The 12-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion was ready to suit up against the Phoenix Suns on Friday after missing three games before the All-Star break.

Wade sat out two games because of a bruised right wrist and missed a third against Boston on Feb. 16 because of an illness in addition to the injury.

He came into Friday’s game averaging 19.1 points in his first season with the Bulls.

The post Wade returns to Bulls’ lineup after missing 3 games appeared first on IdealCapper.

Wade noticed the swelling following Saturday night’s loss to Milwaukee. Coach Fred Hoiberg says the team hoped to avoid using the 34-year-old veteran on back-to-back nights, but felt he was healthy enough to play this past weekend.

Doug McDermott will start in place of Wade on Monday night.

Wade missed two previous games this season, both for rest.

The post Bulls’ Wade out with knee swelling appeared first on IdealCapper.

For 13 years, AmericanAirlines Arena was his house.

For a moment or two on Thursday night, it will be again.

Wade is returning to Miami as an opponent for the first time, as the Chicago Bulls – his new team – visit Thursday for the only time this season. The building will be jammed, the game will air on national television and the Heat will pay tribute with a highlight video that’s certain to elicit some long, loud cheering from fans who never wanted to see him leave.

”It’ll probably be emotional for me,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday. ”And then we’ll get to competition and that’s ultimately what it’s all about.”

Wade’s entire NBA history before July was with Miami, where he was an All-Star 12 times in 13 years. Drafted No. 5 overall in 2003, Wade wound up pairing with Shaquille O’Neal to help deliver Miami’s first title in 2006 and then lured LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the Heat for what became four trips to the NBA Finals – and two more titles – in four seasons.

James left in 2014 shortly before Bosh got a $118 million contract from Miami that was negotiated by Henry Thomas, the agent Wade and Bosh shared. That deal left the Heat somewhat limited in what they could pay Wade, and almost they lost him in 2015 before striking a one-year deal for $20 million.

No such agreement came last summer, and Wade left.

”I’m not wishing nothing bad on that organization,” Wade said Monday in Chicago, his comments reported by ESPN. ”I have nothing but love for everybody in that organization. And I want them to be successful, just as we all say, just not when they play the Bulls. But besides that I want them to be successful.”

The Heat put major work into the tribute videos that air when former star players return to Miami for the first time, and Wade’s will get the same treatment. James was very emotional when he saw his tribute and Mario Chalmers – the starting point guard on Miami’s 2012 and 2013 title teams – said he was moved by what the Heat did to commemorate his return following a trade to Memphis last year.

”It’s going to be very emotional, that I can say,” Chalmers said. ”With me coming back, I had mixed feelings. The fans welcomed me back, everybody at the arena welcomed me back, but I still had a sour taste in my mouth from how the trade went down … and I’m pretty sure D-Wade’s going to feel the same way.”

Wade is Miami’s all-time leader in virtually every major statistical category, so far ahead of everyone else on many of those lists that he’s assured of being all over the team record book for probably decades to come. His 525th game in Miami comes with great anticipation; on the secondary resale market, a seat in the highest row of the arena is selling for $41 – the same seat for a game last week went for $6.

Wade has stayed in touch with many around the Heat, with the exception of team president Pat Riley. Wade wasn’t sure if they will cross paths on this trip.

He has remained extremely close with Udonis Haslem, with whom he shared captaincy in Miami for many years. He’s been in regular contact with Spoelstra, and continues checking in on some of his former teammates as well.

”There’s no bad blood between him and this organization,” Haslem said. ”He’s had a great, great career here. He’s had so much success – we’ve had so much success. For whatever reason, the time came where we separated.”

Wade has said many times since deciding to go play for his hometown Bulls that he will forever be appreciative of his time with the Heat and their fans. He’ll want to win Thursday very badly, and for the first time in 14 years, the 20,000 fans will want to see him lose.

”He’ll handle it fine,” Spoelstra said. ”He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever been around at compartmentalizing and knowing when to keep emotions where they need to be.”

The post One night only: Guard Dwyane Wade returns to Miami appeared first on IdealCapper.

And missing the playoffs last season has only energized him.

Less than two weeks from the start of his 13th Heat training camp, Wade joined Jack Nicklaus and Chris Evert as enshrinees Wednesday at the 21st Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Sports Hall of Champions induction ceremony. And while the night was about looking back and celebrating the past, Wade couldn’t help but sound excited what may loom this season.

”It could be special,” Wade said. ”We have all the ingredients. We’ve just got to make sure we mix it right.”

