[Newark, NJ] After beating the Charlotte Bobcats of Friday (see re-cap below) and clinching the Southeast Division title against the New York Knicks on Sunday 93-85, the visiting Miami Heat wanted to extend their winning streak to three against the New Jersey Nets.

The Heat sent a message in the potential playoff preview – just because the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony scored 42 points against them on Sunday, the boys from South Florida can still play great defense and offense in the clutch.

And Miami did it without Dwyane Wade, who did not play on Monday night (Terrel Harris started for Wade).

The Heat were struggling early in this one. The Nets’ Kris Humphries dominated the first quarter, scoring 14 points. For Miami, LeBron James scored 8 points and dished out 6 assists. At the end of one, the Nets were up 34-29.

Chris Bosh and the Heat turned it up a notch or two in the second. Bosh scored 8 points and had 5 rebounds, but the Nets continued to battle. New Jersey’s Sundiata Gaines scored 6 points and contributed with a couple key assists. At halftime, the Nets were up 55-52.

Humphries and Gerald Green kept at it for New Jersey in the third. Humphries scored half-a-dozen while Green poured in 11. The Heat couldn’t pull-off the expected comeback, as they were outscored by New Jersey 24-18. At the end of three, the Nets were up 79-70.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat star LeBron James got home crowd treatment in New Jersey

LeBron went off in the fourth. In fact, King James held court for the final 6 minutes, erasing an 8-point lead that NJ held for most of the fourth quarter. James scored all 15 points during the Heat’s 15-9 run to end the game. It was epic.

In the final minutes, the New Jersey crowd was chanting “Lets Go Heat.” Amazingly, the Heat took their first lead on a LeBron jumper with only 13 seconds left. Then on the next possession for New Jersey, DeShawn Stevenson turned the ball over.

That led to LeBron making (!) a pair of free throws to seal the game. It probably helped that all you heard were “MVP” chants from the New Jersey crowd. The final score was Heat 100, Nets 99.

LeBron James was spectacular, scoring 37 points, handing out 7 assists and grabbing 6 rebounds. Chris Bosh also came up big, scoring 22 points and chalking up 15 rebounds.

“This is as big as he’s been for us in two years,” Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I love the look he’s playing with right now.”

The Miami Heat are now 43-17 on the season. They play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat clenched their division with a win over the Knicks on Sunday

On Sunday, the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, 93-85. Spoelstra wasn’t that impressed.

“I don’t think it means anything for the postseason,” Spoelstra said. “What it means is something about us and how we’ve been playing on the road as of late. We want to do a better job of it and the only way out is to get up, show up and collectively do better.”

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

Carmelo versus LeBron was a key match-up

And now bonus coverage of Friday’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats who offered little resistance …

After coming off that painful loss against the Chicago Bulls, the Heat traveled back home to face the NBA’s worst team, the Charlotte Bobcats. Both Dwyane Wade and Mike Miller sat out due to injuries.

“They’re both a little bit sore coming off last night,” Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s too quick of a turnaround for them.”

Udonis Haslem also sat out due to an illness.

The Heat came out on fire against the Bobcats in the first quarter and never really looked back. They ended the quarter strong, going on a 14-4 run to put them up 33-19. Chris Bosh scored 10 points in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the bench for Miami combined to score 19 points and played great defense against the Bobcats’ starters. By halftime, the Heat were up 58-39.

The Bobcats played the Heat evenly in the third, but they had already dug themselves too big of a hole. At the end of the third quarter, the Heat were up 81-59.

The Miami bench was brought in to finish this one off and they did not disappoint. Dexter Pittman was a highlight, scoring 10 points and ending the game with a career high of 16. The final score was Heat 105, Bobcats 82.

“We need to play well,” LeBron James said. “We want to play better than we have on the road.”

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Chris Chambers/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Chicago, IL] With a bad loss to the Boston Celtics still fresh on their minds, a traveling Miami Heat really wanted to bounce back against the Eastern Conference leading Chicago Bulls.

Games in Chicago are special for Miami’s Dwyane Wade because he can visit his family. This time out, even more so. His nephew was shot a couple of weeks ago and was still in the hospital and Wade was able to visit him. The nephew will likely to pull through.

