Heat making the most of time off

May, 1, 2013
May 1
2:44
PM ET
Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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Tom Haberstroh/ESPN.comShane Battier’s new look.
MIAMI -- How do we know that the Miami Heat are bored?

Just look at the above photo of Shane Battier, which was taken after Miami’s practice Wednesday.

“I don’t know what this is, to be honest with you,” Battier said after Heat practice. “This is how I pass the time in the lulls of a playoff bye week.”

Welcome to Day 3 of the Heat’s seven-day layoff before they meet their next opponent for the Eastern Conference semifinals. The league office announced Tuesday evening that the Heat would play the winner of the Nets-Bulls series on Monday, regardless of when the series concludes.

“That’s what happens when you’ve got a layoff when you aren’t playing -- dudes get bored,” Chris Bosh said.

Needless to say, a team that has gone 41-2 over its last 43 games is having a little fun with the time off.

Battier had grown a beard recently after needing four stitches in his chin after slamming it on the hardwood in Game 2 last Tuesday and vowed he wouldn’t shave until he had his stitches removed. No one expected this -- whatever it is.

LeBron James referred to it as “the Hulk Hogan.”

“The look that Dwyane Wade gave me was worth it all,” Battier said. “He didn’t know what the heck I was thinking. I think he was embarrassed for me, which is good because he needs to be a little more embarrassed sometimes.”

Unfortunately, Wade wasn’t available for public comment Wednesday, not because he was laughing too hard but because he sat out practice to nurse a bruised knee that held him out of the Game 4 clincher in Milwaukee. Wade has made progress, coach Erik Spoelstra said, but the team wanted him to get some more rest.

He’ll get plenty ahead of Game 1, in which he’s expected to play. Though Wade would receive some much-needed recovery time, the Heat weren’t thrilled with the league’s announcement that they would have to wait until Monday for their next game.

“I didn’t like it, honestly,” James said. “I really don’t like a lot of rest. I like to play either every 48 hours or 72 hours. So it’s difficult, but it is what it is.”

The scouting department underneath the practice court has been preparing reports on both the Nets and the Bulls, but the Heat won’t know who they’re playing until Thursday night at the earliest.

How do you hold practice without even knowing the next opponent?

You run. A lot.

The Heat’s top priority these days is to keep their conditioning at a playoff level, which meant rounds of five-on-five scrimmages and tedious running drills to stay in playing shape.

“Everybody’s anxious and ready to play, but we have to focus on the moment and that’s right now,” Spoelstra said. “We were able to hit and get after it [Wednesday]. Without being specific about our opponent, we can always work on our game.”

Spoelstra, in typical coach fashion, dismissed the idea that the extended layoff would lead to rust.

“This is what we’re dealing with,” he said. “So what? That’s what the playoffs are all about. You deal with whatever’s handed to you.”

While other playoff teams are battling for their season, the Heat had a little fun after Wednesday's practice. Aside from Battier’s new facial hair, the trio of James, Bosh and Ray Allen held a 3-point shooting competition in front of a seated audience of two: Spoelstra and Heat president Pat Riley.

James won the competition, which meant that Allen, who finished third, and Bosh, who finished second, would have to do 30 and 20 push-ups, respectively. Riley, lounging with his legs extended and crossed at the ankles, could only laugh as he watched Allen and Bosh pay their dues in front of James.

Spoelstra has already given the Heat players the day off on Thursday. The Bulls hold a 3-2 series lead and play Thursday night at home in Chicago.

When the Heat gather for practice Friday, Battier said the “Fu Manchu” mustache may be gone already. And it may not be his call, or his wife’s.

“Riley’s going to step in at some point and say ‘OK, enough of this charade,’” Battier joked.

When it was pointed out that Riley sported a similar handlebar mustache back in the day, Battier suddenly grew hopeful that this wasn’t a one-day experiment.

“Maybe he appreciates it.”

Just another day in the life of the defending champs.

Bulls can stop one of Heat's top weapons

April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
1:36
PM ET
Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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In the fourth quarter of the Heat's series clincher against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, LeBron James dribbled around Chris Andersen after the big man came up high to set the pick-and-roll. Over in the left corner, Ray Allen hid in his favorite spot while James penetrated the Bucks' defense toward the paint.

James gained steam, and Allen waited in the corner. If this were chess, the Heat just called “check.”

Do you collapse into the paint and help create a human shield in front of the rim? Or do you stick on Allen in the corner and hope for the best with James barreling toward the basket? Which door do you choose?

This is what the Heat try to accomplish on every possession: force the defense to make difficult decisions. And this one might be the most vexing problem of all to solve. Sure enough, Monta Ellis opted for the first door: Ellis shaded toward the paint and left Allen open briefly in the corner.

