Miami @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 21, 2018 ) New York 98, Miami 119

The Miami Heat will begin the playoffs on the road and they have one final road test in the regular season Friday against the New York Knicks. The Heat won four of their last five games and entered Thursday in sixth place in the East, a half-game ahead of both Washington and Milwaukee.

Kelly Olynyk and Josh Richardson scored 19 points apiece as Miami won at Atlanta 115-86 its last time out to begin the final road trip of the season. "We're not going to shut this thing down," coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters when addressing various injuries. "We're not in that position right now. We're still playing for something. ... So, let's get to New York, evaluate how those guys are and evaluate how anybody else is. But we intend on playing it out. We can't control what the other teams can do, but we want to continue to play and compete and be ready." The Knicks have dropped six of seven, a stretch that began with a 119-98 loss at Miami. They matched their worst offensive output of the season in Tuesday's 97-73 home loss to Orlando.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE HEAT (43-36): With Goran Dragic (ankle), Dwyane Wade (wrist) and James Johnson (ankle) sidelined, Olynyk and Richardson took advantage of their opportunity to carry the load. They both shot 7-of-12 and combined to make 7-of-9 3-pointers, five of them from Olynyk. "I was kind of in the zone," Olynyk told the media. "I felt like whatever I threw up was going to go in."

ABOUT THE KNICKS (27-51): A humiliating home loss to a team like the Magic can make a team wonder what it has left, but some players were still talking about a strong finish. "I want to see pride. Everybody having an urgency and that fight to go out there to compete on every given night," guard Tim Hardaway Jr. told reporters. "What do we have to lose? Other teams destroyed our season, so let's do a good job of making these guys that are going to the playoffs next couple of games to make it difficult for them." Hardaway led the team with 16 points and made 1-of-7 3-pointers, part of the Knicks' 4-of-27 effort from beyond the arc.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. New York PG Trey Burke is averaging 22.4 points on 52.7 percent shooting in five starts.

2. Olynyk is 12-for-21 from 3-point range over a five-game span.

3. The Knicks won the first meeting in New York on Nov. 29 by a 115-86 margin.

PREDICTION: Heat 110, Knicks 102