(Reuters) – The Miami Heat hammered the final nail into the injury-ravaged New York Knicks’ coffin with a 106-94 win to clinch their place in the second round of the NBA playoffs, while the Grizzlies avoided elimination by beating the Clippers in Memphis.
Missing Iman Shumpert, Baron Davis and Jeremy Lin through injury, while Amar’e Stoudemire played with a badly cut hand, the Knicks had staved off elimination on Sunday but could not repeat the feat in Game Five in Miami.
After Sunday’s loss, when Dwyane Wade missed a three-pointer on the final possession that would have closed out the series, the Heat were determined not to give the Knicks a sniff of hope on Wednesday.
LeBron James scored 29 points while Wade netted 19 as the Heat wrapped up the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series 4-1 to set up a second-round matchup with Indiana.
“They do an unbelievable job,” James said of the Pacers. “We will savor this win tonight, but then get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana.”
Carmelo Anthony, who scored 41 points in Game Four, scored 35 to lead the seventh-seeded Knicks.
