Hot Hot Hoops - All Posts

Pacers edge Heat this time 97-93 to tie Eastern Conference Series at 1-1

2013-05-25T04:14:58Z

The Miami Heat may have escaped Game 1 with an overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers by just one point but this time LeBron James could not make up the difference in the end.

Two uncharacteristically sloppy plays from the MVP resulted in turnovers that sealed the Heat's fate and a 1-1 series tie in the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers were the better team tonight, with Roy Hibbert leading the way with a playoff career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, 6 of which were on the offensive glass, along with Paul George who had a superb all-around game with 22 points, 6 assists and solid play on both ends of the floor. The Pacers did most of their damage with their starters and only needed 5 points from their bench in their victory over the defending champs.

LeBron poured in 36 points on an efficient 14-20 from the field but also had a game-high 5 turnovers and he had very little consistent support from his teammates. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole continue to struggle mightily in this series, as well as Shane Battier and Ray Allen not being able to knock down the long range jumpers that they've been able to do so much during the Heat's historic second part of the season. Besides the Birdman's usual stellar contributions off the bench, the Heat really hasn't had much meaningful production from the reserves in either game so far. Yes, the Pacers didn't need their bench in this game to win but the Heat also suffered from a clearly struggling Dwyane Wade who practically lost the game in crunch time with an ill-advised play towards the rim. Both Wade and Chris Bosh finished with 6-14 shooting from the field each, and it just wasn't enough to overcome the taller and more physically imposing frontline of the Pacers. Bosh grabbing just 5 rebounds isn't going to be enough either but Wade in particular has looked shaky in his decision making and something is clearly affecting his game physically and mentally. Though he was able to knock down a few jumpers, he was not willing to attack the Pacers big men and was hesitant in the few fast break opportunities the Heat had.

The three-point shooting that helps makes the Heat team so unbeatable has also been taken away, with the team hitting just 7-of-22 for 31.8% of their long range shots. Even more frustrating, the Heat missed 8 of their 26 free throws attempts for less than 70% shooting. With games as close as these, those points represent the difference between a win and a loss.

Those isn't the first time the Heat have lost a playoff game with the Big 3 but there are plenty of signs of trouble if Wade continues to not be himself and the Heat's role players don't step up and give the Pacers defenders something to think about before packing the lane. Will coach Erik Spoelstra shake up his starting lineup or his rotation? The Heat wasn't expected to simply breeze through the Pacers like they ended up doing against the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, but these first two games have not been pretty for the best team in the NBA.

Make no mistake, the Pacers have been playing their best ball and it remains to be seen if Hibbert, George, David West and George Hill can continue their solid play throughout the entire series. With the series shifting to Indiana and a pair of tough road games ahead, it's up to the MVP to put the team on his back and lead the way to the Finals.

Game 5 ticket info released

With a Game 5 assured, the The Miami HEAT announced today that individual game tickets for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals will go on sale to the general public tomorrow, May 25 at 2:00 p.m. Inventory is limited and tickets are expected to sell quickly. Fans can purchase tickets online at HEAT.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. There will be an eight ticket purchase limit per household.

Tickets will NOT be available at the AmericanAirlines Arena Ticket Office for the initial on-sale date. Playoff tickets may be purchased at the AmericanAirlines Arena Ticket Office beginning Tuesday, May 28 at 10:00 a.m.

Game 5 will be played at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m.

HHH News Roundup: Road rally @ AA Arena, LeBron bobble head, Pitbull remix, Birdman love and more

2013-05-24T16:11:41Z

SB Nation's Drew Garrison is showing some love for the Birdman after arguably his best game in a Miami Heat uniform, and a timely one at that, with a nice piece today on his Game 1 performance. The player formerly known as Chris Andersen was a perfect 7-7 from the field and Garrison expands on how Birdman was so brutally efficient.

Andersen was key in the Heat's Game 1 victory. In a tight game against one of the best defenses in the league, Andersen made all seven of his shots and played his role to perfection.

In other news, the Heat announced a partnership with international recording artist Pitbull on a special 2013 NBA Playoff "remix" of his latest single.

"Feel This Moment" has been given a special White Hot HEAT-themed version and Pitbull personally re-wrote and remixed the song specifically for the 2013 White Hot HEAT Playoffs.

"Pitbull is one of Miami's native sons and we're thrilled at the chance to collaborate with him on this creative project," said Eric Woolworth, President of The HEAT Group's Business Operations. "HEAT fans are clearly going to ‘feel the moment' as well as the love when they hear the song and watch the video."

The music video for the song debuted during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Indiana Pacers.

The good folks over at Carroll's Sports Cove are releasing a limited edition LeBron James bobble head doll that looks to be simply awesome and worthy of any true Heat fan's collection.