Can’t say as much for the Heat.

In the first quarter, Miami started off strong on a 10-2 run which kept the crowd silent. LeBron James scored 6 points and Udonis Haslem came off the bench and scored 4 points. But, Chicago did fight back and went on a run of their own to end the quarter on a high note.

At the end of one, the Heat were up 22-19.

Miami barely got any bench production in this one, and it showed big time in the second quarter. Chicago came alive and went on a 9-2 run to take the lead. Kyle Korver made two 3-pointers during that run, which gave the Bulls a boost. But once the Big Three for Miami came back into the game, they got right back in it.

Miami ended the second quarter on a 12-0 run to go into halftime with a 41-36 lead.

The teams pretty much played to a draw in the third. Luol Deng was a stand-out for Chicago, scoring 8 points and grabbing a pair of rebounds. For Miami, LeBron scored 7 points and had 3 assists. At the end of three, the Miami Heat were barely holding on to the lead, only up 62-60.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

Big Three or bust: The rest of the Miami Heat team continues to struggle with scoring

The fourth quarter was crazy! It all built up to the point where there was only a minute left, and Chicago was up by one. But on Miami’s next possession, Chris Bosh drove into the lane, passed the ball back to LeBron, who made a three-pointer.

Then, with 11 seconds left, LeBron James was fouled and had an opportunity to put the game away by hitting both free throws. Unfortunately, he only hit one. With 2.2 seconds remaining, C.J. Watson hit a three-pointer for Chicago to send the game into overtime, with the score tied at 84.

The Miami Heat could not hit a shot at all in overtime, while it seemed like Chicago made almost every shot they put up. The Heat went 0-5 from the field, only making two free throws. Meanwhile, Chicago made 5-out-of-8 from the field. The final score was Bulls 96, Heat 86.

LeBron James scored 30 points and had 5 assists. Dwyane Wade scored 21 points in his homecoming. Chris Bosh scored 20 points. Other than the Big Three combining to score 71 points, the rest of the Heat team only managed 15 points.

“It hurts,” James said. “As a team, we felt like we played well. We gave ourselves a chance to win … but they pretty much dominated the overtime.”

The Miami Heat are now 40-17 and next face the Charlotte Bobcats tonight.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Andrew D. Bernstein /NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Charlotte, NC] After long review on what to say after Tuesday’s game between the Orlando Magic (25-15) and the Charlotte Bobcats (5-31), I have decided to skip the usual recap. Instead, I’m going to preach.

With less than 10 days until the trade deadline, it is officially time to blow this team up, New York Knicks-style.

Magic fans are fooling themselves if they think we have a chance at the title. What a joke. NO CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM COULD LOSE TO A TEAM AS BAD AS CHARLOTTE. Period.

And, not only did they lose to the bottom-dwelling Bobcats, but they lost by an extra-pathetic 16 points to what is by far the worst team in the league. That, plus the nail biter against a similarly horrible Toronto Raptors team the night before says this team is not ready for prime time.

Corey “Spaghetti” Maggette put up an astounding 29 points in 29 minutes. How does that happen to what is supposed to be one of the toughest defenses in the league? I could only imagine what would happen if the Orlando Magic played this way against a real team.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson continues to be a bright spot for the Orlando Magic

You know, a real team like the Chicago Bulls. Whom they play tonight. Now, I’m not big on the Bulls – personally they remind me of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the LeBron James era – but at least they know how to win.

I hope the Magic can get their act together soon, otherwise it is gonna be an ugly future for the Magic. The only starters putting up consistent numbers are Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard, both of whom recorded double doubles against the Bobcats (Anderson had 14 and 11, Howard 15 and 17).

Everyone else – except for maybe J.J. Redick (grit, FT%) and Von Wafer (shooting 47.5%) – should be traded to another team or possibly dropped to the D-League. Grow a pair, Magic GM Otis Smith … do something soon! Especially if you want to convince Mighty Dwighty to stay.

Mike’s Pick

The Orlando Magic play their next game in Chicago against the tough-as-nails Bulls. Star Derrick Rose is beat up, but I still expect Da Bulls to win.

