MIAMI – LeBron James got his trophy, and then he and Dwyane Wade made sure the Miami Heat got a win in Game 1.

James scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his first game as a three-time MVP, Wade finished with 29 despite struggling from the floor, and the Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 95-86 to open their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday.

Chris Bosh scored 13 points for Miami, but left late in the first half with a lower abdominal injury and did not return, with the Heat saying he was scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the problem. The Heat outscored Indiana 25-16 in the fourth, with Wade and James combining for 22 of those points.

Wade and James outscored Indiana 42-38 in the second half.

“It’s a battle and we know, regardless of being at home, being away, who we’re playing, what round, it’s tough to win in the playoffs and you have to fight for every single possession,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And that’s what it was.”

David West and Roy Hibbert each scored 17 points and combined for 23 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 10 points each from Darren Collison and George Hill.

“I thought we were just on our heels a little too much,” West said.

Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.

The Heat never led by more than two until 9:20 remained in the game, when a layup by James gave Miami a 76-72 edge. Wade added another basket about 30 seconds later, and the margin eventually reached eight when James made two free throws with 7:52 left.

Back came Indiana, which got within 86-85 on a 3-pointer by Hill with 4:51 left after Miami went cold again. But one big flurry — capped by a dunk from James in transition and Wade coming from behind to block a shot by Paul George at the rim about a half-minute later — gave the Heat some breathing room.

Wade and James scored 20 straight Miami points in the fourth, a string ended by a free throw from Joel Anthony with 1:05 left. After Hibbert missed a jumper on the next Indiana possession, James connected with 31.8 seconds left for a 95-86 Miami lead, and it was soon over.

“Definitely not our best game,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We didn’t shoot it very well. … It came down to execution in the fourth quarter and you’ve got to give credit to Miami’s defence.”

Wade shot only 8 for 23 from the field, and the Heat missed all six of their attempts from 3-point range — a first in team playoff history. But the Heat held a 45-38 rebounding edge, and allowed Indiana to make only 11 of 37 shots after halftime.

Danny Granger shot 1 for 10 for Indiana, scoring only seven points.

“I don’t know if he’s going to have a huge offensive series,” Vogel said. “When you have to guard the MVP for 38 minutes, it takes a lot out of your offensive game.”

Commissioner David Stern was on hand to present James with his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony that was capped by the Heat star telling fans how “electricity” was going to be important throughout the playoffs.

One team came out electrified — and it wasn’t Miami.

The Pacers trailed for only 56 seconds in the first half, never down by more than a basket. Indiana opened the game with an 11-4 run, held Miami to 37 per cent shooting in the first two quarters, and rode the strength of a 19-6 edge in bench scoring to take a 48-42 lead going into halftime — surviving some foul trouble as well.

Of the 10 players Vogel used in the first half, seven had at least two fouls, and Hill had three.

But by then, Miami had a bigger problem to address.

The Heat announced during halftime that Bosh would not return because of a lower abdominal injury. Bosh shot 6-for-11 in the first half, the last three of his points coming with 1:06 remaining after a dunk while getting fouled by Hibbert. Bosh remained down for a few moments, then got up slowly and made his free throw.

While going back down to the defensive end, Bosh started limping and grabbing at his midsection. He eventually fell to his knees in pain, and was replaced by Ronny Turiaf with 43.6 seconds left. Bosh was grimacing as he headed to the Heat locker room for evaluation, as his wife covered an anguished look on her face while watching from courtside.

“It’s unfortunate Chris went down,” Wade said. “But we told him, ‘Be healthy. We got ‘em.”

Even with Bosh out, things started going Miami’s way in the third quarter. The Heat held the Pacers to 31 per cent shooting in the period, and Anthony’s dunk off an assist from Wade tied the game heading to the fourth at 70-all. And the foul trouble compounded for Indiana early in the third, when Hill ran over Mario Chalmers with 8:26 left.

Hill was trying to get to the Pacers’ bench area to call timeout. Chalmers got in front of him near midcourt, held his ground and referee Scott Foster called Hill for the charge — his fifth foul, as Vogel argued otherwise. Vogel was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Saturday for comments he made last week about how he believes the Heat flop too much in efforts to get calls from referees.

