Flying Under the Radar?

It's hard to believe the Heat could be better
off without either James (6) or Wade.

With Linsanity continuing to sweep the nation and the San Antonio Spurs on an NBA season-best 10-game winning streak, the Miami Heat have quietly put together one of the more impressive runs in league history.

Miami's 90-78 win over the Orlando Magic Sunday mark their sixth in-a-row and first game at home in almost two weeks. But it's been the team's most recent road trip that has gotten overlooked.

On Feb. 8, the Heat embarked on a 6-game, 10-day road trip starting in Orlando where they suffered their most recent loss of the season. Since that time, Miami has won their last five road games, including three straight in consecutive nights.

In all three of those game, the Heat at one point or another held a 30-plus-point lead, making it the first time in over 30 years a team won back-to-back-to-back road games in as many nights and led by that type of point differential.

Miami is currently tied with the Chicago Bulls for the most games won this season by 10 or more points with 17. Not to mention Sunday's win of 12 points is the smallest margin during the Heat's current streak.

Now, the Heat possess the best record (25-7) in the NBA with the idol Bulls, who have been without reigning league MVP Derrick Rose for the last five games, a half back behind them for the top spot. Miami leads the Southeast division by five games over the Magic and five and a half better than the Atlanta Hawks, both whom are teams above .500.

A year after Miami finished just 21-19 against teams .500 or better, they have drastically improved in year two of the 'Super Team' experiment. Their 13 wins against elite opponents this season are third only to Oklahoma City's 14 and San Antonio's 14, but lead the Eastern Conference.

And at the forefront of it all has been the always controversial, but sensational LeBron James.

James, who has already won a scoring title (2007-08), is second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.0 points per game.

But it has been his ability to win games without Dwyane Wade that has been most impressive. James has won seven of the eight games he has played without him this season, averaging 29.3 PPG, 7.6 rebounds and 7.7 assists while doing so.

James and Wade both did not play in a game on Jan. 5 against the Hawks, but nonetheless resulted in a 116-109 win, bringing Miami's record to 8-1 without Wade this season.

Despite coming into the league at the same season, James and Wade have had much different careers. James is only 27 after being drafted straight out of high school with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade, 30, on the other hand was selected fifth overall that same year after attending Marquette University for three years.

James was the Rookie of the Year while Wade brought the Heat their first NBA championship in 2006. But now with each passing year and both nine-year veterans it's all about winning.

In the possible 688 regular season games both could have played in up to this point since arriving to the NBA, James has played in 658 of them, but Wade has been hampered by injuries most of his career, playing in just 591.

Is it time to think of life without Wade?

James and Co. have proven they can win without Wade, it even allows teammate Chris Bosh be somewhat of the guy he was in Toronto. Bosh has averaged 25.6 PPG in Wade's absence and continues to thrive as James' Robin.

It's hard to believe there could be a team with too much star power, but that may be the case in South Beach with Wade as the odd man out.

The Indian is All Smiles

A healthy Travis Hafner is crucial to an
Indians playoff run through the
summer.

The city of Cleveland did not had much reason to be optimistic heading in 2011 sports season, especially with the departure of an icon, Lebron James, who signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat this offseason.

James is a Ohio native and was selected with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft.

For a city that has not seen a champion be crowned in their town since 1948, when the Cleveland Indians won their second World Series title in franchise history against the Boston Braves in six games, 2011 has suddenly provided hope.

With their 12th inning victory Thursday afternoon in Oakland, the Indians are tied for the best start in franchise history through the team's first 30 games.

Cleveland has surprised many with their unbelievable start and surge to the top of the American League Central, but with their young core it was bound to happen.

Not only do the Indians possess the best record (21-9) in the AL, but tied for the best record in Major League Baseball, with the Philadelphia Phillies.

It all starts on the mound and Cleveland's pitching has been anything short of spectacular to start the year.

Former Boston Red Sox right-hander Justin Masterson has started the season undefeated, going 5-0 in his first six starts with a 2.25 earned run average. This is a significant turn around from his 6-13 record in 2010. Another young right-hander is enjoying a fast start for the Tribe.

Josh Tomlin, 26, is 4-1 with a 2.42 ERA in only his second season in the big leagues.

The offense, while being extremely productive, has not had one hitter really stand out, but more of a collective group effort. The Indians currently rank fifth in majors with 151 runs scored and second in batting average, posting a respectable .272.

