LeBron’s big fourth quarter guides Heat past Knicks in Game 3

New York, NY, United States (AHN Sports) – LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 52 points and the Miami Heat once again used a big second-half to beat the New York Knicks, 87-70 and move one win away towards clinching their first round Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

There seems no stopping the Heat from moving to the next round of the Eastern Conference playoffs following another blowout victory against an increasingly frustrated Knicks.

James scored 17 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, Wade tallied 20 points and Mario Chalmers added 19 points on 5-for-8 3-point shooting to fuel another big fourth quarter explosion for the Heat.

Leading by just two points after three quarters, the Heat opened up the final period with 12 straight points from James and went on to outscore the Knicks, 29-14, in that pivotal quarter.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points on 7-for-23 shooting while 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler tallied 10 points, 15 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a losing effort for the Knicks, who is facing a 3-0 hole going into Sunday’s Game 4.

The Heat shot .426 percent on the floor and hounded the Knicks to just .319 percent shooting. Miami also dropped 11 treys while the Knicks’ usually efficient long range bombers shot just 4-for-20 from rainbow territory.

With the Knicks struggling with the absence of their injured stars Jeremy Lin (knee), Iman Shumpert (knee) and Amar’e Stoudemire (lacerated hands), the Heat could finish off their first-round series with the Knicks Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

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