Heat topples NY, advance to face Indiana

Wednesday Miami 106-94 New York Heat win series 4-1

Thursday, May 10, 2012

WednesdayMiami 106-94 New YorkHeat win series 4-1Memphis 92-80 LA ClippersClippers lead series 3-2MIAMI – LeBron James was still on the court, enjoying the moment after ousting the New York Knicks, when the first questions came about what’s next for the Miami Heat.For one day, Indiana can wait.Having Thursday off from practice is Miami’s first playoff prize, and although a five-game win over the Knicks might have seemed easy, the reigning Eastern Conference champions insisted afterward that it was more grinding than it appeared.James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points and the Heat beat the short-handed Knicks 106-94 in Game 5 of an East first-round series Wednesday night. Miami will host the Pacers in Game 1 of the East semifinals on Sunday afternoon.‘’Even though it was a five-game series,’’ Wade said, ‘’it was a very tough series.’’For the Heat, it was only the first step. They have one goal - getting back to the finals and winning it all - and that was likely why even beating the longtime rival Knicks prompted, at most, a subdued celebration.Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks, including a spinning jumper over James at the end of the third quarter that pulled New York within 81-67. It was far from being enough to stave off an all-too-familiar playoff result for Anthony, part of that 2003 draft class that also yielded James, Bosh and Wade.