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INDIANAPOLIS - After cancelling practice and media sessions Friday, the Heat hunkered down in their search for answers to overcome a 2-1 series deficit against the Pacers. With two days to recover and regroup before Game 4 Sunday, I break down where the Heat must go from here.

MIAMI - LeBron James has too much respect to accept that Carmelo Anthony's struggles in the Heat's blowout Game 1 victory on Saturday against the Knicks were anything more than a statistical anomaly.

In other words, James considers it to be in the Heat's best interest to dismiss it as an off night for Anthony against a solid defensive effort by Miami that resulted in a 100-67 win to open the first-round series.

When the teams meet for Game 2 on Monday, the Heat will be expecting much more from Anthony, who had one of the worst playoff shooting performances of his career in going 3 of 15 from the field to finish with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four turnovers Saturday.

"We don't expect him to shoot 3 of 15 (again)," James said Sunday as the Heat wrapped up practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "But we just want to make it tough on him whenever he takes a shot."



With the Heat looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, coach Erik Spoelstra stressed Sunday the importance of his team entering Game 2 with the same focus and intensity they showed Saturday.

Otherwise, Spoelstra said, the Heat would squander a remarkable defensive performance from Game 1 if they stumble on Monday and allow the Knicks to even the series at 1-1 heading back to New York.

"Their game plan hasn't changed," Spoelstra said Sunday. "All they're trying to do is get one on our court. We haven't done anything yet. We haven't even protected our home court (completely) yet."

The Miami Heat wrap up the final week of the regular season with trips to Boston and Washington, but are already in a playoff state of mind. From here, the mission is clear: It's championship or bust. In our latest episode of the Post-Up Podcast, LeBron James, Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade set the table for this weekend's start of the Heat's title chase.

MIAMI - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra would only guarantee one person's role on Miami's roster for Saturday's home game against the Washington Wizards.

"I'll be here," Spoelstra said after the Heat's morning shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I'll be coaching."

As far as everyone else on the team?

"Everybody will be a game-time decision," Spoelstra said. "We'll see."

With four games left in the regular season and exactly a week before the start of the playoffs, Spoelstra said numerous factors will determine how he handles the rotation and availability of star players. Above anything else, it also sounded like LeBron James might soon finally be afforded some much-needed rest.

James, who has played all but one game this season, said Saturday he would oblige if Spoelstra was compelled to sit him out for any of the Heat's remaining games. Miami completes this weekend's back-to-back home set with Sunday's game against the Houston Rockets. The Heat wrap up the regular season with a trip to play the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and the Wizards on Thursday.

"Whatever Spo says, I'm going to go with tonight," James said. "You know me. I always love to be in uniform. But Spo put everybody at a game-time decision tonight. I'll see what he says. He'll probably text me later or I'll see him when I get back to the arena early to get my work in. So I'll go off him."

That's a bit of a change from the stance James took a few days ago when he said, jokingly in part, he wouldn't go with a plan to sit out games if he felt good on a particular night. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have taken advantage of what Spoelstra has referred to as the Heat's "maintenance program" to rest players or help them recover from nagging injuries in time for the playoffs.

Either Wade or Bosh has missed four of the past five games, and both skipped Wednesday's game against Toronto. James, however, has pressed on through recent minor injuries that have included a sore ankle and a dislocated finger. At times, James has made it seem as if he hasn't been offered as many "maintenance" opportunities. At other times, James has suggested he wouldn't comply by sitting if asked.

Spoelstra said he will consider everything before he decides how Miami approaches the rest of the regular season. The Heat entered the weekend on a five-game winning streak and sit one-and-a-half games behind Chicago for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

"I'm going to continue to evaluate everything, every 24 hours - take everything into consideration," Spoelstra said. "The standings, playing well, working on rotations going into the second season (playoffs), building momentum, our guys' health, rhythm, everything. So there are a lot of different variables, but we want to continue to push forward. We want to keep on improving before next weekend."

Wade, who has missed five games this month, said Saturday he has benefited from the recent rest in the midst of league's 66-game truncated schedule that started in late December following the labor dispute.

"I can't say it's been crazy physically for me, but it's been more challenging," said Wade, 30. "Physically, it's been tough. I never thought I'd look forward to an 82-game (traditional) season. I can take these 66 games in an 82-game calendar year. When you get older, you want as much rest time, as much recovery time as possible to get out there."

MIAMI - With the Heat in position to move within a game of Chicago in the loss column Thursday night, LeBron James and coach Erik Spoelstra discuss Miami's mentality heading into a make-or-break showdown for the East's No. 1 seed.



