Anthony, Knicks shoot back
NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony made the big shots at the end. Amare Stoudemire provided a spark right from the start.
The two guys who came to New York to chase championships finally got their first playoff victory together, setting off a celebration 11 years in the making.
Anthony scored 41 points, Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a cut hand, and the Knicks snapped an NBA-record, 13-game postseason losing streak by beating the Miami Heat 89-87 Sunday at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of their first-round series.
No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit.
LeBron James scored 27 for the Heat. Dwyane Wade, who had 22, missed a 3-pointer on the last possession that would have eliminated the Knicks. Game 5 was scheduled to be played in Miami this Wednesday.
‘Dr. Shaq’ earns his PhD
MIAMI — Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is a doctor now.
O’Neal received his doctoral degree in education from Barry University alongside 1,100 other students during commencement ceremonies Saturday.
The Miami Herald reported that O’Neal got on one knee so the chairman of Barry’s Organizational Learning and Leadership program could drape a light blue hood around O’Neal’s more than 7-foot frame.
Seau’s family donates brain
SAN DIEGO — The family of former NFL star Junior Seau will donate his brain for research into repetitive head injuries, according to San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell.
Seau, a standout college and Chargers player, was found dead May 2 at his Oceanside home. An autopsy concluded he shot himself in the chest.
The following briefs were compiled from Associated Press reports.
Photos: Carmelo Anthony, Shaquille O’Neal, Junior Seau
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