No deal in NBA talks

In an 11th-hour plea to save the start of the NBA regular season, the Players Association and owners met for more than seven hours at a Manhattan hotel yesterday, but little progress was made as the sides decided to table key issues.

The good news is that they will meet again tomorrow and Tuesday in an effort to secure the scheduled Nov. 1

start of the regular season. But neither side came away brimming with optimism in this critical weekend of discussions.

A day after talks became heated when Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade snapped at commissioner David Stern for what he viewed as disrespectful finger pointing, the sides began talking yesterday morning and negotiations carried into the evening.

It was the longest meeting the owners and players have had since the lockout began July 1.

With the sides millions of dollars apart on basketball-related income, that topic was not discussed yesterday. Instead they exchanged proposals on other key issues, particularly salary cap, but made no significant strides. When asked whether the beginning of the regular season could be secured, Players Association executive director Billy Hunter said, ''Sure, if we come up with a deal next week.''

But he added, ''It's a pretty wide gulf that we're dealing with. We're not quite comfortable with where they are right now. They put some concepts up. We put some concepts up and we're still miles apart.''

Several players in the meeting and some NBA officials described the discussions as amicable and the process incremental, but also indicated that it's highly unlikely such a methodic pace would produce a deal to save all 82 games in the season.

Stern exited the meeting and said he would not announce any cancellation of games tomorrow, despite reports that he was ready to make a major decision on the season if major progress was not made this weekend.

''We spent the last two days talking about the system and we agreed to convene on Monday in smaller groups,'' he said. ''We're not near anything but, wherever that is, we're closer than we were before.''

According to Hunter, the league stuck with their request of the players' split of the BRI of 46 percent, down from 57 percent from the last collective bargaining agreement. Both sides acknowledged that the larger group meeting Friday was helpful with discussions, and deputy commissioner Adam Silver said Celtics forward Paul Pierce sparked discussion by pointing out that small-market teams such as Oklahoma City and San Antonio thrived in past years.

Stern acknowledged yesterday that his heated exchange with Wade nearly caused a premature ending to Friday's negotiations.

''We essentially exchanged system proposals, concepts, ideas and went back and forth for quite some time,'' said union president Derek Fisher. ''We're going to continue to push through as hard as we can.

''I can't necessarily characterize things as progress and that I am more optimistic than I was yesterday. The reality is we still have an extremely long way to go. Even with the exchanges we made today, there are still huge gaps. There's a lot of work left to do.''

Players fight NBA's push for revamped system

Unable to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement and seeking enormous changes to its system, the NBA locked out its players Thursday night. The owners have sought a system with a set salary cap and tighter limits on contract length and guarantees. The players prefer to keep the basics of the current system, offering tweaks to the percentage of revenue to be devoted to player salaries.
A look at the issues and circumstances that shut down the NBA:

Follow the money
The NBA claims it was $300 million in the red last season with 22 teams losing money. No matter the accounting that led to those numbers, the owners have negotiated based on those figures and the goal of turning them around, with NBA commissioner David Stern arguing the investment it takes an owner to get into the league should be expected to be profitable.
Players have proposed a reduction in the percentage of basketball-related income they would receive, from 57 percent to 54.3 percent, but argue they should not be responsible for preventing ownership mistakes. Owners seek a more even split.
The owners contend their proposal would guarantee $2 billion annually in player salaries. Players contend that would assure only about 45 percent of basketball-related income.
New blood
Unlike the 1998 negotiations, when much of the league leadership had bought in before the dramatic increase in franchise values, the league is filled with owners such as Boston's Wyc Grousbeck, Phoenix's Robert Sarver, Cleveland's Dan Gilbert and Golden State's Joe Lacob who bought into the league at elevated team prices.
Six owners are also NHL owners. Wizards/Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said the NHL is in better financial shape than the NBA because its CBA prevents owners from taking "stupid pills."
Exceptions
When players say they should not have to protect owners from themselves, they are largely talking about exceptions that have driven up their payrolls. The mid-level exception in particular was designed to protect the sport's middle class but has instead become a contract demand in free agency.
Owners began negotiations by proposing a $45 million hard cap, allowing no exceptions that would exceed that number. They have since proposed a "flex cap" in which teams could exceed the salary cap to an undetermined level, targeting $62 million for typical payrolls.
But players argued that the larger ceiling is, in effect, a hard cap. Last season, 17 teams exceeded the $58 million salary cap.
Player power
Friday will mark the one-year anniversary of The Decision and the consolidation of power of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Though there was nothing new about players leaving teams to play with other top players, this move seemed particularly beyond the owners' control, with many teams knowing they had no chance to be considered.
Even the possibility of Deron Williams becoming a free agent led him to be traded more than a year before he could leave Utah on his own. The potential of Dwight Howard or Chris Paul bolting from relatively small-market cities adds to the sense the league is becoming a collection of haves and have-nots.
The ability of teams to offer longer and richer contracts to their own players than to players switching teams no longer seemed likely to keep stars from aligning.
Spending parity
The idea of a luxury tax — a penalty of a dollar for every dollar spent over a specified threshold - was expected to keep teams from buying their way to championships and to redistribute the tax to those that did not exceed the tax threshold.
Though just seven teams exceeded the luxury tax last season, the past four champions were taxpayers.
The past three titles went to this season's top spending teams, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers paid $110 million in salary and taxes. Last-place Sacramento spent $45 million.
The rich get richer
The NBA has little revenue sharing. The largest portion of that comes from distributing the money collected from teams paying luxury taxes - money that would be eliminated in the system the NBA has proposed.
Stern has said he wants to triple the league's revenue sharing, but the owners have not come up with an agreement that the players argue would solve many of the problems the owners have sought to remedy by reducing player salaries.
The Lakers' new television deal with Time-Warner Cable could be worth as much as $3 billion over 20 years. Some small-market teams struggle to get a deal that turns a profit. Where the NFL can have extensive revenue sharing based on its national television contracts, the bulk of NBA television revenue is from local deals controlled by individual teams.

Heat's 88-86 victory over Mavericks is full-groan

The Miami Heat couldn't quite pull off another fade in the NBA Finals. Rejoice, South Beach. Cheers, Fort Lauderdale. And before excitedly dropping that mojito on the marble-tile floor, understand that everybody else in the country wanted to see Dallas win Game 3 on Sunday. Nothing personal. But nobody likes to see a team drop down to a stunningly low two players under contract before building back up with a brief live-on-ESPN joint announcement by Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade,

followed a day later by the "The Decision." There was little joy from Maine to San Diego after the Heat took a 2-1 series lead with an 88-86 victory Sunday. The Mavericks tried just about everything. There were pre-recorded scoreboard declarations that "The Time is Now" from Dallas sports luminaries Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman, not to mention Mike Modano. (He used to play for the Dallas Stars. That's a hockey team.) But the time was now for the Heat, which guaranteed itself a return trip to Miami . . . if necessary. The scoreboard also offered a video montage of the Mavericks scoring on the Lakers, along with the phrases, "They said the Mavericks were soft. They said 'The Champs' would beat us down. This year is different." Not really. Not yet. The Mavericks have never won an NBA title since entering the league in 1980. It hasn't stopped them from hanging banners from the high-up girders at American Airlines Center — Midwest Division champions in 1987, Western Conference winners in 2006, Southwest Division champs in 2007 and 2010. Yay. There's more bad news for the psyche of basketball fans. The last 11 times the Finals were tied at 1-1, the winner of Game 3 ended up holding a championship parade. The Lakers' chances at a fiesta on Figueroa died a few weeks ago, but somebody needs to ask a few questions of alleged Lakers fan George Lopez, who stood near his courtside seat during the excitement of a Mavericks third-quarter rally. Somewhere, Kobe Bryant is shaking his head. Dirk Nowiztki wasn't happy either after Game 3, blandly intoning into a microphone that it was a "very tough loss" after a pair of his late-game blunders cost Dallas dearly. He threw the ball away with 30.2 seconds to play after unexpectedly finding himself in a double team. Then he missed a 16-footer at the final buzzer. LeBron James wasn't much better in the fourth quarter, scoring only two points. He did not, however, like being challenged by a reporter for "shrinking" away from the chance at fourth-quarter prowess. "You should watch the film again and see what I did defensively," James said. "You'll ask me a better question tomorrow." Wade was there to support James, scoring 29 points and taking 11 rebounds. Bosh was there too, eventually shaking off a poor shooting night by hitting a 16-footer from the left side to break an 86-86 tie with 39.6 seconds to play. About the only thing the Mavericks could pocket was the ability to slice into any Miami lead. Dallas fought back from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter, then a 13-point deficit in the third quarter. Small victories, but the only ones the Mavericks could celebrate after Game 3. Showing some transcontinental unity, a Dallas fan's sign implored the Mavericks to "Do it for Cleveland!"

