Knicks Can’t Take the Heat

The fast-paced, high-scoring Miami Heat of this young season reverted to its old ways Sunday night, defeating the New York Knicks on the road.

Alonzo Mourning scored 25 points and Miami once again got physical to defeat the hated Knicks, 94-88, in the first meeting between the teams since the Knicks ousted the Heat in last season’s playoffs.

“We have been playing them for three or four years now,” said Mourning, whose fight with Larry Johnson in the playoffs two seasons ago exemplifies the bad blood between the teams. “They know our plays, we know their plays. We really contained them. We all did what we had to do to come out with the win.”

The Heat (6-1), off its best start, trailed for only eight seconds early in the first quarter and trailed for only 4:33 during a five-game winning streak.

Miami had scored more than 100 points in five games--once more than all of last year--and were the highest-scoring NBA team at 110.7 points per game.

Sunday, the defense held Latrell Sprewell to six points on two-for-14 shooting and the Knicks to 38%.

Philadelphia 93, Toronto 90--Allen Iverson scored 30 points, including eight in a row in a key fourth-quarter spurt, as the 76ers ended the Raptors four-game winning streak with a victory at Toronto.

The 76ers led by as many as 19 in the third quarter, but the Raptors had a 16-2 run at the end of the third and trimmed the deficit to one at the start of the fourth.

Iverson was taken out of the game during the run, and instead of going over to the bench, he sat alongside the baseline with a towel draped over his head.

Two minutes later Iverson was back in the game and sparked a 12-4 run with eight consecutive points that gave the 76ers a 90-79 lead.

Sacramento 126, Denver 116--Chris Webber had 32 points and 12 rebounds as the Kings defeated the Nuggets at Sacramento.

The game was tied at 95 after three quarters, but the Kings opened the fourth with a 14-5 run to take the lead for good. The Nuggets have only five road victories in the last three-plus seasons.