My Prediction: Bulls 98, Magic 85

Position Advantage:

PG: Bulls

SG: Magic

SF: Bulls

PF: Even

C: Magic

Bench: Bulls

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Miami, FL] After a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on the West Coast, the Miami Heat wanted to turn things around against the visiting New Jersey Nets. Coming into the game, the Heat had to worry about one player on the Nets: Derron Williams.

On Sunday, he scored a franchise record 57 points against the Charlotte Bobcats.

But the Nets would have to contend with Chris Bosh, who was back in the starting lineup after missing a few games. Bosh was attending to his ill grandmother and her eventual funeral. The Heat have been sorely missing a dominant force inside – especially in the rebound department – and Bosh was the answer.

In the first quarter, the Nets jumped out to an early lead. But the Heat came back and blew the quarter wide open. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combined to score 15 points. Bosh scored 6 points and Dexter Pittman put in 4. At the end of one, the Miami Heat were up 30-17.

The Heat sizzled in the second. The role players played great, combining to score 18 points, most of those coming from three-pointers. Wade and Bosh combined to score 10 points to add to the lead. Towards the end of the half, Wade landed on his ankle very awkwardly and didn’t play for the rest of the game. Ouch.

At halftime, the Heat were up 64-37.

Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Chris Bosh goes to the rim for the Miami Heat

James and Bosh scorched the Nets in the third quarter. Together they scored 14 points while James had 3 assists. Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers also chipped in, hitting three 3 pointers between the two of them. At the end of the 3^rd quarter, LeBron made a spectacular half-court shot to put the Heat up by 32.

At the end of three, the Heat were up 88-56.

The Miami Heat bench was brought in to finish this thing off and they didn’t miss a beat. They kept the Nets at bay and the final score was Heat 108, Nets 78.

It was an all-around team effort on Tuesday night. LeBron James had 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Chris Bosh scored 20 points and had 2 rebounds. Dexter Pittman played a great game, scoring 10 points and was a big factor on the boards, reeling in 6 rebounds.

“We’ve been looking at his whole body of work the last four of six weeks,” Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said of Pittman. “He’s getting in better shape physically. You can tell. His weight is way down.”

LeBron was happy with the effort as well, saying that, “We worked our habits today and we got better.”

Next up for the Miami Heat: Atlanta on Wednesday.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photos by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Toronto, CAN] 34:55 minutes, 0-6 from the field, 0 points. If I told you this would be Hedo Turkoglu‘s line for last night’s game would you say that the Orlando Magic stood a chance of winning? Or what about the bench being outscored 35-20 by the Toronto Raptors (12-25)?

Well, those were the two pathetic realities that the Orlando Magic (24-14) had to deal with against the Raptors. If this is what help Dwight Howard is going to continue to receive on a day-to-day basis, no wonder he’s eying a trade! That is down right pathetic.

But anything’s possible in the Great White North – let’s see if the Magic men pulled this particular rabbit out of a touk.

The first quarter was matched bucket for bucket until the 3:38 mark, with the game tied at 17. D12 had 8 of these for the Magic. In the final 3-plus minutes though, the Magic “exploded” and outscored the Raptors by 3. After one: Magic 23, Raptors 20.

The second was more of the same story: Without Dwight this would not be a game. Also showing up for the Magic (thank god) was Ryan Anderson, who recorded 9 points in the first half of play. But overall, this is how bad the Orlando Magic were playing – at the half, they led a hapless Toronto team minus their star player by a measly 5 points, 43-38.

Leading the Magic was D12 with 16 points. Pacing the raptors was Demar Derozan with 14.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick scored 13 points against Toronto

This game was ripe for disaster. The play of the Magic left me with the feeling that just like in Jurassic Park, the Raptors could evolve in the second half and learn how to open and close the door on the struggling Magic? And who knew that J.J. Redick would make such a good Jeff Goldblum?

Well, they evolved alright, but not enough to close the gate on this one. The last two quarters ended up nearly being a draw and the Orlando Magic dealt a heartbreaker for the hometown Toronto fans, who sensed a victory in their bird-creature claw’s grasp.

