[Miami, FL] In Game 1, the New York Knicks struggled mightily against the Miami Heat as NY point machine Carmelo Anthony couldn’t hit his shots. Also, the injury to Iman Shumpert was also a big blow to New York’s chances of being truly competitive.

And let’s not forget Miami’s LeBron James, who dominated in Game 1, scoring 32 points in 32 minutes.

As Monday night’s Game 2 of the best of seven, first-round playoff series got underway, the Heat went right back to work on the New York defense. Except this time, it was Miami’s other superstar who took it to the Big Apple Boys.

Dwyane Wade simply dominated in the first, scoring 11 of the Heat’s first 15 points in the quarter. It was surprising to many that LeBron didn’t attempt a shot until about 8 minutes into the game.

For NYC, Carmelo finally broke out of his shooting slump and poured in 15 points in the first quarter. At the end of one, the Heat were up 27-24.

Chris Bosh and James came to life in the second for Miami, with Bosh scoring 7 and LeBron scoring 6. For the Knicks, Anthony continued to play well, netting another 6 points while teammate Amar’e Stoudemire contributed 4 points.

Both teams stayed pretty even throughout the quarter, but Miami again outscored New York 26-23. At halftime, the Heat were up 53-47.

LeBron came out of the locker room playing aggressively on offense, scoring 8 points and handing out 2 assists. NY’s Tyson Chandler also showed up, scored 9 points and Baron Davis also nailed a pair of 3-pointers keeping their team in the game.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Mike Ehrmann/NBAE/Getty Images)

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat had a big night in Game 2

At the end of three, the Heat were up 78-69.

The Heat put the nail in the coffin in the fourth. Mario Chalmers started the Heat off on a 6-2 run to put Miami up by 13. A key to the strong quarter was Miami’s 3-point shooting: they knocked down four. Chalmers ended up scoring 9 of his 13 total game points in the quarter.

The Heat outscored the Knicks 26-25 in the 4^th quarter. The final score was Heat 104, Knicks 94.

It was a balanced game for the Miami Heat, scoring-wise. Dwyane Wade notched 25 points and had 4 rebounds. Chris Bosh scored 21 points and also grabbed 4 rebounds. LeBron James tallied 19 points and had 9 assists. Mike Miller and Shane Battier scored 11 points a piece.

“It was a good team win,” Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “A lot of guys contributed on both ends of the court.”

Coach knows that a balanced scoring attack is necessary for Miami to get back to The NBA Finals.

“We’re a much better team, much tougher to defend, when you don’t know where the ball is going and the ball is moving freely,” Spoelstra said. “We ended up moving the ball for a lot of open shots, rather than settling for a lot of semi-contested or contested shots.”

Game 2 will be on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, and the Heat are ready to hear a lot of boos from the rowdy New York crowd. If the Heat can sweep the Knicks on their home floor, it will send a message to their next opponent.

Their next opponent? The winner between the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic (that series is tied 1-1).

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

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

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] There were many headlines heading into game 1 of the playoff series between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

In the 90′s, both teams had a physical playoff rivalry. Both teams would give hard challenges around the rim which would inevitably lead to physical altercations.

One particular game at MSG sticks out: spectators (and TV viewers) watched Miami center Alonzo Mourning drag Knicks Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy across the floor as the diminutive leader held on to the basketball giant’s leg in an attempt to keep him from the skirmish.

But now in 2012, it is the Heat’s Big 3 versus New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. As usual for Heat playoff games, the Heat called for a “white-out” – where everyone in the crowd was to wear white. And just as the ’90s, the game got physical.

In the first quarter, Miami’s LeBron James came out on fire while NYC’s Anthony came out cold. James and Dwyane Wade got the crowd going early, with dunks left and right. James scored 12 points and had an assist.

For the Knicks, Carmelo was a huge disappointment in the first, making only one of his first seven shots. Additionally, New York got into foul trouble early in the game.

Surprisingly, even with the Knicks’ leader struggling, both teams stayed even for most of the first. But then at the end, the Heat went on a 9-3 run to take a 6-point lead. At the end of one, the Heat were up 24-18.

Both teams played pretty evenly for most of the second quarter. Then, with 4 minutes left, the Heat increased the lead from 6 to 9 points off of a three-pointer from Shane Battier. Later on, Mike Miller sunk a three-pointer to increase the lead to 14.

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

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade rises to the occasion. Notice the location of his right foot

A pivotal moment happened with 1:34 left. Tyson Chandler set a “screen” on LeBron, which caused LeBron’s neck to snap back, which appeared to give him whiplash. That woke up LeBron in a big way.

“At both ends of the court, it seemed like he had his hands on every single play,” Erik Spoelstra said of James’ ensuing fury. “It was an impactful three-minute run there.”

After that flagrant foul from Chandler, James took over and ended the quarter on a 7-0 run … himself. The Heat outscored the Knicks 30-13 in the quarter. At halftime, the Heat were up 54-31.

Miami kept going at New York in the third quarter. With points coming from everywhere, the Heat increased the lead from 23 to 34. James scored 9 points and had 2 assists Miami outscored New York 27-16 in the quarter. At the end of three, the Heat were up 81-47.

The Heat kept kept up the pressure and didn’t stop until the game was over. The final score was Heat 100, Knicks 67.

“Our guys had a noticeable look in their eyes the last 24 hours,” Miami Heat Head Coach Spoelstra said.

But he doesn’t want the guys to lose focus going into Game 2.

“We have 48 hours and it’s our responsibility to make sure we have the same look coming into Game 2,” Spoelstra said of the Monday-night match-up. “Now there shouldn’t be any excuse.”