The Heat missed the playoffs last season after injuries and illness ravaged the roster in their first year of the post-LeBron James era after four straight trips to the NBA Finals. For Wade, that means essentially six months between games going from the end of last season to the start of the coming year.

It didn’t mean six months off, however.

”I’m going into training camp (in regular season) form,” Wade said.

Evert couldn’t attend the event Wednesday. Wade and Nicklaus chatted on the red carpet, and the 11-time All-Star learned that Nicklaus is a Heat fan – and his wife Barbara is a bigger one. Nicklaus told a story how he once called home during a trip to Brazil, his wife answered and asked him to hold because 6 seconds were left in a Heat game.

Nicklaus has been a season ticket-holder for Miami’s four pro teams – the Dolphins, the Florida Panthers, the Marlins and the Heat – for decades. He joked that when the Heat got Wade, he had to give up those seats because of the success he brought to the city.

”A Miami Heat ticket is simply too expensive for me anymore,” Nicklaus said, drawing laughs.

Nicklaus and Evert – both winners of 18 Grand Slam events in their respective golf and tennis worlds – have long been out of the active-competitor spotlight.

Wade acknowledged that it simultaneously felt odd and humbling sharing the moment with them.

”It is an honor,” Wade said. ”When I got the call, obviously I jumped on it right away and said of course I would. This feels a little weird. I’m preparing for a season that’s starting real soon, but at the same time you’ve got to take it in stride and understand what it means for the city and the community. So I’m overwhelmed in appreciation.”

The Heat missed the playoffs for just the second time in Wade’s career last season. Only eight active players have more points than Wade, who will likely move into the NBA’s Top 50 all-time regular-season scorers early this season.

”Sometimes you don’t get a break and then you keep going with life, life keeps going,” Wade said. ”So to get a break from basketball for a while – not saying I wanted to be out of the playoffs, but once it was reality that we weren’t getting in – you’ve got to say it wasn’t meant to be, there was a reason for this. And hopefully that reason shows its face this year.”

The addition of Wade, Nicklaus and Evert push the enrollment in the Sports Hall of Champions to 84. The first class was enshrined in 1990 and past inductees include Don Shula, Angelo Dundee, Bob Beamon, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Emerson Fittipaldi, Joe DiMaggio, Dan Marino, Alonzo Mourning, Jerry Bailey, Greg Louganis, Jennifer Rodriguez, Zach Thomas and Jim Kelly.

The post Wade goes into Hall of Champions, looking ahead to season appeared first on IdealCapper.

Another effort like this will seal it.

James scored 27 points and the Heat nearly matched a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game, pounding the listless and short-handed Bulls 88-65 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“We worked for it,” Heat forward Chris Bosh said. “I never like to say that things are easy.”

The Heat sure made it look that way, though.

The 65 points allowed were only two more than the all-time postseason low for a Miami opponent, and it was easily the worst offensive performance by a Chicago team in the playoffs.

Never before had the Bulls scored fewer than 69 in a playoff game nor 10 or less in a quarter during the postseason, but both those marks fell on a night when they were dominated on both ends of the floor.

Miami led by 11 at the half and put this one away in the third quarter, outscoring Chicago 17-9 in the period.

Now the Heat will try to wrap up the series at home Wednesday night, taking what they hope will be the next step toward a second straight championship.

It’s hard to believe the Bulls won the series opener the way the past three games have gone.

Miami pounded Chicago in Game 2, coming away with its most lopsided playoff victory while handing the Bulls their worst ever postseason loss — and the Heat continued to roll from there.

James had his usual complete game, with eight assists and seven rebounds Monday.

Bosh finished with 14 points after scoring 20 and grabbing 19 rebounds in Game 3, and the Heat won again despite another quiet night from Dwyane Wade (six points), whose right knee was bothering him again. He appeared to land hard on it taking a fallaway jumper in the third quarter but was able to return to the game after getting re-taped.

“It’s frustrating at times, but you just try to do what you can,” Wade said.

Norris Cole also struggled with seven points after back-to-back 18-point performances, but the Heat had more than enough in this one.

They shot about 49 percent while the Bulls set a franchise playoff low at 25.7 percent. Chicago was particularly bad from the outside, going 2 for 17 from 3-point range.

The Bulls again were missing ailing Luol Deng and injured Kirk Hinrich (calf), and a team that kept finding ways to win despite being short-handed all season simply appeared to run out of steam, even though coach Tom Thibodeau rejected that idea.

“No,” he said. “I think the thing is they’re [Heat] a great team. We have to come out with great intensity — but we also have to make shots.”

