
The Heat traded four players Thursday in the three-team deal that brought Dragic and his brother Zoran from Phoenix. They were getting their physicals Friday and Spoelstra hopes they could be available Saturday at home against New Orleans.
Langston Galloway scored 19 points for the Knicks, who lost their sixth straight, a day after Anthony had season-ending surgery on his left knee. Stoudemire had been waived Monday after requesting a buyout and has since signed with Dallas.
New York was an NBA-worst 10-43 at the break and things might even get uglier now. Anthony and Stoudemire combined to average 36 points and left Galloway and Tim Hardaway Jr. as the top remaining scorers, each with 11.1 per game.
Hardaway finished with 17.
The Heat had dropped four of their last five before the break, the lone victory when Bosh scored 32 in a win over the Knicks on Feb. 9. But they won their return easily, so much so that Wade played only 22 minutes in his first game since Jan. 27.
Napier was 4 for 4 with a pair of 3-pointers in the first half as Miami led 58-48. The Heat outrebounded the Knicks 27-14 in the first two quarters.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami beat New York for the sixth straight time, its third-longest active win streak against an opponent. The Heat have won 16 in a row against Toronto and nine straight against Phoenix. ... The Heat are 10-1 against the Atlantic Division.
Knicks: Rookie Cleanthony Early was given his second start of the season. He was 1 of 7 for two points. ... Guard Shane Larkin missed the game with strep throat.
UP NEXT
Heat: Host New Orleans on Saturday.
Knicks: Host Cleveland on Sunday.
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