The New York Knicks Fan Blog

ATLANTA(AP) Mario West blew a dunk. Speedy Claxton threw up an airball on a free throw. And Miami missed five shots on a decisive possession. This playoff preview looked more like a preseason game. Flip Murray scored 17 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks reserves past the Miami Heat scrubs 81-79 Tuesday night in a game that shed little light on their upcoming playoff series. With both teams locked into their seedings – they’ll play Game 1 in Atlanta this weekend – there was little incentive for either to give significant minutes to top players. They didn’t. Miami star Dwyane Wade, coming off a career-best 55 points against the New York Knicks, wasn’t in uniform. Neither were Jermaine O’Neal or Udonis Haslem, the latter recovering from a deep cut on his right thumb. Michael Beasley led the Heat with 23 points and 13 rebounds in only 24 minutes. The Hawks rested Maurice Evans and Zaza Pachulia, and kept their starters on the bench much of the night. Speedy Claxton, a $25 million free-agent bust, actually played for the first time in more than two years. “I was glad to see the guys who didn’t get much playing time during the season,” said Josh Smith, who played about 12 minutes. “They were able to showcase their talents.” Neither team had any starters on the court with the game on the line in the final minute. The Heat kept clanking shots but kept getting offensive rebounds before the Hawks finally gained possession after Miami’s fifth miss of the possession. Wade was …