There’s no denying the Bulls have been in a tough spot all season with Derrick Rose recovering from knee surgery and just about every other major player sidelined at some point. They’ve been hit particularly hard in the postseason, too.

“They’re in a tough situation,” James said. “They’ve had some injuries and illnesses and whatever’s going on. They don’t have their full roster, but that’s not for us to worry about. They beat a very good Brooklyn team [in the first round] without their full roster.”

Carlos Boozer had 14 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in the postseason but was just 3-of-14 from the field. Jimmy Butler scored 12 and Joakim Noah grabbed nine rebounds, but it was a miserable night for Chicago — particularly Nate Robinson. With Cole and Mario Chalmers harassing him and the big men helping out, he missed all 12 of his shots and did not score.

He said he fell hard on his left shoulder on a pick-and-roll at one point, although he couldn’t remember exactly when, and had it wrapped in ice afterward. Then he took off the wrapping and threw it hard to the floor.

“Go back to the drawing board and figure it out,” he said.

Richard Hamilton scored 11 points in a rare postseason appearance, and the former All-Star guard made it clear afterward he’s not thrilled with his reduced role.

“Lot of stuff in life you don’t understand,” he said. “This [playoffs] is what I was brought here for. To not be able play and help my teammates, it’s hard, it’s rough. But I try to stay positive. I don’t try to rock the boat.”

Hamilton said he and Thibodeau have talked. Then, he reiterated, “It’s hard to understand.”

James scored 15 points and Bosh added 12 in the first half to help the Heat take a 44-33 lead at the break, but that doesn’t even come close to telling the complete story.

Consider this.

Miami shot less than 53 percent, with the Bulls at about 27 percent. Chicago was also 1 of 11 on 3-pointers, and the only conversion from long range came from Hamilton.

“We’re kind of putting screws and bandages everywhere. It’s frustrating,” Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. “Every night and every day.”

Game notes

The Heat and Bulls were well represented on the NBA’s all-defensive first team, with James and Noah being selected. … Thibodeau had nothing to say about the $35,000 fine from the league for comments he made about the officiating in Game 3. Asked if he was surprised by the amount, he said, “I’ve got no comment on that. We’re just getting ready for Game 4.” … Deng was listed as active after initially being ruled out for Chicago. Hinrich and Rose were inactive.

The post LeBron James, Heat stymie Bulls for 3-1 series cushion appeared first on IdealCapper.

Well, someone different and that guy named LeBron.

Ageless Ray Allen scored 23, setting the NBA career playoff record for 3-pointers in the process, and LeBron James had seven of his 22 points during a decisive run that closed out the third quarter — and maybe the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat’s 104-91 victory on Thursday night gave the defending champions a 3-0 lead, with a chance to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon at the Bradley Center.

“That’s been our calling card all year, the depth that we have,” said Allen, whose five 3s gave him 322 for his career, two more than Reggie Miller.

“As a team, you’ve got to find a way to plug in the holes, and every night we find somebody different.”

Chris Bosh added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who have won 11 straight dating to the regular season and 40 of their last 42. Chris Andersen had another big game, scoring 11 on 5-of-5 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in less than 14 minutes.

Dwyane Wade had just four points, and his 1-of-12 shooting was his worst in a postseason game. But he contributed 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

“I shot the ball terrible,” Wade, who is still nursing a bruised right knee, said with a laugh. “But we played a good game. Game 3 is a tough game. I thought, as a team, we showed a lot of guts, a lot of grit. When those guys came out hot, we stayed with it, we stayed with our game plan and were able to get a great win. There’s nothing as satisfying as winning a Game 3 on the road. But it’s over now. Now we have to focus on closing the series out.”

Milwaukee, meanwhile, will simply try and avoid being swept.

Larry Sanders and Brandon Jennings had 16 each to lead six Bucks in double figures, and Sanders added 11 rebounds while Jennings contributed eight assists. But the Bucks couldn’t maintain the 10-point lead they took in the first quarter, when they shot 57 percent (12 of 21) and were 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Milwaukee was just 12 of 21 over the final three quarters (41 percent), and made only two more 3s.

“I hope we’re still confident,” Jennings said. “As a team, we need to stay together.”

The defending champions still haven’t played their best game. But it hardly matters with their ability to pull off one of their patented runs.

After leading for much of the game, Milwaukee was trying to pull away early in the third. Jennings was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, then followed with a one-hand slam after Ersan Ilyasova’s steal. Luc Mbah a Moute made two sets of free throws, and the Bucks were back up 61-55 with 7:14 left in the third.