The Miami Heat now leads the New York Knicks 1-0 in a best-of-seven games series in round one of the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Marc Serota/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Boston, MA] There’s no reason to play your superstars when the game is essentially meaningless.

So it was no surprise then that the Miami Heat‘s second-to-last game of the season at the Boston Celtics on Tuesday was a very different game from their regularly scheduled basketbrawls. This time out, the Big 3 for the Heat would not play.

Boston was messing around either and rested the creaky old bones of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The extremely shy Rajon Rondo would also not play. And as expected, it was a very sloppy game.

The Heat started the first quarter off on an 11-0 run. But then it was the Celtics turn, who went on 10-4 run of their own. Paul Pierce scored 4 points for Boston and Shane Battier scored 5 points for Miami. At the end of one, the Heat were up 17-10.

Both teams gave the crowd a good game in the second. James Jones scored 9 points off of three 3-pointers. Marquis Daniels scored 6 points and Keyon Dooling scored 5 points for Boston. But overall, the offense just wasn’t there.

At halftime, the Heat were up in a very low-scoring game, 34-28.

The Celtics and Heat went back and forth in the thirdquarter. It actually looked like Miami was going to run away with the game, when they took a 10-point lead with around half of the third left. However, Boston managed to cut the lead from 10 to 2, and later tie the game.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat rested the Big 3 for the playoffs

Brandon Bass scored 6 points for Boston. At the end of three, the game was tied at a low score of 50.

The Celtics took advantage of Miami’s turnovers in the final quarter. Sasha Pavlovic scored 12 points and helped Boston outscore Miami 28-16. The Heat could not stop Boston on defense and couldn’t get any offense going to start a run.

The final score was Boston Celtics 78, Miami Heat 66.

The Heat committed 24 turnovers, which is one of the worst offensive performances of the year. On the bright side for Miami, Udonis Haslem has had double-digit rebounds in the past couple of games. He had 13 rebounds against the Celtics.

Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra believes his team can reach their goal of a championship.

“We’ve put in a lot of time, already, together,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a year and a half. If we didn’t have that body of work, it’d probably be a little tougher right now. We have some other priorities in terms of making sure our health is right.”

The Miami Heat have one final meaningless regular-season game tonight against the Washington Wizards.

Tickets to the first two games of the first round of The NBA Playoffs are available here.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Copyright 2012 NBAE  (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] Another one of Gov. Rick Scott‘s favored policies has been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled that random drug testing of state workers is unconstitutional, as was directed by Scott’s executive order. She did not mention those who have yet to be hired, which is still presumably, OK.

“To be reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, a search ordinarily must be based on individualized suspicion of wrongdoing,” Ungaro wrote.

The ruling also will, no doubt, put the kibosh on Scott’s other drug testing order he signed a few months back. That law requires agency heads to administer drug tests of both new and workers already hired.

Gov. Scott release a statement on the judge’s ruling later Thursday.

“As I have repeatedly explained, I believe that drug testing state employees is a common sense means of ensuring a safe, efficient and productive workforce.  That is why so many private employers drug test, and why the public and Florida’s taxpayers overwhelmingly support this policy,” he said.

“I respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling and will pursue the case on appeal,” said Scott.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: snre (School of Natural Resources)

Related reading:

Judge: Florida Gov.’s order unconstitutional (Tbo.com) A federal judge declared Gov. Rick Scott’s order requiring drug testing for some 85000 state workers unconstitutional Thursday, …

Judge Rules Fla. Order Is Unconstitutional (WESH Orlando) Rick Scott’s order requiring drug testing for state workers is unconstitutional. US District Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled Thursday that blanket testing of some 85000 workers violates the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

Federal judge throws out Scott’s order (Sun-Sentinel) Rick Scott requiring that state employees submit to random drug testing is unconstitutional, striking down one of Scott’s biggest campaign promises and setting the state for a future battle over a new law on drug testing.

drug testing

[Miami, FL] On Sunday, the Miami Heat wanted to pick up a win at home against the Houston Rockets. Making that task much more difficult: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would be sitting this one out to rest their injuries.

No worries as LeBron James and the bench came to play.

The Rockets were on fire early on in the first. Houston started the game off on a 13-4 run, allowing them to build a 23-10 lead. Chandler Parsons scored 7 points and had an assist for Houston. But, Miami did manage to rally, ending the quarter on a 12-4 run.

At the end of the 1^st quarter, the Rockets were up 27-22.

Joel Anthony and Norris Cole combined to score 13 points in the second, which helped get Miami back in the game. Miami actually outscored Houston 23-17 in the quarter. At halftime, the Heat were up 45-44.

The Rockets went right back at Miami to start the second half. Parsons scored 12 points in the third quarter alone, helping Houston to build as much as a 9-point lead. But, in the final 2 minutes of the quarter, the Heat went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 2.

At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets were up 69-66.

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

The fourth quarter turned into and battle of wills as King James imposed his, scoring 11 points and making clutch plays down the stretch. The game was tied at 83, with 2 minutes left, when James stepped up and hit a 3 pointer.

On the next possession for Miami, Mike Miller sunk a three to put Miami up by 6. Momentum and the crowd were also on their side at this point. The final score was Heat 97, Rockets 88.

LeBron James scored 32 points and had 8 rebounds. Norris Cole scored 16 points and had 4 rebounds (he looks playoff ready). Mike Miller and Joel Anthony had 11 points each.

LeBron James has been having a great season, maybe one of his best. When he  was asked about the MVP race between him and the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Kevin Durant, he was a bit coy.

