New York @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2017 ) Miami 86, New York 115

The Miami Heat are getting healthier while piling up victories and hope to continue that trend Friday night when they host the struggling New York Knicks, who won the first meeting this season by 29 points. The Heat have won five of seven and nine of their last 13 after outlasting Detroit 111-104 on Wednesday as guards Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson led the way again.

“We’re grinding. We see progress,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after his team moved three games over .500 for the first time (20-17) since the end of the 2015-16 season. “Guys played with confidence in the second half (Wednesday). You always like to see that.” The Knicks will have to control the backcourt duo of Richardson and Dragic, who combined for 46 points against Detroit, if they are to snap out of a tailspin that has seen them lose six of the past seven contests. New York was outscored by 17 points in the second half during a 121-103 loss at Washington on Wednesday night, dropping to 3-13 on the road in its fifth game in an eight-day span. “It was tough mentally for us,” Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis told reporters after the loss. “Our energy wasn’t there. Coach said they had three days of rest. They came out fresh. We didn’t have it for the second half.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE KNICKS (18-20): Porzingis had 16 points Wednesday, but is just 10-of-32 from the field the last two games and admitted he is tired, while center Enes Kanter has drained 11 of his 15 attempts from the floor in the same span. Forward Michael Beasley came off the bench to lead the way with 20 points against Washington and has connected on 30 of his 54 shots from the field while scoring 19 per game in his last four outings. Backup center Kyle O’Quinn notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s setback.

ABOUT THE HEAT (20-17): Dragic is averaging 24.5 points and 10.5 assists in the last two games after a poor outing against Brooklyn (3-for-12 from the floor) in a loss and Richardson is scoring 20.1 per contest over his past nine appearances. Forward James Johnson returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury and contributed 16 points in 24 minutes. “He put in a lot of time,” Spoelstra said of Johnson. “You could tell he’s not 100 percent with his timing and fluidity. We’re a totally different team when he’s out there.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. New York SF Doug McDermott is shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range overall, but is 3-for-16 from behind the arc the last five games.

2. Miami C Kelly Olynyk had 25 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday for his second double-double in four games and third of the season.

3. Kanter had 22 points and 14 rebounds and the Knicks shot 60.3 percent from the field in the 115-86 win over the Heat on Nov. 29.

PREDICTION: Heat 104, Knicks 94