But the Heat have made a habit of putting the Bucks away with runs, and this game was no different.

Udonis Haslem made a layup and a pair of free throws, Mario Chalmers followed with a layup and the Heat were off on what would be a 23-7 run to close out the quarter. The Bucks got to 67-66 on a layup by Mbah a Moute, but James answered with a monster 3. After a pair of free throws by Mbah a Moute, Chalmers stripped Monta Ellis and fed James, who sprinted to the other end for the layup as the Bucks watched helplessly. Andersen scored on a reverse, James made a layup and then fed Andersen for another layup that gave Miami a 78-68 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks never got within single digits again.

“A three-, four-minute stretch just like in the first two games, where they kind of blitzed us,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “We dug ourselves a big hole that we could not come back from.”

Allen made sure of that, knocking down a huge 3 from the right corner with 8:38 to play to give Miami a 90-73 lead. That broke Miller’s record of 320, and Allen added one more two minutes later.

“I think about when I first stepped on this floor for the very first time, I thought about what I was going to be able to contribute to this game,” said Allen, who spent his first six-plus seasons in Milwaukee. “It’s ironic that I’m on this floor right now, because this is where it all started.”

And this could be where the playoffs end for the Bucks.

With no team ever rallying from a 3-0 deficit, Thursday night’s game was a must-win for the Bucks. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said his team expected a “desperate, competitive response” from the Bucks, and the Milwaukee players were hoping for a boost by being back home — the first playoff game at the Bradley Center in three years.

Milwaukee certainly looked sharper early on. After struggling to get their entire offense going at the same time in the first two games, the Bucks finally had everything clicking in the first quarter. Sanders set the tone from the first possession, scoring on a layup and converting the three-point play after he drew a foul.

The Bucks would shoot 57 percent in the first quarter, getting field goals from six different players — including Jennings, whose struggles in Game 2 contributed to Milwaukee’s demise. Jennings’ reverse layup sparked a 9-2 run that gave Milwaukee an early 18-11 lead. He then made a 3, the first of four straight for the Bucks, and Milwaukee found itself with a 10-point lead, double its largest margin in either of the first two games.

“We had to fight for this one,” Spoelstra said. “They came out with a great deal of intensity as we expected. Got us on our heels.”

But no lead is safe when the Heat are hanging around, and this game was no different.

Allen made three 3-pointers in the last four minutes of the first half and James scored his only field goal of the second quarter at the buzzer, a jumper at the buzzer that pulled Miami within 50-48 at the half.

“Consistent effort on their part,” Sanders said. “They didn’t get shaken, rattled by us playing hard. They expected it. When they started playing harder, we got shaken, rattled a little bit. We got to expect that. Keep pushing.”

Game notes

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was at the game. … Bucks fans were tough on all of the Heat players, even Allen, who spent his first six-plus years in Milwaukee, and Wade, whose No. 3 at Marquette hangs from the rafters at the Bradley Center. “I expect that,” Allen said. “Even though I played quite a while here and won some big games, I’m still the opposing team. I didn’t expect any special favors.” … Wade is the first player since Rajon Rondo on March 23, 2011 to have at least 11 assists, nine rebounds and five steals in a game.

The post Ray Allen sets 3-pointer mark as Heat lead Bucks 3-0 appeared first on IdealCapper.

Then the Heat landed a swift knockout punch.

Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, LeBron James finished with 19 and the Heat used a frantic start to the fourth quarter to pull away and beat the Bucks 98-86 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series on Tuesday night.

It was 68-65 entering the fourth. With James and four backups on the court, the Heat needed only 2 minutes, 22 seconds to outscore Milwaukee 12-0 and stretch the lead to 80-65 — ensuring the reigning NBA champions would take a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 on Thursday night.

“We held court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We protected it for two games. We did what we’re supposed to do. And that’s it.”

Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen all scored 10 points for the Heat. James’ postseason streaks of 22 straight games with at least 20 points, and 16 straight games of at least 25 points, both came to an end.

Ultimately, none of that mattered.

“We didn’t get into our game like we wanted to in that third quarter,” James said. “But we went into the fourth with a (three-point) lead and we were able to jump on them.”

Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which got 16 from Mike Dunleavy and 14 from Larry Sanders. The Bucks’ starting guards, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, combined for only 15 points — after teaming up to score 48 in Game 1.

“It’s a series,” said Sanders, who had a sore right ankle after he collided with Battier in the fourth quarter. “We made progress this game.”

They’ll need to make more, and do it quickly. James never has lost in 10 previous series where his team takes a 2-0 lead, and Wade is 8-0 in that same situation.

