MIAMI — The Heat are fully aware of what happened in New York. It made all the papers and everything. A first-round sweep opportunity came knocking with a sledgehammer and the Heat apparently were out buying “Rollexx” watches for $20 on a Midtown street corner.
So instead of sweeping the Knicks, the Heat face a Game 5 Wednesday night knowing they need to quell any Carmelo Anthony-laced optimism the underdogs harbor. It’s a basic “step on the Knicks’ windpipes early and don’t let up” attitude.
“We don’t want to give them life, of course, and we can’t really let them get off to a good start,” Chris Bosh said. “Then we’ll be in a situation we don’t want to be in.”
The Knicks’ Game 4 victory ended with a slew of questions for the Heat. Why did Dwyane Wade, not LeBron James, take the final shot? Why did Shane Battier, not James, guard Anthony down the stretch? Does the lead have to be at least 60 for Dexter Pittman to play?
“You carry it with you 24 hours,” James said. “You go over what needs to be done, correct it and you get rid of it. That’s not saying you don’t care about it but you’ve got to move on to the next game.
“We don’t need a teaching tool in a loss. We’ve seen it all in just two years.”
James also avoided questions about guarding Anthony late.
“Every time somebody scores a late game shot, y’all ask me that same question,” he said. “I don’t know. I’m only one guy. I can only guard one person.”
The Knicks have had a ridiculous run of injuries that forced three different starting lineups in four games. With point guard Baron Davis the latest casualty, a fourth playoff lineup is assured.
“It’s about us and what we do, especially here at home,” Bosh said. “We’ve seen them before with all of their guys out there, with different lineups. Nothing is going to catch us off guard.”
Wade concurred, noting, “Five games in, everyone pretty much knows each other’s offensive package. … You could throw a couple wrinkles in, but you pretty much are at the point where you know what a guy is going to do.”
Though the Heat privately may have stewed at the necessity of a Game 5, Wade drew a philosophical breath.
“I wanted some rest,” he said. “But at the end of the day, if we had gotten it over with, we were going to come in [today] and work hard [in practice], so why not go out there in a big moment, big game, against a rival and go out there and work hard and get better? Obviously, we’ve still got some getting better to do.”
Yeah, why rest and relax? Plus, the Heat can concoct some new approaches on Anthony, who scored 41 points to lead the Game 4 series extender.
“You knew he was going to rebound,” said Battier, who absorbed much of Anthony’s assault. “Especially in the Garden, he’s not going to throw up two clunkers. … You expect at some point he’s going to have a breakout shooting night. The question is, ‘Can you limit the next one?’ That’s all that matters now.”
fred.kerber@nypost.com