“He was just manipulating the refereeing or trying to,” Stern said in a televised interview during the game. “I would have fined him much more than our office did. But I tell you what, I think it’s a legitimate concern. Some years ago, I told the competition committee that we were going to start fining people for flopping and then suspending. … It’s not a legitimate play in my judgment.”

NOTES: Wade is appearing in his 18th playoff series with Miami, one more than Alonzo Mourning for the most in Heat franchise history. … The fans in Miami booed when a foul was given to George in the fourth quarter — his fifth — and not assessed to Hibbert. Had the foul been on Hibbert, it would have been his sixth personal. George fouled out about 2 minutes later. … It was Miami’s 13th straight post-season win at home against East opponents.

MIAMI — Despite losing forward Chris Bosh to an abdominal injury in the second quarter, the Miami Heat held on behind the play of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for a 95-86 victory Sunday over the Indiana Pacers at AmericanAirlines Arena.    The victory gave the Heat a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series that continues Tuesday on the Heat’s home court.    James led the Heat with 32 points and 15 rebounds, with Wade adding 29 points.    That proved enough to hold on against a balance Pacers attack led by the 17 points of forward David West and center Roy Hibbert.    Bosh was lost with a lower-abdominal strain that leaves his status in doubt the balance of the series.    For the Pacers, the penalties were more short-term, with foul trouble severely limiting the rotations of coach Frank Vogel.    The Heat put it away behind a late charge from James and Wade, who combined for 20 consecutive Heat points to put Miami up 92-86 with just more than a minute to play.    With James scoring 10 points in the third period, the Heat briefly regained the lead in the quarter, before going into the fourth tied 70-70.    With Bosh sidelined for the second half, James had 12 rebounds by the end of the third quarter.    From nine points down moments earlier, the Heat went into halftime down 48-42. The Heat took advantage of a charging call late in the second period on guard Leandro Barbosa against forward Mike Miller, the very type of call Vogel had lobbied against going into the series.   The Heat went into the intermission with concerns, with Bosh suffering the lower-abdominal strain on a dunk he turned into a 3-point play late in the second period. He did not return for the second half, and now could be out longer.   Bosh had 13 first-half points, tying Wade for the Heat lead at the intermission. West led the Pacers with 12 at the half.    It was struggle early for Pacers forward Danny Granger, who had his first scoreless first half since 2007.   James was scoreless for the Heat in the second quarter, missing both of his attempts.   With Tyler Hansbrough energizing the Pacers, making his four first-half shots, Indiana was sparked by its bench during the second quarter.   The Pacers led 23-20 at the end of the first quarter, but faced early foul trouble, with Granger, West and Paul George each called for two fouls in the opening period.   Late in the second quarter, Pacers guard George Hill was forced out with his third foul, then called for a pair of quick fouls early in the third quarter.   The Heat fell behind by nine early, opening 1 for 8 from the field with four turnovers, but closed the gap with an 8-0 run midway through the second period.    NOTES: NBA Commissioner David Stern presented James with his 2012 NBA Most Valuable Player trophy at midcourt just prior to the opening tip . . . Fans were given James MVP white headbands to commemorate the moment . . . Fined $15,000 Saturday by the NBA for his pre-series complaints about how the Heat draw charging calls by flopping, Vogel declined comment Sunday on the sanction. “I have the utmost respect for the league office and their officials. I respect their decision,” he said . . . Vogel said he did not expect the Heat to be forced into matchups against his Pacers in the series.  “I think when you have the better record, you do what you do,” he said . . . Sunday was the Pacers’ first appearance on ABC this season and only their second on national television beyond NBA TV.

For the second straight year, the Miami Heat are the prohibitive favorites to win the NBA Championship.

According to the online sportsbook Bovada, the Heat are 6/5 favorites to win it all. Miami may not have the best record of any team remaining in the playoffs, but they have two of the best players in the game.

For all the negative talk about LeBron James in the playoffs, he’s still the number one player in the NBA. He’s on the verge of winning his third MVP in four years, and plays alongside the top shooting guard in Dwyane Wade.

The Heat made quick work of the Knicks in the first round, and are on the fast track to the NBA Finals with the Bulls out of the picture. Miami has its flaws, and showed that it can be beaten when they lost in six games to the Mavericks a season ago, but they are the most likely candidate to win the title.