“I don’t talk about whether I’m the MVP or not,” said James. “The voters will vote. Just to be in the race, to hear my name in the race with (Durant) and some of the other great athletes … we have in the league, is very humbling.”

With this win the Miami Heat are 46-18 with two games remaining in the regular season (Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Washington Wizards on Thursday).

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

So, What Happened Against The Wizards?

On Saturday, the Miami Heat were visited by the underwhelming Washington Wizards. With the win, the Heat would be that much closer to securing the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs (a “W” against the Wizards would have them tied up with the Chicago Bulls).

But they would have win without Chris Bosh, LeBron James and – eventually – Dwyane Wade.

Everything was going bad in the first quarter for Miami. Then, at the 9-minute mark, Dwyane Wade’s left index finger got caught in Jordan Crawford‘s jersey. He dislocated it and did not return to the game. The Heat would have to finish this one without the Big Three on the court.

Kevin Seraphin scored 8 points for Washington. At the end of one, the Wizards were up 23-15.

The Wizards kept at Miami in the second. John Wall scored 7 points and 2 assists. Mario Chalmers scored 6 points and Joel Anthony scored 5 points. Neither team was able to get anything going, really. At halftime, the Wizards were up 45-37.

Miami showed some life in the 3^rd quarter. James Jones scored 9 points off of a trio of 3 pointers, which helped bring Miami back from a 12-point deficit to a 3-point deficit. But, Washington held strong and did not let Miami take the lead.

At the end of three, the Wizards were up 63-62.

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

It was a wild fourth quarter in Miami. Both teams went at it hard, the lead changing hands many times. With 2:39 to go, the crowd went wild when Mario Chalmers drove in the lane, made the lay-up and got fouled, which tied the game.

With 1 minute left, the game was tied at 82. Washington’s Wall drove in and passed it to Nene, who slammed it home to take a 2-point lead.

Then, with 11 seconds left, Shane Battier stole the ball, gave an outlet pass to Mario Chalmers who drove in the lane, missed the layup, but Udonis Haslem came right from behind and cleaned up the play with a dunk.

The game was tied at 84, and with 0.5 seconds left, Wall once again drove into the lane and it gave it to Nene, who laid it in to take the lead. On Miami’s next play, Mike Miller tried to shoot a 3 pointer, but time had expired before he could get the shot off.

The final score was Wizards 86, Heat 84.

John Wall dominated for Washington, scoring 13 points and handing out 13 assists. For Miami, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem combined for 25 rebounds. Miller also scored 16 points and Mario Chalmers – who had a solid performance – also scored 16.

Wade didn’t seem too worried about the injury to his finger (the x-rays were negative).

“They told me the worst-case scenario was surgery,” he said. “I’ll be prepared and ready for the playoffs … . It’ll be an adjustment, but I’m blessed that it’s nothing worse.”

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] With an eye aimed at the playoffs, the Miami Heat chose to rest Chris Bosh for Thursday night’s home contest and potential Eastern Conference Finals preview against the tough Chicago Bulls.

That’s OK, because Derrick Rose has been struggling with a foot injury for the past couple of weeks and was also missing in this epic battle to see who truly was the elite team in the East. The game definitely had a playoff feel, for sure.

LeBron James and the Heat came out on fire in the first quarter, as King James scored 15 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in 12 minutes of play. And for the Bulls, Joakim Noah kept it close by scoring 7 points and playing great defense in the paint.

At the end of the first, the Heat were up 27-23.

Both teams got rowdy in the second. With 6 minutes left, James Jones hacked Noah, and was charged with a “flagrant 2″ foul, which meant he was ejected from the game. Both teams also struggled making their shots in the quarter, with the Bulls only outscoring the Heat, 17-15.

At halftime, the Heat were up 42-40.

Miami felt cool, calm, and collected as they started the third quarter on a 6-0 run. But that second-quarter rowdiness flared back up. With 9 minutes left, Dwyane Wade committed a “flagrant 1″ foul on Richard Hamilton during a little scuffle. Both Wade and Hamilton were charged with technical fouls.

James scored 7 points and notched 2 assists the Heat ended the third up 66-61.

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

Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade committed a “flagrant 1″ foul in the third quarter

The Heat simply took over in the fourth. Wade scored 6 points in the first 4 minutes alone. But with good help on the defensive side, Miami was able to keep the Bulls at bay. The final score was Heat 83, Bulls 72.

LeBron James scored 27 points and had 11 rebounds while Dwyane Wade tallied 18 points and 5 assists. Mario Chalmers has been struggling a bit since the All-Star break, but finally got back into his groove, scoring 16 points and making 2 steals.

“A physical Eastern Conference game,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said at the end of the third quarter. “It’s an emotional game, a passionate game.”

Miami (45-17) next faces the Washington Wizards on Saturday, April 21.

Wednesday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors was also close coming out of the first half, perhaps due to both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade being kept in street clothes with an eye toward preserving their playoff health.

But there was plenty of action in the first, as Toronto’s Alan Anderson dominated, scoring 10 points and dishing out 2 assists. LeBron James scored 7 points, Udonis Haslem scored 6 points and Mario Chalmers managed 4 points. At the end of the one, the Heat were up 25-24.

Toronto kept going at Miami in the second. James Johnson scored 14 points in the quarter to keep the Raptors in the lead for a good portion of the quarter. But LeBron James’ 9 points helped the Heat take a 51-49 lead into the locker room.

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

Mike Miller filled in for Dwyane Wade on Wednesday night as the Miami Heat battled Toronto

LeBron & Co. took over in the second half, with James himself scoring 12 points and handing out two assists. Juwan Howard also played well off the bench, scoring 5 points in 9 minutes. The Heat outscored the Raptors 23-11 in the quarter.

