A gutsy outing by New York, combined with a few breaks, gave them a 104-95 upset of Miami. Miami was the favorite coming in, and it showed when they were sharp. But Miami played their hearts out and stuck around, which put them in position to capitalize on what chances they were given. "They played about the perfect game, given the team's talent," said Miami coach Bob. "[New York coach] Bob did a splendid job getting them ready for the game, and they didn't give us anything for free."

Said New York star Ortega, "Coach just told us to go out there and stay focused. Told us that if we played a mistake-free game, it could be ours to win. And that's exactly what happened."

New York was led by Ortega (19 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, a steal), Seidel (7 points, 2 steals, a block), Harrington (8 points, 11 boards, 1 assists, a steal, 2 blocks). Miami was led by Byrd (8 points, 2 assists, 4 blocks), Scott (17 points), Perry (12 points, 6 boards, 2 assists).

New York jump to 12-20 and 8-11 at home. They improve to #3 in the Atlantic and move up to #13 overall in the Eastern Conference. With the defeat, Miami fall to 17-13. They hold at #2 in the Southeast and drop to #8 overall in the Eastern Conference.

box score New York roster Miami roster