There aren’t many teams with a chance of beating the Heat, but there are a few clubs that have a shot to take down the Big 3.

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Here are the three teams that can prevent the Miami Heat from winning this year’s NBA Finals.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are the only team in the Eastern Conference that has a chance of beating the Heat.

After looking like a team that’s window had passed in the first half of the season, Boston played extremely well heading into the playoffs.

Boston is the only team left in the playoffs that can match Miami defensively. The Heat are known as an offensive juggernaut because of the Big 3, but the real strength of the team is its defense.

Even if Boston can’t score against Miami, the Celtics can hold down the Heat as well. Once they get in transition, the Heat are almost unstoppable. It won’t be easy for the Celtics to slow down the Heat, but if they can play a half-court game with Miami, they’ll have a chance to win.

The Heat would have the best two players on the court in a potential, but the Celtics might have the next best three. Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce are two of the best players in the league, and Kevin Garnett had a resurgence in 2012. If Boston gets a few breaks, they have a chance of making it to the NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder were many people’s choice to meet the Heat in the finals before the season started.

CENTER: Chris Bosh is a more-talented player than Roy Hibbert, with both All-Stars this season. The question is whether Bosh is a better center. Still, even that aspect might be overstated, with Bosh likely to draw Hibbert to the perimeter. In fact, don’t be surprised with a cross-match here, with Hibbert instead defending Udonis Haslem, leaving David West on Bosh. Hibbert averaged 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in the four-game season series, it is doubtful a repeat of those numbers would cause much concern for the Heat. EDGE: HEAT

POWER FORWARD: David West has been the single greatest difference for the Pacers this season and the closest thing they have to a proven big-game go-to guy. For Udonis Haslem, there is negligible chance he can offset West’s scoring. What he has to do is provide enough defensively that the Heat won’t have to think about double-teams. West hardly was overwhelming against the Heat during the season series, but he had his moments in the first round against the Magic and must play very well for the Pacers to have a chance. EDGE: PACERS

SMALL FORWARD: Danny Granger is the type of player people tend to talk more about how good he can be than how good he is. He melted during several pressure points in the first round against the Magic and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Pacers go with more of a defensive presence against LeBron James at times, perhaps Dahntay Jones. The question with James will be focus. He had plenty of it against long-time rival Carmelo Anthony in the first round. Can he maintain that focus against Granger or will the defense wane after two grueling weeks? EDGE: HEAT

SHOOTING GUARD: Dwyane Wade had it easy in the first round after Iman Shumpert went down for the Knicks in the series opener with a season-ending knee injury. The challenge will be more significant this series, be it against starter Paul George, or Leandro Barbosa off the bench, or even if the Pacers go small with Darren Collison and George Hill playing side by side. Wade was good enough in the opening round, but not great. This would be as good a time as any to start warming up, with George capable of offensive moments.EDGE: HEAT

POINT GUARD: Mario Chalmers was able to spend the opening round against the aged and the infirm, be it Baron Davis or Mike Bibby. Now the Pacers arrive with the playoff-proven toughness of George Hill and the pace-changing, off-the-bench presence of Darren Collison. It will be a whole new world for Chalmers, with his defense to become a significant factor. Hill had some wonderful moment in the opening round and has the ability to expose Chalmers on both ends. EDGE: HEAT

BENCH: This is where the Pacers hope to separate themselves from the Heat, able to call upon Tyler Hansbrough, Darren Collison, Leandro Barbosa, Lou Amundson and possibly Dahntay Jones. Frank Vogel splits his minutes pretty evenly among his top seven and his bench can be game-changing and pace-changing. For the Heat, Shane Battier and Mike Miller tend to be far better at home. With the Pacers’ size, don’t be surprised to see Ronny Turiaf join Joel Anthony in the Heat power rotation. EDGE: PACERS

COACHING: If nothing else, Frank Vogel is confident, perhaps even brazen. Yes it is that assuredness that has pushed his Pacers to these heights. Still, there were a few game-closing moments against the Magic in the first round that made you wonder if he has enough answers when quick decisions are needed. By contrast, Erik Spoelstra has LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, which tends to make the decisions easier. He already has shown he can drive his team deep into the playoffs. EDGE: HEAT