At the end of three, the Miami Heat were up 74-60.

Mike Miller and the role players put the final nail in Toronto’s coffin in the fourth. Miller scored 10 points as the Heat outscored Toronto 22-12. The final score was Heat 96, Raptors 72.

“It was good to see our guys finish the game out,” said James, who finished with 28 points and 5 rebounds.

“When we have two guys out like tonight, he understands when he has to be aggressive,” Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said of James. “Even as he was scoring at such an efficient rate, we still felt the ball was moving.”

Mike Miller (filling in for Wade) scored 13 points and Udonis Haslem (filling in for Bosh) scored 10 points.

With this victory, the Heat have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. With only 4 games remaining in the season, the Heat also have the opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the East.

As it stands, a No. 2 seed means the Miami Heat faces the New York Knicks or the Philadelphia 76ers in round one of the playoffs.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

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

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] He’s supposed to put out fires, not start them.

Miami-Dade Fire Department Captain Brian Beckmann caused a stir recently with an incendiary Facebook post responding announcement of George Zimmerman being charged for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford.

As reported by TheGrio.com:

“Listening to Prosecutor Corey blow herself and her staff for five minutes before pre-passing judgment on George Zimmerman. The state seeks reelection again, truth aside. I and my coworkers could rewrite the book on whether our urban youths are victims of racist profiling or products of their failed, shitbag, ignorant, pathetic, welfare dependent excuses for parents, but like Mrs. Corey, we speak only the truth. They’re just misunderstood little church going angels and the ghetto hoodie look doesn’t have anything to do with why people wonder if they’re about to get jacked by a thug.”

Yes, there’s a screenshot of the post (click the link above).

What is most telling is the Beckmann’s ignorance on the subject as it has been widely reportedthat Trayvon’s father Tracy Martin is a truck driver and Martin’s mom Sybrina Fulton is a program coordinator at the Miami-Dade Housing Authority.

And she has worked for the housing authority for 23 years – the same type of “welfare” that Beckmann is getting, as in Miami-Dade government employment.

And Beckmann does not seem to understand how our criminal justice system works as he condemns the special prosecutor for doing her job. I guess Beckmann has more details on the case than Corey? He claims that Corey “pre-passes judgment,” but isn’t that what Beckmann’s post does to just about everybody but himself?

Beckmann also foolishly drew his entire union – Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403 – into the drama by saying “I and my coworker… speak only the truth.”

The union quickly distanced itself from the comments and launched an investigation.

For his part, Beckmann doubled down after being called out by TheGrio.com:

“I am a private citizen and have the same right to freely express an opinion on any subject that anyone else does. I choose not to embellish or alter the facts as your employer chose to do.”

Maybe, but when you work for the public and are expected to save their lives and property, can you really be expected to be objective after outing yourself as a fool and a racist? Me thinks not.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Miami-Dade Fire Dept.

[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

[Miami, FL] A handful of South Florida officials have been charged with conspiracy after a federal investigation revealed corruption in Miami at three different government departments.

The two separate complaints, announced on Wednesday by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida (USA-SDF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office, involve officials of the Miami Beach code compliance office, the Miami Beach Fire Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department.

“When government officials misuse their offices and abuse their power to line their own pockets and satisfy their greed, they erode the public’s trust in good and efficient government,” stated U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer.

The first complaint centers around a scheme to extort money from a South Beach nightclub by the lead code inspector of the City of Miami Beach, four code compliance officers and two Miami Beach firefighters.

According to the complaint, the lead code inspector (Jose Alberto, 41, of Miami Beach) asked for a bribe for not enforcing a code violation by a Miami Beach nightclub, which carried a large fine. The club owner contacted the FBI and an undercover operation was launched, with a federal agent posing as the club’s manager.

During the seven-month investigation of corruption in Miami, the agent paid cash to Alberto and four code compliance officers - Willie E. Grant, 56, of Miami; Orlando E. Gonzalez, 32, of Miami; Ramon D. Vasallo, 31, of Miami Beach; and Vicente L. Santiesteban, 29, of Miami. All worked for the City of Miami.

Payments were also accepted by two firefighters: Henry L. Bryant, 45, of Miami Gardens; and Chai D. Footman, 36, of Miramar. Both worked for the City of Miami.

The payments – which eventually totaled $25,000 – allowed the nightclub to continue operating without fear of future code violations. Now, each is charged with “one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right” and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars.

Photo: Averette

Corruption in Miami went all the way to South Beach

The men were quite brazen with their scheme. According to investigators, recorded conversations between the agent and Bryant – who was also charged with another crime (read below) – reveal that their brand of corruption in Miami has been going on for more than a decade.

Bryant said that he and Alberto had worked together “for about twelve years on every little gig that [they] had,” and bragged about “helping” another business in non-compliance stay open because they coughed up $4,000.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, at any level of government,” said Ferrer. “I encourage victims to come forward, report shakedowns of this kind, and help us shine a light on backroom corruption.”

The second complaint charges Bryant and Miami-Dade police officer Daniel L. Mack, 47, of Miami, for agreeing to “transport and protect what they believed to be multiple kilograms of cocaine.”

During the course of the code violation investigation, Bryant told the agent that he could recruit police officers to escort cocaine shipments, even going so far as to move the drugs “in his own vehicle.” Bryant delivered on his promise and made two deliveries of dummy coke.

On both occasions, Bryant was accompanied by Mack in a Miami-Dade Police Department police cruiser. Mack had previously attended a meeting for the delivery wearing his uniform, his gun, his badge and driving his cop car. The men were paid $25,00 for their services. They now face life in prison.

