MIAMI _ An argument could be made that this game actually was won Monday night in Memphis, when the Miami Heat walked off the court at FedExForum after being stunned by the Grizzlies for their first _ and now still only _ loss this season to a team with losing record.
That one came after the emotional high of a road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Friday night's game came after a road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Pity the New York Knicks, victimized by a 129-114 count by the Heat, with the Heat improving to 11-1 against teams with losing records and 12-1 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
"The objective is to play your best basketball and win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the Heat improved to 21-8 and dropped the Knicks to 7-22. "And you're not always going to dominate. If you're trying to look for a knockout punch early or shortcuts to the process, to our game, then you're asking for trouble."
The Heat promptly went out and delivered an early knockout, pushing to a 21-point first-quarter lead, going up 70-47 at halftime and then taking a 34-point edge in the third period before an inordinate amount of garbage time.
There were 20 points from Bam Adebayo, 18 from Duncan Robinson, 13 rebounds from Meyers Leonard, 10 rebounds from Kelly Olynyk, 18 points and eight assists from Goran Dragic, and nine points and eight assists from Jimmy Butler, a rout produced on a night Butler took only three shots.
Bobby Portis led the Knicks with 30 points off the bench.
In building their 21-point first-quarter lead and taking a 39-20 edge into the second period, the Heat played the opening 12 minutes with 14 assists on their 15 baskets. Six of those assists came from Butler, the most by a Heat player in the quarter this season.
The Heat's lone unassisted first-quarter basket was a driving layup by Tyler Herro, with the Heat playing those first 12 minutes without a turnover.
It was the fifth time this season the Heat had a lead of 20 or more in a first quarter.
The halftime score marked the fifth time the Heat have scored 70 or more in a first half this season, after previously doing so 11 in the franchise's previous 31 seasons.
Dragic was back in the Heat rotation after missing the previous nine games with a groin strain.
Dragic played as the Heat's second reserve, entering after Derrick Jones Jr. and promptly hitting Jones with perfect pair of alley-oop passes for dunks, two of his five first-half assists.
