MIAMI -- After the Heat ran over the Knicks, 100-67 -- the latter number tying New York's all-time playoff low during the shot-clock era -- coach Erik Spoelstra said his guys signaled to him that they were confident and ready to go in Game 1.

"Our guys had a noticeable look in their eyes the past 24 hours," he said.

That look was definitely with LeBron James going up against Carmelo Anthony. While James played up to the playoff environment, Anthony seemed to remain in regular-season mode, succumbing to the Heat's added pressure and not finding a way to make mid-game adjustments. James did that well, picking and choosing his spots wisely based on what the Knicks threw at him on defense, en route to a game-high 32 points.

"He played great, very focused," Dwyane Wade said postgame. "It was a very efficient game. He really helped lead us offensively and defensively."

Regarding Anthony, give a lot of credit to the Heat, however, for defending him differently after they saw how destructible he can be when given room to catch the ball and go to work in clear-out situations. That's what happened on April 15 at the Garden, when Melo scored 42 points against the Heat in a losing effort.

"You can't just let [Carmelo] catch it easy. If he catches it easy, you're in trouble," Wade said. "Obviously, he's got the [shot], he can raise [up and shoot]. He puts so much pressure on the rim, and he gets his team into the penalty as well. We've got to do a good job. All series we're going to have to switch it up and try to do different things. He's a hell of a player. We have to do a good job of throwing different guys at him and switching up the defense."

Shane Battier chimed in about Anthony, saying, "He's too good of a player to let him catch it where he wants to catch and operate. He's just too good. When you're playing defense on him, you want to make him work, try to push his catches out a little further and take your chances."

This time, Spoelstra and his staff instructed James to front Anthony consistently to not allow him to catch the ball so easily. Then, if he did, the Heat threw rapid-fire traps at him. And the Heat were well-prepared to rotate back to the Knicks' shooters. As a result, Melo shot 3-for-15 from the field (11 points) and the Knicks were only 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) from downtown.

"We were trying to be more aggressive, trying to be more alert, making his catches tougher," Spoelstra said. "[Carmelo] will make adjustments. He's too good of a player and shot maker, and he'll find ways to get open. He can put pressure on our defense, but the most important thing is our activity and our commitment to that type of energy level."

After the game, Anthony said he wasn't prepared for the Heat's new defensive approach specifically tailored to stopping him.

"I wasn't expecting that," he said. "I think they made some major adjustments out there fronting me, sending me down to the bigs, showing me two or three guys at a time, so it was an adjustment that they made. Now, it's time for us to make that adjustment."

But why didn't Anthony adjust on Saturday? This brings up a valid question: Is the Knicks' offense too one dimensional centered around Melo and not creative enough? Mike Woodson has a lot on his plate to try and integrate Amare Stoudemire better into the offense, so they can get some more looks inside and have easier opportunities to kick it out to the team's shooters: J.R. Smith and Steve Novak.

Overall, Woodson knows what he's up against in James, arguably this season's MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

"He's on a mission," Woodson said. "He's played that way all year. Is it going to be an easy task for us to come in here and get a win? No, not at all."

Want further proof of the work Woodson has cut out for him? Just hear what James had to say about the Knicks' game plan today: "We were in tune with everything they were running."

But James knows he's not out of the clear yet either facing Anthony.

"He's going to make adjustments like all great players do," James said. "We have to be ready for him in Game 2."

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