The Miami Heat are ahead after one, as expected, but they'll have to keep working the rest of the way. It's still tight after one quarter, with Miami leading 21-16 over the New York Knicks.
Center Bam Adebayo has led the way so far for the Heat, as he has four points and two assists in addition to five boards and two blocks. New York hasn't had any offensive standouts so far with all players held to five points or fewer.
This is the first time Miami has been ahead going into the second quarter in the past seven games.
Miami @ New York
Current Records: Miami 22-24; New York 24-22
The Miami Heat will take on the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday at Madison Square Garden after having had a few days off. New York will be strutting in after a win while the Heat will be stumbling in from a loss.
Miami was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap this past Friday as they fell 110-105 to the Charlotte Hornets. The top scorers for Miami were small forward Jimmy Butler (20 points) and shooting guard Duncan Robinson (20 points).
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, New York beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-96 this past Saturday. Among those leading the charge for New York was shooting guard Alec Burks, who shot 6-for-12 from downtown and finished with a double-double on 21 points and ten boards in addition to five assists.
The Heat are the favorite in this one, with an expected 3.5-point margin of victory. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past six games, so buyers beware.
Miami is now 22-24 while the Knicks sit at 24-22. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Miami have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 44.60%, which places them second in the league. But New York is even better: they have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 44.30%, which places them first in the league. We'll see if that edge gives New York a route to victory.
The Heat are a 3.5-point favorite against the Knicks, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Heat as a 4-point favorite.
Over/Under: -111
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Miami have won 12 out of their last 18 games against New York.
