Suns - Heat Preview

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat have very different styles of play, but one thing they have in common is undefeated records.

They won't have that in common anymore after Tuesday night.

The Suns and Heat both try to avoid their first loss when they meet at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Phoenix and Miami are both off to 3-0 starts, but they've gotten there in contrasting fashion. While the Suns are relying on a high-scoring offense, the Heat have been using defense to shut down the opposition.

Miami will try to contain the Suns after holding its last two opponents below 90 points, including a 95-87 home win over Chicago on Sunday.

Miami has held its first three opponents to 38.6 percent shooting, including 21.6 from 3-point range. The Heat have yet to be outrebounded.

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points Sunday, surpassing 10,000 for his career in the third quarter. The Heat limited the Bulls to 17 points in the fourth.

The only bad news from the otherwise solid victory was that Jermaine O'Neal broke his nose late in the fourth quarter. The oft-injured center doesn't expect to miss any playing time, though, and said he won't wear a protective mask.

Against the potent Suns, Miami may need its offense to score more than the 95.5 points it has averaged in the last two games.

Phoenix will be looking to force Miami to play up-tempo - a strategy that has paid off against other opponents. The Suns have given up 100 points in each of their first three games, but they are averaging 117.3 of their own and have reached 120 in their last two games.

Much of Phoenix's success has come from beyond the arc. The Suns are shooting 52.4 percent (33 of 63) from 3-point range for the season and are coming off a 120-112 victory over Minnesota on Sunday in which they connected on a season-high 14 3-pointers. Channing Frye hit six for a second straight game.

Steve Nash had another solid effort with 25 points and 14 assists. He had another scorer on the court with the return of Jason Richardson, who finished with 23 points in his first game following a two-game suspension for a drunk-driving conviction.

"I was definitely excited to get back on the floor," said Richardson, who shot 4 of 7 from 3-point range. "I feel I'm now a better person and a better player."

Richardson will be looking to help the Suns get their five-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams off to a good start. Phoenix will also visit undefeated Orlando and Boston, as well as Washington and Philadelphia. The Suns are looking for their first 4-0 start since 2004-05.

"It's great to start 3-0, it's important for us to do it while at home," coach Alvin Gentry said. "We have a huge, huge test coming up. We have five tough road games. But if we go 5-0 on the road, I'm not going to think we're great. And if we go 0-5, I'm not going to think the season's over."

The Heat swept last season's two-game series with the Suns, including a 135-129 victory in Miami led by 35 points from Wade, who is averaging 36.3 in his last three games against Phoenix.

Wades shoes stolen!

A pair of NBA superstar Dwyane Wade's specially-made kicks were swiped from his alma mater's trophy case in Oak Lawn.

The shoes -- a pair of red, white and blue leather Converse -- were stolen from a smashed trophy case inside Richards High School on June 17, when police say a homeless man made his way through a side door of the school by way of an ongoing construction project.

Police arrested the man and recovered the shoes after they found him squatting in an abandoned Oak Lawn townhouse Tuesday.

Ryan Dace, 27, was charged with burglary in connection with the theft.

"He's a size 9," Oak Lawn Police Division Chief Mike Kaufmann said. "These things were a size 14 or 15."

Wade, 27, graduated from Richards in 2000 and returns often to host local basketball camps.

The Miami Heat star recently shot a Converse commercial in the school's gym -- named D. Wade Court -- and has provided basketball shoes, uniforms and sweatsuits for the entire Richards hoops program.

Last year, he chartered a plane from Miami to Peoria to watch the Bulldogs win the state championship.

Wade's stolen shoes were brought to Richards after he played on the bronze medal-winning Team USA in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bulldogs basketball coach John Chappetto said.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade to live it up at Nikki Marina

Olympic fever takes place at Nikki Marina in Hollywood on Saturday night, when Dwyane Wade will host the Team USA Basketball gold-medal party, featuring DJ Top Feelin and DJ Griot. Red, white and gold attire is required. Party starts at 11 p.m.

A promo spot for Paris Hilton's My New BFF TV show debuted on MTV this week featuring Miami socialite Erin Newberg. In it, comedian Jeff Beacher grills Erin on why she should be the heir-head's new best friend, as Hilton and beau Benji Madden of Good Charlotte look on. The series premieres Sept. 30.

A laundry list of ''celebrity invitees'' for DJ Envy's ''Comeback'' Labor Day Birthday ''Swore'' -- we think they meant Soiree -- at The Fifth on Sunday, includes Brooke Hogan, LL Cool J, Lindsay Lohan, Tony Hawk, Lil Wayne, Ashley Tisdale, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys. Emphasis on invitees.

One confirmed appearance: Trey Songz, who will perform.

Radar Magazine ranked the worst colleges in the country with criteria such as ''incompetent professors, rock-bottom admissions standards and unbridled alcohol and drug consumption.'' So where did the University of Miami fall? ``Most Superficial.''

According to one student, if you love ''cellphones, Prada, Us Weekly, and have a mindless herd mentality, then by all means this is the place for you!'' Ouch.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington was spotted dining on lasagna with owner Angelo DiPiazza at Vignetto's Italian Restaurant in Plantation Tuesday.

Wade scores 19 as U.S. tops Angola

Dwyane Wade led the U.S. basketball team to a 97-76 victory over Angola today, scoring 19 points as the Americans improved to 2-0 in group play.

Wade, the former Marquette star and guard for the Miami Heat, sank 6 of 8 shots from the field and 5 of 7 free throws. Dwight Howard added 14 points, and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony each had 12 for the U.S.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd played 14 minutes in a reserve role and scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting.

