Heat clamp down on defense, destroy Knicks

MIAMI - The Miami Heat have not had any player score more than 30 points all season.

On Monday night, no Heat player had more than 16.

Yet, because of an improving defense, the Heat defeated the New York Knicks 95-78 on Monday night at American Airlines Arena.

Miami, spurred by a 36-8 run in the first half, led by as many as 26 points and held on rather comfortably. The Heat snapped the Knicks' four-game win streak, holding them to 32-percent shooting from the floor.

"They are a good defensive team, that's one part of it -- they make it difficult for you to score," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said when asked about his team's offense's futility.

"And, offensively, we weren't as organized. We were trying to take it to them instead of reading the defense and seeing what was available."

Miami (9-4), which starts a two-game road trip Wednesday at the Detroit Pistons, finished a highly successful 6-1 homestand.

The Heat got 16 points each from guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh.

"It's just about the team -- it's not about the numbers," Wade said of the unimpressive offensive statistics.

Heat center Hassan Whiteside had 11 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high five blocks, and point guard Goran Dragic added 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

"It was fitting that there wasn't a quote-unquote star of the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was more of a group effort. Our defense was probably our best of this homestand."

It was Miami's seventh straight win in its rivalry with the Knicks, tying a franchise record for the series.

The Heat cooled off the Knicks but not 7-3 rookie power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who stayed hot with 20 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and two blocks. It was his seventh double-double of the season.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 21 points and added eight rebounds.

New York (8-7), which ends its four-game trip on Wednesday at the Orlando Magic, got just 10 points from its bench.

Miami's reserves totaled 30 points, including 12 from guard Tyler Johnson, who said there was a reason why the Heat defended so well against New York.

"It was the communication," Johnson said. "You could hear everybody talking."

Johnson made one highlight play -- and nearly another. He got one rebound/dunk, all in one motion. But the other time he tried the move, he soared over Wade and missed the dunk.

The first shot attempted in Monday's game was by Porzingis, who drained a 3-pointer. However, the Heat closed the first quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 26-19 advantage into the second period.

Bridging into the second quarter, Miami extended its run to 29-4. The Heat took a 52-30 advantage into halftime.

New York shot just 29 percent from the floor in the first half, and the Heat reserves outscored the Knicks backups, 19-0. In fact, New York's substitutes missed all 10 shots they took.

"Our activity level wasn't high enough in the first half," Fisher said. "When you are playing from behind as long as we were, it's tough to do on the road or anywhere. We made it too hard on ourselves."

New York got as close as 12 points in the fourth quarter, but Miami was never seriously threatened, thanks to its relentless defense.

"It's not easy defending in this league," Spoelstra said. "There are so many good, talented offensive players and teams, and the way they spread you out now, it takes a full team commitment."

Wade credits Spoelstra and Whiteside as two keys in Miami's ability to get stops.

"We knew (that by) having a great shot blocker (Whiteside), we could be a good defensive team," Wade said. "(Spoelstra) did a couple of tweaks in what we've been doing. And in this early part of the season, it's been working for us."

NOTES: Heat SF Luol Deng started despite a nagging hamstring injury. He is just 10th on his team in fourth-quarter minutes, making way for rookie SF Justise Winslow, who is second behind PF Chris Bosh in fourth-quarter minutes. ... The Heat trio of PF Amar'e Stoudemire, C Chris Andersen and PF Udonis Haslem has played a combined total of 48 minutes all season. ... Knicks rookie PF Kristaps Porzingis, who was booed by New York fans after getting picked fourth in the NBA Draft, was excellent in two recent games - 29 points, 11 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets and 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks against the Houston Rockets. ... Against Houston, Porzingis, 20, tied Lonnie Shelton's franchise record for most blocks in one game, set in the 1976-77 season.