The Miami Heat improved their 2011/12 NBA season record to 4-0 (second time in franchise history), defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 on Dec. 30.

The Heat came out strong against the Timberwolves, but a poor second quarter performance brought Minnesota back into the game. Miami regained control of the contest in the third quarter, but the Timberwolves refused to go down without a fight.

The Timberwolves actually had a three point lead with a little over a minute left in the game, but a strong move to the rim by LeBron James—who was fouled during the play—gave them a chance to tie up the contest. LeBron made the ensuing free throw, setting the stage for some final minute heroics.

Once again, Dwyane Wade who finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, stepped up when the Heat needed him the most, finishing a LeBron lob with a layup and giving Miami the two point lead. The Timberwolves had one last chance to tie up the game, but Wayne Ellington’s jumper bounced off the rim.

“I’m glad we played them early because later they’re going to be trouble,” Wade told reporters after the game. “So I think Timberwolves fans will have something to cheer about for a while here.”

Birthday Celebrant, LeBron had another dominant performance for the Heat, finishing with 34 points (game high), 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Chris Bosh also had a solid outing, putting up 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Norris Cole and Udonis Haslem scored the Heat’s only points off the bench. Cole put up 12 points and 4 assists, while Haslem finished with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Miami’s next game will be on Jan. 1, when they host the Charlotte Bobcats at the American Airlines Arena. The Bobcats gave the Heat a tough contest on Dec. 28, and the next encounter between the two teams should be just as entertaining.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Late LeBron James-to-Dwyane Wade alley-oop secures Heat…”

Player and game information from ESPN

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Playing LeBron James any day of the year is enough to make most opponents break out in cold sweats in the middle of the night.

Be one of the unfortunate teams to get a game against King James on his birthday, and you know you’re in for a long night.

James turned a ripe old 27 on Friday, and the Miami Heat star says he always plays with a little extra juice on his birthday.

“My birthday and my mom’s birthday are the two days I feel real, real good about playing basketball,” James said on Friday morning after the team’s shootaround. “I’ve had the luxury of having games on my birthday and my mom’s birthday so we’ll see what happens.”

That could be bad news for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The undefeated Heat play at Target Center in the fifth time in James’ nine seasons that he has played on his birthday.

In four previous birthday games, James has averaged 35.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He’s also shot 55 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range.

So what gets into him on those days?

“You know my birthday when I turned 15 or I turned 9, when I was growing up, it wasn’t the best of days on my birthday,” he said. “To see where I am today, and to be able to turn 21 and be in the NBA and turn 22 and now turn 27 and be a part of this league, it’s a testament. It’s also I’m very humbled that I am able to be here and I’m very blessed.”

James’ best birthday performance came in 2009 when he had 48 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a victory over Atlanta while he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s also the only time he’s headed home for his birthday cake with a victory.

James had 38 points and seven assists in a loss to Miami in 2008, 33 points and nine boards against Chicago in 2006 and 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a loss to Indiana as a rookie in 2003.

“It’s amazing how many games he gets on his birthday, I’ll tell you that,” Heat star Dwyane Wade said. “He’s had a lot of games on his birthday. The schedule works that way.”

James is playing some of the best basketball of his career early this season for the Heat, who are coming off a disappointing NBA finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks last season. He’s averaging 32.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in his first three games, and has developed a low-post game to boot.

“He’s been playing exceptionally well,” Wade said. “He’s in a different mind state right now. I expect him to continue the mind state he’s in.

“You can’t always know what that is going to result to, but he always enjoys certain moments. It’s a special moment when you get an opportunity to play on this day. The biggest thing is to try to come out and lead us to a win.”

James said the best birthday present he ever received was the Hummer SUV his mother bought him when he turned 18.

The Timberwolves had their own birthday treat for James when they shut down guard J.J. Barea for the game with a strained right hamstring. The super-quick Barea hurt the Heat in the NBA finals last season and was a major reason the Mavs were able to pull off the upset.

Asked if he will miss chasing Barea around, James didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely not.”

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Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski.

By Ethan J. Skolnick

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

MINNEAPOLIS — The Heat better be awake Friday night.

For a change, the Minnesota Timberwolves feature some talent, including a lighter but no less relentless Kevin Love and two prized rookies, forward Derrick Williams (the No. 2 overall pick) and Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio, who already has shown court vision few in the NBA can match.

They have a proven offensive scheme, one being implemented by former Rockets, Blazers and Warriors head coach Rick Adelman. Oh, and they have old friend – and now close-cropped – Michael Beasley, who has struggled from the perimeter thus far.

Here’s what to zero in on Friday night while watching Miami (3-0) play the Wolves (0-2) at the Target Center:

• What does a day of rest do for the Heat?

Miami looked weary Wednesday night in Charlotte while playing its third game in four days. That manifested itself mostly on the boards, where the Heat got beaten down. It was the first time in franchise history that Miami won with at least a 20-rebound deficit.