Six different players have driven in 15 or more runs with two others also reaching double-digits. Superstar Grady Sizemore is not one of those guys, but has chipped in with nine of his own in just 14 games. The 28-year-old Sizemore is coming off micro fracture knee surgery that caused to to miss most the the last season.

Cleveland also calls home to one of the most underrated players in all of baseball, Shin-Soo-Choo. The Korean right fielder has become a five-tool player in his six years with the Indians and will play a major role in the team's future success.

A lot also rides on the health of veteran designated hitter Travis Hafner, who is off to a red hot start, leading the team in average at .353.

Hafner has only played in 269 games the last three seasons due to a variety of different injuries. 'Pronk', as he is known in Cleveland, has seemed regained his devastating power stroke, hitting four long balls in his first 80 at-bats. Hafner had struggled to hit out the ball out of ballpark recently, not reaching the 20 home run plateau since he hit 24 back in 2008.

His career-high came when oddly enough when Indians were last in the postseason, hitting 42 back in 2007.

That season the Indians would finish first in the AL Central, recording 96 victories under then-manager Eric Wedge. Cleveland would come a win away from their first AL Pennant since 1997, taking a commanding three games to one in the ALCS, before losing three straight to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox.

That team has since been dismantled and filled with a plethora of youth.

Two young players acquired to their respective trades following the Indians' postseason collapse seemed to be coming into their own right before our eyes.

Cleveland acquired infielder and former Florida Gator standout Matt LaPorta from the Milwaukee Brewers for former ace C.C. Sabathia prior to the '08 July 31st Trading Deadline. LaPorta looks more comfortable at the plate this season, hitting .273 with four home runs and 16 runs batted in.

Their backstop, Carlos Santana, was acquired around the same time in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for third baseman Casey Blake and seems to be yet another switch-hitting catcher on the rise. Coming off a broken leg in a home plate collision last August, Santana has not his average rise to where he wants it to be, but the power and timely hitting have become a part of his game. The Santo Domingo native is only batting .196, but has added five home runs, tied for the team lead with shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

One of those came in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grand slam against the division rival Detriot Tigers earlier this year.

With this relatively young group, Cleveland is looking to get back to their winning ways and recapture their magic in the mid-to-late 90s.

During that time the Indians made the postseason five consecutive seasons from 1995-99, appearing in two World Series. They would play in the '95 and '97 Fall Classics, losing them both to the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins, even with one of the most feared lineups throughout baseball.

Manger Manny Acta is looking to recreate that blueprint and put Indians baseball, along with Cleveland sports, back on the map.

The last Cleveland franchise to play for a championship were the 2007 the James-led Cavaliers, who would be swept in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs. With the Cleveland Browns still in the rebuilding process and yet to win a Super Bowl, the Indians are back as the team of Ohio.

With the death of maybe the most iconic Indian in franchise history, Bob Feller has been and will be honored the rest of the season by the team with a No. 19 patch on their jerseys. The Hall of Famer was a fixture at Indians home games and will be truly missed at Progressive Field.

'Rapid Robert' now holds the best seat in the house and will be smiling along side his beloved Indians.

Make him proud Tribe.

Thibodeau Earns Coach of the Year Honors

Thibodeau energy has injected life
back to Chicago baseketball.

In his first season as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Tom Thibodeau has taken home the honor as being the NBA's best coach in 2011 being named the Coach of the Year Sunday afternoon.

Thibodeau is the first rookie head coach to lead his team to a 62-win season since Paul Westphal did so with the 1992-93 Phoenix Suns.

The news of the award does not come as much of a surprise as Thibodeau has taken a .500 team and turned them into the best team in the NBA record-wise in only a one-year span.

Last season the Bulls finished the regular season 41-41 and were the No. 8 seed heading into the postseason. A year and 62 wins later, the Bulls finished with the best record in the NBA at 62-20.

Chicago would be bounced out of the first-round of last year's postseason by the NBA's best Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

A lot has changed since then with the Bulls beating a pesky Indiana Pacer team in five games to advance to the second-round for the first time since 2007. Thibodeau led Chicago to their first Central Division title since Michael Jordan's Bulls in 1998.

Thibodeau has brought a toughness and since of strength to this Chicago team and it all starts on the defensive end of the floor. The Salem State graduate has been known as a defensive mastermind around the NBA for a long time.

