Miami's now the clear challenger of Cavs

After ESPN's Brad Daugherty said the Heat were a legit threat to the Cavs, another anaylst gave his thoughts on the Heat's chances in the East. ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler went on the Jorge and Izzy podcast on Monday to say give his thoughts on the Heat.

“For me, Miami is now the clear challenger, the most legitimate challenger, to the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Legler said on Jorge and Izzy Monday. “I think they’ve got a phenomenal starting five. Adding Joe Johnson gives them another playoff-tested guy. He’s a good closer. Whiteside is playing fantastic right now and when you get Deng, and Wade, and Dragic to round out that starting five, it’s about as good as it gets outside Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.

“And then they’ve got some young legs like Winslow and Richardson that have given them the athletic ability and speed that you need to play a team like Cleveland. Right now, yeah, I think Miami edged ahead of Toronto because I think Toronto has a real hard time getting out of the series…”

Despite being the second seed, Toronto was never seen as a threat to Cleveland because of their past first round losses.  So far, they're tied at 1-1 in their series with the Pacers. Miami on the other hand are leading their series. And most people like Legler believe more in Miami because of their veteran experience and depth.

As great as it's sounds, there's still a series to be played and Miami is currently looking to take a 2-0 over

Give Hassan Whiteside the award he deserves

Earlier today, the Defensive Player of the Ye
ar award winner was announced. For the second consecutive season, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard won the award, with Warriors all-everything Draymond Green finishing second, and the Heat’s Sultan of Swat, Hassan Whiteside, finishing a distant third.

While others argued Leonard vs. Green, Heat Twitter predictably flipped out about it. Just type in “Hassan robbed” in the search bar, and you’ll see plenty of tweets

The potential X-Factor in the Hornets vs Heat series

After giving up a 26pt lead in a loss to Boston last night, the Heat were excited to learn that they would be the third seed heading into the playoffs. Thanks to the Hawks losing to the Washington Wizards, the Heat will h
ave homecourt advantage when they go up against the Charlotte Hornets.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Heat swept them in four games. But that was when the Heat had LeBron and Charlotte, named Bobcats then, had current Heat forward Josh McRoberts on the team. These two teams are very different now.

Since the all-star break, the Hornets have posted the best record in the Eastern conference with 21-8. The Heat went 19-10.

Similiar to their previous matchup in the playoffs Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson both have caused matchup problems for the Heat this season. And it's not only them. Charlotte forwards Nick Batum and Marvin Williams have also hurted the Heat from long range.

If I have to pick an X-factor this series, it'll be Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who is a North Carolina native. He's the league's leading shot blocker who protects the paint for the Heat and also picks up the scoring slack for Miami at times. However, he has had trouble guarding Al Jefferson and needs to be ready for it. If Whiteside wins that matchup, the Heat can really take control of this series.

Miami Heat knock off Detroit Pistons with playoff seedings still in flux

That’s how Dwyane Wade characterized Joe Johnson after the latter’s acquisition.

Perfect for this team, at that time.

“He’s a smart player,” Wade said then. “You come here, you see how our offense is, that there are guys on this team that have scored in the 20s, but the mentality is for it to be an even kind of offense. Once you see that, you know some nights it’s going to be your night, and some nights it’s going to be someone else’s.”

Late Tuesday, after the Heat played a most imperfect game, but managed to beat the Detroit Pistons, 99-93, Wade was reminded of those earlier sentiments.

He smiled.

“I’m glad this was one of his nights,” Wade said.

That’s because this wasn’t just any night. It was a night the Heat needed, to inch up the Eastern Conference standings, to ensure that Wednesday’s season finale in Boston would be an opportunity to secure the No. 3 seed. It was a night that Miami often got stuck in the grime, playing a Pistons team that was without its leading scorer (point guard Reggie Jackson) but not without absent motivation, trying to avoid an eighth seed and a first round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was a night on which the Heat committed 11 first half turnovers, and 21 fouls in total, with Hassan Whiteside struggling to keep Andre Drummond off the boards and Goran Dragic struggling to stay on the court, somehow the one caught up in foul trouble even as he was losing a tooth to an elbow without penalty.