“When corrupt officials break the law for their own personal gain, they breach the public’s trust and violate the very principles they have sworn to uphold,” said Dena E. Choucair, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division. “This should serve as a reminder to all of our public officials that no one is above the law.”

Note: A complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Miamiboyz

corruption in Miami

[Miami, FL] The junior U.S. Senator from Florida – Marco Rubio – is playing hardball this week against President Obama, who visited the Sunshine State for some good old-fashioned campaign fundraising as well as some official appearances.

On Tuesday, President Obama gave some back at a speech at Florida Atlantic University in which he made his pitch for multi-millionaires and billionaires to pay more in taxes.

“It’s time for us to choose which direction we want to go in as a country,” said Obama. “Do we want to keep giving those tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans like me, or Warren Buffett – he definitely doesn’t need them, or Bill Gates?”

During an interview with CBS 4 Miami, Rubio challenged the President over his push to instate the so-called “Buffett Rule,” which is a popularized catch phrase for Obama’s push for tax policy change aimed at raising the rate on the wealthiest Americans.

Rubio, obviously, doesn’t agree with President Obama’s idea that the wealthier pay more taxes.

“They do pay more — and that’s one of the fundamental misleading things the President is saying,” said Rubio. “Somehow the perception is being created that if your paycheck is a million a year you pay less in taxes. That is not true. What the President is talking about when he talks about the ‘Buffett Rule’ is investment income.”

“We have always wanted Warren Buffett to, instead of putting that money in a coffee can, to take his money and invest it because that created jobs,” said Rubio.

Rubio and his Republican cohorts are dead set against raising rates for the richest Americans, claiming that if the have more money to spend they will create more jobs or “trickle down,” to use a classic GOP phrase. The problem is, as Obama points out, that we tried that way and it didn’t work.

Obama said Republicans are “doubling down on a lot of these broken down theories” that proved to not work under George W. Bush.

An eye-opening study from the Congressional Budget Office shows the wealth gap widening, employee salaries stagnated and income concentrated more and more by those who already have obtained riches. The lowest earners in this country saw their incomes raise by 20% over 30 years.

Sounds good? How about this: The top 1% saw their incomes go through the roof at a staggering rate of 275% over that same three-decade period. It is that kind of hard data that is driving the debate around the water cooler and dinner table and why polls show support for Obama’s position.

And Rubio knows this.

“I understand the polls. I can read a poll just like Barack Obama can,” said Rubio, sounding a bit huffy. Right? That sounded huffy.

“I understand that people look at it and say, ‘Yeah, how come Warren Buffett pays less than his secretary?’. What they need to understand is the reason why he may pay less than his secretary in terms of the rate is that she makes her money on a paycheck and he makes his money on investments,” offered Rubio.

Problem is, we are now competing with countries like Rwanda, Ecuador, Cameroon and Uganda when it comes to the wealth gap, and President Obama is seizing upon that realization in appealing to a population that feels that it has been trickled on enough.

“Here in America we look out for one another. Here in America we help each other get ahead. Here in America we have a sense of common purpose. Here in America we can meet any challenge. Here in America we can seize any moment. We can make this century another great American century,” said Obama, sounding a little bit like candidate-in-chief.

Don’t expect this issue to go away anytime soon as the President will continue to drive this populist message until Republicans are forced to vote on the matter.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Marco Rubio’s YouTube Channel

Marco Rubio

[Miami, FL] With a new name, new manager, new uniforms and a new stadium, this was supposed to be the start of something big for the Miami Marlins (formerly the Florida Marlins), South Florida’s Major League Baseball (MLB) team.

Instead, thanks to several high-profile miss-steps, the Marlins have become the kings of controversy. Now, Florida’s only team to win a World Series title is spinning stories and apologizing for blunders when it should be focused on hitting homers and winning games.

Less than a week into the 2012 campaign, the new-look Marlins have been embroiled in, not one, but two major dust-ups: an opening-day debacle featuring one of America’s most-beloved athletes and the ongoing saga of the Marlins manager.

On Wednesday night, it what was supposed to be a joyous occasion all around with the all-new Marlins playing their first home game of the regular season in their new stadium, Marlins Park. The place was rocking and a buzzing crowd was wondering what celeb would be trotted out to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Instead, a great quiet took over the sparkling-new facility when it was revealed that the – surprise – first pitch thrower would be Muhammad Ali, who was slowly wheeled into position in a wheelchair. The whole thing took five minutes.

The great quiet was equal parts shock at seeing THE MAN, and the stunningly sad sight of the myth-shattering reality of THE MAN – a frail 70-year-old sports legend beaten down by Parkinson’s Disease. It was a party-vibe killer for sure.

“Play ball!”

Then on Saturday, Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen apologized for his comments about Fidel Castro - positive comments about Fidel Castro – to Time magazine earlier in the week. Yeah, Fidel Castro …  Miami … you do the math. Way to endear yourself to the Cuban fans there Ozzie.

Guillen said he loves Castro and respects him. Them’s fightin’ words ’round here.

What’s next, are you going to bite the head off of a dove? Wrong Ozzy.

In fact, Guillen’s in-Fidel-ity is not the first time he has said something controversial about an Enemy of the State. In 2005 while manager of the Chicago White Sox, he appeared on the radio show of one Hugo Chavez – yes, the President of Venezuela – and later professed his admiration for the man.

“Not too many people like the president. I do. My mom will kill me, but it’s an honor to talk to the president,” said Guillen, who is Venezuelan and the first Latino manager to win a World Series.

Smart mom, should have listened to her Ozzie. Now Guillen has been suspended for five games because of his comments.