INTANGIBLES: The question with the Pacers is whether they have entered the just-glad-to-be-here stage. Frank Vogel insists that isn’t the case, but what else would you expect a coach to say? By contrast, Erik Spoelstra has to have considerable concern about a letdown after his team came in so hyped against the Knicks. There easily could be an early slip-up. Still, the Heat have proven to be nearly invincible on their home court, with those games never in doubt against the Knicks, and there again is homecourt advantage in this series. EDGE: HEAT

PREDICTION: It once again will come down to the Heat’s Big Three, with at least two needing to have significant series in light of the Pacers’ depth of good-if-not-great talent. And there at least has to be a fight from the Heat at point guard. As for center, we’re just not sold on Roy Hibbert. For the Heat, this essentially comes down to focus, and whether the edge can be maintained from the Knicks series. The Pacers are better than the Knicks, but not better than the Heat. PICK: Heat in six.

As if losing wasn’t bad enough, Amar’e Stoudemire had to face ridicule from the PA guy. Oh, the indignity!
(Al Diaz – AP)
Some might argue that Amar’e Stoudemire opened himself up to any and all fire extinguisher humor when he cut his hand while punching a glass encasement after the New York Knicks lost Game 2 to the Miami Heat.

But apparently some subjects are off limits when it comes to humor in the NBA playoffs.

In Wednesday’s series-clinching Heat victory in Miami, the public-address announcer quipped that Stoudemire was “extinguished” from the game after the forward picked up his sixth foul.

On Thursday, the Miami Heat apologized on behalf of the joke.

“Last night at our game, our PA Announcer had a momentary lapse of judgment and used a poor choice of words in describing Amare Stoudemire’s fouling out of the game. This is not who we are as an organization or who he is as an announcer. Both the Miami HEAT and Michael Baiamonte apologize to Amar’e and the New York Knicks for the inappropriate choice of words.”

Glad we got that out of the way. No hard feelings, right Amar’e?

(H/T SBNation)

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More

What’s next for Knicks after season-ending loss to Heat?

Heat finish off Knicks with 106-94 win in Game 5

Amar’e Stoudemire finds that fire extinguishers hit back

Stoudemire has hand surgery, will miss Game 3

Miami, FL (Sports Network) – LeBron James had a solid all-around effort with 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Miami Heat dominated the shorthanded New York Knicks, 106-94, to win their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in five games.

The Heat, seeded second, will play Indiana in the conference semifinals. The third-seeded Pacers finished off Orlando in five games Tuesday night. The series starts Sunday afternoon in Miami.

“We’ve played some great ball against them,” James said. “I think we gave them more problems than they gave us. It’s going to be a great series.”

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each tallied 19 points, while Mario Chalmers scored 10 for the Heat. But it was James who forced the action all night, going 13- of-15 from the foul line. Overall, Miami missed just five of its 34 foul shots.

Carmelo Anthony had 35 points on 15-of-31 shooting for New York. J.R. Smith went just 3-of-15 from the field and had 12 points. Amare Stoudemire ended with 14 points, but he fouled out.

Trying to get back to the NBA Finals for a second straight year, the Heat dominated the Knicks in what turned out to be the finale of the best-of-seven series after suffering an 89-87 loss at Madison Square Garden Sunday. That snapped New York’s string of an NBA-record 13 straight playoff defeats, but the Knicks were no match for Miami’s Big Three and haven’t been out of the first round since 2000.

“In the future, I feel good about competing against the top teams in the Eastern Conference,” Anthony said. “I do consider our team being up there, top three, top four teams in the East. We just have to get better and go from there.”

The seventh-seeded Knicks were beset with injuries before and during this series. Stoudemire missed Game 3 with an injured left hand which he suffered when he punched a fire extinguisher after a loss in Game 2. Veteran point guard Baron Davis, who was starting in place of the injured Jeremy Lin, suffered devastating knee injuries in Game 4. Also, defensive stalwart Iman Shumpert was lost to a torn ACL in a 33-point Game 1 setback.

“It’s really a shame the injuries they went through,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Nobody wants to see it. We want to play teams at their best. We were able to persevere.”

Mike Bibby scored eight in the first quarter to keep the Knicks close, but an aggressive James factored big in moving the Heat to a 28-24 lead after 12 minutes. He made 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the period.