Spoelstra wouldn't overstate the potential importance of Thursday's game against Chicago, but he did stress his team has an opportunity to take advantage of in the standings with four games remaining after facing the Bulls.

When Pat Riley called Shane Battier this offseason to make his free agency pitch, Battier brimmed with excitement. Not just because there was a Hall of Famer on the other end trying to woo him to join forces, but because the Heat's roster offered a unique basketball opportunity. From Battier's perspective, the Heat weren't just a championship contender; they were a squad featuring boundless versatility. And he wanted to be a part of it.

How important was the team's versatility to Battier? Consider this: "Is LeBron going to play the 4?" was one of Battier's first talking points with Riley in December. Being a player who can defend multiple positions, the situation in Miami appealed to Battier for a number of reasons, but a chance to take the floor among other multi-dimensional players ranked right at the top.

Riley told Battier that he saw it the same way. With LeBron, Battier, Dwyane Wade, James Jones and Mike Miller in tow, the Heat boasted an arsenal of wings that could wear different hats depending on the situation. More than that, Chris Bosh's height and Udonis Haslem's toughness allowed the Heat to play without a traditional center.

"When we get Mike Miller healthy, I think we're going to have four of the best, most versatile perimeter players in the league," Riley said during a press conference with Battier in December.

"It reminded me a little bit of what I had for nine years in Los Angeles," Riley said. "I had Magic (Johnson) and (Michael) Cooper and (Byron) Scott and (James Worthy). Basically perimeters that played all different positions. I see Shane and Mike Miller and I see Dwyane and LeBron in almost the same kind of thing.

"(Erik Spoelstra) has the same opportunity."

And on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, Spoelstra took full advantage of that opportunity.

Down eight points at the 3:25 mark in the third quarter , Spoelstra made a call to the bench. Needing a fresh jolt to bring the team back into the game, Spoelstra inserted Battier, Jones and Haslem into the game, joining LeBron and Miller on the floor. With one move, Spoelstra put something into place that you almost never see on a basketball court:

Five players wearing the same jersey, all listed with the same height.

Yes, the Heat were able to put five players standing 6-foot-8 on the floor and barely anyone blinked an eye. In fact, we haven't seen something like this all season. According to NBA.com data, the Jones-Miller-Battier-James-Haslem five-man unit is the only lineup used in the 2011-12 season to feature five players of the same height. This might seem like an trivial event fit for barroom banter, but the meaning goes far deeper than that. In putting that lineup on the court, Spoelstra showcased the Showtime-inspired vision that Riley designed in the offseason.

The Heat have been forced to keep that lineup in their back pocket for months, thanks to Battier's slow integration and Miller's variety of injuries. But with the Celtics playing without a giant center, Spoelstra found a prime opportunity to unveil it on Tuesday. LeBron played point guard on offense and power forward on defense, the wings spread the floor, and the undersized Haslem played the role of the big man. Was it successful? Not particularly. In the sliver of about three and a half minutes of action, the Heat were outscored by the Celtics 7-6.

Evidently, the 6-foot-8 quintet won't be an instant juggernaut, and it may never be. But don't expect that lineup to be a one-time deal. More likely, it will develop into one of Spoelstra's favorite units when he rests Wade and Bosh. Spoelstra, as most coaches would with his palette of personnel, holds an affection for the unconventional. Look no further than the playoff series against Chicago when the Heat's "Big Five" lineup of Wade-Miller-LeBron-Haslem-Bosh was the team's most-used lineup outside of the starting five.

With the struggles of Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers, it's expected that Spoelstra will continue to experiment with his versatility and put LeBron or Wade in the point guard slot for long stretches. On Tuesday, the Heat were plus-eight with LeBron running point guard on Tuesday and minus-16 with Cole or Chalmers on the court. The unconventional lineups have been successful and Spoelstra will likely keep pushing the envelop down the stretch, even with the understanding that the players might feel "uncomfortable" with some of the personnel changes.

There's no doubt that the team is still evolving after 56 games. And we'll probably see more lineup creativity on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. At this stage of the season, Spoelstra is hoping to catch opponents off guard and deploy versatile lineups that the league hasn't seen before. Just as Riley drew it up.

MIAMI - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has referred to Miami as a "no-excuse" team all season. So when asked whether late-season fatigue factored into his team's sluggish play in a 97-82 loss Friday to Memphis, it struck a nerve.

