The New York Knicks are looking for their fifth straight win when they visit the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena on Monday night. It is the first of four meetings between the two teams this season.

Rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots in a season-high 36 minutes of play in the 107-102 win against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center. The 20-year-old continued his impressive start to his NBA career with a great performance last Saturday.

He is now averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game this season. "I think every game, I'm feeling more and more comfortable. A few shots are going in, and hopefully, I'll continue shooting this way," Porzingis said after the game.

Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony commented on the fans' uproar when New York drafted the Latvian last June, per NBA.com. "It was concern from people who didn't know. People didn't know what to expect. Nobody had ever seen him before and people were all so upset that the Knicks drafted him," Anthony said.

The Knicks currently have an 8-6 record, good for the eighth spot in the standings in a suddenly competitive Eastern Conference. The Heat, on the other hand, is second in the East with eight wins in 12 games.

Miami narrowly avoided disaster in their game against the winless Philadelphia 76ers last Saturday, coming back from a 17-point third-quarter deficit. Dwyane Wade had 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the 96-91 victory.

"They're an NBA team. They've got guys who can play basketball, so you take nothing from them. But they're not a better team than us, and not on your home floor," Wade said after the win. The 33-year-old moved up in the all-time NBA scoring list, passing Dale Ellis and Reggie Theus and moving to the 49th place with 19, 017 points.

The Heat outscored the 76ers 29-17 in the fourth quarter, shooting 49.8 percent. "You definitely have to give Philadelphia credit. They really came out and competed and played a very good basketball game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra added. He also said that he was happy with his team's toughness in the last quarter.

The Heat are currently 7-2 at home while the Knicks are 5-2 away from the Madison Square Garden. Tipoff starts at 7:30 p.m. ET and is available on NBA TV and NBA TV Canada. It is also broadcasted locally on MSG and FS-SUN in New York and Miami, respectively.