The Dinosaurs actually had the game within two points with less than 30 seconds left, but the Orlando Magic worked that clock as good as the fine fine ladies of OBT. OBT! The final score: Orlando Magic 92, Toronto Raptors 88.

Leading the Magic was Dwight Howard who carried the team on his cape with an impressive output (36 points, 13 boards). Also in double figures were Ryan Anderson (19 and 13), J.J. Redick (13 points) and Jameer Nelson with 11.

The Raptors were led by Demar DeRozan, who had a very Sam Neill-like 23. Jerryd Bayless added 15 from the bench and Aaron Gray notched a double double with 11 and 11.

Mike’s Pick

The Magic play their next game tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats, by far the worst team in the NBA. They are rolling in on a 5 game slide (more than their total wins for the season 4) so don’t be too surprised after the Magic win tonight.

Note: Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy experienced mild chest discomfort in Toronto and stayed behind to receive some tests. The tests were negative, although it is not known if Stan Van will be on the sidelines against the ‘Cats.

My prediction: Orlando Magic 99, Charlotte Bobkittens 87

Position Breakdown

PG: Bobcats

SG: Magic

SF: Slight Magic

PF: Magic

C: Magic

Bench: Slight Magic

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Orlando, FL] After more negative comments came out of the mouth of Orlando Magic superstar center Dwight Howard following the team‘s victory – yes, he still whined after they won – on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, I’m going to warn all Magic fans to pray that management can find a way to unload him before the trade deadline March 15^th.

Already having thrown teammates under the brightly colored – and sometimes smelly – Lynx bus earlier this season, he is at it again, except this time he’s going after the coaches.

“I do want the ball more in the fourth,” Howard stated. “I want to become a closer. The only way you get there is by getting the ball and have coaches have the confidence in giving me the ball.”

Yes, Dwight, that is true, but this is something you should have been working on the past seven-and-a-half seasons instead of only wanting it now. Maybe you should have paid a little more attention to all-time great free thrower Mark Price instead of running to the nearest microphone.

Being a transplant from Cleveland, trust me when I say this: Magic fans, you do not want to have to deal with the ramifications of “The Decision: Part 2.” In case you aren’t aware, LeBron James leaving basketball-mad Cleveland for the the sun and fun of Miami to play for the Heat was “Part 1.”

But James fled after the trade deadline was long gone and the season was over – the Cavs were left with nothing except warehouses full of LeBron jerseys. Note: NBA replica apparel doesn’t burn very well.

Photo: Julien Haler

Dwight Howard having a good time, handing out high-fives to the fans

Well, we all know sequels are never better than the originals! So wouldn’t it be better for the Magic to get something out of Dwight instead of complaints and grievances? That’s right – ship him out before he ships all over Orlando.

So lets take a look at the top three destinations for Dwight Howard that I believe will keep us in contention for years to come (and yes, these are all teams on Dwight’s so-called “wish list”):

1. Trade Dwight Howard and PG Jameer Nelson to the Chicago Bulls for Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, C.J. Watson and two first round picks (2012 Charlotte and 2012 Chicago).

Why this works: This would be the best option for the Orlando Magic. Keep in mind no matter where you send him, you’re still losing D12.  But this at least gets an NBA All-Star back in return (Deng), a high-energy center-scrapper in Noah, a solid back-up PF in Gibson and a solid PG in Watson.

Not to mention the Charlotte pick, which is protected until 2016. But I don’t see the Bobcats getting any better anytime soon, so that could end up being a top 5 pick down the road.

2. Trade Dwight Howard to the New Jersey Nets for Brook Lopez (who is coming off his injury soon), MarShon Brooks, Sundiata Gaines, Mehmet Okur (expiring contract) and the Nets’ first round pick for 2012 (unprotected).

Why this works: The Magic get three really solid young players, an expiring contract, and a guaranteed top 5 pick in this year’s draft. Let’s not forget what Lopez did last season (20.4 points and 6 rebounds a game) and what Brooks is doing as a rookie (14 points and 4.3 rebounds per game).

On top of those, you get a solid back up point guard in Gaines and an all but guaranteed top 5 pick in this deep, deep draft this season. Long-term this could work out better for the Magic than the Bulls trade but that would have to be seen.