Make that a few nerves. The Heat's 17-game home winning streak wasn't the only thing snapped at AmericanAirlines Arena after Friday's performance.

MIAMI - Newly acquired center Ronny Turiaf went through his first practice in Miami on Thursday and declared himself ready to fill whatever low-post role the Heat require.

"In my personal opinion," Turiaf said, "I think I can fit right in."

A seven-year veteran, Turiaf also said his broken left hand is "99.9 percent" healed, that he looks forward to playing near relatives in the Caribbean and that he hopes to help the Heat take the next step toward winning a championship this season.

MIAMI - It wasn't pretty, but it was painfully effective in the end. The Heat overcame a 10-point deficit in the final seven minutes with swarming defense and a late push from Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh on Tuesday to rally past Phoenix 99-95.

With the victory, the Heat (34-11) extend their home-court winning streak to 14 games. In the latest episode of the postgame 'Temp Check Show' we break down Miami's win, address some of your feedback and look ahead to the upcoming three-game road trip.

MIAMI - The Miami Heat have outscored the Indiana Pacers by a combined 50 points in their previous two meetings this season.

And it doesn't add up to anything entering their third matchup tonight at AmericanAirlines Arena. At least, that's how Heat coach Erik Spoelstra approached it as he talked about Miami's challenge against a Pacers team that's pushing for a top-three seed in the East and ranks among the NBA's top 10 in defensive rebounds and points allowed.

The Miami Heat started the second half of the season the same way they rolled into the All-Star Break: Sprinting past another opponent with a double-digit victory.

Episode 3 of the Post-Up Podcast catches up with Eastern Conference coach of the month Erik Spoeltra, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to break down the team's motivation and direction heading into the season's stretch run.

MIAMI – Just before the All-Star break, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra asked his team two pertinent questions that will define their destiny.

“What kind of team do we want to be?” Spoelstra probed. “What's our motivation?”

The Heat will resume their search for those answers on Thursday, when they open the second half of the season with a game in Portland. But to this point, what we've seen from the Heat is a team that appears determined to return to the NBA Finals and finish the job this time after falling to Dallas in six games last season.

Miami is far from perfect, but it very well could be in the midst of the best basketball we've seen since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in the summer of 2010 to alter the league's landscape. They've yet to define their destiny, but the Heat have developed this season into a team that tied with Oklahoma City for the NBA's best record entering the break at 27-7, and one that resumes play riding an eight-game streak of victories by a double-digit margin.

Overall, the Heat deserve an “A” for a midterm grade after getting off to the best start in franchise history. But I'll go a step further and break down the marks for each player on the roster, along with evaluations of Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley based on the progress they've made amid Miami's lofty championship-or-bust expectations.

JOEL ANTHONY, Starting C
(3.0 PPG; 4.3 RPG; 1.2 BPG)
Upshot: There have been stretches this season when Anthony has simply dominated the paint defensively with his shot-blocking. His offense has improved enough to the point where he's developed a decent jump hook, and there's a pretty good chance he'll actually catch and finish once in a while.
Downside: Being undersized and mainly a non-factor overall offensively puts the Heat in a tough spot. His rebounding numbers could also be better.
Midterm Grade: C

SHANE BATTIER, Reserve SG/SF
(4.5 PPG; 2.1 RPG; 1.1 APG)
Upshot: The cold front finally ended about two weeks ago. Maybe it coincided with his guy, Jimmy Buffett, coming to town for that concert. It finally appears his offense is catching up with his defense. Battier also ranks among the NBA's leaders in drawing charges, and will be key down the stretch.
Downside: His first half was such a struggle offensively, he shot just 38.9 percent and sometimes looked like a washed-up player on both ends of the court. Consistency is a significant concern.
Midterm Grade: D+

CHRIS BOSH, Starting PF
(18.4 PPG; 8.30 RPG; 2 APG)
Upshot: It finally seems to be sinking in for Bosh that he might never be as productive, statistically, as he was as a featured man in Toronto. He's had a great attitude and is trying to make the most of his adjusted role. Recently, his rebounding has picked up and his mid-range jumper continues to drop.
Downside: Bosh just doesn't spend enough time attacking the lane. He should easily be a 20-10 player, but too often falls short. His play will ultimately determine how tough Miami will be in the postseason.
Midterm Grade: B-