The U.S. next will play Greece at 7 a.m. Thursday (Milwaukee time). Greece defeated the U.S. in the semifinals of the 2006 World Championships, forcing the Americans to settle for the bronze medal.

"It's been circled on my calendar for a while now," Anthony said. "Since we left Japan (at the worlds) it's been circled on my calendar."

Dwyane Wade Gets Misty Over Odom

I know that the Shaquille O'Neal trade brought Miami a ring, and that means said franchise will live forever. That's the way things work in the NBA. Just ask the Sonics. But only a heartless cur doesn't harbor some fond memories of the Wade/Odom/Butler team of 2003-04, who nearly upset the Pacers in the conference semis playing a pre-Suns form of millennial small ball. That's why, with Shawn Marion considered expendable and Lamar Odom on the block, Dwyane Wade's getting sentimental—and thinking of a reunion, of sorts. From the Sun-Sentinel:
"I love L.O. as a person and, of course, as a player," Wade said. "We had one year together. I wish we could have had more. "It's a guy who I've always said it's a possibility when he left that he can maybe come back. ... A player like that, we would love to have a chance to get because he's so versatile. That's not to belittle Marion, but there's a special chemistry between Wade and Odom. Pair the two of them with Beasley and you've got a less redundant, and no less explosive, line-up than the good 'ol days. If a little deficient defensively—Butler, like Marion now, could pick up defensive slack. Also worth noting: Caron Butler's slipped through the fingers of both the Heat and Lakers. Right now, he'd probably be the second-best player on either team.

He's not playing, but Dwyane Wade, or at least his image, can be found nearly everywhere

This is not where Heat guard Dwyane Wade expected to be, at the bottom of the standings, headed to the lottery, his team limping through his worst professional season.

'Right now,' he said of his ubiquitous promotional presence, 'I don't want to be out there.'

But he is, because major marketing isn't mapped out on a day-to-day basis.

So on Christmas, he unveiled a special edition of his Converse sneaker, even as the Heat was falling to 8-20, the first team in the league to reach that loss total.

Currently, he can be found on the cover of ESPN the Magazine.

And next week, he is scheduled for a media event at the Wal-Mart in North Miami Beach in conjunction with the release of his first DVD, Undeniable: The Rise of Dwyane Wade .

'When you have a lot of things coming out, you want to be at the top of your game, want the team to be at the top of its potential and make everything that feel-good story,' he said.

That has left Wade conflicted.

'Like, I did that ESPN magazine cover. I didn't want to do it,' he said of the timing of the release. 'But what I have to do is show my fans that through good and through bad, I'm still going to be me.'

Not only was Wade hopeful of delaying the magazine cover, he lately has avoided ESPN's networks.

'I don't even watch TV right now,' he said.

With the Heat carrying an 8-27 record into Wednesday's game against the Bucks at the Bradley Center, Wade said perspective is essential.

'I think everything that happens is a part of your story,' he said. 'Just like I've been in the league five years, five years from now we're going to look back at this year and laugh on it and say, 'I can't believe we went through that.'

'You understand you're going to go through good times and you're going to go through bad times, and this is bad basketball. This is the worst it's been.'

Wade said this is when it is easy to determine true loyalty.

'When things are not going good, and you're doing things that people are still coming to support, then they're going to be fans through thick and through thin,' he said. 'You appreciate them for that, because it won't always be bad.'

With Wade able to opt out of his contract after two more seasons, there is a concern that the losing, this precipitous decline from the 2006 NBA championship, could sour him on South Florida.

'We've got to do everything in our power to try to change it hopefully this season, and if not this season, then change next season,' he said. 'We don't want to go through this constant losing, like the last year and a half.'

Yet there are no guarantees.

'I signed a three-year deal and I'm not worried about anything until my contract comes back around,' he said. 'So right now, my only objective is to make the Heat as good and as competitive as it can be. And when the time comes for us to renegotiate, we'll renegotiate.'

Wade helps bring cash, happiness to Lauderhill kids

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade took his first two shots since undergoing shoulder and knee surgery in the spring.His first effort glanced off the backboard and rim, but his second shot found its mark, much to the delight of the more than 200 community members, VIPs and guests who attended a check presentation last month at Lauderhill's City Hall Park.It was one of several lighthearted moments for the NBA star, who teamed up with Staples Inc. to present a $25,000 check to the city of Lauderhill as part of the Staples Dream Park Challenge with D-Wade. Wade quipped that the city voted more for him than the city's mayor, Richard Kaplan, then tossed out souvenirs to children from the Lauderhill Boys & Girls Club.
City Hall Park received the most votes (110,000 of about 250,000 votes cast), and received the grand prize for a park makeover. The other 13 parks received $2,500 each for improvements. Wade said that as he grew up in Chicago, he developed his game on outdoor courts such as the ones in Lauderhill. Wade said he didn't have the opportunity to play inside a gym in Chicago."It is very important to give back to local parks," Wade said. "That is the foundation for what I do in the NBA. "This is where it comes from, playing out here in the open parks on hot, sunny days when you don't have any water or nothing and you are just out here playing for the love of the game."Wade said children move him when he makes appearances such as this."I love to play basketball, but I also love to see smiles on the kids' faces," Wade said. "I love to see hope and opportunity in them. I grew up in the inner city and grew up in a poor neighborhood so I was one of those guys who wanted to have someone come back and touch my neighborhood.""This is the No. 1 thing to happen to the city since I have been here," said Irvin Kiffin, Lauderhill's Parks and Leisure Services director for the past 10 years. "Dwyane is an outstanding individual and for him and Staples to do something for the community is huge."A day like today is very important," added Kiffin, who said the money went to resurfacing the basketball courts, work on the playground and some work on the athletic fields. "Not only are they coming here to see Dwyane Wade, but it is bringing the community together, which is a wonderful thing. Image is everything at the park. We have a beautiful basketball court and then the word will get out that Dwyane Wade was here and that is good positive feedback."Wade's appearance left quite an impression with the crowd, which included 15-year-old Rashida Gayle, who along with her sister, Shari, gave him a scroll inscribed with a quote from Aristotle. They also had lunch with Wade and other VIPs."It is amazing that he came here," Rashida said. "I don't think anybody else who would have come would have affected me as much as him because I am not a big fan of the Heat, but I am a big fan of his because he is so humble and his personality alone. He didn't frown when he was on the stage. All he did was smile."