The Lebron James "The King Series Figure #1" Chalk Toss Bobble Head Doll #/144 Carroll's Sports Cove Exclusive is strictly limited to just 144 individually numbered pieces. It's the first figure of their new exclusive "King Series" bobbles with more coming soon. The bobble stands 8 inches tall and is on a base referencing him as "The King" while doing his signature chalk toss pose. You can pre-order it right here.

Finally, the Heat have announced the official road rally for games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be held inside the AmericanAirlines Arena. Tickets are free but you must register at HEAT.com beginning today (Friday, May 24) at 2:00 PM and pay a $2.00 convenience charge per ticket. There is an eight ticket maximum per person. HEAT fans can already pick up tickets at the Arena Box Office too.

Parking will be available in the Arena's P2 parking garage for $5.00 per car and will be available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Select concession stands as well as The Miami HEAT Store will be open for business. For more information, fans can log onto www.WhiteHotHEAT.com.

In addition, the Heat's press release offers perks for American Express members:

A special pre-sale opportunity will allow American Express card members to register for their tickets before the general public tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition, card members who register their tickets using an American Express card will have access to special VIP seating, pre-game photos with the 2012 Championship trophy outside of Section 114, a gift with purchase at The Miami HEAT Store, specially priced food and beverage combo meals and the opportunity to take a post-game free throw on the HEAT hardwood.

HEAT fans are invited to experience Hyde AmericanAirlines Arena during the White Hot Road Rallies featuring exclusive access, table service and a special food and beverage menu. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.HydeAAArena.com/Playoffs2013.

Heat look for commanding 2-0 lead tonight

2013-05-24T14:36:03Z

LeBron James' buzzer-beating layup in overtime prevented the Indiana Pacers from stealing home-court advantage and gave Miami a 1-0 series lead. NBA teams that have gone up 2-0 in best-of-seven series eventually win the series 94 percent of the time, so the Heat players would put themselves in a great position to advance to the Finals with a win tonight. What does Miami have to do to improve from Wednesday night's nail-biting win?

At the most simplistic level, the Heat has to cut down its turnovers and improve its 3-point shooting. Progress on both of those fronts will go a long way toward improving from Miami's somewhat disjointed offense in Game 1. Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Norris Cole -- three of the Heat's key reserves -- shot a combined 1-for-9 from downtown Wednesday. The only player who shot well from beyond the arc in Game 1 -- Mario Chalmers -- missed nearly the entire second half with a shoulder injury. Fortunately, Chalmers is expected to return for Game 2. The Heat also turned the ball over 21 times in Game 1, with James, Dwyane Wade and Cole accounting for 12 of those mishaps. Miami has generally done a good job of minimizing turnovers this season, so one would expect that number to drop.

Defensively, the Heat still hasn't figured out how to defend David West effectively; he shot 11-for-17 from the field in Game 1. Miami's defensive rotations have to be a little sharper so that West doesn't have those open 17-foot jumpers that he knocked down with ease Wednesday. Moreover, West scored three of his baskets on simple layups after grabbing offensive rebounds. Miami did a pretty good job on the glass in Game 1, but Battier and Udonis Haslem will need to prevent West from those second-chance opportunities.

The Heat and Pacers will tip-off shortly after 8:30 p.m. on TNT.

Dwyane Wade wins 2012-13 Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award

2013-05-23T18:48:05Z

From the official Miami HEAT / NBA press release:

MIAMI - The Miami HEAT announced today that Dwyane Wade is the recipient of the "2012-13 Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award" in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work. The award recognizes the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities. This year marked the first time that fans helped to select the winner.

This season, Wade and his Wade's World Foundation provided an assist to a number of non-profit organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Founded in 2003, Wade's World Foundation supports literacy, health, and fatherhood primarily in underserved communities throughout Chicago, Milwaukee, and South Florida. The nine-time NBA All-Star continues to be an active voice in the promotion of fatherhood and family, this season joining best-selling author James Patterson for a national online webcast to promote literacy among young people across the country.
"I am so honored the fans have selected me to receive this year's Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award," said Wade. "Community has always been very important to me, and I am grateful to have the opportunity through Wade's World Foundation to give back in any way that I can."

Wade was selected as the "2012-13 Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award" winner by fans and a distinguished panel of NBA judges, including past J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award winners and NBA Legends Bob Lanier and Dikembe Mutombo. Fan voting took place on a dedicated tab on the NBA's Facebook page.

Prior to tomorrow night's game against the Indiana Pacers, NBA Cares Ambassador Bob Lanier and a Kia representative will present Wade with the "2012-13 Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award." Wade will receive the David Robinson Plaque bearing the inscription, "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." In addition, Kia and the NBA will donate $25,000 on Wade's behalf to Wade's World Foundation.