MARIO CHALMERS, Starting PG
(11.1 PPG; 2.5 RPG; 3.6 APG)
Upshot: Chalmers is justifying that new $4 million-a-year salary by having a career season. He's developed into one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. He's always been confident about his game, but we're now seeing a dependable and consistent presence from a far more mature Chalmers.
Downside: If he faced Jeremy Lin every night, Chalmers would be just fine defensively. But that's one area of his game that leaves a bit to be desired at times. He should be that motivated every game.
Midterm Grade: B

NORRIS COLE, Reserve PG
(8.7 PPG; 1.7 RPG; 2.5 APG)
Upshot: Two words you'll never use to describe the Heat's rookie point guard: Bashful and slow. The kid is flat-out fearless on the court and has proved to be a late first-round steal. Cole has been the change-of-pace guard Miami needed to push the pace for it's much-improved second unit this season.
Downside: For a guy who gets to the rim with relative ease, Cole should be a much better finisher in the lane. He also needs to make more plays as a facilitator and learn when to shift gears to mix things up.
Midterm Grade: B

EDDY CURRY, Reserve C
(1.1 PPG; .7 TOT; .1 APG)
Upshot: Even though he's privately frustrated with the lack of playing time, Curry has publicly maintained a professional and positive demeanor about his role in Miami. He lost a ton of weight to prove to Pat Riley that he was serious about this comeback after nearly three years of inactivity.
Downside: Spoelstra is more comfortable with second-year center Dexter Pittman than Curry. That doesn't bode well moving forward for Curry's chances on a team that already prefers to play smaller.
Midterm Grade: I (Incomplete)

MICKELL GLADNESS, Reserve PF/C
(.3 PPG; 1.4 RPG; .3 APG)
Upshot: The second-year development player was brought back for a second 10-day contract on Tuesday, and could be one step closer to remaining for the rest of the season. Gladness, a slender shot-blocker, showed enough talent to make the team out of camp but opportunities have since been slim.
Downside: Gladness needs to spend more time in the weight room to bulk up. He's also learning the hard way that life trying to get his shot off in the NBA is a lot more difficult than in the D-League.
Midterm Grade: C- (Incomplete)

TERREL HARRIS, Reserve SG
(3.3 PPG; 2.6 RPG; .9 APG)
Upshot: Harris has the size, strength, scoring ability and defense to contribute on any roster that doesn't include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Norris Cole in the perimeter rotation. But when he got the opportunities, Harris showed in games that he's a legit NBA prospect.
Downside: Unfortunately for Harris, the Heat have contract commitments for their perimeter players that extend beyond this season. He'll be the next Anthony Morrow to get away amid a numbers crunch.
Midterm Grade: B-

UDONIS HASLEM, Reserve PF
(6.3 PPG; 8.1 RPG; .7 APG)
Upshot: He's healthy. That couldn't be said about Haslem much of last season when he missed most of it, including the first two rounds of the playoffs, to recover from foot surgery. The Heat certainly missed his interior toughness and rebounding, which have been exceptional so far this season off the bench.
Downside: Those baseline and straight-away jumpers that have been automatic for Haslem the past few years are flat broke right now. He's struggled to find an offensive rhythm and is shooting a career-worst 41.8 percent.
Midterm Grade: B-

JUWAN HOWARD, Reserve PF
(.8 PPG; .7 TOT; .3 APG)
Upshot: Howard is a proud vet who resents being reduced to this tag, but he's been a consummate professional and solid locker room presence. At 38, he is clearly along for the potential ride to a title. His best work comes in pushing Bosh, Curry and Dexter Pittman in workouts. He also still does a mean Cabbage Patch.
Downside: But nobody does the Cabbage Patch anymore. And it hasn't been easy having a locker next to LeBron for home games and being smothered by media lining up for those postgame interviews.
Midterm Grade: C

LEBRON JAMES, Starting SF
(27.4 PPG; 8.10 RPG; 6.8 APG)
Upshot: So far, no one in the history of the game has done it better or more efficiently on the court that LeBron, who was named conference player of the month for December/January and has positioned himself well to win his third MVP award. He's added a post-up game, as promised, and has been on a tear lately.
Downside: LeBron still can't get out of his own way sometimes. The flirting with Cleveland and the fallout from the way his All-Star performance ended created serious questions that just weren't necessary.
Midterm Grade: A+

JAMES JONES, Reserve SF
(3.3 PPG; .9 RPG; .2 APG)
Upshot: There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Jones is capable of knocking down big shots when needed. He's shooting 42 percent from 3-point range and also continues to grade well defensively by draw charges. The fact that he re-signed shows how badly he wants to stick with his hometown team.
Downside: Having Jones and not playing him is a luxury. In hindsight, though, would the Heat have been better off using Jones' or Howard's spot to get younger and more athletic at power forward/center?
Midterm Grade: C+