Checkmate.

James hit Allen, Allen hit the shot.

The corner 3 may be the most important shot in the game, ranking right up there with a typical layup in terms of efficiency. It yields a similar payoff to a point-blank shot, and research shows that corner 3 attempts correlate more strongly with successful offenses than layups do. At its best, the Heat's offense pressures the opposition in such a way that the defense must pick their poison between stopping James’ penetration or preventing his passes to the corner.

This quandary is why SportVU’s 3-D tracking cameras found that James' drives, which produced 1.68 points per drive, were more efficient than those of any other NBA player this season. Stopping a driving James is the basketball equivalent of slowing down an armored tank that’s equipped with passes that dart like homing missiles.

The Bucks couldn’t solve that problem at any point in their first-round series with Miami, and as a result they lost every game by double digits. Led by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s system, predicated on movement and space, the Heat have found the precious corner 3 more than any other team in the playoffs, firing up 44 corner 3 attempts for an average diet of 11 shots per game. No other team has shot more than nine per game.

But do you want to know which team defends the corner 3 better than anyone?

The Chicago Bulls. Yes, the team that is one win over the Brooklyn Nets away from facing the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

During the regular season, coach Tom Thibodeau’s defense held opponents to just 3.6 corner 3 attempts per game, by far the lowest number in the league according to NBA.com/stats. What makes the Bulls so tough is that they wield a strongside defense that loads up on the ball and simultaneously protects the corners. In other words, it is perfectly geared to take away the Heat’s strongest weapon.

Remember when the Bulls ended the Heat’s 27-game win streak back in March? The Heat could get off only five corner 3s in that game, almost half their league-leading average of 8.8 shots from the corner pocket. Thibodeau won that chess match as the Bulls’ nasty defense took away the Heat’s most dangerous attack, resulting in the Heat’s only loss in nearly three months in which James has played.

Sure, the potential return of Derrick Rose will grab the headlines as the primary reason why the Heat want the Nets to prevail over the Bulls. No doubt the upcoming commentary will also hammer home how the Heat were undefeated in the regular season against Brooklyn in three games, crushing them with an average win margin of 17.7 points. It’s also true that the longer the Nets-Bulls series goes, the longer Dwyane Wade gets to rest his banged-up right knee.

Yes, there are several reasons why the Heat should be Brooklyn’s biggest cheerleader on Monday night and potentially beyond. But as long as Thibodeau is on the sidelines orchestrating the defense and Joakim Noah is out there plugging the pick-and-roll, James and the Heat will always have trouble putting the Bulls into “check.” With the way the Heat have been mowing down opponents over the past few months, it may not matter who they face in the next round. But we know which team has the best chance to take down King James.

Heat now play the waiting game

April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
9:10
PM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty ImagesLeBron James and the Miami Heat look ahead after sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks with little difficulty.
MIAMI -- LeBron James called it the next big step.

And on Sunday, it carried the Miami Heat over a threshold that led to their first four-game playoff sweep since James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together as free agents during the summer before the 2010-11 season.

The defending champion Heat closed out their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks with their fourth straight victory by double figures, this time an 88-77 win that assured Miami of two things in the coming days.

Plenty of rest.

But also a break in momentum.

Dealing with a solid week of idle time as they wait for their second-round series to start could present the Heat with an ever bigger challenge than anything they faced during those glorified scrimmages against the overmatched Bucks.

“We like what we were able to accomplish this series,” James said after he posted 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block in Game 4. “We get a chance to get rest because we took care of business. But our business is not done. We also have to keep our heads and not lose our rhythm with practice and preparation.”

But now the wait begins.

After easily emerging from the least compelling matchup in the entire playoff field, James and the Heat become spectators. They'll watch Game 5 between the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets on Monday, a series Chicago leads 3-1. But even if that series concludes Monday night, the Heat might not play Game 1 of the next round until the coming weekend.

How tough might waiting around that long be for the Heat?

“Not tough at all,” James said. “We feel we have a team that's built for the playoffs. We've been waiting for this.”

That's part of the reason James felt the Heat took a significant step forward by taking care of the Bucks as quickly as possible. It was a symbolic sign of growth from the previous two seasons when the Heat started the playoffs.

In the first round of the 2010-11 playoffs, the Heat had a 3-0 lead on the Philadelphia 76ers but couldn't pull off the sweep and had to wrap up the series in five games. That was also the case last season, when Miami won the first three games against New York in the first round only to watch the Knicks force a Game 5 before the series ended.

Even with Wade sitting out Sunday with a sore right knee, the Heat had no intentions of leaving any work undone. They also had help from an accommodating Milwaukee team that has half of its roster headed for free agency.