“In the playoffs, you’ve got to find different ways to win,” Wade said. “No matter what everybody says on the outside, (Milwaukee) is a good team. They played us very well.”

For about 46 minutes, the Bucks played them even.

It was that 12-0 run that was the difference — in what finished as a 12-point game.

Andersen started it with a three-point play, James had a layup not long afterward and the Heat were starting to roll. Another basket by Andersen off a pass from Ray Allen made it 77-65, and James found Norris Cole for a 3-pointer that capped the flurry and made it 80-65.

Just like that, it was over, even to Miami’s surprise.

“They were doing some things that had us spinning around a little bit defensively, got us on our heels, and offensively we never got into a rhythm,” Spoelstra said. “So we figured we were just going to have to find a way to grind in the fourth quarter, figuring it was going to be a close game.”

The Heat have raved about their depth all season, so they had no qualms about sending James out to start the fourth with Cole, Andersen, Battier and Ray Allen.

By the time starters like Wade and Bosh got back onto the court, the task was merely protecting the lead, which the Heat did with relative ease.

“We felt pretty good about the position we were in, giving ourselves an opportunity on the road with 12 minutes to go,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “You feel good about that. Then they come out, go on a 12-0 run and it changes the complexion of the game. Playing catch-up is very hard to do against a high-quality team like Miami.”

Jennings and Ellis combined for 48 points in Game 1, and the Bucks got blown out. So in the first half of Game 2, they combined for one point, were held to five shots that all missed … and the Bucks were within 47-43 at halftime.

Chances are, very few would have seen that coming.

But play was sloppy from the outset, with the teams combining for eight turnovers in the first 6 minutes to set the tone for a clumsy first half. Wade, James and Chalmers shot 15 for 19 combined in the first half for Miami — and the rest of the Heat were 3 for 17. For Milwaukee, Ilyasova had 12 points in the first 10 minutes, then two points the rest of the half.

So much like in Game 1, Milwaukee came out for the second half with a chance of stealing home-court advantage.

And for the entirety of the third quarter, the Bucks hung around, though the Heat showed some signs of getting things going. Bosh had a dunk for a six-point lead, then made a jumper — on a play that James started by running down a loose ball and flicking it between his legs for a save along the sideline — for a 68-60 lead, what was then the biggest Heat margin of the night.

The Bucks got within 68-65 to end the third, but then came the run that Miami had been waiting for all evening.

Jennings said Milwaukee would win in six games before the series began, and his confidence didn’t waver even now with his club in an 0-2 hole.

“We showed a lot of improvement tonight,” said Jennings, who shot 3 for 15. “Aside of making that run in the fourth I think we should have won this game.”

Both teams got a big scare with 6:59 left. Battier drove for a layup from the right wing, and Sanders rushed down the middle of the lane to attempt a block. A collision ensued and both players hit the court awkwardly, Battier hitting his head on the hardwood and Sanders — who fell over Battier — grabbing at his right leg.

Battier made two free throws, then departed for the Heat locker room to get stitches on his chin.

Game notes
It’s the 11th time the Heat have gone up 2-0 in a playoff series. They’re 10-0 in the previous instances. … Milwaukee has lost 21 of its last 29 playoff games. … Sanders was third in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting, behind Indiana’s Paul George and New Orleans’ Greivis Vasquez. “Look where he was last year and where he is today. The improvement is very obvious,” said Boylan, who thought Sanders should have won. … Jennings was held without a first-half basket for only the fifth time all season.

The post Heat pull away from Bucks in fourth quarter, take 2-0 series lead appeared first on IdealCapper.

The shot was good.

For Anthony and the New York Knicks, the outcome was even better.

Relying entirely on jumpers, Anthony tied his career high with 50 points and the Knicks won their ninth straight game, topping the injury-depleted Miami Heat 102-90 on Wednesday night.

“I felt good tonight,” Anthony said.

There was no arguing that.

Anthony finished 18 of 26 from the field, taking two dribbles to free himself from Shane Battier and make his last shot with 16.9 seconds remaining to get to 50 and send the Knicks’ bench into hysterics. It was the third time he scored 50 in his career, and it came with Miami’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers all sidelined by injuries.

“I think just from the start of the game, it’s a feeling that you just have while you’re out there on the court,” Anthony said. “Sometimes you get off to a good start and then you get cold the rest of the game, but tonight wasn’t one of those cases.”

No, it was not.

He made his first seven shots, and the fact that he had 37 points before notching any other statistic of note — no rebounds, assists, steals or blocked shots until the third quarter — let everyone in the building know that he was all about a scoring spree.