“We worked hard tonight,” Dragic said. “It was not smooth, everybody knows that. But it’s a win we needed. Detroit is a playoff team, it is not easy to beat them at home. But we did it.”

It wasn’t clear if they would, not on a night in which Wade’s play was uneven, and the score was even 19 different times, including with 10:23 left, with the Heat leading by just one when Johnson replaced Wade with 6:14 remaining.

This was Johnson’s night from that point forward. The 15-year veteran scored 15 of his 25 points in a five-minute spree, starting with a 27-footer just before the shot clock expired.

Erik Spoelstra didn’t tell Johnson to do anything; he didn’t need to. He just kept running actions for the seven-time All-Star.

“I was just being aggressive, man,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t me just stepping up trying to give us that oompf. But I was taking what the defense gave me. I was running pick-and-rolls and the big was off, so we were trying to put them in a tough spot. I was able to get a couple of floaters in the lane, a couple of jump shots went, and we just fed off that.”

They all did, even if it might have hurt Dragic (16 points in 26 minutes) to chew.

“We’re 2-0 when I lose a tooth,” he said, with a gap-toothed smile, having lost the same replacement tooth as in Atlanta earlier this season.

He won’t fix it yet.

There’s no time, not with a flight to Massachusetts, and then a game Wednesday night to close the regular season.

“Everything is in our hands,” Dragic said. “If we win the game, we’re the third seed.”

Dragic is accurate, of course; he’s been carefully following schedules and scenarios for weeks. If the Heat loses, it still can be third, if Atlanta loses in Washington. But the Heat also can fall to fifth or even sixth, due to a number of convoluted scenarios. And it could still play either Boston, Atlanta or Charlotte in the first round.

But the win in Detroit increased the chances of making this easy. Of making up for everything that happened to this team this season. An hour prior to Tuesday’s tipoff, as Dragic and Amare Stoudemire were reviewing the ramifications of the final two regular season games, they revealed some regrets.

“That Lakers game,” Dragic said, shaking his head.

“Yeah,” Stoudemire said.

That Lakers game. That Nets game. That Knicks game. That Timberwolves game. That Magic game.

Yet none of those squandered games matter now.

They are all just rough water under the bridge to the postseason, to the third seed.

That bridge is in Boston.

Perhaps, once again, it will be the perfect time to ride Joe Johnson.

The Miami Heat is about to learn quite a lot about itself

In a Miami Heat season that has had all the volatility of the Nasdaq market during earnings season -- arrows up, down and everywhere -- Dwyane Wade has consistently kept his talk straight. He has scored 1,378 points on the floor, to boost his career total to 20,190, but hasn't felt the need to score empty points with the public, by trying to sell fans something that may not be so.

So, when asked after Monday's practice if he knew the collective character of this team, a team with no current rotation players with whom he's ever played in a postseason, he was light on the sugar.

“Well, I mean, I know the regular season collective character,” Wade said. “I don't know the playoff. There's different levels. From a regular-season standpoint, we have shown the ability to compete, compete most nights, not be perfect but we're gonna compete. And we bounce back pretty good, you know.”

Especially from the loss of Chris Bosh: 18-9 since the All-Star break, and now in the third seed with two games remaining.

“We've done a great job of sticking together through it all,” Wade said. “When moments have looked real dark for us, we've all stuck together. So this team has been a good unit all year. We've grown together. But that's the regular season. So I don't know what to expect yet when it comes to the playoffs, because that's a different season.”

That season, that playoff season, hasn't started yet, not officially. But it will be tough to tell the difference Tuesday night in Detroit, or Wednesday night in Boston. And this will start to tell Wade, and the rest of us, how mentally and emotionally tough this team is, this team with so many contributors who are so new to this, whether it's the two rookies (provided Justise Winslow plays) or the manchild in the middle (Hassan Whiteside) or even the point guard (Goran Dragic) who hasn't played in the postseason since 2010 and has never started once there.