A jumper from Smith tied the game at 22 in the final two minutes, but Shane Battier sank one from beyond the arc to move the hosts in front for good. After Stoudemire’s dunk, Mike Miller drained a three-ball with 47.1 seconds left for the four-point difference after one period.

The story of the second quarter was Miami’s domination on the glass. They held a 13-5 rebounding advantage and were able to open a double-digit cushion.

Anthony’s jumper cut New York’s deficit to 45-42, but Chalmers drained a three to start a half-ending 10-2 flurry. Wade, who scored 12 in the quarter, capped the burst by sinking a bank shot. He was fouled by Smith on the play with 31.1 seconds left and drained the free throw to account for the 55-44 halftime margin.

Anthony accounted for half of New York’s eight made field goals in the third, but a cold-shooting Smith hurt a chance at a comeback. He missed all seven of his shots in the period.

With James and Bosh as catalysts in the third, combining for 16 points, the Heat continued to pull away. The Knicks got within eight nearly midway through the quarter, but Miami responded with a 14-4 run, finished by a James jumper, for a 78-60 advantage with 1:29 to go.

“They made plays coming back the other way,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “That’s what great teams do.”

Facing an 81-67 deficit moving to the fourth, the Knicks never got within single digits over the final 12 minutes.

Game Notes

The only playoff meeting between the Pacers and Heat came in 2004 in the East semifinals with Indiana winning in six games. Miami won three of the four encounters this season…Bibby scored 10, two less than teammate Landry Fields…Miami went 9-of-19 from three-point range.

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LeBron James decided not to play in New York two summers ago. He won’t be playing there any more this season, either.

The Knicks have been put away, and the Miami Heat are headed to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points and the Heat ousted the Knicks 106-94 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Wednesday night.

Miami won the series 4-1, and will meet Indiana in the East semifinals starting Sunday in Miami.

“We will savor this win tonight,” James said. “And then we get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana.”

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks, including a spinning jumper over James at the end of the third quarter that pulled New York within 81-67.

It wasn’t enough to stave off an all-too-familiar playoff result for Anthony, who was chosen two spots behind James and immediately ahead of Bosh and Wade in the 2003 NBA draft. Anthony has been in 11 postseason series, winning just two, the won-lost record of his teams in those games a mere 17-37.

Amare Stoudemire scored 14 points before fouling out, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith both scored 12 and Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds for New York.

Stoudemire fouled out with 4:48 left, and the Knicks put together one more run with hopes of saving the season. New York cut the margin to 11 points four times in a 2-minute span, and Miami answered every time, the last of those a 3-pointer by Shane Battier with 54 seconds left.

That sent the white seat covers flying in all corners of the arena, the fans knowing it was finally over. After the final horn, James and Anthony shared an embrace, like many other players.

“It was fun, man,” James said. “He’s one of the most competitive players I’ve ever played against in a playoff series.”

The first game day salvo came eight hours before tipoff, when Wade sent a verbal jab toward former teammate Mike Bibby.

“I know Mike has made more shots in this series than he made all last year. I know that. Send that to Mike,” Wade said, laughing.

Bibby averaged 0.5 points in first-quarter appearances this season. That was before scoring eight in the opening minutes of Game 5, including a jumper over Wade that gave New York a quick 14-8 lead.

It was one of New York’s few moments to enjoy. James had 13 points on only six field-goal attempts by halftime, Wade shook off a scoreless first quarter with 12 in the second, and Miami went into the break leading 55-44.

The margin was less than 10 points for only 90 seconds of the third quarter. Stoudemire went to the bench with his fifth foul with 6:41 left in the third, and Miami went on an 11-2 spurt not long after that all but sealed the outcome. It was 67-58 when Fields made two free throws with 4:49 left in the quarter — and then the Heat’s “Big Three” needed just 3 minutes to blow the game open.

Bosh and Wade combined for six points in that flurry, James the other five, including a 21-footer with 1:29 left to put Miami up 78-60.

For the Knicks, it was the 12th straight season without a playoff-series victory, extending the second-longest drought in franchise history. The last time New York advanced in the postseason came at Miami’s expense in 2000 in the East semifinals.

Of the now five Heat-Knicks playoff matchups, this was the first not to be decided in an ultimate game.