Strong three-point shooting sparks Miami Heat

That’s five in a row for the Heat against the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Heat won four in a row against Dallas to win the 2006 Finals. Five years later, the Heat began the rematch with a 92-84 victory on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. The Heat is 9-0 at home this postseason and plays again at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday before traveling to Dallas for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 2011 Finals. After struggling against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals,

Dwyane Wade returned to his more familiar postseason form Tuesday. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his first NBA Finals game since winning the 2006 Finals MVP. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 27 points on 7-of-18 shooting. Wade’s fifth assist of the night led to a dunk by Chris Bosh with 1:08 to play to give the Heat a 10-point lead. Assist No. 6 for Wade came less than a minute later when he found LeBron James for an alley-oop. James, who needs three more victories for his first NBA championship, screamed to the crowd and slammed his left fist against his chest. He scored a team-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Wade put the Heat ahead by nine points with 3:06 to play when he swished his second three-pointer of the game. Moments earlier, Wade blocked Shawn Marion’s midrange attempt to trigger a fast break. Wade’s three in transition was the Heat’s 11th of the game. Entering the Finals, conventional wisdom said the Mavericks’ stable of sharpshooters gave Dallas a distinct advantage from three-point range. That was not the case in Game 1. The Heat was 45.8 percent from three-point range compared to 40.9 percent for the Mavericks. James’ first exclamation point on the 1-0 Finals lead came after a powerful crossover against Shawn Marion. James followed with a driving dunk and was fouled by Marion. He converted the free throw to give the Heat an 85-75 lead with 2:48 to play. With three seven-footers in its rotation, Dallas entered Tuesday’s series opener with plans of dominating the glass. Instead, the shorter and quicker Eastern Conference champions consistently beat the Mavericks to loose balls and missed shots. Miami outrebounded Dallas 46-36, including 16 in offensive rebounds. Dallas had six. Mike Miller, playing with a protective sleeve over his left arm, pulled down a key offensive rebound with less than seven minutes in the game. The second-chance situation gave Udonis Haslem a clear path to the rim, which he converted into a three-point play to put the Heat ahead by six points with 6:36 to play. Haslem finished with seven points and six rebounds in 28 minutes. The Heat trailed the entire third quarter until James drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:09 left in the period. The shot gave the Heat a 60-59 lead after trailing by nine points early the second half. Dallas began the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 51-43 lead. Juwan Howard, who returned to the postseason rotation to play important minutes against the Mavs’ large frontcourt, made a pair of free throws with 32.1 seconds left in the third quarter, setting the stage for James’ buzzer-beating skills. Howard logged eight minutes Tuesday and had three rebounds. James has performed well in the clutch throughout the playoffs and did so again at the end of the quarter when he nailed a turnaround three-pointer with time expiring to give the Heat a four-point lead to begin the fourth quarter. James was 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range in the third quarter, which was the continuation of a trend for the Heat. The first 36 minutes of Game 1 offered one of Miami’s best three-point shooting efforts of the postseason (9 of 21 for 42.9 percent). James entered the fourth quarter 4 of 4 from behind the arc, and reserve Mario Chalmers went 3 of 3 from that distance in the second quarter. Miller made his second three-pointer of the game to begin the Heat’s fourth quarter scoring. It gave the Heat a 68-63 lead with 11 minutes to play. It was just enough of a cushion to hold off the Mavericks, who cut the Heat’s lead to three points with less than four minutes remaining but never got any closer.

Miami is playing its best defense of the season, according to LeBron James, and it has made things miserable for NBA MVP Derrick Rose of Chicago

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player attempted two shots in the fourth quarter Sunday.

Let that marinate: Two shots for Bulls guard Derrick Rose in 12 minutes of one of the most important games of his young career.

In back-to-back games, the Heat’s defense has dominated Rose and his Bulls in a close final period in the Eastern Conference finals. Rose attempted four shots in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and made none. It might be the difference in the series. Sunday’s loss gave Chicago its first consecutive defeats since early February.

Rose built his MVP résumé this season on strong efforts in the fourth quarters of games. More specifically, his fourth quarters against the Heat during the regular season helped him win the award. What has been the key to containing the youngest MVP in league history?

“I don’t know,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday, a practice day for the Heat and an off day for the Bulls. “It’s a whole lot easier said than done.”

Spoelstra played coy Monday for obvious reasons. With a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-7 series, the Heat can take a commanding lead Tuesday with a win at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“He’s a great player,” Spoelstra said. “He’s an MVP player. [Rose] will have opportunities on every single possession.”

But he has not. Chicago’s Rose is wilting. Forward LeBron James, the MVP the two seasons before Rose won the award, said Monday that the Heat is playing its best defense of the season. That defense begins with stopping Rose, and the game plan for limiting him will remain the same Tuesday.

‘head of the snake’

“He’s the head of the snake,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “We understand as he [goes], they go. If we can slow him a little bit then that’s what we want to do.”

The Heat has used a mixture of double teams and traps to contain Rose on the perimeter. When he penetrates the lane, the Heat’s help defenders have been quick to close off angles to the rim and force difficult shots.

“We’re just trying to keep him out of the paint,” Heat reserve Mario Chalmers said.

For much of Sunday’s game, guards Chalmers and Mike Bibby served as the Heat’s first line of defense against Rose. In the fourth quarter, the Heat went with Wade and James as on-the-ball defenders and limited Rose to just one shot in the paint.

“We just have to keep bodies in front of him and be athletic,” Spoelstra said.

Said Wade: “Our only job is to make sure when he comes to the basket to make it tough on him. We’re just trying to put bodies in front of him.”

Wade added that the Heat has used different defenders against Rose in an attempt to “wear him down” for late-game scenarios. It has worked. Rose was 1 of 6 from the field in the fourth quarters of Games 2 and 3. On Monday, Chris Bosh called Wade the perfect one-on-one defender against Rose for late-game scenarios.

“Dwyane can gap him a little bit more and give him a little more space because he can time his jumper a little better — because Dwyane’s bigger and he’s just as quick and just as fast as [Rose] is,” Bosh said. “When Dwyane is motivated to stop somebody, he does a pretty good job.”

He’s on his own

Rose didn’t receive much help offensively late in the previous two games of the series. Chicago reserve forward Taj Gibson (17 points) has outscored the rest of the Bulls combined (13 points) in the fourth quarters of the Heat’s back-to-back wins. In that fact, Wade said he and James can relate to Rose and his plight.

“That’s the reason why we’re playing together,” Wade said. “After so many years of that, you want to do something else.”

Eye-opener: How many games will the Eastern Conference playoffs go?

Here is the good news for the Miami Heat. It could not get any worse.

Could it?

The Chicago Bulls dealt Miami such a humiliating defeat Sunday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals that it brought a smile to every Heat hater who has been hoping for this day since LeBron James sat down on national television in a Boys and Girls Club.

All of them had to be grinning as the Chicago crowd screamed "overrated" at the end of the game.

You would have to believe the only way for Miami to go is up. There isn't much more down.

The Bulls had a 19-6 margin on the offensive boards, hit 10, 3s and the league's No. 1 defense held James and Dwayne Wade to 12-for-32 from the field.

While Chris Bosh had 30 points for Miami, Chicago had 10 players score including 28 from Derrick Rose and 21 from Luol Deng.

"You play defense. You play defense hard and the shot goes up and they get an offensive rebound, kick it out for a three or get a layup or a dunk," James said. "Those are demoralizing for a defensive team. We've got to figure out a way to clean that up."