“The biggest focus for us will be keeping ourselves physically ready,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, with his team likely headed for consecutive off days Monday and Tuesday before resuming on-court workouts. “That's probably the most abnormal of circumstances. You're used to playing every 48 hours or so, that's the NBA rhythm. Mentally, I'm not as concerned about our guys. We will have to strike a balance between our conditioning, staying fit, getting after it in practice and getting our guys healthy.”

The Heat were already a step ahead of the process in that final area on Spoelstra's check list. Wade, who has been dealing with recurring soreness from multiple bruises to his right knee, warmed up for 20 minutes before Sunday's game before the official decision was made to sit out.

A combination of factors, including the Heat's commanding lead in the series and the productive play from shooting guard Ray Allen, played a role in Wade and the team erring on the side of caution with his condition.

But consultation from James throughout the day Sunday was also a determining factor. James said he told Wade early Sunday morning that if he didn't feel he could play at the top of his game, then he should consider sitting out.

“We've seen too many injuries in the NBA already,” James said, referring to Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant and several other superstars lost to injuries.

Wade then got most of his workout in on the bench, where he frequently jumped to cheering on teammates and also offered advice when they came to the sideline for rest.

“I was going to push through it [and play],” Wade said after the game. “But my teammates told me that if I was hurting, they got it. So I trusted my teammates and we were able to get the win. It's going to be great to get some rest. But we also have to take this time to remain sharp.”

Sunday's sweeping step comes at a time when the Heat's supporting cast has maintained a productive stride, even as one of their best players in Wade limps slightly along.

Allen became the NBA's career leader in made 3-pointers during Game 3 and provided another boost off the bench. He shot 46.4 percent from 3-point range and averaged 16.5 points in the series. It was the most points a Heat reserve has averaged in a playoff series in franchise history.

Second-year point guard Norris Cole and midseason acquisition Chris Andersen were also huge during a series that saw the Heat pull away in the second half of every game, with second-unit players sparking those spurts.

After averaging six more points in the first-round series than he did during the season, Allen was asked to describe the difference in his play from the regular season and now.

“I just know now is the time you need to win,” Allen said.

After taking that first step on their quest to repeat, the Heat can regroup a few days to regain their footing. As James said, they took care of their first-round business well.

Maybe even a bit too well, considering all the time they now have on their hands.

Heat Reaction: Game 4 vs. Bucks

April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
6:16
PM ET
Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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Heat need to sit Wade so he can rest

April, 26, 2013
Apr 26
5:12
PM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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MILWAUKEE -- Erik Spoelstra had some very tough rotation decisions to make as he prepared the defending champion Miami Heat for this season's playoff run.

But considering the schedule and circumstances, this call should be easy for the NBA Coach of the Year candidate.

The Heat should shut down Dwyane Wade for what's left of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ahead 3-0 with a chance to sweep the series on Sunday, there's no better time than now to give Wade the time off he needs to treat the recurring soreness in his right knee.

Miami clearly doesn’t need Wade to close out the Bucks.

But the Heat will need their second-leading scorer and psychological leader to get them through a potential second-round series against the Bulls, followed by a conference finals matchup with either the Pacers or Knicks and an NBA Finals showdown against whichever team is fortunate enough to emerge from the banged-up West.

It didn't take Friday's stunning announcement that Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook needed knee surgery and will be out indefinitely to remind the Heat just how fragile and volatile these teams and times are now. But Westbrook's injury did land another sobering blow to these playoffs, a blow that was as thunderous as any of his vicious dunks.

No fewer than 10 of the 16 teams in the playoff field are missing at least one starter or primary rotation player because of a season-ending injury. Westbrook now joins Denver's Danilo Gallinari, Golden State's David Lee, New York's Amar'e Stoudemire, Boston's Rajon Rondo, Chicago's Derrick Rose and seemingly every Los Angeles Laker not named Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol among the wounded elite to see their team's title hopes weakened.

Injuries are unpredictable. There's no way to prepare for them or really guard against them. But teams can -- and should -- do whatever they can when afforded the opportunity to reduce the risk by limiting players who are obviously pushing through nagging and recurring issues.

That brings this all back to the Heat and Wade, who has been receiving extensive treatment for multiple bruises and inflammation around his knee for the better part of two months. Wade aggravated the knee again in Thursday's victory against the Bucks and finished 1-of-12 from the field with just four points for the worst playoff shooting performance of his career. After the game, Wade admitted that his knee was bothering him but that he was still able to do enough to finish the game and also contribute 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

On Friday, Wade went to his former college campus at Marquette to receive two hours of treatment on his knee, and Spoelstra declined to give a definite status for Wade's availability for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon. What the coach did say was that Wade clearly needs time to heal and get back to consistently being that explosive player Miami saw for extended stretches midway through the season.