Photo: New Jersey Nets

Will Orlando trade Brook Lopez for Dwight Howard?

3. Trade Dwight Howard to the L.A. Lakers for Andrew Bynum, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock, the Lakers’ 2012 first round pick and the Mavericks‘ 2012 first round pick.

Why this works: Out of the three trades, this one scares me the most. I’m not 100% sold on Bynum, but he is an NBA All-Star this season. You also get two solid young guards, but definitely not as good as Brooks and Gaines. You also get a few late first round picks.

Do I love this trade? NO!!!! But it’s better than what the other 2 remaining teams on his list could have offered (Celtics and the Mavericks).

Listen Magic fans, I know it will be hard to let go of such a good player, but believe me, the sooner we do this the faster things will get better! Just hope you don’t hold onto him then have a stellar season like the Cleveland Cavaliers did last season (19-63).

And if it weren’t for the L.A. Clippers being so careless with their draft picks, the Cavs would’ve never gotten future star Kyrie Irving. So Magic GM Otis Smith, go get a deal done and bring this city what they deserve, A CHAMPIONSHIP!

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: NBA

Dwight Howard

[Orlando, FL] On Dwight Howard and the surging Orlando Magic lost a squeaker to the visiting San Antonio Spurs in overtime Wednesday night 85-83.

Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick shot a game-winning three after the buzzer sounded, giving the road-challenged Spurs their first victory away from home this season. The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak and dropped them to second place in their division behind.

“On the defensive end, we allowed Tony Parker to get too deep, and he was able to score or kick it out for guys for threes,” said Dwight Howard after the game.

The superstar center poured in 24 points and grabbed an incredible 25 rebounds in the losing effort. Hedo Turkoglu (back spams) and Jason Richardson (bruised left knee) were unavailable due to injuries.

Dwight Howard Trade Rumor Update #769: After Tuesday night’s victory against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard was asked directly about his future with the Orlando Magic.

“Right now, I’m with the Magic,” Howard said. “That’s the only thing that matters.”

Obviously having a little fun with all of the trade talk, Howard joked: “Sources say Dwight Howard is signing with the Harlem Globetrotters.”

One serious bit of info from the big fella, was that he simply flat out said “no” to whether there was any truth to the story that he had added the Los Angeles Clippers to his list of teams he wants to be traded to.

Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith backed up Howard by passing along the facts that Howard’s handlers hadn’t informed him of the Clippers addition to “the list” (which includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks), nor has the team granted any permission to said handlers to officially speak with the Clips.

One former Orlando Magic player and friend of Dwight’s isn’t surprised that Howard is hell bent on a trade: D-12 is still upset that the team that made the NBA Finals in 2009 was broken up by Smith.

“I’m not surprised (Dwight requested a trade),” said Courtney Lee, a former Magic man now playing for the Houston Rockets. ”When they broke up the team in 2009, you could just see the frustration in Dwight’s face. We talked about it a couple of times and you could tell he was upset about it.”

Orlando Magic assistant coach and Howard mentor Patrick Ewing – himself a superstar center back in the day – has tried to persuade Dwight to stay in Orlando.

“Everybody always thinks the grass is always greener,” Ewing told the Orlando Sentinel a few days back. “But it’s a great opportunity for him to stay in a [single] place. I wish I had stayed and finished my career here in New York. But it’s his decision.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard continues to lead all vote-getters with 1,161,797 votes after the second round of returns of the 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic

[Miami, FL] Coming off of another close call against the Minnesota Timberwolves (see recap below), the Miami Heat were ready to straighten up and get a big win against the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Heat had a close game against the Bobcats last week, narrowly escaping Charlotte with a 96-95 victory thanks to a layup by Dwyane Wade.

Sunday’s rematch against the Bobcats was expected to be another nail-biter. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, the Heat quickly jumped out to an 11-2 lead. Chris Bosh scored 9 points in the quarter. Seemingly, there was nothing Charlotte could do to stop Miami, who ended the first quarter with a huge lead.

Heat 33, Bobcats 15.

