NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Hundreds of Miami Heat fans left their presents at home to spend Christmas Day watching the Heat in the first official game of the season.

Fans packed Miller’s Ale House on Northeast 163rd Street in North Miami Beach, Sunday, to watch the Miami Heat take on the Dallas Mavericks. “Open your gift and then come to the sports bar,” said Heat fan Eric Veizga Jr. “We’ve been craving basketball and it’s finally here.”

Many patrons didn’t mind leaving their homes on Christmas Day to cheer on the Heat. “Well we did the family thing last night so today it’s me and my dad, hanging out, having some beers. We’re still doing the family thing I guess,” said a Heat fan.

Restaurants geared up for the big day, knowing the game would bring in the crowds. “Of course we weren’t going to miss a chance to have everyone here for the Heat game, ” said Trent Prichard of North Miami Beach Ale House. “Everybody loves to come out. As you can see we fill up for all of the Heat games.”

As the Heat’s lead in the game became bigger, the crowd became louder, showing signs that basketball fans were more than ready to get the season started. “I’m pretty excited, you know, basketball is something we look forward to, it’s a big part of our life,” said Heat fan Yali Goldenberg.

With the blow out win Sunday against the reigning champions, Heat fans are confident this is Miami’s season to win it all. “Honestly, I see them losing not that many games. I think they’re going to do very great this year. They look like they’re hungry, they’re ready for it,” said Heat fan Alex Bello.

The Heat’s home opener is on Tuesday Dec. 27 against the Boston Celtics.

(Copyright 2011 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

- (Reuters) – The Miami Heat gained a little revenge for their loss in last year’s NBA finals, by spoiling the Dallas Mavericks‘ championship celebration with a resounding 105-94 victory on Sunday’s opening day of the season.

LeBron James was on fire as Miami ran away with the game, taking a 97-65 lead after three quarters, before allowing Dallas, who never led, to make the score respectable in the fourth.

The game was part of a five-game Christmas opening day to the delayed and reduced 66-game regular season, after the five month lockout during the dispute between players and owners over a new collective contract.

The Heat had to wait in their locker room as the Mavericks raised their championship banner minutes before the start of the game as Dallas players, wearing “2011 NBA Champions” on the back of their tracksuits, celebrated.

But when the game got underway, finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and team-mates Jason Kidd and Jason Terry were swept aside by an impressive Heat, who showed exactly why they are the favorites for the title this season.

James scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds and six assists while Dwyane Wade contributed 26 points with eight rebounds and six assists, as the Heat‘s two biggest names offered an early reminder of their quality.

The pattern for the game was set in the first quarter with Miami establishing a 32-17 lead while Dallas had more turnovers than rebounds.

Dallas looked to be missing the defensive influence of Tyson Chandler, who they traded to the Knicks, and their biggest off-season arrival, Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers, was ejected in the third quarter and ended with just four points and four rebounds.

Miami began with the same starting line-up that ended Game Six of last season’s finals but gave first round draft pick Norris Cole an early chance and he impressed.

The Heat looked improved an a number of areas with Udonis Haslam now back to full fitness and free agent signing Shane Battier making his debut.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

The Miami Heat ruined the Dallas Mavericks’ championship party, handing them a humiliating Christmas Day beat down. Dirk Nowitzki and company were all smiles prior to the game (Mavericks received their rings and hoisted the 2011 championship banner in the pregame festivities), but the smiles didn’t last long, as the Heat cruised on to the 105-94 victory. With the win, the Heat break their 14 game regular season losing streak to the Mavericks.

The Heat wasted no time against the team that ended their championship dreams last season, taking control in the very first half of the game and never looking back. By halftime, the Heat had a 21 point lead, and things only got worse for the Mavericks in the second half. The Mavericks did try to fight back in the final quarter, but by then, half of their fans had already deserted them and it was too little too late.

Solid defense has been a staple of the “big three” era Heat and they obviously haven’t lost a step. The Heat’s defense smothered the Mavericks throughout the game, holding them to 38 percent shooting from the field. Even Nowitzki had problems dealing with the Heat’s defense, converting on only 6 of his 15 attempts from the field.

LeBron James made an emphatic statement in Miami’s first game of the 2011/12 NBA season, dropping 37 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists against the Mavericks.

Dwyane Wade wasn’t playing around with the Mavericks either, finishing with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists of his own.

Miami’s improved bench played their part as well, putting up a combined 27 points and 23 rebounds against Dallas. Udonis Haslem in particular had a strong game coming off the bench, finishing with 9 points and 14 rebounds.

Expectations are high for the 2011/12 Miami team, but they seem to be up to the task. The Heat’s next game will be on Dec. 27, when they host the Boston Celtics at the American Airline Arena.

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:

Player and game information from ESPN.com

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Wade expects other NBA teams to copy Miami Heat

Miami Heat Rookie Norris Cole Prepares for 2011/12 Season

Heat Sign Shane Battier and Eddy Curry

Erik Spoelstra Signs Contract Extension with the Heat

Miami Heat Smashes Magic in Preseason Opener

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Hilariously, Amar’e Stoudemire continues to take shots at the rival Miami Heat, saying that his Knicks are looking forward to challenging the reigning Eastern Conference champs. According to STAT, LeBron and co. aren’t ready to claim the NBA throne from the champion Mavericks. Per the NY Post: “Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire said though the Miami Heat are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, they aren’t the kings of the NBA. ‘The Miami Heat are the guys. [The Heat] are the team to beat, they’re the Eastern Conference champions,’ Stoudemire said. ‘I think Dallas is really on the throne and Miami is trying to climb the throne but it’s too high for them to get up there.’ Stoudemire, who handed out presents to children at Harlem with The Brotherhood/Sister Sol and his foundation, said the Knicks are an ‘up and coming’ team in the East, but are still chasing the Heat. ‘We’re not there yet, we have a lot of room to improve,’ Stoudemire said. ‘We know how good we can be. The potential is pretty much doing what you haven’t done yet and to keep striving for greatness. I think we can be really, really good.’ The vision Stoudemire had for the Knicks when he signed with the team two summers ago is finally coming to fruition, with a roster filled with ‘great’ players.”

Read More: nba free agents 2011, Kyrylo Fesenko (C – UTA), Miami Heat, Houston Rockets

The Golden State Warriors are trying to bulk up inside and land themselves a quality big man who can grab rebounds and play solid defense. Their first big target is Kyrylo Fesenko, who most recently played in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.

Fesenko has left the league to play in Europe most recently, but it appears as if two teams are still trying to vie for his services. One of them is the Warriors, who are looking for a backup center who provides quality minutes and tries to further instill the mindset of defense that Mark Jackson wants his team to believe. The other is the Miami Heat.

The Heat really needed a big man presence to help bolster their chances at capturing a championship, as Miami’s offense proved it could stagnate if they weren’t able to produce points inside. Additionally, Fesenko’s presence could bolster the Heat’s interior D, which is generally their weak point. It’ll be interesting to see if either team can land the Ukranian.

To discuss Fesenko on either team, head to Peninsula is Mightier (Heat) and Golden State of Mind (Warriors).