The Miami Marlins are 2-3 on the season so far. They face the Phillies on Wednesday.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Keith Allison (inset photo: Miami Marlins)

Miami Marlins

[Miami, FL] After handing the Detroit Pistons the business end of a blow-out on Sunday, the semi-surging Miami Heat were looking to notch another victory at home, this time against the Boston Celtics.

It was only 10 days ago that Miami was absolutely demolished by Boston. That game had long-term effects on the team’s psyche and caused line-ups to be changed. Since then, Miami has won 4-out-of-5 games. They were no doubt thrilled to have Dwyane Wade was back in the starting line-up tonight against the mighty Celtics.

Miami started the game off on a 9-3 run, but the tables quickly turned. The game was tied at 22 with just 3 minutes left. But out of nowhere, Boston went on a 11-0 run and ended the first quarter on top 33-22.

The Celtics kept at it in the second, extending the lead all the way up to 18 around the half-way point in the quarter. But it was LeBron James to the rescue – he scored 10 big points and helped Miami cut the lead down to single-digits. At halftime, the Celtics were up 65-57.

Both teams stayed even in the 3^rd quarter. Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers played great, scoring 9 points which included hitting two 3-pointers. Boston’s Rajon Rondo scored 9 points and had 4 assists. We had ourselves a game. At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics were up 89-81.

Miami had the crowd behind them, trying to make a comeback in the fourth. Chalmers hit a three-pointer and got fouled, which led to a 4-point play and the crowd erupted. But as more as Miami tried to close the gap, the more Boston pulled away.

Photo: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images)

LeBron James scored 36 points against the Boston Celtics

The Heat actually got within one with 10 minutes remaining, but couldn’t manage to take the lead. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined to score 13 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the deal. The final score was Celtics 115, Heat 107.

Rajon Rondo played great for Boston, scoring 18 points and dishing out 15 assists. LeBron James scored 36 points and had 7 rebounds. Dwyane Wade played pretty good coming off of that ankle injury, scoring 20 points and 3 steals.

Boston shot the ball well against some decent Miami Heat defense, making 60% from the field, and nailing 9-out-of-14 three-pointers.

“They were a step ahead of us the whole time,” said Miami’s Chris Bosh after the game. “They kind of knew what our schemes were defensively.”

Wade gave assurance to Heat fans that they shouldn’t be worried.

“We’ll be ready for the playoffs on the 28th … This is a championship-caliber team,” he said.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] There was a point earlier in the season that the Miami Heat appeared invincible. Then, the All-Star break seemed to sap their momentum. These days, you never know which team will show up.

On Sunday, a spirited, all business team hit the court running and gunning against a visiting Detroit Pistons squad, perhaps looking to un-embarass themselves after being blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Before the game, the Heat announced that shooting guard Mike Miller has finally came back from a thumb injury he suffered before the regular season. Good thing, because Miller would see a lot of playing time with Dwyane Wade out with an ankle injury he suffered in the team’s last game against Memphis during a dunk attempt.

The Heat started off building a quick lead against Detroit. LeBron James scored 8 points and had 2 rebounds. But the Pistons were able to get back into it thanks to the play of Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe. Each scored 6 points in the quarter. At the end of one, Detroit was up 21-19.

The Heat got a lot of help from the role players in the second quarter. James Jones said after the game that he didn’t know that he was going to play. Well, Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra made a good decision, because Jones came to play.

Jones drained a trio of 3-pointers to help put Miami up by double-digits. Inspired, Miami outscored Detroit 31-19 in the quarter. At halftime, the Heat were up 50-40.

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

LeBron James of the Miami Heat scored 26 points on Sunday

Miami ran away with the game in the third, going on a 19-7 run which extended the lead to 22. James scored 11 of those 19 points. At the end of the three, the Heat were up 69-54 and cruising on the Pistons.

The Miami bench was brought in and did not disappoint. Jones again lit it up from the outside, popping in a pair of threes. Norris Cole also came up big, scoring 10 points. It was simply too much for the Pistons. The final score was Heat 98, Pistons 75.

LeBron James scored 26 points and had 4 rebounds. Chris Bosh also played great, scoring 22 and snagging 9 rebounds. James Jones had 18 points off the bench, all of them coming from 3-pointers.

“If I get opportunities, I’ll make shots,” Jones said.

Spoelstra was impressed by the team overall.

“It was a good bounce-back from the other night,” Spoelstra said. “The second unit came in and sparked us. And we got a lot of good contributions.”

The Miami Heat are now 40-15. They next face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

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

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] After beating the best team in the Western Conference at home on Wednesday night (Oklahoma City Thunder), you would think the Miami Heat could hold their own against the 30-23 Memphis Grizzlies.

But it was the Grizzlies who looked more like the elite team.

Rudy Gay and Memphis came out on fire in the first quarter, starting the game on a 21-8 run to put Miami’s collective back against the wall early. Gay scored 9 points and had 2 rebounds. Meanwhile for Miami, Chris Bosh had scored in the first 4 minutes of the game, but Miami went ice cold from there, missing most of their shots.

At the end of the first, Memphis was up 25-12. Ouch.

It didn’t get any better for Miami in the second. It seemed as if every time the Heat were going to get a run started, Memphis just brushed them off. Gilbert Arenas, freshly acquired by the Grizzlies, drained two three-pointers to keep Memphis with the lead. At halftime, the Grizzlies were up 48-32.

Memphis kept going at Miami in the third quarter. The Heat knew they needed a comeback because Memphis came to play and would not back down. And with around 8 minutes left, Miami cut the lead down to 10 to make the game manageable.