“He's been dealing with this for over a month,” Spoelstra said Friday during an off day for the team. “He's getting better, but he plays a physical game. He was on the floor four or five times last night. He got hit in the elbow, got hit in the face, got hit in the knee -- all in one play. He's fighting through it. Some days are better than others. It all depends on the collisions he's had the night before.”

There was a time not long ago when the Heat, Wade and Spoelstra wouldn't so vividly divulge the aches, pains, bumps and bruises Wade has been dealing with. But now, it's more of a surprise when Wade emerges from a game without having to have one limb or another treated for hours after a game and then well into the next day or so.

Credit the Heat for being proactive with Wade's knees throughout the season, especially with him coming off summer surgery on his other knee. But this has been a painful and frustrating balance for Wade, despite his upbeat nature and willingness to finally acknowledge and start to embrace his NBA mortality. For the first four months of the season, Wade worked to get his surgically-repaired left knee strong enough to restore his game to an elite level.

And just when he started to turn a corner and sustain a stretch of breakout performances in February at the start of the Heat's 27-game win streak, his right knee took a hit.

Then another.

And then another two after that.

It's been a back-and-forth battle between rebuilding one leg and recovering from an injury to the other one.

“He's building each and every day, trying to get back to where he was midseason,” LeBron James said of Wade. “Each and every day, each and every game when he gets a chance to get with his physicians and trainers to help him get back, he'll continue to strengthen that knee. A couple of moves he's had, he still shows why he still is and will be one of the best players on the floor each and every night.”

The Heat rested Wade for six consecutive games and eight of 10 over the final four weeks of the regular season to give him a running start entering the playoffs. Since then, there have been flashes of athletic and dominant play as well as stretches of hard falls, limping and grimaces.

Some good days, some bad.

Nights pushing himself on the court are followed by days pouring himself onto training tables and then hot or cold tubs. It's made for an especially bitter-sweet experience for Wade the past few days in Milwaukee. He transitions between reliving some of those glory moments of his youth on Marquette's campus where he starred in college, and then realizing the impact of 10 NBA seasons on his body.

“I'm not there; I'm still building,” Wade said of the status of his right knee before Game 3. “I'm trying to take care of my body because I know how important it is. That's why I've been in there [in treatment and training] all afternoon, because I'm not where I want to be, not even close. But I'm able to push through, get through certain things. But I've still got a lot more improvement to do. Once I get there, you'll see a lot different smile on my face.”

It's a process of avoiding diminished returns. Wade considers it progress when he plays one night and wakes up the next day without the knee feeling worse than before.

In reality, that's not necessarily progress.

It's survival. And right now, the Heat can survive without him at this stage of the playoffs. Maybe the next one, too, if Miami continues to get production from Ray Allen, who is averaging 16.7 points off the bench this series.

Spoelstra insisted Friday that Wade's condition right now is nowhere near as bad as it was in last season's playoffs when he had the left knee drained in the second round against Indiana and then dragged his leg through the title run.

“It's not anywhere near that,” Spoelstra said. “Structurally, his knee is as good as it's been in years. And that's why we're treating it day to day. What it needs is time, and it gets better. And what it also needs is no collisions.”

There's only one way to assure Wade gets plenty of the former and avoids any of the latter: Sit him.

Buy Wade as much time as possible to rest and recover and hope the Bulls and Nets slug it out for six or seven games. Right now, the Heat aren't just one of the best teams in the playoffs. They're also the healthiest. And right now in this first-round series against the Bucks, they have the equivalent of a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

Don't bother risking anything with Wade at this stage of the game. The Heat are far better off just resting him.

'Ray Appreciation Day' for Miami

April, 26, 2013
Apr 26
1:23
AM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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MILWAUKEE -- LeBron James recalls that July jackpot moment back in Las Vegas like it was yesterday.

James wasn't at any of the tables or slot machines. Instead, he was in a basketball gym hosting a summer tournament that showcased 100 of the nation's top prep prospects.

When his cell phone rang, James stepped aside for a moment to take the call informing him that Ray Allen had agreed to leave the Boston Celtics to sign with the Miami Heat. James hung up the phone and called Allen right away.

“The first thing I said was, 'This is what we've been talking about for a while,'” James said Thursday as he reflected on that moment in free agency with Allen last summer. “I've always tried to be in his ears, saying, 'Hey, let's join at some point. Let's join. Let's join.' And he was like, 'The time is now.' I knew what he was able to do against me in the past. I knew that threat could add another dimension to our team we haven't had our first two years in Miami.”