And the Heat had no answers.

“It’s an inopportune time to announce my candidacy for defensive player of the year,” Battier said. “Carmelo had a hell of a game. … That’s a game that drives the analytics guys crazy because he didn’t attempt a shot within 15 feet of the basket. Most nights, we’ll take that every single time. And he made a ton of shots. Made a ton of shots. And that’s to his credit.”

J.R. Smith scored 14 and Raymond Felton added 10 for New York.

Chris Bosh scored 23 points for Miami, which beat San Antonio on Sunday without James, Wade and Chalmers, but managed only 32 second-half points against the Knicks. Mike Miller scored 18, Ray Allen finished with 16 and Norris Cole had 14 for the Heat, whose 17-game home winning streak was snapped.

The Knicks beat the Heat in three of their four regular-season matchups. They likely would not meet again before the Eastern Conference finals.

“I don’t think that team will lack confidence against anybody,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s just the nature of who they are.”

Miami’s magic number for clinching home-court throughout the NBA playoffs remained at five, and the Heat already have the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference wrapped up. The Knicks now lead Brooklyn by five games in the race for the Atlantic Division title.

It was only Miami’s second loss in its last 31 games.

Much of the star power was taken out of the equation more than eight hours before game time, when the Heat announced that James, Wade and Chalmers would not play. James has a sore hamstring, and Wade and Chalmers are dealing with ankle sprains.

All are listed as day-to-day.

“The No. 1 thing, obviously, is try to get as healthy as we can,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously, that’s a priority. From there, we have time to still try to improve — not just stay in rhythm, but to improve, and also get these guys an opportunity that haven’t been getting minutes to play in these meaningful minutes. We didn’t script San Antonio or this like this to happen, but that’s what this league is about. It’s unpredictable.”

Anthony surely did not mind their absences.

He made three shots, a combined 65 feet of swished jumpers, in the game’s first 2:17 as the Knicks ran out to an 8-0 lead. Plenty of blue-and-orange shirts in the Miami crowd roared, and the early indications were that Anthony was on his way to a monster night and the Knicks were on their way to a blowout victory.

That assessment was half-right.

“Unbelievable,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “He just refused to let us lose.”

Anthony came in averaging 27.5 points and was practically there by halftime with 27 on 9-for-12 shooting — a display the Knicks absolutely needed, since Miami more than held its own without James, Wade and Chalmers.

After trailing by as many as nine early, Miami actually roared back to lead 58-50 at the half. Miller and Cole combined for 30 at the break; Miller’s 18 were five more than he had scored in any game this season.

Anthony — who had one more field goal than every other Knick managed, combined, in the first 24 minutes — didn’t exactly cool off at halftime. By the time the third quarter was 4 minutes old, Anthony was up to 37 points.

“We actually played pretty good defense on him,” Miller said.

Anthony’s first rebound came with 7:02 left in the third, and his first assist came as the clock was expiring to end the period, setting up Steve Novak for a 3-pointer from the right corner that allowed New York to take a 78-76 lead into the final 12 minutes.

Anthony actually went 10 minutes without scoring, then made two jumpers — the second a 3-pointer — 40 seconds apart, giving the Knicks a 95-88 lead with 3:32 left.

The Heat had tied the game twice in the fourth, but never led after Novak’s 3 that closed the third.

“My thing is to try to be aggressive, make shots,” Anthony said. “When you make shots, it makes the game so much easier.”

Game notes

It was the fourth time in 25 career games, including playoffs, that Anthony eclipsed the 40-point mark against the Heat. … Wade and James looked on intently as the Heat showed a video to promote the looming playoffs after the third quarter. Wade shimmied his shoulders a bit afterward, and James started to nod at one of the final images — his sideline dance in the final seconds of Game 5’s title-clinching win over Oklahoma City last June. … Rapper Flo Rida was at the game, as was actor Andy Garcia and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. … Of the Knicks’ nine remaining games, six are against likely playoff-bound teams.

The post Carmelo Anthony scores 50 points as red-hot Knicks top Heat appeared first on IdealCapper.

Apparently, they do not mind.

LeBron James scored 29 points, Dwyane Wade added 19 and the Heat extended their winning streak to 25 games by pulling away in the second half and beating the Detroit Pistons 103-89 on Friday night.

Miami trailed by as much as 11 in the first half before moving within eight of tying the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest winning streak in NBA history. The Heat also won at home for the 16th straight time.