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

LeBron James scored 21 for the Miami Heat but it wasn’t enough

But, Memphis stood their ground and would not let the Miami Heat cut the lead to single-digits. At the end of three, the Grizzlies were still up, 73-61.

The Heat seemingly couldn’t do anything to get back in the game, a monster comeback just wasn’t in the script. The final score was Grizzlies 97, Heat 82.

It was an all-around effort from Memphis, as 7 of the 11 players who played scored in double figures. Meanwhile for Miami, LeBron James scored 21 points and Dwyane Wade scored 20 points, but it was just not enough. The Heat only shot 40% from the field and only made 4 out of 18 three-point shots.

Also telling – Miami never had the lead in this game. Even the crowd seemed out of it. The only time they really got out of their seats was when Miami got within ten, or when Joel Anthony made a spectacular block on Rudy Gay. That one also got me to jump out of my seat.

Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra was not impressed with his team’s effort.

“It was a disappointing performance and you have to give Memphis credit, they kicked our butt,” Spoelstra said.

The Miami Heat are now 39-15 on the season. They play the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, April 8.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photos: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] Fresh off a 6-point win against eastern Conference rivals the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat were fired up to face the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, currently the best team in the Western Conference.

Helping the Heat in this possible NBA Finals preview was the fact that Dwyane Wade was back in the starting line-up after missing a game with an injury. Remember, it was only last week that the Thunder blew out Miami. But, at home in front of a raucous, Wednesday-night crowd, there was a different outcome.

In Miami’s last game, LeBron James dominated Philadelphia’s defense scoring 41 points, and that trend continued against the Thunder. In the first quarter, James scored 10 points and had 2 assists. Kevin Durant kept the Thunder at the same pace as the Heat, scoring 11 points.

At the end of the first, the Thunder were up 23-21. This was not going to be easy.

It seemed as if everything was going to fall apart for the Miami Heat at the 6-minute mark. At that point, they were down by 11. But, James and Wade combined to score 17 points within 6 minutes to take the lead before halftime. At halftime, the Heat were up 50-49.

The role players stepped up in the third quarter for Miami. Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, Terrel Harris, and Joel Anthony combined to score 12 points. Chris Bosh also came alive, scoring 8 points. Consequently, the Heat outscored the Thunder 30-24 in the quarter, putting some distance between the two teams.

At the end of three, the Heat were up 80-73 and looking good.

An all-around effort by Miami in the fourth by kept OKC at bay. The Heat took the lead with 8:30 left and never looked back. Battier scored 6 points in the final 8 minutes. LeBron was attacking the basket, and by doing so, he also scored 6 points in the final 8 minutes.

At the end of the game, the final score was Heat 98, Thunder 93.

LeBron James scored 34 points and had 10 assists. Dwyane Wade also contributed, scoring 19 points and had 3 steals.

There was tension during this game as both teams sensed a future post-season meeting. Towards halftime when James jumped to dunk, OKC’s Russel Westbrook pushed James out of mid-air and onto the ground. But, LeBron didn’t find much of a problem with it though.

“Playoff basketball,” James said. “I know Russ. I don’t think he’s a dirty player.”

The Miami Heat are now 39-14 on the season. Their next game is Friday, April 6 versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Image: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[Miami, FL] With all of the ups and downs the Miami Heat have been experiencing as of late – punctuated by that horrific loss against the Boston Celtics – the boys were eager to get a win at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Complicating things, however, was the fact that Dwyane Wade was sitting this one out with a knee injury, so Shane Battier filled in for him. Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra also made another line-up change by putting center Ronny Turiaf in the center position for Joel Anthony.

“It certainly at all isn’t an indictment on Joel Anthony,” Spoelstra said diplomatically. “We still need to iron some things out and he’ll still be a big part of what we’re doing.”

Against Boston, LeBron James scored 23 points, but it seemed as if he was quiet the whole game. But things were different against the 76ers, as he played loud, and seemingly no one could stop him.

James and Mario Chalmers dominated in the first quarter, with King James leading the pack with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Chalmers contributed great all-around play with plenty of superb passing to go along with his 8 points and 2 assists.

Both teams stayed within a two-point window, until Miami finally went up by 6. But the 76ers fought back. At the end of one, the Miami Heat were up 29-27.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat get a much-needed win against Philadelphia

Philadelphia – led by Evan Turner – came at Miami hard in the second. The visitors sparked an 11-4 run, with all 11 of those points courtesy of Turner. From there on, only four more players were able to score for Philadelphia, and none of them scored more than 4 points. At halftime, the 76ers were up 54-51.

LeBron & Co. took the lead back from Philly in the third quarter. James scored 8 points and had 2 assists. Chalmers also contributed, pouring in 7 points. At the end of three, the Heat were up 76-70.

In the fourth, James again rose to the occasion, scoring 15 points and playing great defense on Turner, who has shown the ability to score at will unless pressure is applied. Pressure was applied. At the end of the game, the final score was Heat 99, 76ers 93.

LeBron James had one of those all-star nights, scoring 41 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Mario Chalmers also played big, scoring 19 points and handing out 4 assists. Chris Bosh scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

Coach Erik Spoelstra was impressed with Shane Battier, not because of his 4 points, but because of his leadership.

“What he really brought us, stability,” Spoelstra said. “We needed his voice and his leadership in the huddle in the first half. His voice allowed us to stay the course and get ready for a strong second half.”

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Copyright 2012 NBAE (photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat

[West Palm Beach, FL] A West Palm Beach couple who committed thousands of cases of immigration fraud were sentenced late last week.