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Parker eager to play alongside Wade

Smush Parker, the Heat's newest acquisition, might be one of the luckiest point guards in the NBA. After two seasons running point for Kobe Bryant in L.A., Parker will now back up Jason Williams in Miami and play with another megastar, Heat guard Dwyane Wade.
For Parker, playing with Wade comes as a relief.
'D-Wade is more of a people person than Kobe,' Parker said of Bryant, his often-mercurial teammate. 'I'm looking forward to jelling with Wade, and playing with him. He's going to be a great teammate.'
Parker signed a two-year contract with the Heat on Friday after starting at point guard for two seasons in Los Angeles. He was replaced by Jordan Farmar for the Lakers' playoff series against Phoenix after his season numbers were down across the board from a year before. The Heat has stressed Parker's defense and athleticism.
'I came to the Heat for the chance to bring a championship back to Miami. We have all the right pieces in place.' Parker said. 'Whatever they want me to do, I'll do. I'll be a floor leader, a coach on the floor. I'm a point guard; the offense and defense starts with me.'
Parker is the Heat's lone acquisition in an offseason framed by failure to sign Milwaukee guard Mo Williams or Rockets guard Steve Francis. Warriors swingman Mickael Pietrus and Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro remain outside possibilities through a sign-and-trade.
'I can't control who they bring in. I'm just confident that if I get the opportunities, I will perform.' Parker said.

Wade aims to be back by opener

Heat guard Dwyane Wade said Tuesday he is optimistic about making it back from last month's knee and shoulder surgeries by the start of next season.
In his first interview since the May 15 procedures, Wade said the Oct. 30 start of the 2007-08 regular season remains a tangible target for his return.
'I'm confident I'm going to get back to where I need to be,' he said on a conference call from Chicago, where his wife recently gave birth to the couple's second child. 'It'll take a lot of hard work, and I'm not scared of that.'
The initial prognosis had Wade out as long as six months from the date of the surgeries. He had the option of putting off the surgery on his left shoulder and solely addressing the tendinitis in his left knee.
'I'm glad that I got both of them out of the way and got 'em done, so I'm [on] a faster pace to recovery,' he said, with his knee rehabilitation beginning two weeks ago and the work on his shoulder to commence next week.
Although he undertook an extensive rehabilitation program in order to return from his mid-February dislocated shoulder in time for the playoffs, Wade said that gain was lost when he underwent the May procedure that eliminated concerns about the shoulder again popping out of joint.
'It starts from scratch all over again, but it helped me mentally, knowing that I can do it,' he said.
Wade said he would move his rehabilitation program to Las Vegas to be with the U.S. national team when it reconvenes this summer for an Olympic qualification tournament, but would not participate.
'I do intend on going up there. I'm still a captain,' he said. 'I'm going to be there for moral support and support for my team.'
E. Jones WANTS MORE After spending the second half of last season with the Heat, guard Eddie Jones said he plans to play another season.
Jones, 35, becomes a free agent July 1, which would be the earliest the Heat could discuss yet another reunion.
'I feel like I still can play, and we'll see what happens,' the Weston resident and former Ely High star said last weekend at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where he attended a dinner to benefit the Crockett Foundation.
Jones, who struggled in the postseason and was benched during the Heat's final playoff game, said he loves 'being here, my kids love it, my wife loves it, my family is here, my mother, my stepfather.'
WORKOUTS BEGIN The Heat worked out six draft prospects Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
In addition to Georgia Tech guard Javaris Crittenton, Southern Cal guard Nick Young and Virginia Tech guard Zabian Dowdell, prospects who stand as possibilities for the Heat's No. 20 selection in the first round, the Heat also worked out Florida forward Chris Richard, Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry and Providence center Herbert Hill.
The Heat does not currently hold a second-round round selection in the June 28 draft, which came as a bit of a surprise to Richard, who said, 'That's news to me.'
Crittenton and Young are expected to be taken in advance of the No. 20 selection, but Young said he learned a lesson from the plummet of Notre Dame's quarterback at the NFL Draft.
'You never know,' he said. 'With the Brady Quinn thing ... you've just got to stay focused.'

Dwyane Wade and Wife Have Second Son

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and his wife, Siohvaughn, became parents Tuesday for the second time.
The couple's second son, Zion Malachi Airamis Wade, was born at 9:45 p.m. at a Chicago hospital, weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces. He joins older brother Zaire, 5, in the Wade household.
"We are very excited and blessed to welcome our second child into the world,'' Wade said on his Web site. "We are really happy and everyone is healthy.''
Wade was the MVP of last season's NBA finals for the Heat, whose title defense ended in the first round of this year's playoffs. The All-Star guard underwent surgeries on his left shoulder and knee earlier this month and will not play with USA Basketball during the FIBA Americas tournament - an Olympic qualifying event - in Las Vegas this summer.
Wade averaged 27.4 points this past season for the Heat despite missing 31 games because of several injuries, primarily a dislocated left shoulder suffered in February.

