The Miami Heat eliminated the New York Knicks in fairly easy fashion in their first round Playoff series, which is somewhat of a departure from what people expected heading into the series. But then again, once the two teams took the court, it didn't really seem like a different outcome was really possible. Our Heat blog Peninsula is Mightier has some reaction to the series from Dwyane Wade.
"Obviously this is a rivalry. A lot of us know a lot of them on that team. I think this series was played a little different than probably two teams that really don't know each other. There's a lot of pride that takes place in this kind of series. Even though it was a 5-game series, it was a very tough series to win it. Obviously, Game 1 was probably the easiest one where we were able to win it by 30 but the other ones were tough games. I thought it helped us to be able to go against a team like this. I said that in the beginning, I said this was going to help us come into the playoffs and be ready and not overlook anyone and we couldn't overlook this team."
It's pretty generous of Wade to call this a rivalry after the way the Heat just dispatched them. I think he is being pretty kind to the Knicks here, which is smart, because you never know if you will face that team again next year. Onto the Pacers.
Stick with this StoryStream for news and updates throughout the first round series between the Heat and Knicks. For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For the opponent's perspective throughout the series, check out Posting And Toasting, SB Nation's Knicks blog. And for all your news and notes on the playoffs matchups, visit SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.