MIKE MILLER, Reserve SF
(6.3 PPG; 3.4 RPG; .7 APG)
Upshot: Just like Haslem, Miller is enjoying an extended stretch of good health after missing a major chunk of last season with injuries. He's second in the league in 3-point shooting at 51.7 percent, has thrived defensively and has found a comfort zone on the second unit with Battier, Haslem and Cole.
Downside: He remains the Heat's most realistic trade asset beyond the Big Three should Riley seriously pursue adding more size. Miller is on pace to average career lows in minutes, points and assists.
Midterm Grade: B-

DEXTER PITTMAN, Reserve C
(1.5 PPG; 1.5 RPG; .1 APG)
Upshot: Big body, big hands and solid footwork are all major assets for Pittman, a second-year center still trying to prove he can be a long-term fit. He's also dropped plenty of weight to show he's serious about maintain a roster spot in Miami. Pittman can at least say he's beating out a veteran in Curry.
Downside: Pittman has had enough time to crack the rotation. Still, Spoelstra would rather play Bosh, Haslem and Anthony at center. That tells you all you need to know about Miami's project centers.
Midterm Grade: D+

DWYANE WADE, Starting SG
(22.4 PPG; 4.40 RPG; 4.8 APG)
Upshot: LeBron's efficiency is obviously rubbing off on Wade, who is ranked second behind his teammate in PER. Wade has been a different player since he came back from the foot injury that cost him six games. His boost helped propel the Heat to their current eight-game streak of blowout victories.
Downside: Wade is praised for his ability to help out in the lane and block shots, but he also deserves a bit of the blame for blown assignments that have led to the Heat giving up a ton of open 3-point looks.
Midterm Grade: A-

ERIK SPOELSTRA, Head Coach
(27-7, First place in the East)
Upshot: Miami lost eight games by the time it played 17 last season. This year, the Heat have yet to reach eight setbacks through 34 games. Credit Spoelstra for finding the right buttons to push. He's altered the playing style, managed egos, settled on a rotation and has Miami rolling through a tough schedule.
Downside: No other coach works under the assumption that anything less than winning a championship could be considered a failure. That leaves Spoelstra in a tough spot regardless of that new contract extension.
Midterm Grade: A

PAT RILEY, President of Basketball Operations
(27-7, First place in the East)
Upshot: Riley was absolutely right about one thing: The Heat didn't need major roster tweaks after finishing two games short of an NBA championship in the first season of the Big Three era. Instead, they only needed to get healthy and focus a bit more on the game itself and less on distractions.
Downside: It's too early to know if offseason investments in Battier and Chalmers will pay off in the playoffs. But the lack of depth in the post has yet to be addressed as the March 15 trade deadline looms.
Midterm Grade: B

MIAMI - Dwyane Wade insists the Miami Heat have paced -- and braced -- themselves for Linsanity.

"We're going to answer it today, we'll have to answer it tomorrow, and then we'll move on," Wade said Wednesday when asked if his team had already grown weary of facing relentless questions about the overnight sensation that is New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. "Well, nah. All-Star weekend, we'll be asked about him, too. But after that, we'll move on."

Wade, whose Heat team is familiar with being a major topic throughout league circles, actually seemed to embrace the reversal of roles.

"The biggest thing is he's winning," Wade said of Lin. "They're winning. He's the leading catalyst of that. I'm sure guys have had to answer questions about us, and they were like, 'Oh Jesus, not this again.' But that's what this league is about. Once we get done with this game and All-Star Weekend, we can move on and answer other questions."

Considering the run the Knicks have been on recently since inserting the now-popular point guard into the lineup, there's no doubt that all eyes will be on Lin when New York visits Miami on Thursday for one of the most anticipated matchups in the league this season.

Despite all of the hype, the Heat's focus extends well beyond finding a way to contain Lin, who has led the Knicks to nine victories in the 11 games since he emerged as the starter. Miami, which enters the game with the league's best record at 26-7, has the star power to account for New York's potentially prolific scorers in Lin, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

But a bigger problem for the Heat could be figuring out a way to match-up with the Knicks' inside tandem of Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. Miami has gotten away with playing smaller lineups, finishing games almost exclusively with Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem rotating at center.