It's no wonder James celebrated the hardest Thursday night when Allen reached another career milestone late in the Heat's 104-91 win to take a commanding 3-0 series lead against Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs.

Allen's 3-pointer with 8:38 left in the game moved him past Reggie Miller to become the NBA's career leader for made 3s in the playoffs. It also capped a devastating 23-7 run that gave the Heat their largest lead at 17 points.

Allen finished with a team-high 23 points, two short of matching the Heat's all-time record for scoring by a reserve in a postseason game. Allen was 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to bring his career playoff total to 322 made 3-pointers. Allen had already passed Miller to become the league's career leader in total 3-point field goals made overall.

Thursday's moment for Allen carried additional sentimental value because it came in the Bradley Center, where he spent the first six years of his career with the Bucks.

“I just think about all the guys that came before me,” Allen said of the shooters he learned from earlier in his career. “There's so many great players, great shooters … that have set the bar. Reggie set the bar. Craig Hodges, I looked up to. I played with Dale Ellis and Dell Curry, both of those guys and Ricky Pierce. I got to see first-hand what it took to prepare and what it took to be a great shooter at any moment in the game. I'm just carrying on the torch.”

On Thursday, that torch was aimed at the Bucks. And the Heat needed every bit of the extra spark Allen provided on a night when Dwyane Wade had the worst playoff shooting performance of his career and Chris Bosh struggled early.

Wade missed 11 of his 12 shots and had six turnovers, but also contributed 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Wade's four points were the second-fewest of his career in a playoff game, and he said after the game that he was dealing with recurring soreness in his right knee. Wade also missed most of the second half to receive treatment on the bench for a bruised right forearm.

In many ways, it was Ray Appreciation Day for the Heat.

Wade thanked Allen in the locker room for “picking me up” and carrying the scoring lead at shooting guard.

“We don't take him for granted,” Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said of Allen, who has played in Boston, Seattle and Milwaukee during his 17-year career. “He's Everyday Ray. Having someone of his caliber, with his resume, off the bench is significant. Without him, we probably don't have a chance to pull away in the fourth. He's done this everywhere he's been. We've been on the other end. That's why we recruited him so hard. He knocks down two, three or four to put you away.”

And that has been a demoralizing reality for the Bucks, who continued a trend of matching the Heat's energy and effort well into the second half, only to see Miami put the game out of reach with a game-changing spurt down the stretch.

Miami used a 9-0 charge in Game 1 on the way to a 110-87 victory. In Game 2, the Heat went on a 12-0 to start the fourth quarter with James anchoring a group of reserves that included Allen, Shane Battier, Norris Cole and Chris Andersen. That unit also inflicted the damage Thursday and have the Heat within a victory Sunday of completing their first series sweep since James arrived three seasons ago.

Jennings essentially said the Bucks can only contain so many of the Heat's weapons. With Wade and Bosh struggling and James held largely in check, the Bucks built a 10-point lead in the first half and felt good about their chances of rallying to get back into the series.

But then Allen warmed up on those familiar rims.

“Ray Allen played here for a long time in his career, so he's used to this arena,” Jennings said. “That was one of the turning points right there. He was knocking down a lot of 3s and getting into the paint. He was really being aggressive. When you have another guy like that coming off the bench, it brings a spark. They are a tough team to beat with LeBron, [Wade] and Bosh. Ray comes in and contributes, and that is what really caused us problems.”

In many ways, Allen is just starting to get comfortable in his role with the Heat. After being a starter throughout his career, Allen struggled to find his rhythm and role at times during his first season as a full-time reserve in Miami. He was also still dealing with recovery soreness in his ankle after having surgery last summer to remove bone spurs.

But Allen appears to have found his footing in his first playoff series with the Heat. He has scored at least 20 points in two of the three games against Milwaukee and is averaging 16.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 42.8 percent from 3-point range in the series.

“In the playoffs there are so many things that take place,” Allen said. “You just have to hunker down and find a way to make this team better. Now we [face] the same team. I know who my matchup is, the plays they're running and what we need to run to be successful. I try to find every opportunity, every moment to be more efficient out on the floor, to make these guys better and allow them to make me better. It's easier more now to settle in.”

Allen was once a player that beat the Heat with big shots.

Now he's providing them a significant postseason boost.

“The No. 1 thing when I got an opportunity to talk to him is it seemed like he had a new start and a breath of fresh air,” James said of that initial discussion with Allen last summer. “It's continued ever since that conversation.”

And James has liked his odds with Allen ever since, too.

