Regardless of who the Heat play, tickets went on sale Friday morning for the first two games of the series, which will be held at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

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Because the Heat are the highest seed left in the Eastern Conference, they will have home court advantage until the NBA Finals.

The NBA released the schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals and Game 1 will be Monday at 8:30 p.m. Game 2 will take place at the AAA on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

Then the Heat hit the road to either Boston or Philadelphia for Games 3 & 4. Game 3 will be held at 8:30 p.m. next Friday and Game 4 will be tipoff at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 3.

If Game 5 is necessary, it will be held at the AAA on Tuesday, June 5. Game 6 would be contested on the road on Thursday, June 7 and if a Game 7 is necessary, it will be Saturday, June 9.

Just days after LeBron lit up the Pacers for 40 points in Game 4, Wade one upped him in Game 6 by dropping 41 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Indiana. Wade’s trouble started after Game 2 when his knee was drained. He played his worst playoff game in Game 3 and then exploded for the rest of the series.

But the story of the series was not as much about the Heat’s offense as it was the Heat’s completely stifling defense. Pacers power forward David West couldn’t get going throughout the series while he was being harassed by Shane Battier and saw double-teams.

Miami’s athletic advantage showed throughout as Joel Anthony and other players closed passing lanes before the Pacers big men could even see them. Despite having a massive size advantage in the middle with West and center Roy Hibbert, the duo couldn’t do anything against the Heat after Game 3.

In the final game, West and Hibbert shot well, but managed only 36 points and 13 rebounds. For comparison purposes, Wade and James scored 69 points and pulled down 16 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists and committing just six turnovers between them.

Over the course of the series, the Heat held the Pacers to nearly 10 points less than they averaged in the regular season and also cut their shooting percentage, rebounds, and assists levels from the regular season averages.

Still, Wade and James couldn’t do it alone, at least for a full game. In Games 4 and 5 Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers stepped up with big games to help out and in Game 5, Chalmers and Mike Miller combined for 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Joel Anthony, who will never be mistaken for a scorer, helped by contributing key points throughout the series when LeBron or Wade would drive into the lane and draw the Pacers’ big men.

When the Heat needed it most, the entire team followed the lead of Wade and James. Miami shot 53.9 percent in Game 6 and was 80 percent from the free throw line, a place that had been trouble for Miami in the first two rounds.

For the series, Miami shot 46 percent from the field, but Indiana’s defense frustrated the Heat in Game 3 and part of Game 4. Miami averaged 4 points less per game and 5 assists less per game than they did during the regular season. Additionally, Miami only managed to shoot 29 percent from behind the arc.

LeBron averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists per game in the series. Wade contributed 26.2 points and five rebounds per game. The Heat’s next leading scorer was Mario Chalmers who averaged just a little less than 11 points per game.

Up next for the Heat will be the winner of Saturday night’s Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. Miami has dominated Philadelphia this season, but struggled mightily against the Celtics.

If Miami can get to the NBA Finals, it will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

Miami wrapped up the best-of-7 series and will face either Boston or Philadelphia in the next round starting Monday. Nothing less than an NBA title will make for a satisfying summer in South Beach.

Two series down, two to go.

The Heat rallied from an early 11-point deficit, riding the hot hand of Wade in the opening half. He scored 26 points by the break, tying Tim Hardaway’s 16-year-old franchise record for most playoff points in the first two quarters. James hit consecutive baskets with just over a minute remaining to close it out.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Game 6 has the Heat looking to eliminate the Pacers without two starting caliber power forwards; against a Pacers team looking to stave off elimination and force a Game 7 Saturday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

The series has been extremely physical from both sides. Tyler Hansbrough has been flagged for a flagrant two foul in the series. Heat power forward Udonis Haslem has been suspended for Game 6 after a flagrant foul in retaliation against Hansbrough in Game 5.

But lost in the physicality of the play has been the other-worldly performance of Heat forward LeBron James and the re-emergence of Heat guard Dwyane Wade as his true running mate.