Commentary: Means to an end

This ends soon for the Heat - if not Sunday afternoon in AmericanAirlines Arena, then almost certainly Tuesday night in the United Center in Chicago - and it ends ignominiously.
Whenever it does conclude, Heat coach Pat Riley needs to win an argument with himself. He needs to talk himself into quitting.
Don't be mistaken.
This isn't a call for Riley's dismissal. Not at all.
This is a suggestion that Riley once and for all should get away from coaching and tend solely to his duties as team president. He should give in to the fatigue accompanying the relentless monotony of the courtside job. Riley has done so, memorably, on previous occasion in Miami and elsewhere, but he should make it stick this time. He should retreat to his president's office and set about undertaking single-minded reconstruction of the Heat.
Riley, for my money, remains among the upper echelon of NBA bench bosses. He's willful. He's tough. He's smart. He's a leader. He still makes a considerable difference on any sideline he patrols, and the Heat team Riley built and led to a championship a season ago will stand forever in franchise history as documentation of his formidable presence and influence.
But the best thing Riley could do for himself and the team now is to infuse it with a new and young-blooded coach of his own choosing, whose lack of familiarity with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade would provide the Heat with the clean slate it needs.
Riley's exhaustion is showing, and the 3-0 hole Miami is standing in against Chicago in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series has exacerbated the wear.
Last season took a lot out of Riley, and hardly has this season - complete with his prolonged absence because of hip surgery - reinvigorated him.
"Last year was the hardest season I ever had," said Riley, 62, who has coached all or parts of 23 seasons in the NBA, after practice Saturday afternoon. "I took over and never got up to speed. There was no planning. I spent seven weeks trying to talk Stan (former coach Van Gundy) out of quitting."
Now, can he talk himself into doing so?
"When the season's over, I'll address a lot of things," Riley said.
The Heat has a still-young superstar in Wade, yet there's precious little vibrancy to the team. That's in part a representation of Riley's surrender to O'Neal's increasing frailties. O'Neal requires more and more physical protection each year, and there's a widespread residual emotional effect on everyone around him as he's accommodated.
Ask yourself: Isn't the Heat's on-court style and off-court demeanor much more reflective of Riley and O'Neal than it is of Wade?
Now, ask yourself: Isn't it time for that dynamic to change?
Hand over the keys
Age, as the Heat is discovering against the Bulls, isn't playing well this time around.
O'Neal isn't going anywhere, but Riley, by concentrating only on duties as team president, could begin the process of transforming the Heat into a group that better fits Wade's talents and, sure, even his sensibilities.
Wade, for his part, calls Riley "top of the line" and has enjoyed his guidance.
Riley and O'Neal have done their best to give Wade room to grow both as a player and a person. But there comes a time when providing room to grow isn't enough. There comes a time when someone like Wade - a great player and an emerging identity not just for the Heat, but for the game - needs a space all his own.
Nobody should understand such a thing better than Riley and O'Neal, who long ago secured iconic stature with their multiple championships.
Riley, though, is the one who best can facilitate a transformation of the Heat, because he's the one who can be director without being coach. He's the one who can be the merchant of change, and, hey, it has occurred to him before - once right here in Miami - that the best place for change to start is in the coach's chair he occupies.
Riley stepped away from the Heat bench previously when he handed the team to Van Gundy, remember? Maybe he decided he wanted it back or maybe he's telling the truth about having tried to convince Van Gundy to stay.
Doesn't matter. Old news.
Doesn't matter in this instance, either, that Riley took the Heat to the title in relief of Van Gundy.
What matters is the state of the team, which is awash with questions.
Riley stayed the course with much the same group of players that won the championship, and it didn't work out. If such a result wasn't 44-38 predictable during the regular season, neither should it have come as a shock. And though Miami's first-round playoff predicament is startling, it also might have been expected, considering how disjointed the season was with significant injuries to Wade and O'Neal added to Riley's surgery.
It all seems to have caught up to the Heat.
"I don't want to make that assessment right now," Riley said. "I really don't. I think everybody knows what it is and what the adversities were. We overcame a number of them, and that's where we are. That's how we got to this point. It isn't the best situation, because continuity is really what makes a team consistent. But that's what we had to deal with."
A new start will be required.
It should be a dramatic one Riley can make happen by winning an argument with himself.

Dwyane & Shaq 2gether again

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal will be in the starting lineup together tonight against the Bulls for just the fourth time since the All-Break.

Understandably, they're chemistry continues to be a work in progress.

Wade said there are times when he's uncertain how aggressive he needs to be offensively when he and O'Neal are on the court. Wade deferred to O'Neal early in Game 1, and O'Neal responded with 10 points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half before he was limited by foul trouble.

Wade scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 96-91 loss to the Bulls. Injuries throughout the season have prevented Wade (wrist, shoulder) and O'Neal (knee, calf) from spending much time together on the court. The two have combined to miss 70 games because of injuries.

Wade said he would rather get O'Neal going early and rely on his own offense late in games. Finding that balance has been difficult at times.

''It's something I go through back and forth,'' Wade said. ``I try not to be too aggressive [early]. I try to be patient. When it's time to be aggressive, be aggressive. But that's not the easiest thing in the world. I feel like I can get a shot at any time.''

At times, O'Neal has questioned why his role in the offense diminishes late in games, particularly when he's not in foul trouble. There were several games late in the regular season when O'Neal was effective and aggressive in the first half and nearly nonexistent in the fourth quarter. O'Neal said one problem was that perimeter players were settling for too many long jumpers.