Game 2, also in Chicago, is Wednesday. Will the Bulls continue to dominate the series or will the Heat be able to clean up their act?

Thunder evens series against Grizzlies with triple overtime win

Kevin Durant scored six of his 35 points in the third overtime, and the Oklahoma City Thunder survived a thriller in holding off the Memphis Grizzlies, 133-123, in a game that ended Tuesday morning.

With the victory, the Thunder grabbed back home-court advantage and tied this Western Conference semifinal at 2-2.

Game 5 is on Wednesday night back in Oklahoma City. The winner of this series will play the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 40 points. James Harden added 19, and Daequan Cook had 10.

The Grizzlies ran out of energy in the third overtime as they hit just one of nine from the floor.

Zach Randolph led Memphis with 34 points and 16 rebounds. Marc Gasol had 26 and 21 rebounds.

O.J. Mayo had 18 and Mike Conley 16 before both fouled out. Greivis Vasquez had 14.

Conley forced the first overtime with his lone 3 of the game. Vasquez, the rookie playing because Conley had fouled out late in the first overtime, hit a 3 to set up the second overtime. Gasol scored on a tip-in that set up the third OT.

The Thunder had their chances to win at the end of regulation and each overtime.

Westbrook's jumper hit the rim before the buzzer to end the first 48 minutes. Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, had a 3 fall short of the basket at the end of the first overtime, and Westbrook's long jumper grazed the front of the rim at the buzzer ending the second overtime.

In the third overtime, the Thunder finally took control.

Miami 98, at Boston 90 (OT): LeBron James scored 35 points, Dwyane Wade had 28 and Chris Bosh had 20 as the Big Three dominated the Celtics and gave the Heat 1 3-1 edge in series.

"Wednesday night will be our greatest challenge that we've had with this group so far," Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We'll get their best games on Wednesday. And we have to be better. If we're real about what we want to do, we have to beat the Boston Celtics at their best."

One game after their worst performance as a threesome, James, Wade and Bosh had 83 of Miami's 98 points and 35 of its 45 rebounds.

They scored all 12 of Miami's points in overtime; Bosh and Wade had five apiece after James' fallaway jumper on the Heat's first possession of the extra period gave them the lead for good.

"We're the guys. We're the ones who get all the attention. We're the ones that get all the praise," Wade said.

"This team is going to go as far as us three takes it."

Paul Pierce scored 27, Ray Allen had 17 and Kevin Garnett had seven points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Rajon Rondo, who dislocated his left elbow Saturday in Game 3, played 39 minutes with a padded sleeve covering what appeared to be a brace on his left arm, scoring 10 with five assists.

Boston would need to win the next three games, two in Miami, to have a chance to defend their Eastern Conference championship.

"These are those moments. I look forward to it," Allen said.

"Everybody on this team, we know what to do. We can't talk about it; we just have to put our best foot forward.

James is starting to own these playoffs

As LeBron James plotted and schemed to find his destination as an NBA free agent last summer, his execution couldn't have been worse. A decent, good-hearted man, he managed to alienate every sports fan who values the concepts of respect and humility.

Still, the man had a dream, and it was realized Monday night in Boston. Miami doesn't have its berth in the Eastern Conference finals, not yet, but Game 4 against the Celtics represented the essence of James' vision.

The fact that it happened in Boston - a 98-90 overtime win giving Miami a 3-1 series lead - was indescribably important. That's where LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers came up empty, time after time, and there were those who questioned whether James could ever have an impact in that building.

He had more than impact Monday night. He owned the place. As much as Dwyane Wade was brilliant (28 points) and Chris Bosh was invaluable (20 points, 12 rebounds), LeBron had a 20-point first half that served as a formidable, ominous answer to the inspired play of Rajon Rondo.

Against most teams, with Rondo fighting off the pain of a dislocated elbow and contributing in every conceivable way, the Celtics would have taken a massive lead on the strength of pure emotion. It was James, methodically scoring both inside and out, who kept the first half close (53-50, Boston) and didn't let up, finishing with a game-high 35 points.

Let's take a moment to marvel at Rondo's performance. He wore such a stoic look, denying the Heat even a glimpse of his torment, you wondered if he'd somehow crafted a miraculous recovery. He brazenly dribbled with the left hand, used that shattered left arm to deflect a pass, picked himself off the floor after a couple of brutal spills, even threw a sweet lefty dish that set up a couple of Kevin Garnett free throws.

But the pain was killing Rondo. It had to be, and most the Celtics had admitted during the off-day workout that they'd stopped trying to figure him out. "If everybody's going to wear white, Rondo's going to wear green," said Ray Allen. "He's a ... I don't even know how to explain him."

Sometimes, no words are necessary. And here's one thing that isn't such a mystery (although the TNT television crew didn't mention it): Even at his best, Rondo virtually never shoots with his left hand. He'll go out of his way to use the right, and we saw a number of those occasions Monday night - including, regrettably, a wide-open layup that Rondo missed from the left side with 1:12 left in the game - a shot that, if made, might have prevented overtime.

In their own way, far more subtle, the Heat stirred up plenty of motivation. The old master, team President Pat Riley, spoke privately with his players after Sunday's shoot-around, all about history and respect for the game and what it's like to contest a huge game in Boston. "Pat's been through this," said LeBron, referring to Riley's fabulous coaching career with the Lakers. "He's seen everything there is to know about."

Then there was the first-half appearance of Udonis Haslem, a forgotten man on the Heat's roster after sitting out six months with a torn ligament in his left foot. Haslem was raised in Miami, a rough part of town, and as a member of the Heat's 2006 championship team, he truly understood what it meant to the city. When the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks came after Haslem on last summer's free-agent market, offering far more than the Heat could afford, the "Big Three" - James, Wade and Bosh - each cut millions off their salaries to make sure he stayed.

"They all said, 'I'm in' without hesitation," Haslem said. "No questions asked. They respected me as a player, trusted me as a leader and friend. I told them, 'Thank you. You didn't make a mistake. I won't let you down.' "

Haslem played only three minutes Monday night, leaving the floor in frustration after two quick fouls, but wait until his name is called in Miami during Wednesday night's Game 5. That will be a high-energy moment rivaling any we've seen during this remarkable set of playoff series.

The Celtics will have serious regrets about Game 4. They hated to place so much responsibility on Delonte West, especially with a badly injured shoulder. They watched Garnett virtually disappear on offense, going 1-for-10 from the floor. But Miami's defense was the hidden story of this game, a suffocating brand of team-wide desire that made the matadorish Lakers (against Dallas) look pathetic in comparison.

In the end, James headed toward the locker room wearing a look of immense satisfaction. This is what he meant, so many months ago, even if the proper words failed him. The true story gets told on the floor.

NBA playoffs: Thunder outlast Grizzlies in three overtimes; Heat go up 3-1 on Celtics. B2

Rondo set to give it a try for Celtics

After watching his sometimes mercurial point guard, Rajon Rondo, dismiss conventional wisdom and excruciating pain and return to the court Saturday night 20 minutes after dislocating his left elbow, Celtics coach Doc Rivers hesitated little yesterday in offering an injury report on Rondo.

Hours before Rondo’s MRI came back, Rivers told reporters at the Sports Authority Training Center that the guard would play in tonight’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Heat. Later yesterday, the MRI showed no fractures of the bone, meaning Rondo indeed is likely to play tonight.

The question Rivers won’t address until perhaps the first quarter tonight is whether Rondo can play effectively. He essentially used one arm in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 97-81 Game 3 victory at TD Garden, and the left arm could be an issue again.

“If he can’t help our team, [he won’t play],’’ Rivers said before the MRI results. “And if he can play, how well can he play and will he help or hurt our team?

“No. 1, we’re not going to hurt the player and we’re not going to do anything to hurt the team. It may not be until game time and the game until we find that out.’’

Guard Delonte West strained the back of his left shoulder Saturday night, but yesterday he said he felt better and he passed on an MRI.

“I’m optimistic about both, that they’re going to play,’’ Rivers said. “I don’t know why I am, but I am. I just don’t know how well either one can play . . . but if they’re on the floor, we’re healthy.’’

