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Knicks and Heat renew rivalry in South Beach

Jan 27, 2012 - 4:24 PM (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony was unable to explain the Knicks' offensive troubles following their most recent defeat. New York will need to a quick fix this evening as they visit one of the league's top-scoring teams in the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.

The Knicks rank 15th in the league with 94.5 points per game and have lost seven of their past eight games. They have been held to 93 points or less in six of those setbacks, including Wednesday's 91-81 defeat in Cleveland.

After netting just one point and shooting 0-for-7 from the floor in Tuesday's 111-78 win at Charlotte that snapped New York's six-game slide, Carmelo Anthony netted just 15 points versus the Cavaliers and did not have an answer for his club's struggles.

"I can't really put my finger on it right now," said Anthony, who shot 5-of-14 versus the Cavs. "We'll get back and look at it to see what happened. But right now, I can't even think about it."

New York, which plays the third of a four-game swing this evening, got 19 points and 14 rebounds from Amare Stoudemire, his eight double-double of the year and third in four games.

Anthony has continued to play through a sore thumb as well as wrist and ankle issues and New York has decided to sit down the All-Star for tonight's game as well as Saturday's contest in Houston.

"I was trying to be a super hero but I was hurting the team," Anthony told the New York Daily News.

The Knicks will also have to wait at least two more games for the debut of point guard Baron Davis. The 32-year-old, who signed with New York on Dec. 19, has yet to play as he recovers from a back injury, and was ruled out of this weekend's games by coach Mike D'Antoni early Friday.

The Heat were one team that showed interest in Davis after he was waived by the Cavaliers, but they have been just fine without the veteran. Miami is a half-game up on Atlanta for first place in the Southeast Division and is averaging the second-most points per game in the league with 104.4.

Coming off a 4-1 homestand, the Heat picked up a 101-98 victory in Detroit on Wednesday. James scored 32 points and netted the final six from the foul line to seal the win, which halted a three-game road losing streak.

"It was a gutty finish," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "It doesn't matter. I said that last night that it doesn't matter how you get there. One way or another whether you're playing well or not playing well or the games going your way or the games going up and down. It's very competitive and at the moment of truth in the last two or three minutes we were able to get a couple consecutive shots and be able to get some triggers."

Chris Bosh added 27 points for the Heat, who were without Dwyane Wade for a sixth straight contest due to a left foot injury. Wade is day-to-day and could play tonight, while Miami has gone 8-1 without its star guard this season.

Bosh, meanwhile, has scored at least 20 points in a season-high four straight contests, while James is second in the league with 29.1 points per game.

The Heat and Knicks split their four meetings last year, with Wade averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in the four encounters, while James had 25.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in the season series.

Stoudemire had 23.5 points and 9.8 rebounds and per game in the four contests for a New York club that had lost seven straight to Cleveland before winning the final two encounters.