James and Heat put away Knicks
LeBron James decided not to play in New York two summers ago. He won't be playing there any more this season, either.
LeBron James decided not to play in New York two summers ago. He won't be playing there any more this season, either.
The Knicks have been put away, and the Miami Heat are headed to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points and the Heat ousted the Knicks, 106-94, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Wednesday night in Miami.
Miami won the series four games to one, and will meet Indiana in the East semifinals starting Sunday in Miami.
"We will savor this win tonight," James said. "And then we get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana."
Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks, including a spinning jumper over James at the end of the third quarter that pulled New York within 81-67.
It wasn't enough to stave off an all-too-familiar playoff result for Anthony, who was chosen two spots behind James and immediately ahead of Bosh and Wade in the 2003 NBA draft. Anthony has been in 11 postseason series, winning just two, the won-lost record of his teams in those games a mere 17-37.
Amar'e Stoudemire scored 14 points before fouling out, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith both scored 12 and Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds for New York.
Nuggets staying alive
The Denver Nuggets have crept back into their series with the Los Angeles Lakers by outrunning and outgunning their older opponents.
The Nuggets will try to run them ragged again Thursday night in Game 6 in Denver, where the mile-high altitude can be a big fatigue factor for a team long in the tooth like the star-studded Lakers.
It worked great at sea level Tuesday night with elder statesman Andre Miller feeding raw 7-foot center JaVale McGee, whose athleticism and mind-boggling array of dunks made L.A.'s two 7-footers look like they were moving in slow motion.
The Nuggets avoided elimination with a 102-99 win in Game 5 thanks to McGee, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Miller, who scored 24 points and dished out eight assists before making his biggest contribution: guarding Bryant on the Lakers' final, futile possession.
- Associated Press