The Celtics have dealt with injuries all season and the postseason is proving no different. Center Shaquille O’Neal, who played eight minutes Saturday night, active for a game for just the second time since Feb. 1, experienced soreness in his right foot, but nothing more than anticipated.

The main concern is Rondo, who spent most of yesterday getting treatment after he reported to the training center. He was spotted eating breakfast in Waltham with no brace or restraint on his arm, and the MRI confirmed that the damage was not as severe as feared.

Rondo landed awkwardly in a scramble with Miami’s Dwyane Wade, and his left arm bent back grotesquely, causing the elbow to briefly pop out of its socket. Some saw it as Wade throwing Rondo to the floor.

“I don’t know if it was a hard foul,’’ Rivers said. “Let’s put it like this: He didn’t intend to hurt Rondo. I don’t honestly believe that 99 percent of cases in our league that the player ever intends to hurt anybody but he did. It just happens.’’

Rondo was helped to the locker room by trainer Ed Lacerte and team physician Brian McKeon, with team president Danny Ainge joining them. The group collaborated after Rondo’s elbow was popped back into place, with the point guard assuring McKeon that he could withstand the pain.

“The only [reluctance] was I told Eddie, if I see one thing, he’s out, and I mean team-wise,’’ Rivers said. “If I thought he was hurting the team, I would take him out. Listen, I played with one hand my entire career, so you can do it. Let me tell you. And he did it.’’

According to orthopedic surgeon David A. Alessandro of Excel Orthopedic Specialists in Woburn, Rondo could be limited tonight, but perhaps not as severely as expected.

“The elbow is an inherently stable joint, so once you get it back into place, people feel better, but I’m almost positive that [yesterday] and certainly over the next week or so, he’ll be pretty sore, especially when he tries to extend that elbow completely,’’ Alessandro said. “That last 10 to 20 degrees [of extending] is going to be very sore, and that’s how you can re-dislocate. I was very impressed he came back in because this is not a little thing. This is a legit injury.’’

Alessandro said dislocated elbows generally occur in wrestlers and perhaps the Celtics’ doctors would fit Rondo with a brace that would prevent full extension.

“I think if it is the routine 90 to 95 percent of normal plays in a game, I think he’s going to be fine, he’s going to be limited, but fine,’’ Alessandro said. “But it’s that 5 percent of the time . . . if he gets clipped going to the hoop, gets his legs taken out from under him, goes down breaking a fall. If that left arm is the first arm out there, that’s where the danger is going to come.

“It’s a little bit of a risk, but it’s not a 50-50 chance he’s going to dislocate his elbow.’’

O’Neal’s return makes big difference

Shaquille O’Neal was active for a Celtics game for just the second time since Feb. 1, giving Boston a huge post presence and perhaps altering this Eastern Conference semifinal series. He scored 2 points in 8 minutes 29 seconds in the Celtics’ 97-81 victory over the Heat in Game 3 last night at TD Garden.

“I thought Shaq had a big impact in the second half, just his presence,’’ coach Doc Rivers said. “He came out of the game healthy.’’

O’Neal had practiced the past two days and participated in the team’s shootaround yesterday morning in Waltham. He came off the bench last night.

O’Neal was still walking with a limp because of his sore right Achilles’ tendon and foot. After workouts, Rivers said the veteran center made great progress over the past few weeks.

O’Neal was expected to return during the first-round series with the Knicks, but his recovery has been slow.

“With him, it will just be the eye test and whatever you think he can handle,’’ Rivers said before Game 3. “He looked good this morning and [Friday] he had a good practice.

“Obviously Shaq can’t do things that he could do 15 years ago. But when he comes in and fills a role for this team, he’s been terrific for us.’’

O’Neal gave the Celtics a much-needed post presence, a much-needed rebounder, and another inside scorer. When he has been healthy with the Celtics, he has been stellar. But he had made one game appearance in more than three months, and that was a five-minute stint during which he injured his right calf.

“It’s more just the power and the force that he can bring that will help us,’’ Rivers said. “He can do that in some ways offensively. And defensively, it’s no fun to drive against Shaq. Our guys learned that in practice.’’

Jermaine O’Neal remained the starting center while Shaquille O’Neal replaced Nenad Krstic as the first center off the bench.

Winning attitude The Heat have not won at TD Garden since April 6, 2007, when Shaquille O’Neal (22 points, 13 rebounds) led a Dwyane Wade-less club to an 88-85 win. Ryan Gomes led the Paul Pierce-less Celtics with 24 points. Who knew a few months later, the course of the Celtics’ franchise would change, and the current Big Three would run off 10 straight home wins over Miami (including postseason)?

Wade, who wasn’t part of that last Miami victory because of a dislocated left shoulder, said he realized how difficult a venue the Garden has been for the past four years.

“We’ve lost a lot of close games in this building,’’ Wade said after his team’s shootaround. “We’ve got to get over the hump. It’s playoff basketball. Obviously we’re a different team. We’ve got to come out on the court and we have to do it. We have to take all the punches they throw at us for 48 minutes and still be there standing at the end.’’

The Heat have a 87-57 edge in attempts from the free throw line in the series. The Celtics acknowledged that getting to the line has been the main issue in the series, especially when Wade scored 7 points in that pivotal fourth quarter of Game 2, all from the free throw line. Chris Bosh attempted 11 free throws in Game 2, 11 more than Kevin Garnett.

“Our game is, we’re attackers,’’ Wade said. “Myself and LeBron are two of the most attack players in the league when it comes to getting points in the paint, putting pressure on the defense. We’re not necessarily going in there and looking for fouls. We’ve been able to go in hard and get put on the line. Whatever the game calls for, we have the team to be able to do it.’’

The Celtics were fully aware that Miami scored 26 percent of its points in the first two games from the line and of Wade’s 66 points in the series, 19 are from the line.

“It better be [a way to keep them off the line],’’ Rivers said. “If you split [James and Wade’s] shots in half so far, it’s 60 shots — 30 of their makes have been from their greatness, the other 30 have been from our ability not to follow our game plan. We have to limit those 30.’’

Hot Hill Celtics assistant Armond Hill makes sure to keep a low profile, but he showed another side when he learned that a reporter Tweeted a Celtics strategy he wrote on the grease board before the game.

Hill was informed of the Tweet and quieted the locker room with his voice, warning reporters not to Tweet or write down any of the Celtics’ plans during their interview sessions in the locker room. As the media surrounded Ray Allen for a pregame interview, a still-angry Hill stood in front of the grease board, and later continued writing the game plan.

Not yet Although he was draining jumper after jumper during shootaround, Udonis Haslem is not quite ready to return from a right foot injury that has cost him five months. Haslem, who tore a ligament in the foot in November, is close to returning, according to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, but the team is being cautious . . . To make room for O’Neal on the active roster, the Celtics put Carlos Arroyo on the inactive list. He has yet to make an appearance in the postseason. The other inactives were Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic.

Who wins, advances to NBA Finals?

The Lakers are still 12 wins from another Phil Jackson three-peat, but the Mavericks are just two wins from sending the Zen Master into an early retirement. Who saw that coming?

And the Dallas domination in L.A. is hardly the only major storyline -- not with the Heat blitzing the Celtics, the Bulls starting slowly and the Thunder and Grizzlies duking it out.

So where do things stand after eight wild games in the second round of the playoffs? We asked five writers to weigh in:

1. True or False: Game 2 foretold the rest of the Celtics-Heat series.

 Phillip Barnett, Forum Blue & Gold: True. The Celtics haven't shown any sign of being able to stop both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James or the ability to get points when they need them. Boston is shooting 51.4 percent from behind the arc, but still lost both games by at least three possessions. This suggests Miami's interior defense will carry them to the conference finals.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: True. While I think the Celtics can still pull it together and make a series out of this, how do they stop LeBron and Wade? The Celtics haven't shown any game plan to get either out of his comfort zone, other than praying for missed jumpers. Not exactly championship ball.

John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog: True. The Celtics have too much experience, talent and pride to go down without a fight, but they don't appear to have an answer for the one-two punch of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James or Miami's swarming defense. If the Heat can continue to keep Rondo and Garnett under control and get contributions from Bosh and the supporting cast, they'll win at least one of two in Boston and control the series.

Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns: False. The Celtics have never gone away quietly in the Big Three era. With three days off to rest their creaky limbs and sharpen their game plan against LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Celtics will make this the hard-fought series we all expected in Boston.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss, HoopSpeak: True. The Celtics' offense is insipid in a way that speaks to an athleticism chasm -- not getting to the line, not converting close shots. And for all our precious analysis: Boston's problem is that they're much worse than Miami.

2. True or False: Game 2 foretold the rest of the Grizzlies-Thunder series.

 Phillip Barnett, Forum Blue & Gold: False. Oklahoma City came out fired up in Game 2 with the home crowd behind them. They concentrated their efforts on stopping Zach Randolph, and got a whopping 48 points from their bench. It's hard to imagine the Memphis bench being outplayed to that extent at home.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: True. I don't expect Zach Randolph to miss every field goal in three out of four quarters again, but the Thunder figured out how to be physical against the bully in the yard. Now it's up to Memphis to figure out how to keep up with Durant and his immense scoring help.

John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog: False. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph destroyed the Thunder in Game 1, then laid complete eggs in Game 2. The Thunder's offense should continue to roll, but Gasol and Randolph will give them much more trouble in the remaining games.

Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns: False. As good as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have been all postseason, I find it hard to believe they will shoot anywhere near as poorly in future games as they did in their 5-for-22 effort in Game 2. As Memphis' interior game returns, so will the Grizzlies' chances in this series.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss, HoopSpeak: True. I write that with a heavy heart, since Memphis is a lovable gate-crasher. But the blue bear just doesn't have the same size advantage as last series.

3. True or False: Game 2 foretold the rest of the Hawks-Bulls series.

Phillip Barnett, Forum Blue & Gold: True. Joe Johnson was fantastic in Game 1, shooting 5-for-5 from behind the arc. In Game 2, the Bulls increased their defensive intensity and completely dominated on the boards. I like the Bulls' defense to stay one step ahead of the Hawks' offense for the remainder of this series.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: True. We saw what happens when the Hawks aren't hitting improbable shots against the Bulls; they get lost in a catacomb of apathetic effort. I don't think the Bulls will really have a hard time keeping Atlanta from getting a comfortable rhythm on offense. If they can figure out Rose's shooting slump, this should be over.

John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog: True. Even if the Hawks can continue to make Derrick Rose work for his points and assists, they'll have to figure out a way to score on Chicago's defense. Their only path to victory is to make enough tough long-range jumpers to overcome Chicago's underwhelming offense three more times, and I don't think they'll do it. Then again, people said the same thing after Game 2 of the Orlando series.

Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns: True. There's a reason Tom Thibodeau earned Coach of the Year honors: The man knows how to coach defense. The Hawks managed a mere 96.6 points per 100 possessions in their series win over the Magic, so it should not be a surprise when their offense continues to sputter against Thibs' Bulls the way it did in Game 2.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss, HoopSpeak: True. Though gravity eludes actual hawks, it sometimes drags their human avatars into the dirt. Atlanta's strategy of heaving contested moonballs just isn't sustainable.

4. True or False: Game 2 foretold the rest of the Mavs-Lakers series.

Phillip Barnett, Forum Blue & Gold: True. The Lakers haven't found a way to get their bigs going in either second-round game, leading to way more jumpers than they'd like. Dirk Nowitzki is unstoppable, and other Mavs are benefiting from Laker double-teams. There are lots of questions about the Lakers, and I'm not sure if they have the answers.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: False. I'm not saying the Lakers will come back and win this series. But we're done seeing Kobe defer and not force up 25 or more shots each game. If the bench is going to be afraid to step up and Gasol continues to forget he's really tall, it will be on Kobe's shoulders.

John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog: False. While the Lakers probably won't win both games in Dallas to tie the series, I expect that their front line, particularly Pau Gasol, will look better in Games 3 and 4. And while the Lakers weren't built to shoot 3-pointers, they will shoot better than Wednesday's 2-for-20 from deep in the next couple of games.

Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns: False. Even after dropping a pair at home, it's hard to count the Lakers out the way they have run through the Western Conference the past three postseasons. After missing 18-of-20 3-pointers in Game 2, the Lakers will get back in this series once their long-range shooting regresses to the mean.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss, HoopSpeak: True. When Dirk takes one-legged shots, his foot is planted on L.A.'s collective throat. Phil's guys languish in the shadow of immensely bad odds. Down 2-0, with three of the five remaining games in Dallas, the Lakers are trapped with no way out.

5. Which two teams should be favored now to meet in the NBA Finals?

Phillip Barnett, Forum Blue & Gold: After tonight, I'm inclined to say we're going to see a Mavericks-Heat series. I can't say that I'd be shocked if either the Lakers or Celtics come out of their series and go on to the Finals, but the Thunder and Bulls are looking like better second options in their respective conferences.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: I'd really like to pick the Mavs for one last hurrah in the West, but I think we're going to get to see a Thunder-Heat Finals. It will be the first time in NBA history we've had a non-pluralized NBA Finals matchup. Could be revolutionary.

John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog: It's wide open, but I like the Mavericks and the Heat. (I know, they're the only two teams with 2-0 leads. I'm bold like that.) They look like the only teams executing consistently on both ends of the court, and both teams have enough experience and star power to make it to the Finals.

Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns: Miami has the two best players in the conference (sorry, D-Rose) and a 2-0 series lead while the Bulls have looked shaky most of the playoffs. The Mavericks seem to possess a mental toughness they lacked during previous fruitless playoff runs and have the champs in a 0-2 hole. It's looking like a rematch of the 2006 Finals.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss, HoopSpeak: Thunder-Heat is my Finals pick. Oklahoma City claims the most complete roster, Miami boasts basketball's two best players. Look for pervasive "good vs. evil" narratives to garnish fantastic games.

James and Wade score 63 as Heat top Celtics 102-91

Exactly 365 days after losing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at home — his former home in Cleveland, anyway — against Boston, James was on the cusp of losing the upper hand to the Celtics again.

Not this time.

James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, Dwyane Wade added 28 and the Heat used a late 14-0 run to pull away and beat the aching Celtics 102-91 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

"Feel good about it," James said. "Series is far — far, far, far — away from over. It's really just beginning for us."

James shot 14 of 25 from the field, and logged 44 minutes with no turnovers. Chris Bosh finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which leads the best-of-seven 2-0.

Game 3 in Boston isn't until Saturday night, and the Celtics may be particularly thankful for the break.

Rajon Rondo played through a balky back to score 20 points and add 12 assists for Boston, which got 16 points from Kevin Garnett and 13 from Paul Pierce — who retreated to the locker room for treatment on his strained left Achilles' in the first half. Ray Allen was held to seven points, and left with what he said was a bruised chest cavity courtesy of an elbow from James in the third quarter.

"Being down 2-0 doesn't scare any of us, doesn't make us nervous," Allen said. "It's just an opportunity to come out shining."

Boston tied the game at 80 on a pair of free throws by Pierce with 7:10 left. The Celtics missed their next six shots and Miami pulled away, taking command of both the game and the series.

And for James, it was delicious irony.

May 1, 2010: Cleveland opened the East semis at home with a win over Boston.

May 1, 2011: Miami opened the East semis at home with a win over Boston.

May 3, 2010: Cleveland loses Game 2, the first stumble on the way to falling in the series.

May 3, 2011: James gets what might go down as a breakthrough win — for him and the Heat — over Boston.

"We finally wore them down," James said.

Jeff Green scored 11 and Delonte West added 10 for the Celtics.

Even for a franchise with such fabled history as the Celtics, an 0-2 deficit represents a colossal challenge.

This is now the ninth time Boston has dropped the first two games in a best-of-seven series. In the previous eight, the Celtics prevailed only against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA finals.

And it's something this group of Celtics has never faced before, either.

The last time Boston lost the first two games of a playoff matchup was in 2004, when it was swept by Indiana. The current core of Celtics had lost Game 1s four other times before this series, then bounced back to win Game 2 each time, against Chicago and Orlando in 2009, then Cleveland and the Lakers in 2010.

