Miami Heat looking to sweep past the New York Knicks in Game 4
- NBA Playoffs 2012 Preview
With the Miami Heat holding a 3-0 lead over the New York Knicks in the first round series of this Eastern Conference series, the Game 4, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday night at the Madison Square Garden, has a lot on
the line for both teams.
For the Heat, it will be a good way to sweep past the Knicks to earn some well deserved rest for the second round with their opponents being the winner of the series between the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic.
On the other hand, the Knicks face a daunting task of coming from a 3-0 deficit in the series a feat which has never been accomplished in the history of the NBA. Along with their playoff campaign being on the line, Knicks will
also look to end the worst losing streak in the post season, currently listed at 13
Interim Coach, Mike Woodson is well aware of the fact and accepted that the work is cut out for his team;
"Our backs are against the wall and we are desperately trying to make a series out of this, and the only way to do it is we've got to win Game 4 to force Game 5, and our fans deserve a win and this organization deserves a win,
so we've got to go out and give it all we can." – Woodson
Miami find themselves in this strong position courtesy of strong showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. The duo has especially been dynamic in the clutch and has infused its energy to the team, which has outhustled the Knicks
in every aspect of the game.
LeBron who has averaged 27.7 points in the series will look to put up a similar performance to help his team clinch the series. However, winning Game 4 will not be an easy task for them as the Knicks will look to salvage something
out of the post season.
According to Wade, the Heat are well aware of a backlash and will go in the game irrespective of the prior results;
"We're just trying to come in, take each game as its own game at a time and not look at it like we're up 3-0 “
Even though the Heat`s dominating margin wins depict a completely assertive picture, however the last game could have gone either way, had it not been for Wade`s 12 points in the third period and James exquisite display of 17 points
in the final quarter of the game. The Knicks played some excellent defence in the first half and if they can carry on the intensity throughout the entire 48 minutes, they might just be able to shackle the resurgent men from South Beach.
Game 3 was a tough loss for the Knicks who in recent times seemed to be doomed with early round exits from the playoffs. They will surely be looking up to their star player Carmelo Anthony, who has averaged 21 points per game in
the series, to put out a spirited performance. However with Amare` Stoudemire a game time decision and not much of a support coming from the rest of the roster, Anthony has his work cut out big time.
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