The Miami Heat played hard, but it was no use.
Even though Shaquille O'Neal unleashed his full might for a couple of possessions, the Knicks countered by subbing in Jerome James to wear him down. They sent him to the free-throw line with fouls while continuing their barrage from the outside.
Miami was powerless to mount a comeback.
The loss was baffling, yet utterly decisive.
100–111.
They lost by 11 points.
They had made almost no mistakes. Aside from Shaquille O'Neal's slight drop in efficiency when he entered in the fourth quarter, they played at a high level the entire game. Even when the Knicks employed the Hack-a-Shaq strategy, O'Neal's free-throw percentage was nearly seventy percent.
So, the Miami Heat were defiant in defeat. They even left Madison Square Garden Arena with their heads held high.
'Su Xi had no idea what they were so proud of.'
'Are they taking a moral victory from the close score?'
'Or are they looking down on us for *only* winning by eleven points?'
