AROUND THE NBA

Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley made a possibly offensive remark in discussing the large number of ex-New Yorkers in south Florida who root for the Knicks instead of the Heat.

When asked about Heat owner Micky Arison’s comments in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel regarding his disappointment that many ex-New Yorkers continue to root for their old team, Riley said he had also noticed and hoped they would become Heat fans.

“We’re tracking them closely,” he said. “If they have residence in Miami more than three months, we’re going to send a Gestapo group out to their house, OK.”

South Florida has a large Jewish population, making Riley’s joke in questionable taste.

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Heat point guard Tim Hardaway, still bothered because of a sprained left foot, will start today but won’t talk about his injury anymore. Asked if he still plans to play in the Olympics, he was noncommittal.

“I’m not talking. If I do, I do. If I don’t, I don’t,” he said.

However, he was a bit more forthcoming about the series. “Of course, we’ve got to figure a way to get more points on the board,” he said of the Heat, which has averaged 80.8 points, compared with 83 for the Knicks. “The first to 80 will win in our series.”