"Nothing we can do about it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We've got a third game and we've got to take care of that. Whatever the past is, it is. They've won two games at home. But we can't allow them to play like this, or it's going to be tough at our place."

To win this series, Boston will need to prevail four times in a five-game span — which it did in the first round against Miami last year, then again in the second round at the expense of James and the Cavaliers in the East semis. So it can be done, but neither James (7-0) nor Wade (5-0) has ever been part of a playoff series defeat after their clubs won the first two games.

"This is a great team we are going against right now," James said. "We're just trying to give ourselves a good chance to win, just try to keep on attacking them, playing as hard as we can defensively, just trying to wear them down throughout the game, but it's a great team."

That's one of the titles the Heat are trying to claim, too.

James won the MVP award in 2009 and 2010, his reign officially ending a couple hours before Tuesday's game when the NBA made the long-expected announcement that Chicago's Derrick Rose was this season's top player.

James' name did not appear on nine of the 121 ballots cast. Wade was entirely left off all but 10 of the ballots; voters were asked to rank the league's best five players.

They noticed.

"At the end of the day, we don't really play this game for individual awards," Wade said. "He has two MVP trophies, which is awesome. I have a finals MVP trophy. Our body of work speaks for itself. What we've done in this game speaks for itself."

James scored 12 points in the third quarter, one more than he managed in the first half, to help Miami take a 72-67 cushion into the final 12 minutes. James then added the first basket of the fourth, but Boston answered with a 13-6 run over the next 4 minutes to knot the game at 80.

The outcome was undecided — momentarily.

That's when Miami's big run began, including a three-point play where James dunked and got fouled after Joel Anthony kept an offensive rebound alive. Mario Chalmers started it all with a 3-pointer — his only points of the night — off a pass from Wade, and Miami was on its way.

"Now the mental discipline begins," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This thing is just getting started."

NOTES: All-Star guard Chris Paul sat near the Heat bench, with longtime James confidant Maverick Carter. ... Shaquille O'Neal (calf) was out again for Boston, while the Heat said Udonis Haslem (foot) still "isn't ready" to return from November foot surgery. ... Pierce played 33 minutes, giving him 4,259 in his Celtics playoff career, passing Dennis Johnson (4,258) for seventh in franchise history. ... Heat guard Mike Bibby's steal with 41 seconds left in the first quarter was his 100th in 87 playoff games.

NBA Playoffs: Round 2 predictions.

Now that each of the teams have one series under their belt, it’s a little more clear as to what is going on. Obviously, the one huge surprise was Memphis over San Antonio in six games – although I have never heard so many people giving so much chance to a #8 seed before the series began. Still… a #8 over a #1 in six games is pretty incredible.

A few days ago I wrote about the biggest choke jobs in history. In the NBA, the biggest almost certainly was in 2007 when #1 Dallas lost to #8 Golden State.

Both Golden State in 2007 and Memphis in 2011 had 42-40 records. Both won four games to two. Dallas had 67 wins in 2007, San Antonio had 61 wins in 2011. So, I guess you would have to say the Dallas choke was bigger than the San Antonio choke simply because Dallas had more victories during the season.

And, that also underscores how often the playoffs are about matchups. As I mentioned in my choke job post, Golden State had played Dallas three times during the regular season in 2007. They won all three and by an average of 16ppg! So, it wasn’t even as big a surprise as Memphis over San Antonio even though they split during the regular season.

I think the Grizzlies are probably better than most people realized and they did finish the second half the season very strong whereas the Spurs stumbled into the playoffs. So, the stars were aligned and an eight beat a one. What does it mean?

COOL FACTOID: Prior to the San Antonio series, Memphis had never won a single playoff game – having been swept the three previous appearances.

MEMPHIS vs OKLAHOMA CITY

Oklahoma City should have an easier second round opponent than what was expected. But, again, Memphis has proven they are no pushover and with Durant and Westbrook being a little streaky at times, they might be vulnerable.

The two teams played four times during the season and Memphis won three of the four – scoring 100+ in each game. But, it is also worth noting that Kendrick Perkins did not play in any of the games. So, whether his presence on the inside will affect Memphis ability to score in the paint (#1 in the NBA)… it remains to be determined.

Of course, Grizzly fans are lamenting more than ever the loss of Rudy Gay for the season – and who can blame them. But, they have been getting outstanding help from other players and should be able to make this a very competitive series.

My pick: OKC 4-3.

BOSTON vs MIAMI

Everyone knows the actors in this play! The obvious question is whether or not the Celtics “team” can beat the greatest collection of “individuals” of our era. I say no. But then, I’ve underestimated the Celtics before. My opinion is not based upon how good Boston is as much as it is based upon how good Miami is.

The Celtics have collapsed in the second half the season each of the four years this group has been together. But, that didn’t keep them from winning one title and almost a second. So, just because they ended 11-11 doesn’t mean you can draw a lot of conclusions from it. They did, after all, sweep the Knicks in the first round even if a couple games could have gone either way and even though Billups and Stoudemire were injured.

Miami did what they needed to do dispatching Philadelphia 4-1.

The most likely reference that you will hear is that Boston beat Miami 3-1 during the season. But, that has to be looked at in context. Boston was fortunate enough to play Miami twice within the first nine games of the season, winning once at home (+8) and once on the road (+5).

As I’ve pointed out in the past, the Heat were only 9-8 early on while trying to get familiar with each other as well as dealing with a Dwyane Wade injury. From there, they were 49-16 (62 win rate). And, after that, they played the Celtics twice – losing by three in Boston and winning by 23 late in the season in Miami when the #2 seed was at stake.

Miami has the home court advantage and I simply don’t think the Celtics can beat them. The big advantage Boston was to have was inside the paint, but I don’t think that’s going to be all that big of a deal. I think this series is going to be decided on the perimeter and driving to the basket. I don’t think it’s going to be decided by O’Neal vs Ilgauskas or even Garnett vs Bosh. It’s going to be Wade and James vs Rondo, Allen and Pierce. Wade and James are two of the best handful of players in the NBA. Rondo, Allen and Pierce are good, but not nearly that good… and I mean both offensively and defensively.

My pick: Miami 4-2.

ATLANTA vs CHICAGO

The Hawks surprised a lot of people by beating Orlando 4-2 despite a super human effort by Dwight Howard. The big question is whether it says more about Atlanta or more about Orlando. I say it says more about the Magic – that they have tremendous weaknesses apart from Howard. Consequently, I don’t give Atlanta as much credit as perhaps they deserve.

On the other hand, the Bulls were less than impressive against Indiana. They did win in five games, but the first three Chicago wins could have gone either way.

Rose had a good series, but the NBA MVP is going to be held under a microscope and with justification. No PG should be shooting 21 FGA per game! If he continues to do that, THEY WILL LOSE – if not to Atlanta, then to the winner of Boston/Miami. Rose also only hit 7.8 FG per game, so his FG% was sub 40%. That ain’t going to cut it.

Additionally, Boozer was abysmal in the series. His EFF for the playoffs so far is 12.40. Ok, “abysmal” is a little strong, but his season average was 19.85. That loss of production will be devastating unless he recovers. Deng and Noah are playing well. So, they need a little less domination by Rose and quite a bit more production out of Boozer.

Even so, Atlanta is far too skitzoid for me to pick them. They lost to the Bulls in two late-season games by 18 (road) and 33 (home). Plus, they don’t have the leadership necessary to beat Chicago. Not that Hinrich is in the category of Smith or Johnson or Crawford or Horford, but his injury is significant. He’s a glue guy on a team that needs glue badly.

My pick: Chicago 4-1.

LOS ANGELES vs DALLAS

This is a no-brainer. The Lakers are a far superior team to Dallas – assuming two things – no injuries and Bynum plays the way he’s been playing. There is no team in the league that is as talented up front with Bynum and Gasol. Dallas will get taken to the cleaners inside.

Although Nowitzki is great, his game is more of a small forward. He’s not going to bang with Gasol and Bynum – although their willingness to “bang” along with that of Odom and Artest is oftentimes a function of what kind of mood they are in.

The Lakers have been so good that they don’t always feel the need to get down and dirty, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Dallas pulled a couple games out. But I’m a believer that LA can (and will) turn it on when necessary. Now that San Antonio is out of the picture, it’s hard to see how Jackson will be able to convince his players that they aren’t a shoe-in for the finals.

