The New York Knicks found their range from beyond the three-point line to overcome a nine-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter and upset the visiting Miami Heat 93-88 on Thursday.
Two long-range jumpers each by Danilo Gallinari and rookie Landry Fields helped the Knicks battle back, the New Yorkers finishing on a 21-12 run, including the last four points of the game.
The victory was the second in a row for New York following a six-game losing skid.
Miami entered the game with the second best mark in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics and slipped to 31-14 with the loss.
Amar’e Stoudemire led New York with 24 points, while Gallinari poured in 20.
Backcourt man Fields played a brilliant all-round game, scoring 19 points and leading the Knicks with 13 rebounds.
Dwyane Wade finished with 34 points for Miami, while LeBron James, his fellow Eastern Conference All-Star starter, added 24 points but shot a sub-par seven-for-24.
“We have to give credit to them,” said James, who has produced some of his best performances on the Madison Square Garden stage. “There were a lot of shots that we missed that we are accustomed to making.”
Stoudemire said the Knicks won the game with defense.
“We played great defensively from the start,” Stoudemire told reporters after the Knicks avenged two earlier losses this season to the Heat in snapping a seven-game losing streak against Miami dating back to 2008. “The first two games we got caught by surprise at how fast they are. Tonight we put a total 48-minute game in.”
The Heat led 48-46 at the half over the usually up-tempo Knicks and stretched their lead to nine points off the hot shooting of Wade, who accounted for 14 straight Miami points during the third quarter as the Heat seized a 73-64 lead.
Wade sat at the start of the fourth quarter for his usual rest and never regained his rhythm once he returned.
After sinking 14 of 15 shots through three periods, Wade missed all seven he tried in the final quarter as the Knicks turned up the energy on offense and defense, limiting the Heat to just 15 points over the final 12 minutes.
MAVERICKS 111, ROCKETS 106
In Dallas, Tyson Chandler matched his season high with 21 points as Dallas hung on after wasting most of a 25-point first-half lead.
J.J. Barea scored 19 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 18 and Jason Terry had 15 for the Mavericks, who have won four of five following a six-game losing streak.
Luis Scola led Houston with 30 points and Kevin Martin had 27.
The Mavericks were ahead 64-47 at halftime, but Houston came back with 26-6 run in the third quarter.
The Rockets pulled to 104-103 with 51.8 seconds left when Scola completed a 12-2 run with a tip-in, but Barea hit a 13-footer with 32.9 seconds to go and Terry made two free throws to seal the victory.
CELTICS 88, TRAIL BLAZERS 78
In Portland, Ray Allen scored 18 points and Paul Pierce added 17 as Boston opened its West Coast road swing with a win over Portland.
Rajon Rondo had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Celtics, winners of seven of their last eight games.
Kevin Garnett added 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Kendrick Perkins had 10 points and nine rebounds in his second game back since tearing knee ligaments in last year’s NBA finals.
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