“We don’t get caught up in things like that, saying that we’re untouchable,” said James, who also finished with eight assists and eight rebounds. “We know we can be beat by anybody, any night, if we don’t come in with the mindset to play our game.”

Maybe they don’t always come in with that mindset in perfect order, but the Heat clearly find a way to get to that place. Just this week alone, they rallied from 17 points down to win at Boston, then pulled off the wild 27-point, second-half comeback to prevail at Cleveland.

No real dramatics were needed Friday, especially after Miami allowed only 35 points after halftime.

“We were a little flat in the first half,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But in the second half, the urgency was much better, created a lot more opportunities off of our defense. I liked the way we finished the game.”

Miami’s magic number for clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is now three. The Heat also remained 1 1/2 games up on San Antonio, which needed overtime to beat Utah, for the league’s best record.

Greg Monroe finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds for Detroit, which dropped its 10th straight game. Jose Calderon had 18 points and seven assists, most of that coming in the first half for the Pistons, who also got 18 points and eight rebounds from Kyle Singler.

“The effort was there,” Calderon said. “I thought we played pretty for almost the whole game. When they came out for the second half, they looked like a different team out there. … They tweaked their game plan and it was a bit more difficult to make some baskets. They were more aggressive.”

That’s because they had to be that way. James said Detroit caught Miami off-guard in the first half with some sets. A quick halftime adjustment or two, and the reigning champions looked like reigning champions again.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. This time of year, it’s going to be a dangerous team,” Spoelstra said. “It’s going to be a team absolutely urgent, desperate for a playoff position or a team with nothing to lose, no pressure. Either way, you have to impose your will.”

That did not happen, at least not in the early going.

For the fifth time in the last six games, the Heat trailed after the first quarter. Detroit made 12 of its first 18 shots — 67 percent — and took a 28-20 lead fueled by an 8-0 run late in the opening period.

Detroit’s lead went to 11 in the second quarter, with Calderon making all three of his field goal attempts, all from 3-point range. He wound up with 16 points and six assists at halftime, just the second player to have a first-half stat line like that against the Heat this season. There were times it seemed Detroit was getting whatever it wanted.

Nonetheless, the Heat were down just 54-51 at the break.

“You knew they were going to make a run,” Monroe said. “That’s what this league is all about. It’s about withstanding them.”

On that front, the Pistons couldn’t keep pace. Detroit scored 28 points in the first quarter, 26 more in the second — and 22 in the first 19 minutes of the second half.

A lull like that was just too much to overcome, especially when the Heat took off on a 19-8 run to start the fourth quarter and put away the game.

After getting fouled in the open floor and playfully crashing into the basket support midway through the fourth, James took a playful swing at Wade and clearly seemed relaxed even though the Heat were up by only nine.

It was like he knew the capper was on the way. When play resumed, James set Wade up for a basket that gave Miami its first double-digit lead of the night, then threaded a pocket pass to Chris Bosh for a three-point play and a 90-76 lead with 5:47 remaining.

James walked to the far end of the floor, popped out his mouth guard and watched the replay on the overhead video board, then exhaled deeply.

“We were in our groove, both offensively and defensively,” James said. “I kind of felt like it was at a point where we could kind of break it open.”

The streak lived. Again.

Game notes

Heat G Ray Allen got three stitches in his lower lip. The Heat aren’t sure if he will miss any game time. Miami next plays Sunday at home against Charlotte. … James picked up his fourth straight Eastern Conference player of the month award, this one for February, in a brief halftime ceremony. … The Heat signed F Juwan Howard for the remainder of the season Friday. … South Florida native Brandon Knight (left ankle) remained sidelined for Detroit. … The Heat played a tribute video to the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Miami Hurricanes during the game, along with highlights of their NCAA tournament win from earlier Friday. … Pistons reserve Kim English fouled out with 23.5 seconds left in the third quarter with no points in 12:05 of playing time. The only other players with a zero-point, six-foul night in fewer minutes this season are New York’s Kurt Thomas (9:40) and Toronto’s Amir Johnson (9:26). … Golf’s Greg Norman was in attendance, along with child abuse prevention advocate Lauren Book, who’s on her annual awareness walk from Key West to Tallahassee.

The post Heat rally after slow start, push streak to 25 by topping Pistons appeared first on IdealCapper.

But LeBron James wouldn’t give up.

“That guy right there doesn’t want to lose in this building,” teammate Dwyane Wade said, nodding toward James, who left many angry Cavaliers fans behind when he bolted for Miami as a free agent three years ago. “Not tonight.”

