Tonight, the Knicks will face the Miami Heat for the third time this season and second time at Madison Square Garden. In the previous two contests, Miami threw their stable of big men at Amar'e Stoudemire to great success, stifling New York's pick-and-roll and crashing the boards for a pair of convincing wins. Save for a few stretches, the elite Heat defense has been able to slow the Knicks' fast-paced attack so far this season.
While they try and adjust to the stalwart Heat on one end, the Knicks will get a bit of relief on the other. Miami will play without Chris Bosh, who did not travel to New York as he recovers from a sprained left ankle. Bosh torched the Knicks in the past two games, so Wilson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire should be able to concentrate on help defense and rebounding a little more than usual. With LeBron James and (a bespectacled) Dwyane Wade handling the ball, the Knick wings will need all the help they can get.
New York's attempt at building a new streak (of the winning variety) will tip off at 8 PM tonight and will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
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