First round of Knicks-Heat would be treat

NEWARK -- LeBron James considers himself a fan and a student of the game, so it was no big surprise Sunday when he said he has been paying close attention to the teams jockeying for the lower playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference. What was a surprise is that James doesn't care whom Miami plays in the first round.

"Doesn't matter," James said before a 31-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist effort in the Heat's 108-94 win over the Nets. "I don't care, personally."

Well, he should.

The one team that could give the Heat a series clinched its playoff berth Sunday night right across the river from here.

Knicks-Heat is the one first-round series every Knicks fan should want to see, and with less than two weeks to go in the regular season, it remains a distinct possibility. Of all the Knicks' possible first-round opponents -- the Celtics, the Heat and the Bulls -- Miami is the most intriguing for historical, matchup and story-line reasons.

The teams have a lot in common. Each boasts a pair of players among the top 15 in the league. Each lacks size. And each is composed of new players who are struggling to understand their roles and trying to jell.

OK, maybe it would be more accurate to say the Knicks have two of the league's top 15 players in Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and Miami has two of the top three in James and Dwyane Wade. But that only lends some David-and-Goliath excitement to the matchup.

Except for Kobe Bryant, no one is a better closer than Wade. He's the only one of the four to have won an NBA title and generally is a force at the end of games. James is the best all-around player in the league.

So why should Miami fear the Knicks? Well, the No. 1 reason is that the Knicks beat them at home this season.

OK, the Knicks' 91-86 victory in Miami remains inexplicable on many levels, most notably on the level that the Knicks, who had been together for less than a week, were a better team on defense. But the win does bring up some questions about the Heat's ability to execute down the stretch. It also gives the Knicks a feeling that anything is possible heading into the series.

It's hard to imagine a first-round matchup with more story lines: the LeBron Drama, the Melo drama, a court full of superstars, the revival of one of the fiercest NBA rivalries, flashbacks of Jeff Van Gundy riding Alonzo Mourning's leg . . . the list goes on and on.

Miami (54-23) clinched its division championship Sunday and is most likely to play either the Knicks or 76ers. Since suffering a five-game losing streak last month, Miami has won nine of its last 11.

Like James, Wade said he doesn't really care whom his team plays, but he does know which playoff opponent would be the most exciting.

"It would be great for the game of basketball if Miami and New York play," he said. "The story lines, the history, the players. There can be a lot talked about. It really brings a lot of excitement to the first round of the playoffs. Both teams would love it."

So would the fans.