According to a report out of the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Levy Garcia Crespo, and his wife, Anyelina Cid Bonilla, of West Palm Beach, were sentenced in district court for their role in an immigration scheme that netted them at least $1.8 million.

United States District Judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Crespo to 42 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Marra sentenced Bonilla to 30 months imprisonment and two years of supervised release.

Court documents show that Crespo and Bonilla submitted fraudulent immigration applications on behalf of illegal aliens to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS automatically generates receipts indicating that the applications were pending.

The illegal aliens would then take those receipts to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and would obtain a driver’s license. According to court filings, over 90% of the more than 3,000 applications submitted by Crespo and Bonilla were fraudulent.

The pair charged the illegals high prices for their “services.” And they lived large on that money – The Palm Beach Post reported back in 2011 that the couple’s home was well-stocked with expensive luxury vehicles.

Additionally, Crespo told some of his clients that he was an immigration attorney when, in fact, he was not and has never been an attorney. He and even went so far as to pose as an immigration attorney in court, using the name Gerald Salerno, a former assistant state attorney.

Along with Bonilla, Crespo convinced illegal aliens that he could help them. In exchange, the aliens paid the defendants exorbitant legal fees. Crespo and Bonilla gained at least 1.8 million dollars as a result of the scheme.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), USCIS and the and the Palm Beach Fusion Center all helped with this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani prosecuted the case.

Watch a 2011 video report by WPBF here.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Anyelina Cid Bonilla leaving the courtroom back in 2011 (photo: WPBF video still)

immigration fraud

[Boston, MA] After coming off of a high-scoring win against the Toronto Raptors, the Miami Heat wanted to pick up another win on the road, this time against the Boston Celtics.

The Heat have had their struggles on the road as of late, and today it showed against the Celtics in a game that was a preview of a potential playoff match-up.

Rajon Rondo and the Celtics came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter and revving up a 13-4 run, which put Miami’s back against the wall. Rondo scored 10 points and had 3 assists in the quarter. At the end of one, the Celtics were up 29-19.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat made a bit of a comeback against the Celtics heading toward halftime. Wade scored 8 points and had a couple of rebounds to add to the effort. LeBron James scored 6 points and Shane Battier put up 5.

Miami actually erased Boston’s 11-point lead, tying the game at 40 with around 2 minutes left. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce put a stop to that. At halftime, the Celtics were up 49-44.

Everything fell apart for the Miami Heat in the third as Boston went on a 23-8 run to start things off. Pierce scored 7 points for the Celtics during the run. Rondo scored 6 points and tallied a whopping 8 assists in the quarter. Boston absolutely crushed the visitors, outscoring the Heat 31-12 in the third.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo: Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat continue to struggle on the road against good teams

At the end of three, the Celtics were up 80-56.

Even though Miami outscored Boston in the 4^th quarter, the deficit was way to large to overcome. The final score was Celtics 91, Heat 72.

Hats off to Boston’s Rajon Rondo, who played a great game and seemingly could not be stopped when he was coming off of the pick and roll. He ended up with a triple-double, (16 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists) on the night. For the Miami Heat, LeBron James scored 23 points and had 4 rebounds.

Since the All-Star break, the Heat are having a lot of trouble getting wins on the road. This was also Miami’s worst loss of the season.

“We wanted to play well, but we didn’t,” said Dwyane Wade after the game. “They played exceptionally well. It was as good as they’ve played against us in a long time. Our mental focus wasn’t there the whole game. It was an old-fashioned butt whooping tonight.”

Indeed.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat

[Toronto, CAN] Back on the winning track after a fresh blow-out win against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, it was generally thought by most people that the Miami Heat would easily beat the Toronto Raptors at home.

Most were wrong.

The Heat came out attacking the paint in the first quarter, started off the game on a 10-0 run. Later on in the quarter, Miami was up 18-4 thanks to aggressive play, with all nine of their shots coming inside the paint. Dwyane Wade scored 10 points and had 4 rebounds.

But the Raptors regrouped and rallied and by the end of the first, the Heat were only up 31-27.

Undaunted, Miami kept at it in the second. Although Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t give him much playing time, Terrel Harris came into the game and scored 5 points. After the role players got some good minutes in, LeBron James came in and took over, scoring 8 points within 7 minutes.

Chris Bosh also added 4 points to add to the lead. At halftime, the Heat were up 59-51.

The Raptors made a big comeback in the third quarter. Andrea Bargnani was playing  great defense inside and scored 15 big points, thanks to great passes and set-ups from Jose Calderon, who dished out 10 assists in the quarter. Toronto was able to cut the lead down to 1 and eventually take the lead.

Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James and his Big Three brethren scored 86 of the Miami Heat’s 113 against Toronto

At the end of three, the game was tied 83.

Two of the Big Three stepped up to put Toronto away in the fourth. With around 9 minutes left, the Heat were only up by 4. But C-Bosh and D-Wade took over and the Heat went on a 16-4 run. Bosh scored 10 points and Wade scored 12 points. The final score was Heat 113, Raptors 101.

The Big Three of Wade, James, and Bosh combined to score 86 of the 113 points scored by Miami. Dwyane Wade and Bosh both scored 30 points and LeBron scored 26 points.

Surely, Wade wanted to speak about the victory but instead spoke about the tragic news regarding his nephew.

“I played with a heavy heart. I played for him, with him in mind,” Wade said, referring to the shooting.

It is worth noting Wade continues to push and work toward stopping violence via his Wade’s World Foundation (WWF). WWF provides support to community-based organizations that promote education, health and social skills for children in at-risk situations.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Images: COPYRIGHT 2012 NBAE (by: Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images

Miami Heat