New York’s season started with great expectations. Not long after the lockout ended the Knicks acquired Chandler from Dallas, a move made possible by using the amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups.

Those moves were expected. Just about everything else that happened was not.

From the firing of coach Mike D’Antoni to the emergence of Jeremy Lin before he was sidelined after knee surgery, the Knicks had a roller-coaster ride. Interim coach Mike Woodson went 18-6 down the stretch of the regular season, giving the Knicks plenty of hope for pulling off a playoff upset.

Didn’t happen. The Knicks wound up ending what was an NBA-record 13-game playoff losing streak by taking Game 4, and that was about it.

Rookie guard Iman Shumpert was lost in the third quarter of Game 1 to a torn knee ligament, Stoudemire sliced his left hand after taking out his frustrations on a metal-and-glass fire extinguisher case after a Game 2 loss, and Baron Davis shredded his knee so badly in Game 4 that he is expected to be out a year — at least.

Notes: Miami went 7-1 against the Knicks this season, including playoffs. The Heat won three of four games against Indiana this season. … James had seven points, five assists and zero field goals in the first quarter. Only two other players (Billups in 2007 and Jerryd Bayless in 2011, both in fourth quarters) had done that in any quarter since James entered the league, according to STATS LLC. … Bibby played more than half a game for only the fourth time this season. … Rapper Rick Ross was among those courtside.

Heat players were given a dramatic, almost militaristic framework for the job that faced them Wednesday, with allusions to displays of power and defending home turf.

“It’s about coming out with our most overwhelming effort and force of the series here in front of our home fans,” coach Erik Spoelstra told his guys.

Overwhelming. Force. These are not standard words from a coach more analytical than emotional. Clearly, Miami was looking for something definitive in this first-round playoff series Game 5 here vs. the New York Knicks — a statement game.

What they got was close enough.

It was close enough on a night when anything less would have replaced any statement with only questions.

The 106-94 elimination of the Knicks means Miami moves on as it should, moves on as it must again and again, to and through the NBA Finals, to make a success of this Year 2 of the Big 3.

“Prove it,” Spoelstra told his team. “Prove this means more to us than them.”

They did, with a statement that sounded something like, “Enough with New York, already. Next, please.”

Wednesday night was about more than winning this series, though, and advancing to face Indiana in round two. That was going to happen, let’s be honest. Of 101 teams up 3-0 in a seven-game NBA playoff (as Miami was), 101 had gone on to win the series. No exceptions. Ever. And of 186 teams that led by 3-1, 178 advanced, or 95.7 percent.

So there was no logical way the Heat was going to cast itself in ignominy by squandering such a historically decisive advantage against a physically depleted Knicks squad.

Wednesday for the Heat, to me, was more about a favored team reasserting itself and trying to solidify the perception that Miami is the championship-caliber team it believes it is.

This was about casting aside any creeping onset of doubts.

Because a Game 5 loss on the home floor sending this series back to Madison Square Garden would have blown open the doors on those doubts.

Something close to panic would have rolled across South Florida while, nationally, critics would have begun to wonder aloud — and rightly — how good this team really is. Better than last year? Championship-ready? Really?

Pre-empting noise

If it took this much effort to get past an injury-wracked, seventh-seeded first-round opponent?

That eagerly waiting noise is why Miami needed to end this now, and as resolutely as it did. This was a beat-up Knicks team missing guards Baron Davis, Jeremy Lin, and Iman Shumpert. They were down to the reanimated ghost of Mike Bibby.

Short-handed seventh seeds are not something Miami needs to be taking more than five games to erase if this truly is a team capable of reigning in June.

Even a narrow or unimpressive victory Wednesday, an escape, might have left a trail of questions and noise, what Spoelstra likes to call the “decibel level” forever surrounding this team and ready to erupt.

Wednesday jammed the mute button on all of that.

The series-clinching win was impressive because it felt so routine, Miami in rather casual control.

The Heat led after the first quarter despite neither LeBron James nor Dwyane Wade scoring a field goal. The lead was 11 by the half. And growing.

There ended up being a completeness to the result that was encouraging. The 29 points by the should-be-MVP James led a parade of 67 by the Big 3, but the bench also showed up, with Mike Miller and Shane Battier combining for 18.