Heat Reaction: Game 3 vs. Bucks

April, 25, 2013
Apr 25
9:56
PM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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Heat bracing for desperate Bucks

April, 25, 2013
Apr 25
3:32
PM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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MILWAUKEE -- Dwyane Wade was in familiar territory early Thursday as the Miami Heat held their shootaround on the campus of Marquette University, where he starred.

When the Heat enter the BMO Harris Bradley Center for Game 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, Wade will again be welcomed by the sight of his college jersey hanging in the arena rafters.

But with the top-seeded Heat holding a 2-0 lead in a series that's proved to be the most lopsided matchup in the playoffs, the last things coach Erik Spoelstra expects his team to feel are nostalgia, comfort and hospitality.

Instead, the Heat are bracing for a desperate Bucks team playing at home and aiming to get back into the series.

“There's nothing wrong with us coming in desperate,” Spoelstra said after the Heat's workout Thursday. “Our guys have been through a lot of playoff series to understand that nothing starts until you win on an opponent's floor. So we haven't done nothing yet. We know they'll play with confidence and energy in front of their fans. We'll have to play better than we did [in Game 2].”

Miami has won the first two games by an average of 17.5 points, but Milwaukee's coach and players took some solace in hanging with the Heat early in both games. After a 110-87 loss in Game 1, the Bucks shot 50 percent from the field, scored 23 points off Heat turnovers and kept up with Miami a bit longer before falling 98-86 on Tuesday.

Bucks center Larry Sanders said his team made incremental progress in Game 2 and hopes to continue the trend and get a breakthrough win Thursday to slow Miami's momentum. So far, the Bucks have been unable to counter the Heat's ability to break open games with devastating late runs.

Miami used a 9-0 spurt to start the third quarter in Game 1 and eventually led by as many as 25 points. In Game 2 on Tuesday, it was a 12-0 run by the Heat to open the fourth that ultimately created a 19-point cushion. In both instances, the Heat reached a gear the Bucks didn't match.

“In two games now, we seem to have a stretch of about four, five, six minutes where they kind of get away from us,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “That changes the complexion of the game. We have to figure out how to keep that from happening and keep ourselves in the game. We had to try and play catch up, and that is very hard to do against a high quality team like the Miami Heat.”

While Boylan wants to figure out a way to match Miami's drive, Spoelstra doesn't want his team to always rely on having to reach another gear to emerge from tight games.

“We can't take that for granted or put ourselves in trouble, and now you're waiting for that switch to turn on,” he said. “That's a dangerous habit to get into. Now, when you need it to go on 8-0 or 10-3 skirmishes [to] win those battles, you want to have that ability to create separation. But you don't want to wait, wait and wait.”

Ideally, Spoelstra said, the Heat would impose their will a bit earlier in the game. That might be a necessity Thursday as the scene shifts to a more hostile environment, one that could give the Bucks a significant boost from the outset.

“Hopefully we can build on that and get a win,” Bucks forward Mike Dunleavy said. “We had an opportunity for three quarters, but you have to play four to beat those guys. There are no shortcuts.”

At 38-44, Milwaukee had the worst record among the league's 16 playoff teams. But that mark included a 21-20 home record that featured victories over five playoff teams. The Bucks lost the regular-season series 3-1 to Miami, but their lone win was a 19-point blowout Dec. 29 at home. It was one of four times the Bucks won at home by a double-figure margin against a team that ended up in the playoffs.

Wade expects nothing less than a tough fight from the Bucks in Game 3, even as he returns to a city that still embraces him as a hometown hero of sorts.

“Milwaukee has been special to me,” Wade said. “It has helped get me to this point. Going back there in the playoffs is a cool thing. It's going to be emotional for them. They're going to give us their best shot. We have to withstand them and be there late to have a chance to win.”

Miami off to 'predictable' start

April, 24, 2013
Apr 24
1:24
AM ET
Wallace By Michael Wallace
ESPN.com
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MIAMI -- Technically, Brandon Jennings' playoff prediction still has a pulse.

The Milwaukee Bucks' quick and cocky point guard said before Game 1 last week that his team would upset the defending champion Miami Heat in six games.

With Dwyane Wade steering the Heat to a 2-0 lead after Tuesday's 98-86 victory in a series that shifts to Milwaukee for the next two games, the Bucks will need to sweep the next four meetings for Jennings' vow to come to fruition.

Milwaukee is having a hard enough time trying to string four consecutive minutes of quality play together to maintain the Heat's attention. So it would almost seem foolish to believe the Bucks could do it for four games.

If the Bucks have little else going for them in this series against the overwhelming Heat, they can always rely on Jennings' defiant logic. He scored just eight points and shot 3 of 15 against Miami on Tuesday, but that didn't stop Jennings from firing off another dose of defiant logic.

