NEW YORKâ€"
  Based on the current playoff seedings, the Miami Heat could be seeing plenty of the New York Knicks in coming weeks, with the two facing a possible opening-round series.
  Based on where the season series has taken the teams, LeBron James isn't quite sure what he will be facing in Sunday's nationally televised game at Madison Square Garden.
  "We've all seen so many different teams from the Knicks this year," the Heat forward said.
  The first meeting featured Amare Stoudemire in a starring role, with Carmelo Anthony sidelined, a neophyte D-League call-up named Jeremy Lin never getting off the bench, and the Knicks launching an astounding 43 3-pointers in their 99-89 loss Jan. 27 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
 The second meeting was pure Lin-sansity, the Heat putting their focus on crushing the emerging guard in what turned into a 102-88 Feb. 23 Heat home victory, with Lin 1 of 11 from the field, with six assists and eight turnovers.
 And now, as the season series comes to a close, with the Heat seeking a season sweep, it has all changed again, Mike Woodson in forMike D'Antonias coach, with Anthony the Knicks' singular focus, with Stoudemire and Lin sidelined.
  "So, it's a different team," James said. "You've seen 'em at the beginning without Lin, then with Lin in the lineup, then without Amare, with Amare. Now Melo's playing the four, which is a matchup problem for everybody. So it's a different team, but it's a really good team."
   Yet even with the Knicks on a nine-game home winning streak, their longest since a 10-game run in 1997-98, the Heat stress that the focus is on themselves, as they struggle to regain their footing on the road, where they have dropped eight of their last 11.
   "We have another chance. Played at Chicago, came up short," forward Chris Bosh said of Thursday's overtime loss in Chicago. "The Garden is a special place, of course. They're playing well right now. They've been on a roll ever since Woodson took over and we have another chance to get a huge road win."
  Coach Erik Spoelstra expects to have Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Ronny Turiaf back after the four were allowed to sit out Friday's home rout of the Charlotte Bobcats with various minor maladies.
  "We want to play at a high level and we want to make sure that we can get to that level where we're feeling confident going into that second season," Spoelstra said, with the playoffs now just two weeks away. "We feel good about some steps we're making. And, again, it's about our truth, because we see it, we see it coming, and we're getting there.
   "We're just not over the hump and this would be a nice way to take a step forward on Sunday."
  And two weeks later, it could be the Knicks again, in a best-of-seven series.
  Spoelstra's goal is what the Knicks see Sunday is what they might get in an opening round if the teams are paired.
  "There's no secrets in this league," he said. "What can you hold back? The most important thing for us, anyway, is to try to get an optimal level of play, where we're playing at a high level. And we're not there yet, and particularly on the road, so we're not going to keep any cards to our vest. We can't afford to do that right now."
  James agreed, but said the Heat also continue to evolve.
  "I think with two weeks left, I don't want to say you show the whole package, because we're going to continue to try to add more things for these next couple of weeks, but you want to play well," he said. "We need to play well, because we haven't played well after the [All-Star] break on the road.
   "I don't know if it's like a statement game, but we want to play better than we have on the road, and it's a good place to play, knowing that we have a possible chance, or it's more than likely for us to play them in the first round."
 iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat
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