New York ended its four-game road trip in disappointing fashion as it suffered a stinging nine-point defeat to the Orlando Magic. The Knicks will look for a much better performance later tonight when they host arch-rivals Miami at the famed Madison Square Garden.
Who will emerge victorious in this Eastern Conference clash? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this NBA matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Preview
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
When: Friday, November 27, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Miami Heat (-1.5) at New York Knicks (+1.5); total: 188.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Miami Heat (9-5)
The Miami Heat had their three-game unbeaten run snapped on Wednesday with a humiliating 104-81 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Heat had no answer for Andre Drummond who had 18 points, 20 rebounds and a season-high five blocks. The Heat have now lost their last two games against the Pistons.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Heat will look to return to winning ways tonight when they face the New York Knicks. For Miami to accomplish that feat, it needs to improve on its play on the offensive end. Their 81-point output against the Pistons was their lowest of the season. The onus then is on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to pick up their play tonight. They combined for just 11 points on a woeful 4-of-18 shooting in the loss to Detroit. That’s a far cry from their performance in their previous game against the Knicks where they each nabbed 16 points. Bosh and Wade lead Miami in scoring this season, averaging 17.3 and 17.2 points respectively.
Defense will also play a key part in Miami’s victory bid tonight. The Heat lead the league in field goal percentage defense this season with opponents shooting at a lowly 40.5 percent clip. They displayed that defensive prowess in their first meeting with the Knicks this season, holding New York to just 32.2 percent shooting from the field.
The Heat are 7-0 in their last seven meetings with the Knicks.
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Betting on the New York Knicks (8-8)
The New York Knicks crashed to their second consecutive defeat with a gut-wrenching 100-91 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. It was a disappointing result for the Knicks who shot just 37.3 percent from the field.
The Knicks will look to get their season back on track when they face the Miami Heat tonight. For the Knicks to snap their losing skid this evening, they will need their reserves to step up their play. New York’s bench was 3-for-20 from the field against the Magic and scored only 12 points. The Knicks’ reserves have scored just 22 points and shot just 7-for-47 from the field in their last two games.
New York’s bench may be struggling right now but the same can’t be said about star forward Carmelo Anthony. He poured in 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in that nine-point loss to the Magic. That was Anthony’s fourth double-double of the year. He leads the team in scoring this season, averaging 22.8 points per game.
Another player who’s expected to play a key role for the Knicks tonight is prized rookie Kristaps Porzingis. He has been a revelation for the Knicks this campaign, averaging 13.4 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds per game. He scored 20 points and hauled in 14 boards in New York’s first meeting with Miami this season.
The Knicks are 3-4 SU and ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
New York wins, 96-89.
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