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.

Turning Up The Heat

A Man Among Boys

Rondo put on an inspiration
performance Saturday in Boston
after dislocating his left
arm.

The Boston Celtics were headed home starring down the barrel of an 2-0 series deficit after losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Miami.

After taking the regular season series from the Miami Heat three games to one, Boston has looked old in games one and two. The TD Garden would provide a much need boost for this aging Celtics team.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was the reason for Boston's success in the regular season against Miami, averaging 12 assists per game. Ineffective in Game 1, Rondo came to life in Game 2 conducting the Boston offense with 12 assists.

In Game 3, the smallest guy on the floor Saturday night showed the biggest heart and courage.

At the 7:02 minute mark of the third quarter, the Celtics experienced the biggest scare of their season when Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade and Rondo were caught in a skirmish, causing him to fall awkwardly on his left arm.

Rondo lay on the Garden floor in intense and obvious pain, before being helped off and into the locker room.

Boston's season was in shambles already down two games in the series and without their perennial All-Star point guard to finish the game, sucking the air out of the Boson arena.

Then out came Rondo of the Boston locker room showing reminisce of the 1970 NBA Finals, when New York Knicks superstar Willis Reed returned from injury, inspiring New York to a Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

That's exactly what Rondo did for the Celtics Saturday night.

With their season hanging in the balance, for the simple fact that no team has ever come back to win a seven game series after dropping the first three, Rondo exemplified his team's resiliency. The diagnosis was a dislocated left elbow and was popped back into place for his return to the pivotal Game 3. Rondo made his impact felt with 11 assists in 35 minutes, catching every pass with his right arm.

After his return was made, his one and only steal of the night came at a crucial moment of the game, poking the ball away from Chris Bosh with his injured left arm. The former Kentucky Wildcat had already come into the game with an a stiff back, and faced yet another obstacle with his injury in the third quarter.

The quarterback of this Boston Celtic team continues to be the X-factor moving forward, and won't need to ask him to fight through the pain as he already has demonstrated he will do so.

A former first-round pick of the Phoenix Suns back in 2006, Rondo put together his best NBA season, leading the league in assists for the first time at 11.2 per contest. Over his five seasons in Boston, the 6-foot-1 guard has slowly become a leader on this veteran Celtic team.

With their win convincing 97-81 win in Boston, the Celtics have now made this a series and shown there is no place like home. Miami knows the defending Eastern Conference champions they will not go down without a fight.

Saturday's game also marked the return of 15-time All-Star and former NBA Most Valuable Player, Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal had not played in a game since April 3 during the regular season. Even though O'Neal only played eight minutes and scored just two points, his presence in the paint will only make the Celtics already suffocating defense better.

Forward Kevin Garnett put in his best game of the series by scoring a game-high 28 points on 13-of-20 shooting and grabbing 18 rebounds.

Boston will need more of the same if they want to win this series and raise their 18th championship banner to the rafters in the TD Garden. The Celtics will look to even up the series Monday night at home before heading back on the road to South Beach.

As for their 25-year-old point guard, on this night, he was truly a man among boys.

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.

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.

Panic Button in L.A.? Not Yet!

Los Angeles limbed into the break losing
three-in-a-row for the third time this year.

The two-time defending NBA champions have been a topic of conversation much of the first half, especially after their most recent three-game skid.

It seems as if the Los Angeles Lakers dropped to a new low Wednesday night, losing to the NBA's worst team, the 10-46 Cleveland Cavaliers. Los Angeles embarked on their longest road trip of the season back on Feb. 5 at New Orleans. They started off an impressive 4-0 beating legitimate playoff contenders including the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in consecutive nights.

However, the trip went sour, losing the next three to Orlando and two sub .500 teams, the Bobcats and Cavaliers.

All that being said it is not time to push the panic button in the City of Angels, yet.

Kobe Bryant's minutes are significantly down from a year ago. Bryant averaged 38.8 minutes per game in 2010 compared to the 33.6 he is playing this season, which will all change come playoff time. Coming off his second career knee surgery, Bryant is being rested carefully by head coach Phil Jackson for a deep playoff run into June.

Bryant's 25.1 points per game this season are right at his career average of 25.3. At times the frustrating part this season is their continued losses to teams below .500, seven of their 19 have come at the hands of sub .500 teams.

It seems we can attribute those to Los Angeles being disinterested in their opponent most of the game or just lack of effort.

Back on Feb. 27 of last season Boston lost to the miserable New Jersey Nets at home in TD Garden, a team that finished with 12 wins all season. As we now know, the Celtics positioned themselves for a deep playoff run and came a win away from their second NBA championship in three years, but en route to that, they also lost to the worst team in the NBA a year ago.

Could the Lakers being doing the same?

The Cavaliers were embarrassed by the Lakers back in January at Staples Center, losing by a video game like number, 55 points. You knew if the Lakers did not come out ready to play on Wednesday night, they had a very good chance to lose even to the NBA's worst team. Byron Scott, being a former Laker in his playing days, was not going to let his team come out flat against the defending champions again.

Much has been written about the Lakers inability not to just beat sub .500 teams, but their inability to beat teams above .500. The Lakers have posted a 15-12 record against teams .500 or better and a 23-7 mark against sub .500 in the first half.

The Miami Heat are only 12-13 against the league's elite, but are taking care of business on the other side, beating 29 of the 31 teams they have faced under .500. Yes, the Lakers need to be more consistent and sometimes play with a little more urgency, but by no means is it time to panic in Los Angeles, YET!

Come June, Jackson and Bryant will silence the critics once more.