Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE
Losing in sports isn’t supposed to be fun normally. There are always exceptions to this rule. There is always that one loss that a team can actually be proud of having.
For the Miami Heat that loss came tonight against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
A cloud hanged over the game ever since the NBA decided to play it while cancelling a Knicks game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Miami players such as Dwyane Wade expressed their concerns about playing the game at the same time as many New York City residents were still living without food, shelter, and power due to Sandy. The cloud hanged more as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg cancelled the New York City Marathon due to heavy criticism from his earlier decision to have the event as scheduled.
Even with all this happening the doors to the Garden opened, The Knicks’s Carmelo Anthony thanked the fans for coming out, and the game was underway.
Very early on in the game a theme was evident. The Heat did not seem to want to play this game under these circumstances while the Knicks seemed like they needed to play it under these circumstances.
Nearly every shot fell for New York and the crowd fed off it. Even as Miami made small runs to cut into the Knicks lead, it wasn’t enough. That brought a smile to the fans who needed it.
ESPN even highlighted a story during the game about a 12-year-old girl from Staten Island, the New York borough most devastated by Sandy, going to the game.
In the end the Heat lost in a blowout, but given the circumstances it’s a loss worth having.