This time, it came after the Heat used a 12-0 run to start the fourth quarter -- a spurt from LeBron James and four Miami reserves that would eventually push the lead to 19 points.

“Besides them making that run in the fourth,” Jennings said, “we still should have won this game.”

The reality is that Tuesday's feisty performance against the Heat did more to prove why Milwaukee doesn't stand a chance of making this interesting far more than it should give the Bucks a dose of confidence as they retreat home.

James was much more lethargic than lethal on a night when he had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists but also missed eight of 14 shots and committed four turnovers. Despite struggles from Jennings and Monta Ellis, the Bucks still shot 50 percent from the field, scored 23 points off Miami turnovers and outscored the Heat in transition.

Yet the Heat still led by nearly 20 with two minutes left.

It's already reached the point in this series where the only suspense left involves bracing yourself for whatever combination of clothing James decides to wear when he walks to the podium for his postgame news conference. After Game 1, there was more focus on his colorful sweater than on what adjustments might be made for Game 2. On Tuesday, James went with a Bucks-green sports jacket.

But his best accessories down the stretch in Game 2 was a second-unit group that included Norris Cole, Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen. When that lineup combination walked onto the court to start the fourth quarter, Miami was ahead 68-65 as the Bucks hung around.

Then Andersen inserted his energy and grabbed two offensive rebounds before he was fouled on a putback and converted a 3-point play to push the lead to six.

Then James swooped in for a layup on the next possession to extend the advantage to eight. Then Cole got a steal and scored at the rim to push it to double figures.

Another layup by Andersen was followed by a 3-pointer from Cole. In a span of just more than two minutes, the Heat sprinted away from the Bucks and never looked back.

James, Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 50 points, but the Heat also got 36 points from reserves, including 10 points apiece from Battier and Andersen. It was the latest example of how the Heat's bench has developed into a reliable unit that completely changes the energy and pace.

“It's not surprising -- what our bench brings,” James said. “They bring that energy and that effort. We were able to open the game up with a lot of energy and effort.”

The Heat may get a bigger challenge in practice from their second unit than what they've faced in games from Milwaukee so far.

“At our practices, there's never really a first-team, second-team type of feel to it, particularly when they start really competing,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That's helped us get to another level. They come in with ... more than anything else a real sense of urgency. They do everything with a purpose and an urgency and a spark to it.”

To keep his team psychologically engaged during a season in which the Heat have won the first two games by an average of 17.5 points, Spoelstra has only shown players film of stretches when they've struggled or made bad plays.

After Miami's 110-87 win in Game 1, Spoelstra might have had his work cut out for him in searching for blunders. After Tuesday's contest, he'll have a bit more material. The Heat travel to Milwaukee for Game 3 against a Bucks team that feels it played far better in Game 2 than it did in the opener.

“It's about making progress,” Bucks center Larry Sanders said. “We need to stay positive, stay aggressive and try to capitalize on things that worked. In some situations, we tend to break apart a little bit. This team is world champs, and they capitalize on things like that.”

Now comes the ultimate test of the Heat's desire.

There's plenty of room for the kind of letdown that would let the Bucks back into this series. Wade is returning to a friendly town where he starred in college at Marquette and has his jersey hanging in the rafters. After Thursday's game, there are two full days off before Game 4 on Sunday. Any hint of a day off from practice opens the door for a 90-minute drive down the interstate to more festive Chicago.

Or, the Heat can lock in and finish this off with a sweep and get plenty of rest before facing the winner of a Bulls-Nets series that could very well last awhile.

“We are a veteran ballclub; we understand what we are going into,” James said. “Our only focus is Game 3 (and) we will be ready for it.”

Jennings started this series with a silly prediction.

James and the Heat plan to end it in Milwaukee with two more games of dominant production.

Heat Reaction: Postgame grades

April, 23, 2013
Apr 23
10:50
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Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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Birdman ready to let it fly from 3

April, 23, 2013
Apr 23
2:49
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Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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MIAMI -- The big man on top of Erik Spoelstra’s big board was a man they call “Birdman.”

With Ray Allen being signed with the taxpayer’s midlevel exception in the offseason, the Heat still needed another big man to help anchor the reserve core. One name kept popping up: Chris Andersen. Literally.

All summer long, Riley’s cellphone incessantly pinged with text message alerts reading Andersen’s name. Someone was begging Riley to sign the free-agent big man, who was cut via the amnesty provision by the Denver Nuggets in July. Normally, a barrage of these types of sales pitches in Riley’s inbox come from agents pushing their clients. But not this time.

