Another game with juice: Knicks-Heat at MSG
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - One down, one to go.
The Knicks may have picked up a few more believers Wednesday night with their gut-wrenching 118-116 loss to the Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Friday night at the Garden, they have a chance to do it again against the Heat and the man the fans thought left them at the altar, LeBron James.
These are the types of games that build contenders, Amar'e Stoudemire said.
"Any time you play against the top team, it brings out the best in you - in all of us, actually," Stoudemire said. "It should be another great game.''
The Knicks (16-10) were lauded for the streak in which they won eight straight and 13 of 14 before losing to the Celtics, but it also was observed that they hadn't faced the NBA's elite. Only three of the Knicks' wins have come against teams that currently have winning records - the Bulls, Hornets and Nuggets. Knocking off the Heat (19-8), which has won 10 straight, would quiet the skeptics for the time being.
And this isn't just any top team the Knicks are facing. James is the only visiting player other than Michael Jordan with multiple 50-point games at the Garden (52, 50). And the Heat's Dwyane Wade has scored 55 against the Knicks, although that was in Miami.
"In order to earn respect, it takes time,'' Stoudemire said. "It takes you to play teams [like Miami] in order to get that from other teams. We're not quite where we want to be yet, but we are somewhat ahead of schedule."
James, who spurned the Knicks on national television to join Wade and Chris Bosh with the Heat, is making his first appearance at the Garden in a Miami uniform. As well as the Knicks have played, Stoudemire couldn't avoid the rash of questions from reporters about James' decision to sign with Miami in July after Stoudemire signed with the Knicks.
"I wasn't too concerned about LeBron at that point in time," he said. "I made the correct decision on my behalf and based on my family situation."
He added, "I figure as long as we keep winning and keep having success, that's what the fans want to see. That's what is most important in New York. So LeBron right now is in Miami and we're in New York. It's going to be a battle.''
James, Wade and Bosh won't be the only stars on the court. Stoudemire has scored at least 30 points in each of the last nine games, a franchise record, and is averaging 34.4 in that span. He is at 26.7 points per game for the season, tying him with Kobe Bryant for second place in the NBA behind the Thunder's Kevin Durant (27.5).
The Knicks-Celtics tilt was called the Knicks' biggest regular-season game in nearly 10 years. Even Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said "the answer is no" when he was asked if there had been a more anticipated game since his arrival.
So how much bigger is the Heat game? Stoudemire expects a playoff-type atmosphere.
"It was a high-energy game. The crowd was electric in there," Stoudemire said of the loss to the Celtics. "We expect the same type of reaction.''