''I'm very unselfish, so when I kick it out, we have to mix it up more,'' said O'Neal, who attempted just four field goals in the second half Saturday. ``They [Bulls] were jamming the post, and I really don't like to force shots. We have to do a better job, whether that's kicking it back in or hitting open shots.''

Heat coach Pat Riley said O'Neal continues to get plenty of ''touches'' throughout the game and disputes that the offense gradually shifted away from him in Game 1.

''He had 38 touches in 24 minutes,'' Riley said. ``We're running out whole offense through him. You can say whatever you want to say. He's the guy that brought us here, that's helped us get a championship, that's made us what we are.''

Heat first in Division without Wade!

When Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder nearly five weeks ago, there was considerable sentiment around the NBA that the Miami Heat would be hard-pressed to simply make the playoffs.That sort of talk isn't happening now. Wade's still hurt, yet somehow, the defending NBA champions have clawed their way into sole possession of first place in the Southeast Division for the first time all season.Miami (38-32) got there Monday night, when it beat Atlanta and Washington (37-32) lost at Utah to fall a half-game behind the Heat. That series of events also pushed Miami to third in the Eastern Conference standings, a spot it'll seek to keep on Wednesday when a three-game road swing opens in Toronto."We've got something in front of us right now," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "Now we've got Toronto, Minnesota and Detroit, so we've got big games coming up. They all mean something now, and I just hope our guys will come with a sense of urgency."Since Wade got hurt, the Heat typically have brought the type of urgency Riley is seeking.When Washington won at Detroit on Jan. 30, the Wizards were eight games ahead of Miami in the standings. Miami won later that night to get within 71/2 games, and was still six games behind Washington on as Feb. 23, two days after Wade dislocated his left shoulder.Wade hasn't played since -- he's rehabbing and hoping to be back next month -- but the margin between the teams has vanished.The Heat are 12-4 since Feb. 23, the Wizards 6-11. And Orlando, which also led the division for a time in the early portion of the season, has also spiraled down over the last 41/2 weeks; the Magic, who were ahead of Miami for much of the season, are now 51/2 games behind the Heat and down to seventh in the East.But there was no raucous celebration in the Heat locker room Monday night. No celebration at all, actually, as some players said they didn't even know they were in position to reclaim first place."You can't get wrapped up in watching other scores," Heat forward James Posey said. "When that happens, you can have some slippage, so you just worry about what you've got to do."True, but for the first time all year, the Heat controls its seeding fate.When the three-game road trip ends in Detroit on Sunday, a second matchup with Toronto -- the Atlantic Division leader also vying for the No. 3 seed in the East -- awaits in Miami on April 3. From there, the Heat will have road games in Cleveland, Boston, Charlotte and Orlando still to play, plus home matchups with Charlotte, Indiana, Boston and an April 11 showdown with Washington that will likely go far in deciding the division title.Of the 12 remaining games, seven are against teams with sub-.500 records."I'm a firm believer that in order to be a true championship team, you have to win at home and win on the road," Heat center Shaquille O'Neal said. "I've had home-court advantage throughout, I've had the No. 4 spot, I've had the No. 5 spot. So we just have to play these next 12 games and whatever spot we get, we have to formulate a strategy and stick to the strategy."

Wade's comeback?

Dwyane Wade sat before a bank of microphones on March 5, saying he would need at least two weeks of rehabilitating his dislocated left shoulder before deciding whether to return to the Miami Heat this season.
It's been two weeks. Still, no one knows for sure when the NBA finals MVP will be back.
And if a timetable exists, Wade isn't saying just yet.
'Physically, I'm doing good,' Wade said Monday on a conference call to announce his plan for upgrading his old high school gym at Richards High in Oak Lawn, Ill., a Chicago suburb. 'I've been working out every day and doing what they're telling me to do. So I'm doing all right.'
Somewhat surprisingly, so are the Heat _ who, even without their leading scorer, have rallied nicely to rise in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
Miami lost 97-83 to Orlando on Sunday, a defeat that halted winning streaks of nine straight overall and 14 in a row at home _ both were the longest current runs in the NBA. But even with that defeat, the Heat have gone 10-3 since Wade got hurt.
'I see him on the court every day,' Heat coach Pat Riley said. 'He seems to be progressing. They're advancing with their drill work and he's got the heavy ball, how high he can get his arms up and stuff. He feels stronger, but we won't know for a while when, exactly, the day will come when he'll start to play _ so we're not even thinking about it right now.'
When Wade got hurt, he had two options: Rehab or surgery.
He chose rehab, with the hopes of returning sometime this season, but with the caveat that season-ending surgery remains a possibility if the shoulder doesn't get strong enough to allow him to play. And after one of his first workouts after the rehab regimen started, he realized how difficult getting ready again will be.
'It was rough, and right then, I thought surgery might not have been that bad,' Wade said. 'It's hard work, but if I can get back, then it'll be worth it to me to go through it all.'
Wade was averaging 28.8 points when he got hurt, and at the time, the Heat were on the playoff bubble. But now they're firmly in the mix for an Eastern Conference postseason spot, plus have climbed within one game of Washington in the Southeast Division race.
And teammates, while acknowledging they don't know when it will happen, still insist they expect Wade back.
'With our No. 1 option out, Pat asked me to use my experience and get everyone involved,' Heat center Shaquille O'Neal said. 'We've got a lot of veterans who know what to do when it's time to step up, and when we get our No. 1 option back we'll be ready.'
Wade was not at the event at his high school on Monday because of the rehab schedule, but has been cleared to travel; he accompanied the Heat to the White House for a championship celebration earlier this month.
He's been back on the bench with teammates in recent weeks, but even that provides a reminder of how severe his injury was: Something as simple as clapping his hands is still difficult because of the compromised range of motion in his shoulder.
'It's always hard not to get on the court and not to do something that you love doing, especially at this time of the year,' Wade said. 'This is the exciting part of the season, going into the playoffs. It's hard, but my team is playing well.'