WOULD HASSAN WHITESIDE LEAVE THE MIAMI HEAT?

Hassan Whiteside was last year's talk of the town due to his resurgence as a former bench-warmer, he found his way through the ladder and rose to the occasion with his stint with the Miami Heat last season. Now, he's still on the rise, being one of the leaders in the blocks department in the NBA. Though questions are popping out in the basketball world, if this season would be his final season with the Miami Heat? With teams taking a look at this defensive phenom on the rise, it's possible that most teams would consider signing Hassan Whiteside instead of Dwight Howard, and why not? He's younger and has a better chance of improving compared to Dwight Howard though we want to see if his offense would also progress, but come to think of it? Maybe he shouldn't leave Miami. Dwayne Wade is not getting any younger, Chris Bosh is getting frequently getting injured in the past few seasons, Luol Deng might get traded? I mean this might be a good chance for the Miami Heat to rebuild with Hassan Whiteside as their center piece. And it sure as hell would be easy for the Miami Heat's management. Why? They have a great management led by Pat Riley, they're coaching staff is pretty good as well, playing in South Beach would be intriguing to most free agents, and Goran Dragic is getting better according to basketball analysts, plus rookie Justise Winslow will surely improve in the following seasons to come. But if we're going to ask Hassan Whiteside's possibility to move, is still possible. Though, I doubt it if he leaves. Merely the fact that Miami really contributed or somewhat gave him the chance to show his capabilities and true potential, basically he profited from the Miami Heat, I just hope he makes the right decision. If ever he leaves? I think he should go to the Boston Celtics. Why? Because the Boston Celtics are already playoff contenders, they just need one more piece to become finals contenders and Hassan Whiteside would be valuable addition if he decides to take his talents to Boston.

Playoff Bound

The Miami Heat finish their last game at home with a win on Sunday. After losing to the same Orlando Magic team by three on Friday the Heat convincingly beat what everybody knew to be a much less talented team 118-96. After the win, the Heat now find themselves at 47-33  battling for playoff position between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Miami is currently the fifth seed, but is tied with Boston and only a game behind Atlanta.

Miami finished the regular season with two big games that have playoff implications. The first is against the currently seeded 8th seed Detroit Pistons who could move up depending on what Indiana does. Detroit is no slouch team with Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson leading the way and giving the their first playoff appearance since 2009. This game will be important since Miami and Detroit are both looking to improve their current seeding.

The final game against Boston will be a big challenge for Miami. Boston has given the Heat fits in the past and with the difference of being a home team or a road team in the first round could be determined in this game. Boston holds the tie breaker over the Heat since they have won both games and are 2-0 in the season series. If Miami does end up playing Boston, they will definitely want home court advantage against a team that Miami has difficulty with.

In the end Miami will definitely have its work cut out for them if they want to be a higher seeded team. If they can win these last two games they have a good chance to jump Boston and possibly Atlanta. Home court is definitely advantageous in the NBA and the heat could definitely use their fans against whoever they face in the first round.

Hard work paying off for Miami Heat’s Josh Richardson

Josh Richardson has a pretty good idea where he would be right now if he wasn’t knocking down three-point shots or dunking on people for the Miami Heat.

“I’d probably still be in college — probably until I was like 30,” the 22-year-old Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March said. “I was a kinesiology major at Tennessee. That’s the scientific study of human movement. I wanted to be a surgeon. I was working on cadavers, doing labs studying hearts and brains. I loved that stuff.”

Then Richardson paused and smiled and said, “but this is a lot better.”

Second-round picks who go down to the NBA’s Development League rarely make their way back up and into the rotation of an NBA playoff team. Richardson might be among the even smaller group who kind of shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.

He does the same when you tell him he posted the second-best three-point shooting month (.589) in NBA history last month or that Hall of Fame-bound center Shaquille O’Neal nicknamed him BRA (Baby Ray Allen) on TV last week.

