Wade scores 30 as Heat slips by Knicks

NEW YORK — There were green jerseys and red jerseys, with snowflakes sewn onto shoulder straps.

There certainly was plenty of Christmas in the air Friday at Madison Square Garden.

There just weren’t a lot of points.

For the Heat, it is becoming a way of life. But it isn’t necessarily becoming a problem.

Overcoming erratic offense for the second consecutive game, the Heat slipped past the Knicks, 93-87, to move three games above .500 for the first time since Dec. 1, at 15-12.

“Of late, it might be ugly games,” guard Dwyane Wade said, “but, for us, it’s been great.”

Wade made sure the holiday cheer endured by scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter, re-entering the game after assistant coach David Fizdale told him, “Take us home.”

With Wade leading the Heat with 30 points and power forward Michael Beasley adding 19, the Heat won for the fourth time in five games.

“We’re learning how to grind out these games,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The grind, of course, is easier with Wade there at the finish.

“When you get down to the end and it’s pretty close,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said, “you’re risking that he can just take over the game.”

A game after holding a 32-30 halftime lead in an 80-70 victory over the Jazz, the Heat his time led 41-37 at the break.

But as chilly as it might have been for the Heat with its 42.7-percent overall shooting, it was downright frigid for the Knicks, who shot 5 of 28 on 3-pointers.

Winning ugly is looking just fine to Spoelstra.

“The alternative just wasn’t working for us,” Spoelstra said. “We’re not a team that can come out and spar. We have to be on edge.”

When it won Wednesday against the Jazz, the Heat’s 36-percent shooting was its fifth-lowest in a victory. This time it won despite shooting 2 of 12 on 3-pointers.

While forward Danilo Gallinari led the Knicks with 26 points, his performance included 3-of-11 3-point shooting.

The most consistent Knicks performance was turned in by former Florida center David Lee, who recorded his 14th double-double of the season, with 19 points and 16 rebounds. He exited impressed with the Heat’s defensive effort.

“They packed the lane and forced us to take jump shots,” said Lee, whose team finished with a season-low 11 assists, compared to 18 turnovers.

The Knicks entered having won seven of eight.

The Heat is now 4-1 in Christmas Day games with Wade.

“Hopefully,” he said, “we’ll get another one next year.”

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