Wade created Wade's World Foundation to provide support to various educational, health and family service programs. In addition to these events, Wade and his family have been dedicated to giving back to the South Florida and Chicago-area communities through a variety of community outreach programs and donations since 2003. More information about the Wade's World Foundation is available online at www.wadesworldfoundation.org.

Kia is the Official Vehicle of the Miami HEAT. Kia Motors has been an NBA Cares partner since 2010 and a HEAT partner since 2006. In addition to the Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award, the league presents the Kia Community Assist Award monthly throughout the season to recognize players for their charitable efforts. Wade has won the Kia Community Assist Award three times (August 2004, August 2007 and during the 2010 offseason). To learn more, please log on to www.nba.com/kiacommunityassist.

LeBron clutch as Heat take 1-0 series lead over Pacers in ECF

2013-05-23T18:38:06Z

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals ended by a single point margin in overtime as the Miami Heat defended home court against the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat escaped an overtime victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. LeBron James hit a layup as time expired to give the Heat the victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Although Miami got off to a decent start in the first quarter, the first half was sluggish in general. A lot of fouls and turnovers kept the score low, just how the Pacers like it. The Heat trailed by 5 at halftime. The second half saw the Heat more focused and Miami quickly buit a 5 point lead after halftime. The Pacers caught back up and the game was played in a tight margin for the remainder of the game.

The Heat found themselves close to victory in regulation up two, 18 seconds to go with Allen at the free throw line, but he only made one. After several Pacer blunders offensively, they desperately found Paul George for a 30-foot 3-pointer and he nailed with 0.7 seconds to go. Ray Allen then missed a corner shot for the win.

Overtime found many of the players fatigued, tallying 40+ minutes. Paul George caught more rhythm in overtime taking over for the Pacers, while the Heat struggled to manufacture offense. Chris Bosh's 2nd rebound of the game got him and and-1 put-back that tied the game at 99 with under a minute to play. The next Heat possession found James getting a layup as Indiana took Roy Hibbert out to match up with the smaller Heat. After a inbounds scramble, Wade fouled George on a long three and George knocked down all all of them to give the Pacers a 1 point lead.

Final - 5.22.2013	1	2	3	4	OT 1	Total
Indiana Pacers	21	21	23	27	10	102
Miami Heat	22	15	27	28	11	103

Complete Coverage >

Then, it happened. Vogel took Hibbert out again, not sure why, but he did. And LeBron drove straight to the rim past George and scored a layup as time expired. The Heat won the game 103-102 and took Game 1.

LeBron James led the Heat with his 9th postseason triple double of 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Norris Cole played most of the second half for Miami as Mario Chalmers left the game with a shoulder injury. The Heat's x-factors were bad. Ray Allen and Shane Battier were a combined 1-12. But the Heat found a way to win it in fashion.

Dwyane Wade played with a lot of effort and collected 19 points before fouling out late. David West guided the Pacers all game with 26 points. Miami had no answer for him, and will have to figure that out moving forward. George, who scored only 2 points in the first half, ended up with 27 points, including the go ahead three at the end of regulation. Chris Andersen brought the energy for Miami and scored 16 points off the bench to make up for the absence of Allen and Battier's scoring.

The Heat didn't play their best game, missing 9 free throws and having 20 turnovers. The Heat only lost the rebound battle by 5 to Indiana.

The Heat lead 1-0 and will host Game 2 on Friday night.

Watch the game winner here:

LeBron James named unanimous First-Team All-NBA, Wade on Third Team

2013-05-23T18:32:17Z

LeBron James was the only player to unanimously selected to the All-NBA First-Team after only losing by one vote for the unanimous selection for NBA MVP earlier this month. James is accompanied by Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant.

This was James' 7th selection the First-Team. The Heat's Dwyane Wade landed on the All-NBA third-team for his 8th All-NBA selection.

Here's the official press release from the NBA:

James, Durant, Duncan lead 2012-13 All-NBA first team
Official Release

Posted May 23, 2013 1:38 PM
NEW YORK -- The Miami Heat's LeBron James, the 2012-13 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player and winner of four of the previous five MVP awards, highlights the 2012-13 All-NBA First Team. James was the only player to receive all 119 First Team votes.

Joining James on the First Team are Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. For Bryant, his 11th First Team nod ties him with Hall of Famer Karl Malone for the most such selections. Bryant had been tied at 10 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit and Jerry West.

Pacing the Heat to a league-best and franchise-record 66-16 mark, James was the only player in the NBA to lead his team in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg). He shot a career high from the field (.565) and from three-point range (.406). Additionally, James led the NBA in score differential (+9.5) and player impact estimate (22.1 percent), according to NBA.com/Stats, in the process becoming the youngest player in NBA history to post eight different 2,000-point seasons, and the youngest player to reach the 20,000-point plateau.