All of that for Richardson “is cool,” but he says he “can’t really think about it too much.” To accept the adulation is almost to admit that he’s satisfied. His bar is always set higher, and it’s everybody else’s prerogative to be surprised with what he has accomplished thus far.

“You’ve got to understand we’ve watched him for years,” his mother, Alice, a retired lieutenant with the U.S. Air Force, former high school basketball referee and an active ordained Baptist minister said by phone.

“We’ve traveled with him all over this country watching him play. So, I guess since we have seen the progression, it’s not a complete surprise. I’m just very proud of him, of all the hard work he has put in, in order to be where he is.”

Said Josh’s father, Michael: “From the beginning we didn’t pray for him to get drafted in the first round or No. 1 or anything like that. We just prayed for the right fit, right place and the right home and we felt like he got that.”

The hard work started early for Richardson. Before he dribbled a basketball or his grandmother taught him how to play the piano, Michael, a retired firefighter who still refurbishes homes, put a hammer in his son’s young hands and put him to work.

“It was important for me to teach him that tools weren’t toys,” Michael said. “So, he helped build a storage unit when he was like 4 or 5.”

Josh said he graduated to power tools when he was about 9 or 10. Whenever his father would take on a project to refurbish a home, Josh said he would come along and help. All throughout elementary, middle and high school, Josh spent time with his father tearing out cabinets, installing floors, showers, bathrooms and new kitchens.

Now, somewhere back home in Edmond, Oklahoma, where Josh was born and raised, Alice said Josh’s 3-year-old nephew owns the same “itty-bitty” orange Home Depot apron Michael gave Josh nearly two decades ago.

“We just wanted to instill a strong work ethic in him,” Michael said of Josh. “We wanted to make sure that he had a broad understanding of many different things and was not afraid of any kind of challenge.”

That’s something that spilled over onto the basketball court for Richardson.

After moving from the wing to point guard his senior season at Tennessee, the Heat drafted Richardson with the idea he would become a combo guard. But after injuries to starting point guard Goran Dragic in January and then a season-ending injury to backup Beno Udrih in February, Richardson was thrust into point-guard duty.

At first it was a struggle. But Dragic, who has been helping Richardson adapt to playing the point, said Richardson has done a much better job since the All-Star break of setting up the Heat’s offense as his new backup. All the while, Richardson also has gained the confidence from his teammates to take the three-point shot when it’s there. Sometimes, Dwyane Wade said, the Heat trusts Richardson to make them even when he isn’t open.

“He’s not scared and that’s an important thing,” Dragic said. “Sometimes as a rookie you don’t find the game right away, but he figured that out pretty quickly. He’s just going to get much better.”

Although he’s still backing up at point guard, Richardson (6-6, 200) could end up playing the point, shooting guard or small forward down the road. Asked what position he fits best, Richardson said he sees himself simply as “a basketball player.”

Orlando Magic at Miami HEAT Game Thread and Preview

The Miami HEAT host the Orlando Magic Sunday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT fell to the Magic 112-109 in their last meeting on April 8. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 5:30 PM. 

Game Notes:

• This is the last regular season home game for the HEAT, with their final two games coming on the road. 
• Miami is 46-33, while Orlando stands at 34-45. 
• In the month of April, Goran Dragic is averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. 
• Elfrid Payton leads the Magic in assists per game at 6.4. 

Efficiencies (Rank):

• HEAT Offense: 104.0 (T-11)
• HEAT Defense: 101.6 (T-7)
• Magic Offense: 102.6 (22)
• Magic Defense: 104.3 (T-16)

Miami Heat Sign Briante Weber

Miami Heat have decided to sign a free agent and fill the remaining roster spots before the playoffs begin. They will sign the point guard Briante Webber to a 3-year contract.

Weber has played only six games in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 4.8 points, 4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He spent most of the time in D-League, playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami Heat D-League affiliate team. Weber averaged 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 28 D-League games.

