Despite the mounting injuries and merciless defense of the Miami Heat, the Knicks were able to snatch Game 4 at MSG on Sunday, avoiding a sweep and ending their NBA-record 13 consecutive playoff losing streak. The Knicks are hoping to win tonight in Miami and push the series to a Game 6 back in NY on Friday—but with the losses of Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis, the Knicks are left relying on Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas (who hasn't played once during the series) to lead the team at point guard. Oh yeah, and they'll also be playing a thoroughly pissed-off Heat team, and the ghosts of their recent past: "I just don't want to look at that fire extinguisher at all," Amare Stoudemire said. "But getting a win in Miami would be huge for us."

History is unfortunately not on their side: no NBA team had ever come back from a 3-0 hole. But what they lack in point guards and historical precedence they more than make up for in the confidence department: “That’s the exciting thing for me,” Carmelo Anthony said. “We never lack any confidence. Even when we were down 2-0 and coming back here and got down 3-0, we never lacked any confidence. Even right now we feel confident in the way we played in that last game. We want to build on that.”

One thing is for certain: Jeremy Lin will not be pulling a Willis Reed. Lin, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee 37 days ago, was hoping he'd be ready for tonight's game, but his knee isn't ready: "It's a matter of me really being able to cut and jump at 100 percent, not at 85, 90 percent," he said. "I could jump but I really can't jump the way I want to. When I get to that point, I'll be fine." Coach Mike Woodson agrees: "He's just not physically ready to play. I'm sure he'll step up to the plate and say, 'Hey, I'm ready when the time comes.' But right now, he's out."

Lin will probably be out for the rest of the Heat series, so the only way we see him again this season is if the Knicks can do the improbable (and the seemingly impossible) by winning three more in a row against the Heat. If they can, they can look forward to facing the Indiana Pacers in the next round; and if they can't, well, there's plenty of fruit roll-ups to ease the pain.