Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
Carmelo Anthony, who scores 35 points, exits first round of the playoffs yet again as Knicks lose series, 4-1.
MIAMI -- There will not be a repeat of the 1999 lockout season when the Knicks, starting with first round upset over the Miami Heat, ended up in the NBA Finals.
Their tumultuous strike-shortened year, one that included the phenomenon known as Linsanity, a coaching change and an actual playoff victory, ended Wednesday night at approximately 9:20 EST. The championship drought, meanwhile, is now 39 years and counting.
Instead, LeBron James’ quest for his first title is very much alive and well after James led the Heat to a 106-94 Game 5 victory. The Heat opens their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers at home on Sunday.
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As for the Knicks, they have now gone 12 years without winning a playoff series and are led by two players, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, who are now 1-8 in playoff games since joining the club last season.
Anthony scored 35 points on 31 shots and Stoudemire, who cut his hand in a fit of rage after Game 2 and was forced to miss Game 3, added 14 points before fouling out in 31 minutes. Even one of the Knicks most reliable players, Tyson Chandler, had a poor finish. The newly minted Defensive Player of the Year was never a factor.
LeBron led the Heat with 29 points while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each scored 19.
The Knicks, of course, drew a difficult first round opponent and their chances took a major hit when rookie Iman Shumpert suffered a season-ending knee injury in Game 1. They then lost their starting point guard, Baron Davis, to a catastrophic knee injury in Game 4.
With Jeremy Lin not willing to play at what he described himself “85 percent healthy,†head coach Mike Woodson started veteran Mike Bibby who has a lot of pride but not much left in the tank.
Point guard will be a position the Knicks will be looking to upgrade over the summer. Lin is expected to be re-signed but the Knicks want a veteran floor leader, preferably a starter. Steve Nash is the desired target while Jason Kidd would be a good consolation prize.
Woodson, as the Daily News reported on Tuesday, is already in negotiations to return as coach. His top priority will be finding a way for Anthony and Stoudemire to be a winning combination. The Knicks have a losing record when the two are in the lineup dating back to when Anthony was acquired in February 2011.
The Knicks will have to make tough decisions on free agents J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. Smith is a favorite of Woodson’s and he scored 12 points in Game 5. Novak was a revelation during the regular season but Miami made the 3-point specialist a non-factor in the series. Novak didn’t even attempt a shot in 12 minutes last night.
Woodson had been through the playoff wars with Bibby in Atlanta and had no reservations about starting the veteran point guard. His faith was rewarded with Bibby scoring eight first quarter points as the Knicks opened up a six-point lead.
Still, it was a bad sign that Miami, despite LeBron and Wade both failing to produce a single field goal, managed to lead 28-24 after 12 minutes. Miami extended its lead to 44-34 when LeBron drove past Smith for a dunk. Stoudemire, who had one foul at the time, elected not to use his second and allowed LeBron to go unmolested to the hoop.
The crowd was revved up but just when it looked like the Knicks may be teetering, Anthony scored four quick points and Stoudemire’s driving dunk made it 44-40 with three minutes left in the second quarter.
But all the Knicks could produce the rest of the half were two baskets from Anthony while Miami closed out the quarter on an 11-4 run, including the final five points from Wade who had been passive throughout much of the half.
Stoudemire, who had just six first half points, came out more aggressive and scored the Knicks first four points of the third quarter. However, from the 8:59 mark of the period to the 6:41 mark he picked up three fouls, giving him a total of five and he was on the bench.
Woodson went to rookie Josh Harrellson for a brief spell and the Knicks managed to keep it close. However, after Anthony missed an open three â€" his most wide open look of the series â€" LeBron feed Wade for a lay-up that made it 71-58 with 3:48 left in the third.
Woodson called time out and drew up a play for Anthony, who hit a pull-up over LeBron. But over the next two minutes, Miami scored seven straight points including five from LeBron. Anthony contributed to the run by arguing his way into a technical foul.
The Heat’s lead was suddenly 78-60 before the Knicks closed out the quarter on a 7-3 run culminating with Anthony’s contested jumper over LeBron at the buzzer. But the Knicks never challenged in the fourth quarter, falling behind by as many as 19 while losing their seventh game to Miami this season.
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