Gradually over the course of the evening the Knicks and the first round were fading by degrees, replaced by the emerging, waiting Indiana Pacers and the second round that will begin with Game 1 here Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

‘in a cage’

The biggest challenge immediately ahead for Miami might be to accept that Indiana is a higher seed, a better team, and a tougher opponent than New York. Because you wouldn’t automatically think so just scanning the Pacers’ roster.

Sure, the Pacers are a balanced team, young, big, and so physical that Spoelstra half joked, “This next series could be played in a cage.”

But non-Indianans will earn extra credit if they can name any Pacer other than leading scorer Danny Granger. (Sorry, but no on Reggie Miller. He retired, remember?) The biggest name on this star-less team is still former great Larry Bird, the club’s director of basketball operations.

Then again, Indiana is a team not to be taken lightly and deserving of respect, et cetera and so forth and so on.

Around here, that means a sweep by Miami is not absolutely required and that a fifth game might be grudgingly tolerated and forgiven if necessary.

The Heat’s bench receives such derision, such scrutiny at times that Charles Barkley cracked at halftime Wednesday, “I didn’t even know they had a bench. If Miami’s bench plays well against you, that lets you know you have issues. That’s one of their weaknesses.”

That maligned bench delivered some very good moments in the Heat’s series-clinching Game 5 win. Most encouraging: Mike Miller’s 3 for 5 shooting from three-point range (and overall). He entered Game 5 making 32 percent of his shots in the series and 35.8 percent over the past several weeks, covering his past 109 shots.

Besides his usually formidable defense, Shane Battier added two three-pointers in four attempts and sank three free throws when he was fouled on a missed three. And Joel Anthony contributed five rebounds. “Joel is really able to spark our second unit with his energy,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat’s bench — mostly Miller, Battier and Anthony — shot 4 for 21 and scored 14 points combined in Games 3 and 4. In Game 5, they produced 22 points.

Sound bites

• Dwyane Wade, who tossed Mike Bibby’s shoe to the sideline during an amusing moment in Game 1, took a playful jab at his former teammate Wednesday morning. “Mike has made more shots in this series than he made all last year,” Wade said, smiling.

Bibby — who started Game 5 because of injuries to Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis — shot 9 for 23, including 7 for 17 on three-pointers, in the series.

Last season, he shot 28.1 percent for the Heat in the playoffs and posted the lowest playoff efficiency rating in NBA history for a player who logged at least 400 postseason minutes.

• Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, asked by a Cleveland writer on Wednesday if he has forgiven LeBron James for leaving, said, “The truth of the matter is July 11, 2010, we just started focusing on the future.” (That’s when James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach.)

This and that

• James, who averaged 43.9 minutes in last season’s playoffs, had been averaging a more manageable 37.5 through four games of this series. “I’m going to need that,” he said of the extra rest. “Coach has so many lineups that can give us more rest.” But he played 40 minutes in Game 5.

• Spoelstra said James “is more vocal than he was last year. I see his comfort level with this group.” James and Chris Bosh had a testy exchange after a defensive breakdown in the third quarter Wednesday.

• Spoelstra said he doesn’t gloss over free throws when his team struggles from the line, as it did in Game 4. He said his approach is generally to discuss it with his team the next day and “spend a little extra time working on it after practice.” The Heat shot 29 for 34 from the line in Game 5 after going 24 for 35 in Game 4.

• James, speaking before the game about his close friendship with Carmelo Anthony: “During the game, there’s really no friends. I want the best for him but not when he plays us.”

• Lin said Wednesday he was unable to play because his surgically-repaired knee is only 85 percent.

•  Amare Stoudemire, who has his left hand bandaged after lacerating it on the glass encasing of a fire extinguisher last week, said before the game that he was “still very limited” and could not dunk or block shots with that hand. He had 14 points and only four rebounds before fouling out late in Game 5.

• Game 5 was the last one that Heat rights-holder Sun Sports could televise this postseason, because the national networks have exclusivity beginning in the second round. But unlike recent years, Sun Sports will carry a postgame show after every remaining Heat playoff game.

The New York Knicks will try to avoid elimination tonight (May 09, 2012) against the Miami Heat. Game 5 of their NBA playoff series will be difficult. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 defecit. So the Knicks will need something extra. Here are ten drinks to help the Knicks defeat the Heat.