“If I got another text from Spoelstra about getting Chris Andersen,” Riley joked recently, “I was going to put my hands around his neck.”

Persistence pays off. The Heat made sure they did their due diligence on an off-court legal matter that made headlines in May, but Andersen was never charged with a crime. And in early February, the Heat signed Andersen for the rest of the season after a pair of 10-day contracts showed promise. He has been one of the NBA’s best backup bigs ever since.

For those casual fans who tune into the NBA once the playoffs roll around, Game 1 was Andersen’s coming-out party. It’s plain to see why Andersen has quickly become a crowd favorite in Miami. The razor-sharp mohawk, the colorful tattoos, the undying energy. When he rises from the bench and sheds his warm-up gear, the crowd noise swells like an oncoming tidal wave. Once he descends to the floor from an acrobatic dunk, he preens in the spotlight like a pro wrestler who just completed his signature move.

But this is one of those rare cases in the NBA where a player’s basketball value can match his entertainment value.

Andersen is a character, yes, but he holds more currency in basketball terms. You saw it in the first quarter of Game 1 with a give-and-go to LeBron James on the baseline. You see it with the soaring putback dunks after missed shots. Sometimes his contributions are of the subtle variety, like when he causes the defense to collapse after a pick-and-roll rim attack and James feeds a lonely shooter on the perimeter for a 3-pointer.

The 34-year-old Andersen finished the regular season with a 17.4 PER in 14.9 minutes per game, averaging 11.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks along with 58 percent shooting every 36 minutes on the floor. He finished with the team’s best on-court defensive rating, as opponents scored just 97.3 points per 100 possessions while he was in the game, according to NBA.com/stats.

“You don’t normally see an opportunity to pick up an impact player in the playoffs on a championship-level team,” Spoelstra said after Game 1. “He’s had a great impact on our team on both ends.”

And if you thought the Andersen story couldn’t get more fascinating, consider this: He is aiming to be a legitimate 3-point shooter for the Heat. Yes, the same guy who boasts a 15 percent career 3-point shooting mark.

Forget his career percentage, Andersen says. Focus on the fact that he has never been allowed to shoot more than 10 in a season. In his mind, he just needs a chance.

“The thing is I’ve never gotten an opportunity to shoot that shot,” Andersen said. “My confidence level is up. Coaches know I work on it, and they know I make a high percentage of them. It’s why I don’t get pulled every time I take it.”

He’s serious about this. Before every game and after every practice you’ll find Andersen sharpening his craft. Where you won’t find him is in the paint like a typical big man, working on his pivot and post moves. Rather, he’s squared up beyond the 3-point arc, splashing jumper after jumper through the net. Even at Monday’s practice, there he was, shooting dozens of 3-pointers. By himself. No rebounder, just himself.

Apparently, the Heat aren’t taking this 3-point thing as seriously as Andersen.

Andersen has made two of his 3-point tries this season. All three have come at the top of the key just before the quarter or shot-clock buzzer sounds. His banked his third 3-point try of the season in Cleveland. No word if he followed protocol and called “bank” before it went in.

But don’t be surprised if Andersen tries to follow Chris Bosh’s lead as a stretch 5.

“It’s still in the works,” Andersen said of his 3-point shot. “Spo lets me shoot those at the end of the shot clock. But there’s not one set play for the Birdman to shoot the 3. Yet.”

Heat vs. Bucks: Contrast in efficiency 

April, 22, 2013
Apr 22
1:55
PM ET
Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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You might not have realized it, but the NBA is currently offering a free introductory course in Efficiency 101.

Where can you enroll? Just pull up a chair and study this Heat-Bucks series. No textbooks necessary, we promise.

Miami won Game 1 easily, scoring 110 points to Milwaukee’s 87. It’s true that the Heat enjoy an enormous talent advantage over their first-round foe and there was no hiding that on Sunday. But the Heat also employ a much smarter brand of basketball and that’s why they’ve achieved juggernaut status while the Bucks' season continues its downward spiral with me-first reckless shooting.

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Heat Reaction: Bucks at Heat

April, 21, 2013
Apr 21
9:37
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Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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Three reasons Miami Heat will rise higher 

April, 20, 2013
Apr 20
3:38
PM ET
Haberstroh By Tom Haberstroh
ESPN.com
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David Richard/USA TODAY SportsLeBron James got to spend plenty of time watching. Now he's rested and ready for the playoffs.
MIAMI -- The Miami Heat have never been this good.

In the 2012-13 season, they won a franchise-high 66 wins, rolling to the finish line with an absurd 37-2 record in their last 39 games. They earned the top overall seed with a six-game lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 12-game lead on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

And the scary thing is that, in all likelihood, their best has yet to come.

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