Cavs beat Heat

With a straight face, LeBron James insisted he wasn't trying to prove a point or silence any critics. That's not how it looked, though. James ended a mini-scoring slump with 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers did a better job containing Miami's Dwyane Wade on Friday night in a 103-79 victory, snapping the Heat's five-game winning streak.
James had averaged just 17.7 points _ almost nine under his average _ on 39 percent shooting in the past four games. But going head-to-head against his good friend Wade, and perhaps inspired by his doubters, brought out the best in James, who scored 16 points after halftime and added seven rebounds and six assists.
Recently, James had taken heat for his poor free-throw shooting and for the Cavaliers' inability to win showcase games against quality opponents. For now, that kind of talk should quiet down.
'I don't care about that stuff, us being 0-5 on national television and LeBron not being the same player he was,' he said. 'I don't get into that. My teammates know what I'm capable of.'
Wade finished with 27 points, but he never got a chance to take over the way he did a week ago when he outscored Cleveland 24-23 in the fourth quarter and had a season-high 41 points in Miami's 92-89 win.
Sasha Pavlovic scored 15 points, added a career-high six assists and made the game's biggest defensive play on Wade in the fourth when the Cavs, who played their most complete game this month, pulled away.
Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points in his seventh game back since undergoing surgery on his left knee. The Heat were held to 43 percent shooting and failed to score at least 90 points for the first time in 18 games.
'It was a sluggish game for us,' Wade said. 'I don't know why. All of us were a little sluggish and Cleveland took advantage of it.'
Last week, the Cavaliers blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter when they were unable to slow Wade. They led by 12 points after three quarters this time, but before they let Wade get warmed up, Cleveland pushed its lead to 17 on two nice plays by Pavlovic.
He first surprised Wade near the top of the key by slapping the ball away from the Miami All-Star. Pavlovic grabbed it and sent a pass ahead to James, whose dunk made it 81-64 with 8:19 remaining.
'There's no stopping him,' Cavs coach Mike Brown said of Wade. 'You have to make him work for everything. I thought our guys did a nice job of doing that, and he still almost got 30. He's a handful.'
After the Heat closed within 12, the Cavaliers reeled off eight straight points, with James twice threading inside passes to Anderson Varejao for easy buckets.
James, who has been slowed by a sprained right big toe, capped the third quarter with a vicious dunk over Alonzo Mourning to give the Cavs a 69-57 lead.
Dribbling near the foul line, James spotted an opening and drove the right side before cocking his arm and delivering a facial on Mourning, who wasn't called for a foul despite striking the All-Star forward in the nose.
Wade had nearly as many turnovers (5) as points (7) in the first half, but Miami's slashing superstar doubled his scoring total in the first four minutes of the third as the Heat began cutting into an 11-point deficit.
But the Cavaliers responded and pushed their lead back to double digits thanks to rookie Daniel Gibson. He faked an outside jumper, took off toward the basket and turned in the air before bouncing into the 300-pound-plus O'Neal while being fouled and making an off-balance layup for a 60-49 lead.
Gibson missed his free throw, but his bravery inspired the Cavs.
'He could have smushed me,' Gibson said. 'It was either me or him. I better be careful because next time he might murder me.'
Lately, Pavlovic has made the most of more playing time and came in averaging 13.8 points in his last five games. He had an immediate impact, scoring 11 of Cleveland's 17 points in one stretch as the Cavaliers took a 44-33 halftime lead.

