Shaquille O'Neal had 33 points and 17 rebounds and Dwyane Wade scored 30 points as the Miami Heat recorded their franchise-record 15th consecutive home win, a 97-82 triumph over the Knicks.
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Looking to avoid a season-series sweep by Miami for the first time, New York opened with a 10-2 run. But with the Knicks ahead, 15-6, Eddie Jones scored five points during a 10-0 burst that gave the Heat a 16-15 edge with 4:11 to go in the first quarter.
"We just keep fighting and fighting," Wade said. "Teams come out hot against us, but we stay focused."
Jones ended the period with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting but scored just two the rest of the way.
O'Neal, who scored nine points in the opening quarter, dominated the second, scoring the final six during a 12-0 burst that gave Miami a 45-27 cushion with 3½ minutes to go. The superstar center also added the next four points for the Heat, outscoring the entire Knicks team, 10-6, over a 3½-minute span.
"I had a horrible first quarter, but then I picked it up and was able to take control inside," O'Neal said. "I tried to stay focused and when my chances come, I make the most of them."
New York began the third quarter with a 14-4 spurt that made it 55-48 with 7:24 remaining.
"We didn't come in here and lay down," Knicks guard Stephon Marbury said. "We could have easily shut it down when they went up, but we didn't. We continued to fight against a very good team."
But Wade scored seven points during an 8-1 run that inflated the lead to 63-49 with 4:33 to go.
The performances by O'Neal and Wade marked the first time in nearly 10 years the Heat have had two players reach the 30-point plateau in the same game. Against Philadelphia on April 21, 1995, Glen Rice scored 36 points and Khalid Reeves added 32.
"It's something I think can be done a lot more times now because we have a feel for each other on the court and the chemistry is definitely there," Wade said.
"It's good we came out and led the team, but this is a team game and we were able to get the other guys involved, and that's the important thing," O'Neal added.
Heat coach Stan Van Gundy was very impressed with the duo.
"Dwyane and Shaq were obviously fantastic," he said. "Tonight, they just rose above everyone else."
"They can be a championship team," Knicks coach Herb Williams said. "I don't think anyone has the personnel to contain (O'Neal and Wade)."
Miami cruised in the fourth quarter en route to its 12th straight win overall.
The Heat have not lost at home since an overtime setback to Indiana on Jan. 21. Their last regulation loss at AmericanAirlines Arena came Jan. 3 to Seattle.
Udonis Haslem grabbed 16 boards for the Heat, who held the Knicks to 39 percent (33-of-85) shooting.
Marbury had 23 points and seven assists and Jamal Crawford scored 20 points for New York, which became the 10th team swept by Miami this season.