Of course, Dallas has more weapons than just Nowitzki, but if LA plays shut-down defense – which they are capable of – I can’t see Kidd or Terry or Marion or Chandler making any difference. If Caron Butler hadn’t been injured… maybe. Otherwise…

My pick: LA 4-1.

NBA roundup: Celtics bounce Knicks in 4; Sixers stay alive

NEW YORK -- The Boston Celtics made the New York Knicks' return to the postseason a brief one.

Now the Celtics have a long break before that expected trip to Miami.

Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added 21 points and 12 assists, and the Celtics swept their way into the Eastern Conference semifinals, holding on for a 101-89 victory over the Knicks on Sunday.

Ray Allen and reserve Glen Davis each added 14 points for the Celtics, the first team into the second round after sweeping a series.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points with nine rebounds and ex-Piston Chauncey Billups (sprained knee) did not play.

New Orleans 93, L.A. Lakers 88: Chris Paul scored 27 points with 15 assists and 13 rebounds as the host Hornets evened their first-round playoff series at 2-2. Paul scored 14 of New Orleans' 24 points in the fourth quarter. The All-Star guard then capped his triple-double performance by running down the clock and setting up Jarrett Jack's short jumper, which made it 90-86 with 9.3 seconds left. Kobe Bryant scored 17 for the Lakers but did not score in the first half and finished 5 of 18 shooting.

Philadelphia 86, Miami 82: Lou Williams hit a three-pointer with 8.1 seconds left to help the host 76ers avoid a sweep. Miami was 95 seconds away from winning Game 4, holding an 82-76 lead. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the Heat didn't score again. Jrue Holiday made a three with 46.6 seconds left that sliced the deficit to one. Williams followed with a three from the top of the arc for an 84-82 lead.

Atlanta 88, Orlando 85: Jamal Crawford scored 25 points and Joe Johnson made four big free throws in the final 20 seconds for the host Hawks. Dwight Howard led the Magic with 29 points and 17 rebounds.

Rose's woes: Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose had a walking boot on his left foot Sunday and was scheduled for an MRI on his sprained ankle. Rose sprained his left ankle late in the first quarter Saturday; the Bulls hope to have him available for Tuesday's Game 5.

Miami Heat will need Dwyane Wade’s best on the road

The explanation from Dwyane Wade made perfect sense.

His numbers through the first two games of the series against Philadelphia — 15.5 points per game on 42 percent shooting — were a result of the Sixers’ defensive game plan. He did, after all, average better than 30 points against Philly in the regular season, so it stands to reason that Doug Collins would make every effort to slow him down.

Here was the problem with that concept:

Regardless of which member of the Big 3 that Philly singled out as a top priority, the Heat was going to need Wade to produce his usual playoff-type numbers.

It sounds rather simplistic to say that Dwyane Wade needs to score for the Heat to win games. But it’s not always true. The Heat can and has won with Wade having poor shooting games this season, and Miami won two games to start this series without Wade at his best.

What is true, though, is that if the Heat is going to get through the playoffs with a handful of road wins — and what team can march through the playoffs without a few of those? — Dwyane Wade needs to be at or near his best in just about every one of those games. For most of this season, LeBron James has been the savior on the road. But that tune changes in the playoffs. The Heat can’t afford to wait for James to get hot from the perimeter, which is what most of his huge scoring road games have been built on.

Miami needs Wade’s consistent pressure, his ability to collapse the defense regularly, his uncanny ability to finish in traffic and his unique talent for slithering through the tiniest of cracks for anything from a simple layup to an impressive offensive rebound. The Heat got that Thursday. All of that.

And, surprising as it might have been given the one-sidedness of Monday’s Game 2 win, the Heat needed exactly that from Wade to escape with a 100-94 victory in Game 3. Wade offered up quite the scare when, after a first-quarter turnover, he winced in pain, grabbed at his surgically repaired left shoulder and looked at it to make sure nothing appeared out of place.

But once he shook that off, he put the fear back in Philly fans’ hearts.

In the second quarter, when the Sixers threatened to distance themselves from Miami, it was Wade who reeled Philadelphia back in with 12 points in the period, including a sick three-point play that included a reverse layup and a quick word for the crowd just before the half ended.

“Dwyane is so mature as a player,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “[Thursday night] was different. He understood we needed something a little bit more.”

It wasn’t just the obvious plays, either, even though there were more than a few of those.

Wade simply has an understanding of what it takes to succeed in this setting.

Example: In a tight third quarter, Wade hit Joel Anthony with a no-look pass. Then, understanding Anthony’s hands and finishing skills are… umm… let’s call them questionable, Wade was in position to slam home the offensive rebound on the opposite side of the rim. Tie game, 68-68.

“All of those things were relief points when we started to struggle with our execution,” Spoelstra added.

Look, LeBron James can stumble upon an impressive stat line no matter where he plays or what the setting.

Heck, he stumbled into a gorgeous play Thursday night.

With 4:33 left in the third and the Heat trailing by six, James tried a crazy behind-the-back dribble on the break, only to stagger as he tried to get to the rim. On his way to the floor, though, he shoveled a laser right-handed pass to Wade for a two-handed dunk.

But it was a relentless Wade who officially quieted the Sixers crowd.

“I think Dwyane Wade can get a good shot any time he wants to,” Collins said.

Wade also had a few more of those “relief points” in him down the stretch to seal the win.

Mario Chalmers airballs a three? Wade’s there for the putback.

All the attention’s on Wade as he drives? He finds Anthony for an easy layup. That’s an easy layup for Anthony, which means something.

LeBron misses a three? Wade’s there for a one-handed putback that might have been the official Sixer spirit-breaker. The Heat doesn’t need Wade to be at his best to beat the Sixers in this series. Philadelphia is a team with a massive superstar void, which means the Heat, and its surplus of stars, can coast to a series win in five or six games without the Finals MVP-version of Wade.

But in future series, it’ll take this Wade for Miami to advance. Nights like this one — 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists — might have to become commonplace if the Heat is going to roll into other buildings and exit with a win. Thursday night’s performance was a healthy reminder that he’s still more than capable — no matter what the opposition’s game plan is.

Heat 98, Hawks 90

LeBron James collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the visiting Miami Heat maintained their grip on the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 98-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Dwayne Wade added 21 points and Chris Bosh scored 15 for the Heat (57-24), who stayed one game ahead of the Boston Celtics with one left to play.

Miami started out red-hot, shooting 63 percent (26 of 41) in the first half to cruise into the break with a 62-46 advantage. James and Wade were a combined 15 of 21 for 36 points before halftime.

The Hawks stepped up on the defensive end after the break, holding the Heat to 17 points in the third and beginning the fourth with a 21-9 burst to pull even, 88-88, with 3:29 remaining.

But after entering the game James Jones converted a four-point play that put the Heat back on top, 92-88. Wade blocked two straight shots on the other end and Jones drained another from beyond the arc to seal it.

Josh Smith had 17 points and six rebounds for Atlanta (44-37).

Cavaliers get the better of LeBron James for a night

In an unbearable season of losses, Cleveland got the win it wanted most.

The Cavaliers took down LeBron James.

Despite blowing a 23-point lead, the Cavaliers battled back and beat the Miami Heat, 102-90, on Tuesday night, getting a dose of revenge against James, who was making his second homecoming visit to Cleveland since leaving last summer.

J.J. Hickson scored 21 and Anthony Parker scored 20 for the Cavaliers, who were embarrassed by James and the Heat, 118-90, on Dec. 2 — a night when Cleveland fans unleashed their hatred on the superstar.

This time, James left the court hanging his head. He finished with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

In the closing seconds, a sellout crowd of 20,562 cut loose at a victory even the most loyal Cleveland fan couldn't have imagined. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who accused James of quitting in last year's playoffs after the two-time most valuable player announced in a TV special that he was joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, high-fived anyone within reach.

On the court afterward, Parker, whose last three-point shot with 2:47 left capped a 12-0 run and put the Heat away, addressed the fans.

"You guys deserve it," he said.