Wade Caps Special Day With Big Effort

Dwyane Wade heard raucous chants of 'MVP,' had a mountain of memorabilia to sign and saw his picture hanging high above the court. Little wonder he's so comfortable in Milwaukee.
Wade capped his special weekend with another brilliant performance in the Bradley Center with 32 points and 11 assists, and Jason Kapono added a career-high 28 points to lead the Miami Heat over the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 on Saturday night.
'It was great,' Wade said. 'It was very special for me and my family ... a win-win all-around. Marquette won, the Heat won and I got my jersey retired.'
Wade, who went 11-of-17 from the field, also extended his franchise-best streak of consecutive games with at least 20 points to 14 as Miami won its third straight and snapped a five-game road losing streak. He also had his collegiate jersey retired Saturday in a ceremony during the Providence-Marquette game.
'He's the greatest guard I've ever played with, and I've played with some great ones,' said Shaquille O'Neal, who quietly had 20 points in 20 minutes after first-half foul trouble. 'We talk all the time. We stay on each other all the time. We're the best of friends.'
Wade's performance trumped Mo Williams' career-best 38 points on 16-of-31 shooting that led five players in double figures for the Bucks, who have lost four in a row and 15 of the last 17.
Williams still doesn't have backcourt mate Michael Redd (left knee). Redd is expected to practice on Monday and may be back as early as Tuesday against Orlando
'I definitely don't feel comfortable shooting 31 times,' Williams said. 'When Mike is there, I'm 15, 16 shots. I'm comfortable with that.'
Eddie Jones returned to the court for the first time since signing with the Heat on Thursday. The 35-year-old guard, one of Miami's most popular players from 2000-05, was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. He played six minutes and scored two points.
Wade, O'Neal and Kapono quickly erased an early second-half deficit by feeding off each other during a torrid shooting display in the third. All three scored in double digits in the quarter as the Heat scored 41 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field.
O'Neal had 11 points in the quarter, including an alley-oop slam off Wade's pass during a 22-4 run that gave Miami control of the game.
On the next possession, Wade found Kapono crosscourt for a 3-pointer. Kapono, the league's most accurate 3-pointer shooter at 55 percent, went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the period with 14 points as Miami led 90-78 lead after three. Kapono finished 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
'It was rhythm and guys did a good job of setting screens,' Kapono said. 'I'm a slow guy. It takes time for me to get my shot off. I'm a slug.'
Milwaukee got 16 points and 11 rebounds from Charlie Villanueva, 11 points from Ruben Patterson and 10 each from Charlie Bell and Earl Boykins. The Bucks went on an 11-2 run to cut the Heat's lead to 92-87 early in the fourth after a 20-foot jumper by Williams, who said after the game that the Bradley Center remains Wade's home.
'He always plays well when he comes here,' Williams said.
Miami stretched the lead back to double digits when O'Neal, who didn't head to the other end of the court to play defense on one play, was all alone on a fast break. He made a behind-the-back pass to Udonis Haslem, who finished with 11 rebounds, for a dunk to make it 101-91 and the Bucks never got within striking distance again.
Wade already had a busy weekend back in his old college haunt where he led the Golden Eagles to a 31-1 home record and the Final Four in 2003. His jersey was retired earlier Saturday and his picture now hangs directly beside the school's postseason banner and one honoring Al McGuire's 1977 NCAA championship team on the Bucks' home court that they share with Marquette.
For a while, Wade looked to steal the entire spotlight.
O'Neal was expected to play more than the 28 minutes he logged in the Heat's 92-89 victory over the Cavaliers on Thursday night.
But after scoring the game's opening basket, O'Neal picked up two fouls with 10:16 left in the first quarter and his third two minutes into the second.

Heat lose to Knicks

This time, the Miami Heat were the ones with no answers. And Shaquille O'Neal has seen enough of that. Jamal Crawford connected on 16 straight shots from the field and scored a career-high 52 points, leading the New York Knicks to a 116-96 victory over the Heat on Friday night.
Four nights after the Knicks allowed 27 consecutive points in an embarrassing loss to a Miami team that was without Dwyane Wade and O'Neal, the Heat (19-24) were the helpless ones.
'We have to take one game at a time and take care of business, and we haven't been doing that,' O'Neal said. 'We just have to step up and play. Everyone has to do their job and everybody has to want to be here and everybody has to want to play. I'm getting sick and tired of this. I've never been five games under .500 in my career. It's embarrassing.'
Crawford missed his first four shots, then didn't misfire again until 2:16 remained in the third quarter. The Knicks had a 20-point lead by then on their way to snapping a two-game skid.
Crawford finished 20-of-30 from the field and 8-for-10 from 3-point range, helping the Knicks shoot 53.6 percent. He left to a standing ovation with 6:51 remaining, shortly after his final basket allowed him to surpass the 50-point performance he had for Chicago against Toronto on April 11, 2004.
'The way how Jamal played tonight was incredible,' Knicks guard Stephon Marbury said. 'That was the best performance I've ever seen inside the Garden other than Michael Jordan.'
No player had made 16 consecutive attempts in a game in the last 10 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
'It felt great to get the win, more importantly,' Crawford said. 'They embarrassed us pretty good when we were down there. It looked good, like everything was almost going to go in.'
Wade scored 37 points for Miami, which lost for the fourth time in five games. O'Neal scored 11 in 15 minutes.
O'Neal, in his second game back after missing 35 in a row because of knee surgery, rejoined the starting lineup _ Alonzo Mourning was inactive because of flulike symptoms. Starting point guard Jason Williams was limited to 21 minutes off the bench because of a sore left foot.
O'Neal said perhaps it was time for him to start being harder on his teammates. Wade won't go that route, but sounded just as frustrated.
'I'm not a motivator. I've never been. Anybody looking for me to come in and make a speech, it's not going to happen,' Wade said. 'I just try to go out there and play and hopefully my play speaks for itself.
'Guys have to look at themselves in the mirror more than anything and come out and try to put their best foot forward. But I'm not a motivator, and that's not my job. My job is to go out there every night and prove and show my teammates what I'm going to bring to them. And that's why I try to do.'
Marbury returned from a sore knee and had a season-high 13 assists for the Knicks, but starting center Eddy Curry was sidelined after leaving Wednesday's loss to Phoenix with a strained left calf.
Knicks coach Isiah Thomas kept Crawford in the starting lineup and moved Quentin Richardson to small forward, sending Jared Jeffries to the bench. Jeffries has been struggling, and Thomas has repeatedly been asked why he was keeping him in the lineup instead of David Lee.
'I didn't want us to fall behind 10, 12 and lose confidence without Curry,' Thomas said. 'I wanted to make sure I had some more offensive punch on the floor.'
Crawford sparked the late first-half run that helped New York seize control, then never let Miami get close in third quarter by scoring 23 points, one shy of the Knicks' record. He hit his first eight 3-point attempts, finishing one shy of tying another New York record.
Allan Houston had the last 50-point game by a Knicks player on March 16, 2003, against Milwaukee. The club record for consecutive field goals made is 19 by Johnny Newman, though not all in one game.
New York got off to a much better start than it did Monday in Miami, when it trailed 40-12 after one quarter in a 101-83 loss. The Heat were up 44-42 after Antoine Walker's 3-pointer with 6:09 remaining in the second quarter, but that was their last field goal of the half.
Crawford scored five quick points to give the Knicks the lead and spark a 23-5 run that he capped with a four-point play with 0.2 seconds remaining to send New York to the locker room with a 65-49 advantage.

