[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

[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

[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

[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] Really NBA? Really? Hasn’t the Orlando Magic beaten the Milwaukee Bucks enough times this season that they can get some sort of hall pass for this one?

On Saturday – for the fourth time in the last 20-plus days – the Magic (23-14) took on the Bucks (14-22), featuring and Brandon “Mr. Big Head” Jennings. Jennings came into the game averaging a whopping 15 points a game – not really enough to fill that Big Ole Head of his.

He’s thinking he deserves a max contract. I think he needs to go shopping for a bigger hat to cover that planet-sized ego melon.

OK, back to the game. Do I really need to write this one, or can I just copy and paste the coverage of their last three meetings?

Anyway, the Magic came out of the gate strong, taking a 16-7 lead in the first 3:59 of the game thanks to 8 quick points from Jason Richardson and 6 additional points from Dwight Howard. Orlando really controlled the first and never let the Bucks within 10 points.

The score after one: Magic 36, Bucks 21. Leading the Magic after one was D12 with 12.

Photo: Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic heads to the basket

The second quarter actually saw the Bucks come out of their flat-line and regain a pulse, outscoring the Magic 39-25. Thirty-nine? Where’s the defense boys? Leading the way for the Bucks at the half was Big Head, who had already hit his season average (just like our very own NBA All-Star half-time performer Chris Brown did to to Rihanna (too soon? nah).

The Orlando Magic were led by none other than Superman himself with 14. The score at the half: Magic 61, Bucks 60.

Going into the third quarter, could the Cheesetown Deermeats finally steal a win from the Magic? Sorry Bucks, you play like soup – NO WIN FOR YOU! The Magic got it together and outpaced the Bucks 24-20 giving them a 5-point lead heading to the fourth, 85-80.

And we all know what happens in the fourth, as we’ve seen this episode before. The Bucks came out tired – tired of what? they just had a break – meanwhile, the Magic came out like men possessed. I’ll save you the gory details. The Final score: Orlando Magic 114, Milwaukee Bucks 98.

Leading the way for the Magic (finally!) was Dwight Howard with 28 points and 14 boards, a great showing. Also in double figures for the Magic were Jason Richardson (18), Ryan Anderson/Hedo Turkoglu (16), J.J. Redick (14) and Chris Duhon (12). Thanks for showing up guys!

Pacing the Bucks was Brandon Jennings – who had 27 points, which will go a long way in filing his cranium to capacity -  and Ersan Ilyasova with 18.

Mike’s Pick

The Magic play their next game tonight in Toronto against the Raptors. This is their second meeting of the year, and their first in Toronto. Toronto has been playing rather well for a team missing their best player, Andrea Bargnani. Expect this one to be kind of close until the end when the Magic start to run away with this one.

My Prediction: Orlando Magic 99, Toronto Raptors 86

Position Breakdown:

PG: Even

SG: Magic

SF: Even

PF: Magic

C: Magic

Bench: Magic

Note: 5 out of 7 of my season predictions have been correct so far.

By: Mike Yesenko/Sunshine Slate

Images: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

[Miami, FL] After a fourth-quarter blowout win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat wanted to give the struggling Toronto Raptors a similar taste of defeat. Dwyane Wade dominated the Sixers, scoring 26 points, and he did the same against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

In the first quarter, the Heat had their offense flowing perfectly. Wade scored 10 points and LeBron James scored 12 points to combine for 22. Mario Chalmers also chipped in 5 points. At the end of the quarter, the Heat were up 31-27.

It was a back and forth game in the second quarter. Linas Kleiza and DeMar Derozan helped keep Toronto in the game. The Big Three of James, Wade, and Chris Bosh combined to score 16 of the 21 points quarter.

At halftime, the score was Miami Heat 53, Toronto Raptors 48.

The Heat simply dominated the Raptors in the third. With around 7 minutes left, Miami went on an 18–3 run. Chalmers hit back-to-back three pointers to increase the Heat lead from 8 to 14. LeBron also scored 8 points in the quarter. At the end of three, the Heat were up 75 – 62.

It seemed like the Heat had the game in the bag in the fourth. But, with less than 5 minutes left, the Raptors came back and cut the lead down to three with less three minutes left. Nevertheless, the Heat showed resilience and did not let Toronto get back into the game.

The Heat then made a run of their own and went up by 9. The final score was Miami Heat 95, Toronto Raptors 89.

LeBron James scored 30 points and 9 rebounds. Dwyane Wade also had a big night, scoring 25 points and notching 2 blocks. The Raptors’ Achilles heal was that they turned the ball over 16 times. And when you turn the ball over, the Heat will take advantage.

“This team thrives on turnovers,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “And once they get in the open floor, you can cancel Christmas.”

Cancel it indeed.

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Image: Miami Heat/Issac Baldizon

Miami Heat