That was never more apparent during his time with the Boston Celtics, where he was the assistant coach to Doc Rivers from 2007-10.

Thibodeau made the Celtics become a defensive juggernaut during this tenure and help lead them to the NBA Championship back in 2008. Boston ranked in the top five in every defensive category while Thibodeau was there and might be the single reason why Boson has created such a tough, physical presence about themselves the past several years.

He has done much of the same in the Windy City, having the Bulls rank second in the NBA in points allowed at 91.3 per contest behind none other, the Celtics, at 91.1 points per game. It's a vast improvement from a year ago when the Bulls allowed nearly 100 points per game at 99.1, good enough for 13th in the NBA.

Thibodeau is only the fourth coach in Bulls history to win the award since its establishment in 1962.

The last Chicago coach to win the award was legendary and current Los Angeles Lakers head coach, Phil Jackson. Jackson won the award back in the 1995-96 season, where his team won an NBA record 72 games in the regular season.

Jackson would go on and lead the Bulls to their fourth NBA Championship under his watch and begin the start of his second career three-peat. That same season, Jordan would win his fourth of five NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and fourth NBA Finals MVP. Many believe that Chicago's point guard Derrick Rose is the front-runner to receive this year's highest individual honor.

Rose and Thibodeau try to become only the second player and head coaching duo in Bulls history to win those awards in the same year and finish with an NBA Championship.

The last player and head coaching duo to receive the Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year Awards in the same year were Cleveland's Mike Brown and LeBron James, capping their great 2008-09 regular season. However, Brown and James would come up short in the postseason, losing to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.

Thibodeau and Rose hope for a different result, much like that Bulls team fifteen years ago.

For what he's done, there was not a coach more deserving in the NBA this season than Thibodeau to receive the award.

Chicago kicks off their second-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, who will be without former Bull Kirk Hinrich for the series, Monday in the Windy City.

It's Finally Here

LeBron James will need to be on his game
Sunday afternoon. 

It's the matchup everyone has been waiting for and it's finally here.

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are set to matchup in the second-round of the NBA postseason Sunday afternoon.

The series should be an epic one and add a new chapter to this newly fueled rivalry. It's only fitting that if the Heat want to win multiple NBA championships it comes with a road through Boston.

To be a champion you must first dethrone a champion and that's exactly what the Celtics are, being the defending Eastern Conference champions and hold an NBA record 17 NBA titles.

The Celtics won the season series against Miami three games to one, but two of those four games came at the start of the regular season in a three-week span. It would be unfair to Miami to say those games will have an impact on the series ahead.

The two teams met in mid-February and it yielded the same result with Boston winning a close one, 85-82.

The Heat saw Chris Bosh have one of his best games of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The final matchup of the season came with only three games left in the regular season, when Miami would claim their only victory against the boys in green, embarrassing them, 100-77.

These two teams are completely different than they were at the start of the regular and we should expect maybe the most exciting series of this year's postseason.

With the departure of center Kendrick Perkins to the Western Conference and uncertain health of Shaquille O' Neal, Boston's inside toughness has been questioned much of the second half, seeing them go 16-12 since the break.

The Celtics are in for a dog fight with the super team that was built in South Beach.

With Miami grabbing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, Boston will not have the luxury of having a decisive seventh game in the TD Garden if need be. Although, that should not pose a problem for the veteran squad, who are confident they can win anywhere at anytime.

However, the home court will greatly help the Heat with the first two games at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Miami will need their two point guards to try and contain Boston's Rajon Rondo as much as possible as he is the X-factor for the Celtics heading into this series. The Heat do not have anyone that can stop the pesky 25-year-old from getting out into transition and distributing the basketball.

During their four regular season meeting, Rondo averaged 12 assists per contest, almost a full assist above his 11.2 during the regular reason, recording as many as 17 Opening Night in Boston.

Miami will also need to see the face of their franchise, Dwayne Wade, play better against the C's, shooting an atrocious 28 percent from the field and averaging under 13 points per game at 12.8 a contest.

The series should be a relatively low scoring and close the entire way with two of the top defenses in the NBA doing battle. The Celtics ranked first among points allowed at 91.1 points per game with Miami not far behind allowing 94.6 points per, good enough for sixth in the NBA. Boston comes in as confident as ever after their first playoff sweep since 1992, sweeping the new-look New York Knicks.