Wade outscores Bryant

This is what they all came to see: Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, generally considered the best shooting guards in the NBA, dueling it out to the finish.
Story continues below
Even with Miami's attention on him, Kobe Bryant (25 points) still scores the Lakers' last six points of regulation and six of their 14 in OT.
This is no longer about Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who didn't play in either the Christmas Day or Monday night game because he's still recovering from knee surgery.
This was about Bryant and Wade defending each other when it mattered most, about Bryant and Wade directing their teams' attacks, about who would get the upper hand this time.
Bryant's Lakers won in overtime, 124-118 over Wade's Miami Heat before 18,997 at Staples Center.
Wade outscored Bryant just like he did in their first meeting this season, getting 35 points and eight assists. Bryant had 25 points and eight assists that told much of the story.
He scored the Lakers' final six points of regulation and six of their 14 in overtime. He also found Brian Cook for a three-pointer that gave the Lakers the lead for good, 117-114.
"I was just waiting for the ball," said Cook, who had 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting, including 4 for 6 on threes.
"My man was leaving me to double Kobe all night. I knew it was good when it left my hands."
The Heat drew within one twice after that, but Bryant answered with a basket the first time and free throws the second, with 37.2 seconds left.
Wade then drove to the hoop and kicked the ball out for James Posey in the corner, but his pass was intercepted by Smush Parker, who was fouled and sealed it with free throws.
"Dwyane Wade penetrates, and he likes to dish it to either corner," Parker said, "and I just gave him a little head fake like I was going to double him and I got back to the shooter."
Said Wade: "I just read it wrong. I had a step on Kobe, I tried to draw and then kick, but Parker stayed home. So it caught me at the last second. It was a great defensive play on Parker's side. I should have put it up."
When it was over, Bryant and Wade sought each other out and hugged, a sign of respect for what each brings to the court.
Bryant said he aggravated his sore left groin but described his duel with Wade as "enjoyable."
"Wade stepped up to the challenge, and that's part of what makes him a special player," he said.
They were the stars of this shootout, which featured 23 three-pointers, including 14 by the Lakers.
Parker had 17 points, including five threes, and Luke Walton had 10 points and 10 rebounds as seven Lakers scored in double figures. Cook also had 10 rebounds.
"You've got to make three-pointers against Miami," Coach Phil Jackson said. "If you don't, you're going to be in a vacuum. You've got to be able to pull up and hit some shots."
The Lakers led 108-101 after Bryant's jumper with 3:31 left, but Miami scored seven straight and tied the game on a three by Jason Kapono with 1:58 left.
Bryant scored on a runner over Udonis Haslem for a 110-108 lead, and Wade missed a jumper over Bryant, but the Lakers couldn't secure the rebound. Parker ran the ball down but was off balance and threw the ball out to Kapono, who passed to Haslem for a dunk.
Bryant tried to force the issue when he went around Wade in the final seconds. But Haslem stepped in, drew contact and forced Bryant to throw the ball back out.
Maurice Evans threw up a desperation airball, and the game went into overtime tied at 110.
"We felt like we should have won it in regulation," Bryant said. "We didn't do it so now we have to regroup. We have to rebuild that energy, and that takes some maturity to do. We were able to do that."

Wade's 40 for Kobe's not so happy Christmas

Imagine that! Kobe wasn't angry with Wade's 40 as much as he was with Arenas' 60 :)
Mybe he likes Dwyane better! Read on!



Dwyane Wade scored a season-high 40 points and passed out 11 assists in a spectacular one-man Christmas performance to lead the Miami Heat past the Los Angeles Lakers 101-85 in Miami on Monday.
Wade hit 12-of-20 shots and contributed four steals, four blocked shots and four rebounds while playing spirited defense against Lakers star Kobe Bryant in sparking the defending National Basketball Association champions to victory.
"This was a great game," Wade said.
"It's a great opportunity on Christmas Day. We wanted to go out there and take charge from the start and that's exactly what we did."
The Lakers, led by 16 points from Bryant and 13 from Frenchman Ronny Turiaf, fell behind by 14 points in the first half and could never overcome the Heat. Bryant hit only 4-of-17 from the field.
Wade ranks fourth in NBA scoring with 28.1 points a game while Bryant ranks sixth with 27.8 points a game. Bryant was impressed with Wade's one-man show.
"He is a hell of a young player," Bryant said. "He's really matched for coming off those screen-and-rolls and attacking. He's a phenomenal, phenomenal player."
The Heat improved to 13-14, matching Milwaukee for eighth in the Eastern Conference with their first triumph of the season over a club with a winning record.
Miami star center Shaquille O'Neal, who won three NBA titles while playing for the Lakers, didn't play on Monday. He has been out for more than six weeks with a knee injury, leaving Wade in command of the Heat attack.
The Lakers slid to 18-10 on the season. Only San Antonio, Dallas and Utah have won more games this season.
Wade scored 18 points in the third quarter as the Heat, who led 47-40 at halftime, grabbed their largest lead to that point at 74-58 on a Wade jumper before the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 74-64 entering the fourth quarter.
Turiaf jammed in a slam dunk over Wade off a no-look, behind-the-back bounce pass from Bryant to pull Lakers within 41-35 late in first half after they had trailed the Heat by as many as 14.
Bryant shot 1-for-9 from the field in the first half, managing only four points but playing solid defense in the second quarter as Miami went more than six minutes without a basket.