James scored 25 points as the Heat overcame a 27-point deficit in the third quarter and won their 24th straight game, 98-95 over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night to extend the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

The Heat are within nine games of matching the record of 33 consecutive wins held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Once believed to be untouchable, the mark is now within reach.

James and his teammates have insisted the record isn’t one of their goals, and for more than 30 minutes the defending champions seemed disinterested and on the verge of losing for the first time since Feb. 1. Miami trailed 67-40 with 7:44 left in the third quarter.

But behind the irrepressible James, who added 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 42 minutes, the Heat inched closer to history and matched the NBA’s biggest comeback this season, according to STATS.

“This was one of the most bizarre, unique days of my life with everything that happened,” said James, referring to a homecoming in which a fan ran onto the floor and the opening tip was delayed 35 minutes by a leaky scoreboard. “It also was one of the best comebacks I’ve ever been a part of.”

James had 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in the fourth as Miami rallied to win for the second game in a row. The Heat were down 17 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — and stormed back to beat Boston 105-103 on Monday and surpass the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the second-longest streak in NBA history.

“I knew there was a lot of time, so we never panicked,” James said. “We were down 27 with 18 minutes left. That’s a lifetime in basketball.”

Although the Cavs were missing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao — their top three scorers — they pushed Miami to the limit.

It wasn’t until James, playing his fourth game back in Cleveland since leaving, made two free throws with 4.7 seconds left that Miami could relax, but just a little. The Cavs had one last chance to tie it, but C.J. Miles was long with a 3-pointer in the final second, letting Miami off the hook.

Following the game, James stopped to sign a few autographs as he made his way to Miami’s locker room. This was much tougher than he and the Heat could have imagined. The win also completed a five-game road trip, dubbed “The Reunion Tour” by James because Miami visited Wade’s home in Milwaukee, Chris Bosh’s former team in Toronto and Ray Allen’s in Boston.

“The streak wasn’t on my mind, but us getting blown out was,” James said. “I was going to be the only guy to take an ‘L’ on the reunion tour.”

Mario Chalmers added 17 points and Wade had 11 for the Heat, who outscored the Cavs 30-18 in the fourth quarter and 64-40 in the second half.

Wayne Ellington had 20 points and Tristan Thompson 18 for Cleveland, which went from a stunning upset to blowing the biggest lead in a loss in franchise history.

“We knew it was coming,” Thompson said of the Heat’s comeback. “They were the NBA champions last season. They’re not going to lay down. Champions don’t lay down even when they’re down by 27. We knew they were going to make a push. Guys went out and made plays, so you have to give them credit.”

Down by nine to open the fourth, the Heat were up 95-86 with 3:02 left and seemed to have the Cavaliers on the ropes.

But Cleveland bounced back and closed to 96-95 on Thompson’s two free throws with 44 seconds to go. Wade then missed a jumper, but Ellington misfired on a step-back 23-footer with 5.2 seconds to go.

James was fouled and the reigning MVP, with a sellout crowd of 20,562 roaring, stepped to the line and dropped both free throws to make it 98-95.

Miles was contested on his final shot, and once it clanked off the rim, the Heat headed home with a chance to extend their streak to 25 on Friday against Detroit.

This game had a little of everything, including a fan running on the floor in the fourth quarter. The young man was wearing a T-shirt that said: “We Miss You, 2014 Come Back,” a reference to James’ possible free agency and return to Cleveland, where he played seven seasons.

James went out of his way and patted the fan on the head as security rushed him off the floor.

“He said he missed me and come back, please,” James said. “It happened once before in (Madison Square) Garden, so I wasn’t worried. There are metal detectors here, so we were OK. I embraced it.”

The start of the game was delayed because of a spill on the floor caused by condensation from a carbon dioxide container inside the scoreboard.

James scored eight straight points to open the fourth, hitting a 3-pointer to tie it 77-all. He then turned toward the crowd and delivered an icy stare, his way of saying, ‘OK, enough is enough.’

“When he made that one and turned to the crowd,” Wade said, “you knew it was coming.”

Game notes

Starting with the Cavs, Miami’s next 10 games are against opponents with a combined winning percentage of just .399. … The Heat play the Pistons and Charlotte at home before going to Orlando, Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio. … It was the first time Miami overcame a 21-point halftime deficit to win. … The Cavs will wait a week before they evaluate Waiters, who has loose cartilage, and decide whether he needs surgery. Cleveland coach Byron Scott hopes his young guard comes back in the final month. “If he gets back, I’ll be thrilled to death,” Scott said. … Miami’s three wins over Cleveland this season have been by a total of nine points.

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