Excellent first half for Heat

The Heat led the Knicks 54-31 after the first half in the opening game of its best-of-7 first-round series on Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

LeBron James finished the half with 23 points, including a 9-0 run by himself after being fouled hard by Tyson Chandler on an illegal screen in the open court. Chandler was initially ejected from the game for the foul but his flangrant-2 was downgraded after a review, allowing him to remain in the game. Still, it was Chandler's fourth foul of the first half.

The Knicks committed 21 fouls in the first half including six offensive fouls. Meanwhile, the Heat shot 21 of 28 from the free-throw line. James was 11 of 14 from the line.

The Heat held the Knicks to 32.4 percent shooting in the first half. Carmelo Anthony finished the half with seven points and was 1 of 9 from the field. Baron Davis led the Knicks with 10 points of 4 of 6 shooting.

Comments

[HotSauce]

That call was almost as ridiculous as Lebron's flop and subsequent tantrum. As good as that dude is, you'd never see that out of MJ, Kobe, Duncan, etc. I feel that the reason most folks don't put he and Wade in the NBA's list of elite leaders is their seemingly weak personas. Always floppin', always looking for calls.

[John Mourning]

Yeah.. you call that excellent? Fouling every player on the Knick team and not getting called? being protected by the ref's?

Go for your championship.. they want to hand ot to you..the Heat would be down by 20 if the ref's were not on your side.

[HotSauce]

I wouldn't go that far. Heat clearly the better team. But man they sure get the calls. And then still whine at after every missed shot because there should have been a foul.

[cool heat fan]

wow, what a bunch of whiny new york fans. you know, now that the shoe's on the other foot, things sure seem different.

every time a miami fan complains about refereeing, they get called whiners.

you can't have it both ways, you whiny new york fans. go cry on your own boards, losers.