Eddie Jones finished Sunday's game right about where he usually does: 18 points, four assists. But the Heat shooting guard's path to those totals was far more treacherous than usual.

Jones suffered a poke in the eye that blurred his vision in the second half, an incident preceded in the first half by a stern Clarence Weatherspoon elbow to the stomach that sent Jones to the locker-room restroom, where he vomited.

In a typically physical game between the Heat and New York Knicks, maybe it shouldn't be surprising. But at least Jones was able to find humor in the battering he took. He said he tried not to vomit in front of the 19,763 fans at Madison Square Garden out of embarrassment.

``I didn't want to do that with 20,000 people here and a couple million watching [on TV],'' Jones said. ``The guys would have been laughing at me for a couple of weeks. I'm sure ESPN would have killed me, too.''

As for the unidentified finger that poked him in the eye, Jones was examined by trainers for a scratched cornea but returned to the game when no scratch was found and after using a few drops of solution to clear up his vision.

Heat coach Pat Riley made light of the situation.

``I said to [Jones], `It doesn't matter whether your eyes are good or bad today, because you aren't shooting worth a damn,' '' Riley said. ``Maybe it helped.''

Point guard Rod Strickland also vomited Sunday after a collision with Othella Harrington sent him to the floor, knocking the wind out of him. He left only briefly.


WINNING ATTITUDE

It's possible the last-place Heat (18-28) could play exceptionally well the rest of the season and still miss the playoffs.

If that happens, a strong finish alone won't appease Riley.

``The only way that this thing turns out in the positive,'' he said, ``is if we make the playoffs. Otherwise, it's just [like] being down 20 in a game and coming back and losing by one.''


ON THE REBOUND

The Heat had three players who reached double figures in rebounds Sunday, helping to give Miami a 47-40 edge on the boards. Alonzo Mourning (12), Jim Jackson (10) and Brian Grant (10) combined for 32 rebounds.