The Cavaliers were a different team — literally — from the one that lay down against the Heat in December. Injuries and trades have reduced Cleveland's roster to a shell of the one James played with and helped win 60 games last season.

The Heat rallied from 23 down, and tied it at 83-all on Mike Bibby's seventh three-pointer with 7:03 left. But Miami, which wasted a chance to move into second place in the Eastern Conference, went scoreless for 4:24, allowing the Cavaliers to get their 15th win and their most lopsided victory this season.

Wade scored 24 for the Heat, which had its winning streak stopped at five.

at Oklahoma City 115, Golden State 114 (OT): Kevin Durant scored 39 points and Russell Westbrook hit the winning free throw with 11.4 seconds left in overtime for the Thunder. Durant scored eight of Oklahoma City's nine points in overtime but served as a decoy to create room along the right side of the lane as Westbrook drove to the basket and was fouled. Westbrook missed his first free throw but made the second to put the Thunder on top. The Warriors' Monta Ellis missed a jumper from the top of the key at the final buzzer. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 35 points.

Houston 112, at New Jersey 87: Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the Rockets moved to within two games of the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. Kevin Martin scored 20 points as Houston won for the sixth time in seven games. Brook Lopez had 22 points for the Nets, who lost their third in a row and seventh in eight games. Deron Williams sat out his sixth straight game for New Jersey, which has lost 50 games for the second straight season.

at Sacramento 116, Phoenix 113: Marcus Thornton scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds and the Kings won their season-high fourth straight game. The loss was the third straight and eighth in 11 games for the Suns, who have watched any hopes of the playoffs practically disappear over this stretch.

Thunder look every bit like a contender

When it was over, when the Thunder finished throttling the Heat Wednesday night, my thoughts turned to Boston and L.A.

For a night at least, the Thunder reminded me of the Celtics and looked like the most dangerous threat to unseat the Lakers in the West.

“They’re better,” Dwyane Wade said of Oklahoma City. “They did a great job getting themselves prepared for the Western Conference. They are going to be right there in the thick of things, because they have added some beef up front. And they have athleticism.”

Yeah, the acquisition of Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed appears to have transformed the Thunder from a dangerous playoff team to legitimate contender. Wednesday night’s 96-85 road win at American Airlines Arena was the Thunder’s fifth straight.

The outcome said far more about the Thunder than the big-game-weary Heat.

“Tonight is not one of those games where you feel bad about how you played,” LeBron James said. “We can be satisfied with this loss because we know we kept a team shooting 40 percent from the floor. We couldn’t make any shots. ... It is nothing to hold our heads (down) about.”

That’s because first and foremost Oklahoma City is San Antonio’s and Dallas’ and Los Angeles’ problem to deal with long before the Heat would face the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

Wade and James are probably tickled with joy knowing Boston sent Perkins to OKC. The Celtics used to be as long, strong, deep and athletic as the Thunder.

In restoring their confidence during a three-game winning streak, Wade and James lived at the rim, slashing to the basket in Miami’s halfcourt offense and finishing in the paint or drawing a foul.

Wednesday, the Thunder contested everything. James and Wade sank a combined 15 of 42 shots. Perkins, Mohammed, Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant and Nick Collison challenged nearly every shot in the paint. They only blocked four, but their defensive effort caused Miami to shoot 38.5 percent from the field.

“We have a lot of athletic, versatile defenders,” Collison said. “We keep it tight in the paint.”

The Thunder looked like a young Boston. Their legs are fresher. They get off the ground quicker. And now Perkins and Mohammed give Oklahoma City added toughness and six hard fouls.

The Heat were clearly frustrated. Late in the fourth quarter, Wade had a chance to cut OKC’s lead to five. Ibaka contested Wade’s fast-break drive, the refs swallowed their whistles and Wade erupted when his missed shot wasn’t bailed out by a foul call. He drew a tech. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra drew one, too, complaining about the no-call.

“When we were able to break free to get opportunities that looked like they would normally be paint-rim opportunities for us,” Spoelstra said, “they either blocked, challenged or forced us into some tough misses. That started to frustrate us a little bit, and I think that affected our defensive focus.”

Wade is shooting a career-high 50 percent from the field this season. Wednesday, he was seven of 21.

“We did a great job of making it tough on him,” Durant said. “We made it tough on him all night. Luckily he was missing some shots. It was a great job by our bigs.”

I understand the Celtics had to move Perkins. He and the Celtics couldn’t agree on a new contract. But, man, he makes the Thunder a whole lot better. OKC dominated the boards Wednesday, outrebounding the Heat 51-40 and collecting 17 offensive boards.

It will be interesting to see if the Thunder have enough offense to win a seven-game playoff series against the Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks. There is no doubt OKC will be able to get the necessary fourth-quarter defensive stops.

I like the Thunder’s chances. OKC’s bruising big men are sort of like hockey enforcers for Durant. KD is free to roam the ice like Wayne Gretzky. Despite facing a motivated James most of the game, Durant had little trouble scoring 29 points. Early in the game, Durant got to the rim on backdoor cuts. When James took that away, Durant relied on his quick-release jumper.

“This team came in and got the win,” Wade admitted nonchalantly. “They beat us. You can accept that.”

That’s respect. The Heat know they faced a championship-caliber team on a hot streak.

Lakers give one away against the Heat, 94-88

Eight-game winning streak ends with poor play down the stretch.The Lakers could have finally wished their fans a Merry Christmas, along with a belated apology for their behavior back in December.
Instead, they gift-wrapped a game Thursday and handed it to the Miami Heat.
The Lakers' messy last two minutes led to Miami's 94-88 victory and ended two streaks at once — the Lakers' eight-game surge and the Heat's five-game skid.
There was no getting even for a humiliating loss to Miami on Christmas Day after Kobe Bryant committed two late turnovers and missed two long three-point attempts, one from 28 feet at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Bryant wasn't the only one at fault. Ron Artest missed an open layup attempt with 1:04 left.
Merry March, Miami.
Or as Andrew Bynum said in his own way, "We tricked it, for sure. We definitely had an opportunity to win this game and we gave it away."
Their game Saturday in Dallas is more important to the Lakers, but this one was taken plenty seriously.
Bryant warned teammates the previous day not to stay out late in always-rocking South Beach and to make sure the game was the focus of their trip to Miami.
He had 24 points on a poor shooting night (eight for 21) and was still angry about it 30 minutes after the game. So he returned to the court and shot a slew of three-pointers and mid-range jumpers as three Heat ball boys fetched rebounds and fed him passes.
His Lakers T-shirt was wet with sweat by the time he finished. He played almost 40 minutes in the game and stayed on the court for more than an hour afterward.
"It's my job," Bryant said. "This is what you're supposed to do if you're not feeling comfortable with something and you feel like you can tweak some things."
The game ended feebly for a team that had been playing so robustly, beating Portland, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Atlanta on the road since the All-Star break.
Bryant started it by coughing the ball up to Dwyane Wade, who fed LeBron James for a dunk and 90-88 lead with 1:27 to play.
Then Artest missed his easy shot.
Then Bryant lost the ball out of bounds while going up for a shot down low.
Then he lofted an off-balance, 28-foot, three-point attempt.
By the time the misfires were added up, the Lakers had lost, though Coach Phil Jackson took the blame. As everyone knows, he rarely calls timeouts and often still has one or two in his pocket for end-of-game situations. This time, he called his last one with 46 seconds to play and the Lakers down by four.
"I really took responsibility for screwing up the end of the game," he said. "I had no timeouts…"
As for Artest?
"I should have made the layup, but they grabbed my arm, I got hit in my head, and then, well, goaltending too possibly, right?" Artest said. "But that's an excuse, man. I should have made the layup."
The Lakers initially thought the Heat took the rebound with the ball still in the cylinder but stepped back from their thinking after conferring with their video coordinator.
The Heat couldn't be happier, ending a five-game losing streak that tugged on the franchise and its celebrated trio of All-Stars.
"This was a very big game and we had everything riding on it," said Heat forward Chris Bosh, who complained about his touches earlier this week and had 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting Thursday.
James had 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Wade had 20 points.
The Lakers still have a chance to make their four-game trip highly successful. The overachieving Mavericks beckon.