Heat will be able to sign another player soon and it will most likely be their former player, Dorell Wright. The Heat showed interest in Wright and he could join the team soon.

Whiteside shrugs off distractions, keys Heat’s fourth-quarter surge

With just over one minute left in the third quarter, Chicago’s Doug McDermott grabbed the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside and took him to the ground. Officials called a flagrant-one foul on McDermott, and in addition to two free throws and another possession, the foul gave Whiteside an opportunity to show that he could stay composed in key moments.

“I got sacked for a loss of five,” Whiteside said of the foul. “It was a good tackle…I wasn’t mad or nothing…I was going to dunk it if he didn’t get me.”

Whiteside made the two free throws. Then he made a layup on the ensuing extra possession. After he was forced to sit for two-and-a-half minutes in the fourth quarter due to foul trouble, Whiteside made sure the Heat defeated the Bulls, igniting a 10-2 Miami run with his patented combination of ferocity in the defensive paint and tenacity on the offensive glass.

“I couldn’t sneeze on anybody tonight without it being a foul,” Whiteside said after the game. 

“I could be a little more aggressive on rebounding in the last five minutes…we had to crank it up in the fourth quarter and really get on a run.”

After the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra repeatedly praised Whiteside’s composure.

“Those things absolutely matter in the playoffs,” Spoelstra said. “How quickly can he (Whiteside) get to the next possession? He’s going to be met with physicality…(he has) to be able to bring that force and be able to maintain (his) mental stability as well.”

Whiteside didn’t let anything obstruct his mental stability in the second half: not McDermott’s flagrant foul, not his four fouls. With 12 points and 10 rebounds, he recorde a double-double in the second half alone.

“I just got a better understanding that guys…they see me as a threat,” Whiteside said. “A lot of teams…they don’t like me really dunking at all…I’m getting used to it.”

While Whiteside needs to get used to more contact around the rim, Spoelstra says other teams must get used to Whiteside, especially on the defensive end.

“His gift…is his ability to protect the rim,” Spoelstra said of Whiteside. “We’re pushing him to try to get to another level…I want to see him make plays and use his gifts.”

Before the second-half shenanigans, Whiteside had trouble finding his rhythm in the first half.

The big man scored only four points and collected only two rebounds in just over 13 first-half minutes, and after the game he said his right thigh was bothering him at the outset of the game.

“It was a little tight,” Whiteside said of his thigh, which caused him to miss Wednesday’s practice. “I felt a little pain in it…as it got warmed up, it felt better.”

Udonis Haslem replaced Whiteside in the second quarter for the second game in a row, but the young seven-footer said the extra rest was just that.

“(Coach Spoelstra)’s getting me a quicker blow,” Whiteside said of the second-quarter substitution. “He used to play me two 15-minute stretches…now it’s just six minutes and then a quick two minute break and then seven more minutes.”

Despite the thigh tightness, Whiteside played just over 27 minutes Thursday night, two minutes shy of his season average of 29.

His next challenge is to come out Friday in Orlando re-energized and re-focused, maintaining that focus no matter what stands in his way, be it his thigh, foul trouble, or even another “tackle.”

Hassan Whiteside, Erik Spoelstra relationship grows

In the middle of the second quarter during Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra pulled Hassan Whiteside out of the game for a conference on the sideline. Spoelstra has done this before, and it hasn’t always produced the results he wanted. This one seemed to work, though.

While Spoelstra declined to reveal what he and Whiteside discussed, he was happy with his reaction to it.

“It was a couple teaching points I wanted to make, and the only way to make it was to take him out,” Spoelstra said. “And he made some adjustments to that. I’ll probably continue to do that because his energy was very good after that point. And he was doing some good things even before that point.”

IT'S TIME FOR JUSTISE WINSLOW TO MAN UP

Stellar defense aside, Justise Winslow has not done much to create any excitement on the offensive end. In order for the Miami Heat to make it beyond the first round, he will need to step up his game. Winslow has had too many games in whic

h he disappears offensively, and point blank misses at the rim are unacceptable.