In the second quarter, it got worse for the Bobcats … and better for the Heat. The lead was gradually increasing for Miami. With the spark of Norris Cole coming off the bench, the lead increased all the way up to 30. Wisely, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sat the Big 3 for the rest of the half.

In the quarter, Bosh came up huge with20 points while Cole had 8. At halftime the score was Heat 65, Bobcats 37.

At the start of the third quarter, it actually looked like Charlotte was going to cut the lead down and make a comeback. But, D-Wade and LeBron James put a stop to that nonsense. Both combined to score 20 of the 27 points scored in the quarter. The Heat ended the 3^rd quarter up 92-64.

Photo: Miami Heat/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Norris Cole has been strong this season

In the fourth quarter, the Heat put in the bench players and they did not disappoint with the team cruising to a 129-90 victory, which was nearly enough to set a team record for margin of victory in a regular-season game.

An all-around stellar effort from a Miami Heat team who appears at times to be unstoppable at 5-0 on the season.

Cole has now proven to the coaches that he deserves more minutes, scoring 16 points and dishing out 9 assists. The Big 3 combined to score 62 points. Eleven different players scored a basket. This was one of the best defensive and offensive showings in Heat history.

“It feels good to be able to have a put out like that,” said Bosh, who scored 24 points and collected 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. “Just the guys’ effort is the main thing. When we have that kind of effort, things go well.”

After the game, Norris Cole said, “It’s fun, because we’re a professional team.” He also said, “Even though I’m comfortable on the court, I still need more developing.”

The Miami Heat plays the Atlanta Hawks in Miami tonight. Could we see another blow-out?

And now Friday’s recap against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which, due to the holiday schedule, wasn’t able to be posted:

Miami Heat Beat The T-Wolves In Close Game

[Minneapolis, MN] Coming off of the game-winning heroics from Dwyane Wade on Wednesday night, the Miami Heat had another close call against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And LeBron James – who was celebrating his birthday – played one great game.

In the first quarter, the Heat played great basketball. James, Wade and Mario Chalmers were scoring at will. The defense for Miami was also playing stingy, they stopped the T-Wolves almost every possession. The first quarter ended with Miami up by a comfortable 13.

Miami 33, Minnesota 20.

Photo: Miami Heat/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

LeBron James has a big game on his birthday

At the start of the second quarter, rookie Norris Cole went off. He scored 8 of the team’s 20 points. But 20 points wasn’t enough – the feisty T-Wolves, lead by point guard Ricky Rubio, scored 33 points in the quarter and went into halftime up 53-51, igniting the hometown crowd.

In the third quarter, it was back to business for Miami, who started scoring the same way they did in the first quarter. The Big 3 caught fire and scored 24 of the Heat’s 33 points in the quarter. With a little help from their friends, the Heat were up 82-75 at the end of third.

In the fourth quarter, there was a total of 5 lead changes in this thrilling seesaw battle. The Heat actually started the fourth quarter cold, only scoring 1 point in the first 5 minutes of the quarter – as they did against the Orlando Magic in their preseason loss.

With almost over 2 minutes remaining, it felt as if the game was slipping away from the Heat.

But three big plays by two big players helped Miami pull this one out of the loss column.

Down by 3 and with just over a minute left in the game, James drove to the basket, made the shot and got fouled. He converted the free throw and tied the game up at 99.

Then, with about 33 seconds left and the Heat down by 1, Wade faded away and knocked down a tough shot to put Miami up 101-100. Minnesota rallied to tie it up at 101 with about 6 seconds left.

On Miami’s final attempt, James in-bounded to Wade who was coming off of a Chris Bosh screen. The alley-oop pass was on the money and to Wade laid it in with about 4 seconds left. Minnesota guard, Wayne Ellington tried to make the game winning shot for his team’s final chance, but missed and the Heat won the game, 103-101.

Dwyane Wade scored only 19 points, and some wondered if he was still recovering from the foot injury he suffered against the Bobcats. “I obviously wasn’t myself,” he said. “But it was a team win.”

On his birthday, LeBron scored 34 points, dished out 10 assists and collected 8 rebounds.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Miami Heat

Miami Heat