Not even the Orlando Magic, who have the league's most dominant center in Dwight Howard, could effectively exploit the matchup advantage they had inside during last Sunday's 90-78 loss to the Heat. But few teams have the kind of length and athleticism at the power forward and center spots as the Knicks, with both Stoudemire and Chandler becoming bigger factors since Lin took over control of the offense.

Chandler, who had essentially been a forgotten man in the offense, has regained his finishing touch around the rim and is averaging 13.3 points and 10 rebounds on 75.3 percent shooting in road games this season.

Stoudemire is trying to shake off a rusty start to the season and is again showing flashes of brilliance in the pick-and-roll game, specifically with Lin facilitating the initial set. Stoudemire has averaged 19.1 points and shot an improved 48.5 percent this month. The Knicks also have grabbed at least 14 offensive rebounds in three of their past four games.

When the Heat and Knicks met a month ago, Lin hadn't yet cracked the rotation and neither Stoudemire nor Chandler were significant factors in a game that saw New York attempt 43 shots from 3-point range in a 99-89 Miami victory at AmericanAirlines Arena.

But the Heat are preparing for a more balanced approach from the Knicks, who are equally capable of jacking up 43 shots from beyond the arc one game as well as scoring 54 points in the paint like they did in Wednesday's home blowout against the Atlanta Hawks.

"If you don't have (defensive) habits built up, it can be an absolute nightmare trying to defend them," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "To defend a system like that, you have to do it team-wise. If one guy breaks down, it will invariably lead to a wide-open 3. You can't prepare for them in one day. This has to be weeks and months of (defensive) habits."

Those habits for the Heat, a top-five defensive team in the league, start with an all-hands-on-deck commitment to protect the paint and compensate for their lack of significant bulk in the middle.

"With the way they shoot the ball, we can't give them 3s and give them paint points," Haslem said of the Knicks. "So we've got to try to take care of the paint first. No easy baskets, then close out on the 3s. Our defensive principles don't change. Protect the paint. Make them spray the ball. It's not an easy style to play defensively, but it's been working for us. We understand our recipe for success."

For the Heat, that recipe involves keeping a close eye on Lin but also putting a body or three on Stoudemire and Chandler.

"That's huge for us," center Joel Anthony said. "Everyone talks about Jeremy Lin. But Stoudemire, on any given night, can explode and you don't want to be in a position where he's affecting a game like that. And we know Chandler can have a huge impact with those lobs and his activity around the basket. So we definitely have to find a way to neutralize that or it doesn't matter what happens on the perimeter. We've put ourselves in a tough situation if we can't handle what goes on inside."

The Heat have had success mixing defensive coverages, which, at times, has even included gimmicks such as LeBron James defending the center to combat size with quickness. During its seven-game winning streak, Miami has won the rebounding battle six times and has not allowed a team to score 50 points in the paint.

Maintaining those benchmarks remain a priority against the Knicks.

"We don't really care about size much here," Bosh said. "It's just really some numbers on paper. Our goal is to outrebound every team we play. It never really changes. We just look at what our job is, and we plan to do our job again (Thursday)."

MIAMI - Credit the Sacramento Kings for at least making the Miami Heat work hard into the fourth quarter on Tuesday. Still, the Heat got 30 points and 10 assists from Dwyane Wade and six 3-pointers from Mario Chalmers to pull away for a 120-108 victory that extended their winning streak to seven.

Next up: Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Check out our latest Heat 'Temp Check' show for a recap of Tuesday's win and a look ahead to the most anticipated game of the season as Linsanity looms.

MIAMI - Apparently, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was so focused on his job Sunday that he didn't notice former President Bill Clinton sitting courtside for Miami's victory against the Orlando Magic.

Clinton, who was a guest of Heat owner Micky Arison, caught a ball that sailed out of bounds, was presented a No. 42 Heat jersey with his name and also received a standing ovation when he was shown on the giant screen above the court - all during the game.

Yet Spoelstra insists he was oblivious to it all, and didn't know Clinton was in the building until he spoke with the media after the game. Spoelstra's reaction drew laughter in the press room.

"I didn't know," Spoelstra said after the Heat's 90-78 victory. "Is he still here? Do I have a chance to shake his hand?"

Spoelstra's best line came immediately after, when said he was surprised Clinton chose to attend the Heat game instead of Sunday's earlier nationally televised game in New York between global media sensation Jeremy Lin's Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks.

In essence, Clinton had Heat fever instead of Linsanity. But the Knicks visit the Heat on Thursday for their final games before the All-Star break.

"I'm surprised he's not at one of the games up north, the earlier game," Spoelstra joked. "That seems to be the hot game right now."