NBA Scores: Heat, James puts damper on NY Knicks playoff push

Miami Beach - Miami is looking to win the top spot in the Eastern Conference and they took another step towards that goal with a 102-91 victory over the NY Knicks in NBA action on Sunday.

LeBron James led the way for the Heat, scoring a game high 38 points, despite reports of the All Star forward having trouble getting his day started. Carmelo Anthony played hurt and it showed in the second half, but J.R. Smith tried to carry the Knicks, setting a league record with 22 3-point shots in the game, including eleven in the final quarter. Smith finished the game with 32 points as 'Melo' failed to try a field goal attempt over the final twelve minutes of play. Mario Chambers added 15 points and Chris Bosh scored 14 in the Miami victory. The Heat are now 53-23 on the season and holding a slim .5 game lead over Indiana. The loss was costly for New York, dropping their record to 33-45 and 1.5 games behind Atlanta for the eighth and final NBA Playoff seed in the East.