Knicks keep up inspired play, rout Heat

Williams provided a spark in his first NBA start and Van Horn scored 28 points to help the Knicks drub the Miami Heat 100-80 Saturday night.

``They hit wide-open shots, and they hit shots with hands in their faces,'' Heat center Brian Grant said. ``The next thing you know, it's a 25-point game.''

The Knicks scored 13 of the game's first 15 points, then closed the third quarter with an 18-2 run to build their advantage to 83-59. Van Horn scored 17 points in the quarter, including all four of his 3-pointers.

Second-year pro Williams repeatedly slashed through the defense and scored 14 points, including baskets in the final second of the second and third periods.

``Having a guy like that who can penetrate creates great shots for us,'' coach Don Chaney said.

Van Horn grabbed eight rebounds in 35 minutes and finished 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He was only 16-for-68 (.235) previously this season.

``I got some open shots,'' Van Horn said. ``I just put them up and they went down.''

Allan Houston added 15 points for New York, which shot 51 percent.

The Knicks came into the game with the fourth-lowest scoring average in the NBA (87.9) and reached 100 points for just the third time when Sweetney made a free throw with 2:13 left. Their previous largest victory margin was 11.

The Heat had won three in a row, and at home they had won five straight. But they shot just 36 percent before a crowd of 16,500, Miami's largest this season.

``To have a crowd like that, even if half of them are New York fans, you want to go out and play better than that,'' Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.

The Knicks had seven more fouls than Miami but also eight more rebounds.

``Physically they just manhandled us,'' Van Gundy said. ``We were passive. I don't think we battled.''

Lamar Odom scored 25 points for the Heat. They were without rookie starting guard Dwyane Wade, who sprained his right wrist in Friday's victory at Washington. His status is day-to-day.

A jumper by Houston put the Knicks ahead 43-27. Williams scored New York's final seven points of the first half, including a buzzer-beating layup for a 52-42 lead.

``It feels good to start in the NBA,'' Williams said. ``It's a dream come true. I just want to show what I can bring to this ballclub.''

Chaney declined to say whether Williams will stay in the starting lineup.

``I like what he did tonight,'' Chaney said. ``He got us off to a jump start. But his game shouldn't change whether he starts or not.''

The Heat missed their final eight shots in the third quarter. Van Horn sank back-to-back 3-point shots to put the Knicks up 74-57, and Williams made a 22-footer with four-tenths of a second left in the period.

New York's biggest lead was 99-71 with 3:18 left.

Notes:
Heat reserve forward Udonis Haslem sprained his right knee and sat out the second half. ... The crowd included U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick and his girlfriend, actress-singer Mandy Moore, former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard and Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez. ... With the clock stopped during the second half, a young fan ran across the court, past the Heat bench and back into the stands before he was halted by security personnel and arrested. ... The game was the second during a stretch of four games in five nights for both teams. The Heat visit the Knicks on Tuesday. ... The Knicks,who lead the NBA in turnovers with 17.4 per game, had only 11.