This has given the aging veterans time to rest up for the this highly anticipated series, last playing on April 24.

Paul Pierce's legacy rides on another deep playoff run and a chance to even be considered with the all-time Celtic greats.

With the youth movement emerging, there seems to be a paradigm shift in the NBA happening right before our eyes. This could be the final act for Boston's Big Three with a shot at an NBA title. They will not be willing to pass the torch just yet, the Heat will need to earn it.

Of the 15 players on the current Heat roster, nine of them have been ousted in the postseason by this Celtics team one time or another, including Wade and LeBron James a year ago on their respective teams, so you know Miami will be ready.

Miami in seven.

Can Durant Break Scoring Curse?

Durant averaged 27.7 PPG this season,
leading the NBA for the second
straight year.

If history stays true in recent years the Oklahoma City Thunder will not reach the Western Conference Finals in 2011.

Many believe, with the addition of center Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics, the young Thunder have added the final piece to the puzzle and could legitimately challenge the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the NBA Finals.

In only his fourth season in the league after being drafted second overall in the 2007, Kevin Durant has led the NBA in scoring back-to-back years.

That might not be such a good thing for Oklahoma City heading into this year's postseason. Since the 2001-02 NBA season the NBA scoring leader has failed to lead his team to the conference finals. Former NBA point guard Allen Iverson was the last player to do so, averaging 31.4 points per game in the 2000-01 season.

That year Iverson led the Philadelphia 76ers to the Eastern Conference Finals in a thrilling seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks, eventually reaching the NBA Finals. The 76ers would lose to the Lakers in five games, paving the way for the NBA's next dynasty. Iverson would lead the league in scoring again the following season, but his team was bounced out in the first-round by the Celtics.

A trend was born.

Since that time, the NBA has seen some of the most elite players lead the league in scoring and not reach the conference finals. The list of players includes Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and now Durant.

A year after James led the the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first Finals appearance in franchise history, for the first time in his career, he led the NBA in scoring (30.0 PPG), but unable to get them back to the promise land, losing to the eventual NBA champion Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Durant and Co. are in for a hard-fought battle in this year's postseason, no longer playing the role of underdog after capturing the No. 4 seed in the West. The road does not start easy for the Thunder with them opening up a first-round matchup with one of the hottest teams in the NBA during the second half, the No. 5 seeded Denver Nuggets.

Not only will the young man out of Texas need to live up to the expectations this season has brought. but will need to break a scoring curse to reach them.

Heat Off in Miami

Hugs all around in Miami after
stopping a five-game skid.

After being a topic of conversation much of the past week and a half, the Miami Heat have ended their five-game losing streak.

The win comes at the hands of the two-time defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat have now improved to 2-0 against the champs this year, their first coming with a 16-point win on Christmas Day.

This was an almost must-win for the Heat given their recent stretch and record against the league's elite. With the game tied at 88, Miami went on a 6-0 run in the final two minutes of the game, giving them the 94-88 victory. Head coach Eric Spoelstra took a different strategy in the closing minutes, giving the ball to Dwayne Wade instead of LeBron James, something they should have done long ago.

Chris Bosh also stepped up and had a great game logging 24 points and nine rebounds in 38 minutes.

The Big Three for Miami scored a combined 63 points while using the three-point shooting of veteran Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers. Kobe Bryant gave it his best effort with 24 points of his own, matching the number on his back, but at one point had missed seven straight shots.

With Miami outscoring the Lakers in the paint 46-30, it was something nobody saw coming. The Lakers biggest advantage against most of their opponents is their size and length, that was not the case Thursday night in South Beach.

The Heat, being relatively undersized to Los Angeles, were able to get easy lay-ups down the stretch securing their 23rd win at home this season. The win ended an eight-game winning for the Lakers since the All-Star break. In the bigger picture, the game really means nothing for either team other than Miami has ended their losing streak and can get back to playing good basketball.

One thing is for sure, if this was a potential preview of a NBA Finals matchup, it should be a fight to the finish.

Time to Panic in South Beach?

Miami lost their fifth in-a-row Tuesday
night. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat lost their fifth straight game Tuesday and their sixth in eight games since the All-Star break.

Miami has had trouble closing games out all season against quality opponents, continuing the trend against the Portland Trailblazers.

When LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh all teamed up to make a so called 'Super Team' in Miami they knew what they were getting themselves into. South Beach has reason to be concerned with their inability to beat teams above .500. After tonight's loss at home against Portland, the Heat have dropped to 15-19 against teams with a winning record.

It has been well documented that Miami looks confused down the stretch in a tight ball game and unsure who will take the final shot. With three superstars on one team that each is used to having the ball in their hands in crunch time, it has become a problem along with their inability to knock the shot down. In the final 10 seconds of regulation, James, Wade and Bosh are a combined 1-for-16 from the field.

Now, with the addition of veteran Mike Bibby, it forces the Heat to incorporate a new point guard, a position that has been an issue all season long. Although, Bibby is shooting a career-high in three-point percentage which should help Miami spread the floor.

The Heat have seen themselves drop to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and now four and a half games behind the conference leading Boston Celtics. There is no question with the talent Miami possesses that they will be a threat to be reckoned with in the postseason, they just might not be a legitimate NBA Finals contender this season. Miami has lost nine out of 10 against the top five teams in the NBA, that lone win coming against their opponent this Thursday night.

With the Heat taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in South Beach and Los Angeles on a current eight-game winning streak and Miami on their five-game skid, something has to give.

Mr. Big Shot

New York might have a Big Three of their own.

Chanucey Billups lived up to his nickname Sunday night in Miami.

In a night when most were watching the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, the story was in South Beach. Billups fueled a 9-2 run late in the fourth quarter, hitting a deep three-point jump shot in front of Dwayne Wade with a minute to go in regulation, giving the New York Knicks a 85-84 lead.

The Knicks would go up 87-86 with just about ten seconds to go when LeBron James drove to the hoop, getting by defender Carmelo Anthony, which looked to be an open lane to the basketball. That was until Amar'e Stoudemire came on the help defense to block the shot away.

After two successful free throws from New York, James shot the potential game-tying three as time expired, only to see it hit the back of the iron and hand the Miami Heat their sixth loss at home this season.

However, the real story was Billups, coming up with two steals and five big points in the closing minutes to seal a Knick victory. Billups was being said to be a throw in with the Anthony deal made earlier this week.

Billups has done his best to prove the critics wrong, averaging 21 points in the three games since becoming a Knick. Billups is a 13-year veteran in the NBA and a former Finals MVP. The fact of the matter is Billups knows how to win and slow the game down when the pressure is at its highest peak, something you can't teach.

New York is now 2-1 since the trade and looking to build on a win, where they came back from as many as fifteen down against the East's elite.

Miami is now only 14-15 against teams .500 or better and has dropped to 5-11 in games decided by five points or fewer. This could pose a problem for the Heat down the stretch and well into the postseason. It felt like a playoff game atmosphere in Miami tonight, giving us reason to believe that this could very well be a fun matchup in a month and a half.

Miami is still the fourth best team in the NBA and only a half game behind the idol Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but on this night the story was "Mr. Big Shot". And now, the new-look Knicks have a Big Three of their own to be reckoned with.

Wake Up & Smell the Rose(s)

Rose has the Bulls firing
on all cylinders.

The Chicago Bulls head into the All-Star break with a 38-16 record, good enough for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and fifth best in the NBA.

We can attribute that to the first overall pick in 2008 out of the University of Memphis. At the young age of 22, Derrick Rose is making a strong bid for the Most Valuable Player Award this season.

Only in his third season in the NBA, he is beginning to raise the question, is he the best point guard in the NBA?

The Bulls finished 41-41 a year ago as the eighth seed in the East, only to be bounced out in the first-round by the then-LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. What a difference a year makes, as Rose and Co. have elevated to new heights.

Rose has averaged 24.6 points per game, along with 8.2 assists in the first half, both well above his career averages and this is despite having two key components miss significant time. Offseason acquisition Carlos Boozer missed the first two months of the season with a broken hand and the team's emotional leader Joakim Noah has been out since mid-December with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Boozer and Noah have only played nine games together this season, giving us a small sample size to how good this team could be. Noah should return to the starting lineup shortly after the All-Star break, adding a huge boost for a team that seems to already be surging.

They're coming off an impressive win at home just before the break against the team with the best record in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. Rose led the way with 42 points and 8 assists. With the best record against the Western Conference at a 17-7 mark, Chicago has made themselves a legitimate NBA Finals contender thanks to my first half MVP in the NBA.

The Windy City has reason to smile come June and well into the future.