The playoffs are about trust as much as game plans and at this rate, Winslow has not built enough confidence to suggest teammates would give him the ball in clutch situations. With Chris Bosh possibly done for the season and Dwyane Wade going into the playoffs at less than 100%, the Miami Heat will need their rookies to be consistent and aggressive.

Josh Richardson has been a pleasant surprise while Justise has disappointed on the offensive side of the ball, even hesistant at times. If the Miami Heat wish to make noise in the playoffs and want a shot at LeBron James' Cavs, then the time is now for Justise Winslow to show up and show out!

Detroit Pistons at Miami HEAT Game Thread and Preview

The Miami HEAT host the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT fell to the Pistons 93-92 in their last meeting on December 22. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:30 PM.

Game Notes:

• The HEAT have won seven of their last nine against the Pistons in Miami.
• Miami is 44-32 overall, while Detroit stands at 41-36. 
• Hassan Whiteside leads the HEAT in rebounds (11.8) and blocks (3.7) per game. 
• Reggie Jackson leads the Pistons in points (18.5) and assists (6.3) per contest. 

Efficiencies (Rank):

• HEAT Offense: 103.7 (T-12)
• HEAT Defense: 101.5 (T-6)
• Pistons Offense: 103.0 (T-17)
• Pistons Defense: 103.3 (13)

Miami Heat: New Big Three

The Miami Heat are near the end of the regular season and have clinched a spot in the post season. Last year they barely missed the playoffs which was a rarity since they had gone pretty much every year since Pat Riley and Dwayne Wade were in Miami. However due to illnesses and injuries (including 

Chris Bosh having a blood clot in his lungs) the post season was just not meant to be.

2016 is a fresh and new start for a whole new team. With young talent in draft steals Justice Winslow and Josh Richardson, along with second year player with the Heat Hassan Whiteside, Miami has built around new, young, and talented faces for the franchise. However the veterans have done their job too, Dwayne Wade, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, and Amare Stoudemire have all brought their experience and wisdom to help the young players develop and get the necessary wins for the team.

Pat Riley also added Joe Johnson who has brought something to the team that was lacking: the three point shooting. With him Miami's offense has increased dramatically going from almost dead last to close to first in the Eastern Conference.

After the Lebron era and four straight finals appearances it doesn't seem likely that a run like that will happen anytime soon. However with the talent of Winslow, Richardson, and Whiteside developing we could have a new big three. Winslow being Lebron because of attacking the basket skills, Richardson replacing Wade because of his speed and tenacity on the ball, and Whiteside taking the place of Bosh with his inside presence and mid range jump shot becoming more accurate.

Even though Miami might not make the Finals this year the future is bright. Even when Wade, and Bosh are ready to call it a career, they have three players who can take their places right away. When Lebron retires in Cleveland, Miami should very well be number one again and restore order to the NBA.

McRoberts working against clock for playoff rotation

Josh McRoberts has lived on the edge of the Miami Heat's rotation for two seasons when healthy. Yet every step taken with the versatile power forward seemingly is accompanied by something less than an endorsement.

Saturday's 16 1/2 minutes in the 110-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that closed out a 1-2 trip was no different.

"I like what J-Mac brings," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We always become a smarter team when he's out there. But I don't think his minutes were indicative of anything."

The pattern this season has been for Spoelstra to offer such opportunities, praise McRoberts, and then revert to McRoberts-less lineups.

"He brings his passing. And we're a little bit bigger, obviously, when we do that," Spoelstra said. "We wanted to go a little bit deeper into the rotation."

The Heat went nine deep with Saturday's game still in the balance, one more than Spoelstra recent has been utilizing, but it also came in the absence of guard Dwyane Wade, who has missed the past two games with neck and back soreness. Still, McRoberts wound uop playing nearly eight minutes more than stating center Amar'e Stoudemire.

