Ellington scores 19 as Heat beat Knicks 106-97

NEW YORK -- Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat got a big lift from an unlikely source.

Wayne Ellington scored each of his 19 points in the second half, and the Heat handed the New York Knicks their ninth straight loss with a 106-97 victory on Sunday night.

Miami had seven players score in double figures in its second straight win. Wade had 15 points and 10 assists, and Hassan Whiteside finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

Ellington made four 3-pointers in just his third appearance since Dec. 26. It was his first game in double figures since he scored 12 points in a 102-100 victory over Utah on Dec. 2.

"No matter what else is going on you never stop putting in the work," Ellington said. "You get out what you put in. I am a firm believer of that. It's been tough. But these guys right here in this locker room they always feed me that confidence, they feed me that energy. Tonight I was able to contribute and help get a win."

Wade, who plans to retire at the end of the season, received a standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd when he was taken out in the final seconds.

"Over the years, Dwyane has risen to a different level in this building," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's electric and he comes alive in this type of environment. It's cool to see that at the end."

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points for New York, and Trey Burke had 16. The Knicks have dropped 17 of 18 overall.

Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony watched from a courtside seat and waved to the cheering crowd when he was acknowledged on the scoreboard in the first quarter.

Anthony, a Brooklyn native who played for New York for seven seasons, was traded from Houston to Chicago last week. The Bulls have no plans to play Anthony and are looking to either trade the 10-time All-Star before the Feb. 7 deadline or ultimately waive him and make him a free agent.

"You got a guy who can still help a team and affect the game," Wade said. "It's about the right situation, and hopefully he is able to get back out there and go out the way he wants to go out when it's time."

The Knicks trailed 85-72 before putting together an 18-5 run. Hardaway's 3-pointer tied it at 90 with 4:01 left.

Miami then regained control with a 10-2 spurt. Whiteside started the decisive sequence with a tiebreaking layup, and Ellington's 3 made it 100-92 with 1:08 left.

James Johnson also scored 13 points for the Heat, and Josh Richardson finished with 12. Justise Winslow and Kelly Olynyk each had 11 points.

TIP-INS

Heat: Derrick Jones, Jr. hurt his right knee when he was fouled by Allonzo Trier on a drive to the basket with 10:45 left in the second quarter. Jones was carried by teammates to the locker room.

Knicks: Damyean Dotson added 14 points. . New York leads the all-time series with Miami 64-57. . Emmanuel Mudiay, the Knicks' second-leading scorer, missed his second consecutive game with a strained left shoulder. . Frank Ntilikina suffered a groin injury in the second quarter and did not return.

WORTH NOTING

Miami has not lost more than three consecutive games this season, but has only one winning streak of more than two games. The Heat put together a season-best five-game winning streak from December 14-23.

UP NEXT

Heat: Host Chicago on Wednesday.

Knicks: Visit Charlotte on Monday.

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