The Heat got into Minneapolis early Thursday morning but had a full day to recover, with Erik Spoelstra making practice optional. Most players participated, although Dwyane Wade (sore foot) skipped it. No worries. He’ll go tonight.

• Can Udonis Haslem find his range?

The Heat forward has been active thus far, and appears fully healed from last season’s foot surgery. But his shooting stroke has been off the past two games. Haslem missed three of his four jumpers Wednesday, all from 15 to 20 feet. He now is 2-for-13 overall the past two games. He’ll play heavy minutes again Friday night, with Minnesota often using a small but agile front line. His primary job: Block out Love, who led the league in rebounding last season with 15.2 a game, including 4.5 on the offensive boards.

• Will Wade or LeBron James finally hoist a three?

Understand, this is not to suggest that either should. Still, it’s been remarkable that both players have resisted the temptation to unleash a single shot from beyond the arc.

James’ offensive efficiency through three games has been staggering – he is shooting 59 percent from the field. And even though Wade struggled against Charlotte, shooting 5-for-13 from the field, 10 of those shots came from inside the paint.

• How does Spoelstra manage the perimeter rotation?

If not for Wade’s minor foot injury, James Jones might not have played a minute Wednesday, and that’s after sinking six three-pointers in the first two contests. Instead, Spoelstra has been expanding Shane Battier’s workload.

In 20 minutes against the Bobcats, Battier didn’t score, but he blocked three shots and played a role in slowing the rotund but skilled Boris Diaw.

One of Battier’s contributions was even more subtle: He was camped out in the corner on Wade’s winning drive, and defenders were no more likely to leave him than if Jones had been in that spot.

The air of invincibility that had permeated the Miami Heat’s first two games was absent at the start. In its place was a quick 11-0 deficit.

Dwyane Wade then was absent at the start of the second half with a foot injury.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Regaining his legs, or at least enough of them, Wade banked in a short shot with 2.9 seconds to play to close out the scoring in a 96-95 victory on Wednesday night over the Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was a somewhat surprising finish, one achieved after a Gerald Henderson three-pointer with 12.2 seconds to play had put the Bobcats up by one, because it was Wade who was designated as the go-to guy on a night LeBron James led the Heat with 35 points.

Wade, who had bruised his left foot and missed the first 10 minutes of the third period, was four of 12 from the field before his game-winner.

“When he called it,” Wade said of coach Erik Spoelstra’s instructions, “I was surprised, because LeBron had it going.”

Wade, in fact, was about to tell Spoelstra that it should be James’ play, then decided he was up to the moment.

Barely, with his left foot throbbing.

“I had no lift,” the veteran guard said, “that’s why I shot-putted it.”

For most of the night, it appeared the Heat had no lift, falling behind by 16 in the first half, then losing Wade at the start of the third quarter.

But there was enough in support to push the record to 3-0, from James, who also had seven assists and six rebounds, to 25 points on eight-of-13 shooting from forward Chris Bosh, to a needed 15-point outing from point guard Mario Chalmers and lockdown defense from Shane Battier in his longest outing of the season.

“You’ve got to win some of these games ugly,” Spoelstra said. “We settled down.”

The Heat held the Bobcats to 10 third-quarter points to get back into it and then rode the aggression of Bosh and James in the fourth until Wade had his moment.

Wade’s moment came after both he and James botched dunks, although James’s attempt should have counted since it bounced off Gerald Henderson’s head and back out after clearing the rim. James joked he would appeal to the league for his lost points.

But with the game on the line, it was Wade’s to win or lose.

Spoelstra said it was not because of Wade’s clutch reputation or James’s fourth-quarter struggles that had carried over to this season, but rather because he saw an opening on the same set that seconds earlier had resulted in a Wade turnover.

“We saw him able to put the ball on the floor,” Spoelstra said. “He had a rough night at times, but he saw a gap he could get into.”

The game ended with a missed three-point attempt by Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin.

“It’s good to see us show some resolve, some toughness,” Spoelstra said.

That resolve and toughness arrived when needed most.

“The first half,” James said, “wasn’t Miami Heat basketball.”

The Heat entered having trailed just 14 seconds this season. That figure grew exponentially, with Charlotte bolting to that 11-0 lead, moving ahead 32-20 after the first quarter and 60-45 at halftime.

Playing on the second night of their first back-to-back set of the season, the Heat hardly had the legs that powered a dazzling transition attack in the season-opening victories over the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

With Wade out at the start of the third quarter, James decided it had to be his style of basketball, consistently attacking the rim.

“I decided to add a little bit more,” he said, continuing his torrid scoring start to the season.

In the end, though, he stood aside, waiting and watching Wade win it.

“I guess,” James said with a grin, “that’s why they pay him the big bucks.”

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In Photo: Dwyane Wade elevates for a clear shot against Charlottes’ Bismack Biyombo, while the Heat’s Udonis Haslem and the Bobcats’ Byron Mullens look on. (AP)

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