"Obviously, you want to play in every game," said McRoberts, who was held out of the first two games on the trip. "'I'm professional. I'm here to be ready when my number's called."

McRoberts converted a pair of 3-pointers against the Trail Blazers, the only Heat player with more than one.

Asked if he attempts such shots to space the floor, McRoberts said, "I take 'em just to get three points. I don't know."

With just six games remaining in the regular season, time is growing short to make an impression for Spoelstra's playoff rotation.

"I don't really think about it like that," McRoberts said. "I just try to be ready and try to stay ready, and try to perform as well as I can."

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul to Join Dwyane Wade in Miami?

Miami Heat are one of the most successful franchises in the NBA and the biggest reason for that is their president, Pat Riley. Ever since Riley joined the team in 1995, the Heat have been one of the best teams in the league and their record and championships throughout all those years prove it. One of the biggest things Riley has achieved with the Heat was bringing top free agents to South Beach in 2010: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Could he do the same thing once again?

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have already played in Miami and in their four years together, the duo won two championships and went to the finals all four years. Could we see them team up once again, and bring their friends over as well, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony? 

Wade will most likely stay in Miami and retire there and James is no stranger to the city as well. On the other side, Anthony and Paul have never played for the Heat and they have also never won a championship. The whole idea of this super team started when LeBron said how he hopes to play with the other three players before he retires. The Cavaliers superstar said the following, per ESPN

I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together. ... At least one, maybe one or two seasons -- me, Melo, D-Wade, CP -- we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that.

James already took a paycut once, when he decided to join forces with Wade in Miami. He'd be willing to do it again if it means playing with his best friends. Although all of these players are in their 30s, there is no doubt that they would form one of the strongest teams in the NBA if they teamed up. Also, this would be a great opportunity for Paul and Anthony to win their first championship ring, while LeBron and Wade would win their third and fourth rings respectively.

While Wade refused to comment much about this idea, Carmelo Anthony said that he would also take a pay cut to make it happen. He also added that he would like to go somewhere warm and there is no doubt he was referring to Miami. Wade, James and Anthony were both drafted the same year, 2003, and are in their 13th season. James was the top pick of the draft, Anthony was picked third and Wade fifth. Chris Paul was drafted two years later with the fourth overall pick.

It would be hard to form this super team, but not impossible, especially not with Pat Riley handling the situation. Riley showed that he's capable of making big teams, and forming another super team in Miami is not an impossible task for him. Of course, every player would have to take a pay cut and the team would need to find a good supporting cast, but there definitely is a possibility that we will see these four friends share the court before they retire.

Spoelstra says playoff race not about waiting, watching (as his players sneak a peek)

For the Miami Heat, Friday night essentially was a doubleheader. First there was the escape against the Sacramento Kings, then essentially a team viewing party for the final minutes of the Boston Celtics' victory over the Golden State Warrior
s.

While the focus for most of the nation was on the Warriors' push for the NBA's best single-season record, the concentration in the Heat locker room was on the Celtics and the too-close-to-call race in the middle of the Eastern  Conference playoff pack.

"We've said this all along that it's going to be a harrowing ride down the stretch, to the end," coach Erik Spoelstra said, as he turned his attention to Saturday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. "All of us are in virtually in the same spot for a reason.

"It's very competitive, not much margin of error for any team. But you can get caught watching what other teams are doing. But ultimately, it's in our hands."

That doesn't mean there wasn't a tangle disappointment in the Heat locker room Friday when the Warriors' Stephen Curry was off on a potential game-tying 3-pointer just before the final buzzer.

"We focus on our game," forward Luol Deng said, "but after the game we look at how the other teams did."

After remaining in Portland on Saturday night and then a Sunday flight back to South Florida, the Heat will have six remaining games, three at home (Detroit, Chicago, Orlando) and three on the road (Orlando, Detroit, Boston). All but the Magic remain in the thick of the playoff race. The regular season ends April 13. The playoffs open April 16.