Bryant, an All-NBA First Team selection for the eighth straight season, scored 2,133 points, averaging 27.3 points. This season, he moved past Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Additionally, Bryant eclipsed the 2,000-point mark in a single season for the eighth time in his 17-year NBA career, in the process becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in a season at age 34 or older, joining Alex English, Jordan and Malone, each of whom did so twice.

Duncan earns his 10th First Team selection and first since 2006-07. In his 16th NBA campaign, Duncan averaged 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.65 blocks, ranking third overall in the latter. He shot .502 from the floor and a career-best .817 from the free throw line.

In earning his fourth All-NBA First Team selection, Durant averaged 28.1 points while shooting .510 from the field, .416 from distance and .905 from the free throw line. With those percentages, Durant became just the second player in NBA history (Larry Bird; 1986-87) to average 28-plus points while going .500/.400/.900 during the year. Additionally, Durant's field goal and free throw percentages represented career bests.

Paul, an All-NBA First Team selection for the third time, had a league-best 4.26 assist-to-turnover ratio; he had 13 games in which he dished at least 11 assists while committing no more than one turnover. The 2013 All-Star Game MVP, Paul averaged 16.9 points, ranked second in assists with 9.7 apg and paced the league in steals with 2.41 spg.

The All-NBA Second Team consists of guards Tony Parker of the Spurs and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder, forwards Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Blake Griffin of the Clippers, and center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The All-NBA Third Team includes the Houston Rockets' James Harden and the Heat's Dwyane Wade at guard, the Indiana Pacers' Paul George and the Golden State Warriors' David Lee at forward, and the Lakers' Dwight Howard at center.

The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Below are the results of the voting for the 2012-13 All-NBA Teams, with First Team votes in parentheses. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

LeBron James triple double and game winner guide Heat to 1-0 series lead

2013-05-23T04:27:56Z

Final - 5.22.2013	1	2	3	4	OT 1	Total
Indiana Pacers	21	21	23	27	10	102
Miami Heat	22	15	27	28	11	103

Complete Coverage >

The Heat didn't play their best game, missing 9 free throws and having 20 turnovers. The Heat only lost the rebound battle by 5 to Indiana.

The Heat lead 1-0 and will host Game 2 on Friday night.

Watch the game winner here:

Welcome to Miami (Bienvenidos a Miami)

2013-05-22T13:01:21Z

When the Indiana Pacers' starting line-up took the podium after defeating the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, it was a stark reminder that Indiana is the exact opposite of Miami. T-shirts and sweatpants? Really, boys? We might squawk about Dwyane Wade's floral jacket, his polka-dot capri suit and LeBron James' avian sweater, but we have such respect for their fashion knowledge, we secretly wonder if they know something we don't. Even the baby of the bunch, Norris Cole, knows how to dress for the podium in Miami. But in the Midwest, it's just different.

I went to college in the Midwest and as a Miami native, I cried for the first semester. There are fields and fields of corn and soybeans as far as the eye can see and at night it gets really dark. Dirty factories, smoke stacks and silos are everywhere. Little kids ride around scouting out cool combines and Walmart is a good day. Women dress for comfort and have never heard the expression, "Flats are for quitters." But after a semester (or two) I came to love the simplicity of it all. If they have to get up early, they actually go to bed early. The Midwest is not impressed by appearances. It's the heartland, the land of love. It's wholesome and values truly run deep.

This is exactly what we saw at the podium that night. Pacers players came up together to take collective credit for their victory. Pacers fans don't care what their stars wear. These are people who show up to games on time and stay to the final buzzer. The exact opposite of Miami.

But talking badly about Miami is like someone talking smack about your mama. It's fine for me to talk about my mama, but don't you be talking ‘bout my mama like that. Lower level HEAT fans show up a little late and we hate it but we love it because it's so Miami to be late! People don't wear the free t-shirt hanging over the arena seats and we hate it but we love the variety of stylish white outfits! It's so Miami! Women wear 4-inch heels to a basketball game and we hate it because get real, it's a sporting event, but we love it because it's so Miami! Fans leave a little early and we hate it but we love it because we just know they're going to the AA Arena's velvet roped Hyde Lounge! And clubs are so Miami!

Truth be told, Will Smith got it all right in his 90's hit song about Miami. "Cash in your dough and let's flow to this fashion show" and "$100,000 cars everybody's got ‘em." You're hard pressed not to witness the equivalent of an impromptu exotic car show when driving downtown or around Miami Beach. But Miami is not Hollywood. Miami is just, Miami. The real glitter and glamour comes from the confidence of knowing who you are.

"Ladies half dressed, fully equipped?" Yep. And players fully dressed, fully equipped.

Fully equipped.

"Bienvenidos a Miami." Let's go!