10. Monster

The Knicks will need a monster effort to win this game. They will need to play well on both sides of the court, for a full 48 minutes.

9. BOOST

The Knicks won Game 4, but they got no help from their bench. Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can’t do all the scoring. The Knicks will need a boost from their bench tonight.

8. Gatorade

The Knicks will need Anthony to have another strong performance. Anthony must come up big. He needs to drink Gatorade and Be Like Mike.

7. Green Tea

It has been said that green tea improves alertness. The Knicks will need to be alert and completely focused on winning tonight.

6. Powerade

Stoudemire must bring his power game like he did in Game 4. He should not settle for jumpers. Punish the Heat inside and open up the outside.

5. Full Throttle

The Knicks should not play scared. They should go at the Heat in full force. Take it to them. Be the aggressor.

4. Endless Master Healing Potion

This powerful healing drink from the World of Warcraft could really help the Knicks right now. With injuries to Iman Shumpert, Baron Davis, Jeremy Lin and Stoudemire, the Knicks could use a case full. But this potion is extremely hard to find. In the meantime, they should drink milk; it does a body good.

3. 7UP

Oh how I hope the Knicks are seven up with minutes left in the game!

2. Relentless

The Knicks will need to be relentless. They will need to contest every shot, fight for every rebound and outhustle the Heat in every way.

1. Kool-Aid

Mike Woodson has done a fine job as head coach of the Knicks. The team appears to be drinking the Kool-Aid. But I will need one more win before I take a taste.

More from Edwin Torres:

LeBron James’ Flopping is a Disgrace to the NBA: Fan’s Take

Time to Give Owner James Dolan Credit for These New York Knicks: Fan Reaction

Did Racism Keep Jeremy Lin Down? Fan View

Edwin Torres was born in New York City. He has been a Knicks fan since the early 1980s. He has visited Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

SI.com – NBA

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Heat’s loss in Game 4 left the team angry, but the numbers give the team and Heat fans plenty to be optimistic about.

Out of the 101 teams to lose the first three games in a best-of-seven series in the NBA playoffs, none won the series and only 10 managed to avoid elimination twice. The Heat have dominated the series until Game 4 when everything fell apart.

The Heat missed 11 free throws, the majority coming from Dwyane Wade, missed 16 three-pointers, blew two double-digit leads and gave up a 19-2 run in the third quarter. Then at the end of regulation, Wade threw up an off balance shot while LeBron was simply an observer.

Still, the Heat feel like Game 4 was a fluke and that things will be quite different heading into Game 5 att her AmericanAirlines Arena.

“You carry it with you 24 hours, you go over what needs to be done, you correct it and you get rid of it,” Heat forward LeBron James said. “That’s not saying that you don’t care about it but you’ve got to move on to the next game. You can’t let it linger too much and carry that game into Game 5. So Game 4 for us is over. We’re preparing for Game 5 now.”

The Knicks are hoping to break the historical streak of teams going down 0-3 after finally ending their more than decade long streak without a playoff victory. But the Knicks will be trying to do it without several key pieces.

The team lost guard Iman Shumpert in Game 1 to a torn ACL. Then in Game 4, Baron Davis may have ended his career when he tore the patellar tendon, dislocated his kneecap, and tore two ligaments in his knee.

That leaves the Knicks with little point guard depth and puts Heat point guard Mario Chalmers in a familiar position.

The Knicks will likely start Mike Bibby at the point. Last year, Bibby was starting for the Heat until Chalmers pushed him out of the starting lineup in the NBA Finals. Chalmers took over the job and the Heat didn’t attempt to re-sign Bibby.

Now, Chalmers has the ability once again to send Bibby home for the summer if he can help get the Heat a victory at home.

Still, all the injuries make the Knicks unpredictable because Knicks head coach Mike Woodson will use some unconventional lineups at different times in the game.

“They’ll bring something different so we’ve got to be prepared, in a sense like it’s a regular-season game,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “It’ll be a little tougher. Five games in, everyone pretty much knows each other’s offensive package a little bit. You can throw a couple wrinkles in but you kind of get to the point now where you start to know what guys are going to do.”

The Heat and Knicks will tipoff Game 5 of the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)