"You can't wait for somebody else to not do it and benefit from that," Spoelstra said of the dangers of getting caught up in moments like Friday's Celtics-Warriors drama. "We want to drive this thing."

Deng's shot

When it comes to the season's biggest shots, Deng came up with a key contribution when he drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Heat up 110-104 with 45.7 seconds to play Friday.

The fact that it came in front of the Kings' bench, with Sacramento players doing their best to distract, made it all the more rewarding.

"I think when they make noise, you want to make it so bad," Deng said, with former Heat forward Caron Butler among those attempting to distract Deng. "If they were quiet, I've missed a lot of wide-open shots when it's quiet. By them  yelling, I wanted to make it really bad. So it just locked in."

Spoelstra said Deng's leadership was instrumental, with none of the Heat's tri-captains playing in Sacramento, with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh sidelined and Udonis Haslem not in Friday's rotation.

"Especially during the times of stress, it was his voice, getting guys organized," Spoelstra said. "And he's continued to make big shots, big plays for us."

Gerald Green drops 30 points on Kings for Heat win

The Miami Heat were without captain Dwyane Wade with neck and back soreness after a rough fall in L.A. The Heat needed to have a great group effort and that's exactly what they saw from the very beginning of the game against the Kings. Sacramento was without DeMarcus Cousins, suspended, and they didn't respond in the same way.

The Heat squandered a 24 point lead down to 1, but they were able to hang on and get the 112-106 win. Miami improves to 44-31 on the season and currently moves into 3rd in the East.

Game Overview
The Heat were down 16-20 to the Kings to start the game and then they took off. Miami went on a 23-4 run to finish the quarter. They were paced by Gerald Green who started the game hot. He scored 20 points in the first half. Miami as a team shot 63% in the half including 8-12 from three in the half. They led 66-48 at the break.

The second half, and mostly the fourth quarter was a different story. The Heat's biggest lead was 24, but the Kings slowly chipped away at it. Let byDarren Collison, the Kings took what was a comfortable game, and made it a game for most of the fourth quarter. The Heat simply stopped hitting so many three-pointers, and couldn't contain Collison in transition.

They lead got all the way down to 1, but Miami never let the Kings get the lead back. They hung on down the stretch with baskets from Joe Johnson and some free throws. The Heat shot 51% from the field for the game and had 5 players in double figures, while all 8 scored 6+ points.

Key Contributions
Gerald Green: He played a great three quarters and tallied 30 points through three. He didn't score in the fourth and made one really bone-headed decision that got him a technical and cut the lead to 1. But, filling in for Dwyane Wade, he made up for it with 5-9 from deep.

Darren Collison: Off the bench he had 26 points and was the catalyst for the Kings comeback. He drove to the lane and his mid range shot was on target. He made a living at the line, too.

Seth Curry: He got off to such a great start that it seemed like we were playing the other Curry. Seth had a career-high 21 points including 4-6 from deep.

Heat Core: Joe Johnson had 14 points, Luol Deng with 17 points, Goran Dragic had 18 points. Justise Winslow chipped in 12 off the bench and Whiteside had 13 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade's Health Update

Dwyane Wade has been playing very well lately and the Miami Heat won many games in that stretch. Unfortunately, in his last duel against Kobe Bryant, Wade was not victorious. Despite putting up amazing numbers, the Heat still fell short and lost the game in the overtime on Julius Randle's shot with less than two seconds left in the game. Still, Wade showed that he's feeling great and that he is playing the game at the highest level.

Although he was bothered by numerous injuries throughout the season, Wade's health seems to be fine now and he is not bothered by his knees anymore. The shooting guard has averaged 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in the last two games and he also shot incredibly efficiently from the floor, making 65% of his shots.

Miami Heat are still waiting for Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson, who will most likely be sidelined until the end of the regular season. Two of them may return for the playoff time, but it is still not clear how good they feel and if they will be able to play basketball this season anymore.