Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks had their biggest test against the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday.

Let's just say they didn't pass the test, losing, 102-88.

Lin and Amar'e Stoudemire combined for 14 turnovers and the Knicks shot poorly, while getting hammered on the glass.

The Knicks are still playoff contenders, but this was a wake-up call from LeBron James and Co.

Tweets of the Night

Royce Webb of ESPN captured the reality of it all as Lin struggled early against the Heat:

Lin looks overwhelmed so far. Fortunately for him and the Knicks, not every team plays D like Miami. #Sanity

— Royce Webb, ESPN NBA (@RoyceWebb) February 24, 2012

I'm jus feeling the fact that the Knicks are relevant again.. Been a long time since JStarks dunked Jordan...

— Tony Bacardi (@TonyBacardi) February 24, 2012

The Knicks and Lin look tired, scrambled and very beatable. I do think just about any team would look like that tonight vs. Heat, though.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) February 24, 2012

Must-See Highlight

On the Miami Heat's first possession of the game, LeBron James got things started in style, catching an alley-oop from Dwyane Wade and slamming it home behind the Knicks' defense.

Grades for Knicks' Key Players

Jeremy Lin: D-

Jeremy Lin was facing his biggest test against the defensive-minded Heat. And he didn't pass this test.

At the half, Lin had two points on 1-of-5 shooting, two assists and six turnovers. A combination of Mario Chalmers and LeBron James frustrated him throughout the night.

It didn't get much better, either.

Lin finished with eight points on 1-of-8 shooting, three assists, six rebounds, three steals and eight turnovers.

Carmelo Anthony hasn't exactly had the greatest time shooting the ball his first three games back from injury.

At the half on Thursday, Anthony had shot 3-of-10, registering nine points and five rebounds.

Anthony has had trouble getting into rhythm during his last three games, only adding to the concerns that he won't mesh well with Lin. That being said, he was the best of "The Big Three" on Thursday.

Anthony ended with 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting and seven rebounds.

Amar'e Stoudemire: C-

It's always hard for me to give Stoudemire a great grade because he simply doesn't rebound well.

Stoudemire shot 4-of-6 in the first half on Thursday, racking up 11 points, but he had just three rebounds and six turnovers. Stoudemire and Lin accounted for 12 of the Knicks' 15 turnovers at the half.

Stoudemire finished with 13 points and five rebounds.

Grades For Heat's Key Players

LeBron James: A

LeBron James didn't shoot as well as he usually does on Thursday, but he was his normal multifacted self. He contributed in various areas, including on defense, where he badgered Lin at times. 

James' stat line: 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, five steals and two blocks.

Dwyane Wade: A-

Wade was on point throughout the night, shooting well and adding to the Heat's defensive stranglehold of the Knicks. Like James, he was part of the reason the Heat forced so many turnovers. 

Final stat line: 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Bosh was on fire on Thursday night, making shots at a high clip. He didn't rebound much, but he didn't need to next to Stoudemire, who's never been a particularly good rebounder for his size. 

Bosh finished with 25 points and eight rebounds.

Deciding Factor: Turnovers

This could have been a number of things, shooting and rebounding included.

But turnovers always seem to haunt the Knicks, so I may as well stick with the theme. Lin and Stoudemire accounted for almost all of the Knicks' turnovers, so it wasn't a team-wide letdown, but, still, 19 turnovers is way too many on the road, especially against a team like the Heat.

Game MVP: LeBron James

James was all over the floor against Lin and the Knicks. From the very get-go he threw down a thunderous alley-oop. From there, he was a terror on defense and a nightmare on offense.

Kinda sounds like how he always is. Not a big surprise here.

What's Next?

The Knicks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers next Wednesday after the All-Star break, while the Heat will travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers next Thursday.