LeBron is averaging just over 30 points and just less than 12 rebounds per game. James is also contributing six assists per game and has shot 50 percent from the field against the Indiana Pacers.

Wade had arguably the worst playoff game of his career in Game 3 when he managed just five points and he was arguing with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Since then, Wade has regained his footing and electrified the Heat’s offense alongside James.

Wade is averaging 23.2 points, four rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in the Eastern Conference Semifinal series.

The series started off rough after star power forward Chris Bosh suffered a lower abdominal injury in Game 1 when he was fouled by Pacers center Roy Hibbert. In Bosh’s absence, Shane Battier has covered Pacers power forward David West and essentially shut him down for the most part in the series.

But, with Haslem out, Battier will be called on even more to defend West and help gain an edge on rebounding in Game 6. The Heat could also use another big game out of Mario Chalmers, who contributed 11 rebounds and 8 points in Game 5.

The Pacers came into the series ready to play physical and attack the Heat’s perceived weakness without a true big man on the roster. Things looked bleak after the Heat went down 2-1 after Game 3. But when Wade found his game, everything has started to click.

The Heat may have taken the upstart Pacers too lightly to start the series, but the respect has definitely been earned by the Pacers.

In some way, if the Heat can move on to the Eastern Conference Finals and Bosh can return to the lineup, the Pacers series, even if it goes to Game 7, may have been the best thing that could have happened to Miami.

The Heat look to eliminate the Pacers in Game 6 starting at 8 p.m. Thursday.

The NBA announced Thursday LeBron Jones was the top vote-getter for the 1st Team All-NBA team for 2012. The award comes after LeBron has already won the NBA MVP award and was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team.

Joining LeBron on the first team were: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The second team consisted of: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, Lakers center Andrew Bynum, Clippers forward Blake Griffin, and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook.

LeBron’s running mate, Heat guard Dwyane Wade was selected to the third team All-NBA team. His squad includes: New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, Knicks center Tyson Chandler, and Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Yahoo!

“The league does not have a problem with hard fouls on our two main guys,” Coach Spoelstra said. “In nine games now, there’s been over a dozen hard fouls to the face, some of the tomahawk variety, some have drawn blood. They don’t have a problem with so don’t have a problem with it. We’ll focus on what we can control.”

Haslem fouled Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough hard in Game 5 after Hansbrough had a flagrant foul against Miami’s Dwyane Wade. While Haslem’s flagrant foul was upped and he was suspended, Hansbrough will be allowed to play in pivotal Game 6 Thursday night.

“I mean, Hansbrough, it’s not the first time he’s gone after one of our players this year,” Heat forward LeBron James said. “We have two guys suspended and basically they have no one suspended.”

Pacers president Larry Bird seemed to indicate the Pacers would play even harder and more physical when he said after Game 5 the team was soft. Still, LeBron and Wade have said that attempts to get into their heads with hard or flagrant fouls aren’t working.

Still, as ESPN.com reported, the NBA has assigned a veteran crew of referees to Game 6 and all of them have reputations for being more than willing to throw a player out of a game in a heartbeat.

While Spoelstra’s words may cost him a bit, it could be part of his plan to try and finally get the officials on the Heat’s side. The Heat will need a lot of help because even though Haslem and Pittman are out, they can’t dress extra players to fill those spots; so two players will be inactive in Game 6 and two spots will be open.

(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 Miami Herald contributed to this report.)

Haslem was suspended for Game 6 of the Miami-Indiana Eastern Conference semifinal series, a matchup where emotions boiled over in a runaway Heat victory on Tuesday night. The NBA also said Miami reserve center Dexter Pittman will miss three games in response to his flagrant foul against Indiana backup guard Lance Stephenson in the final seconds of Game 5.

Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough was not suspended, although the league upgraded his foul against Miami’s Dwyane Wade to a flagrant-2 on Wednesday — which, if called that way during Game 5, would have brought an automatic ejection. Hansbrough struck Wade in the head, opening a cut over his right eye. Moments later, Haslem committed a flagrant foul against Hansbrough, clearly in response to the play against Wade.

So while Haslem sits Thursday, Hansbrough may play.

“It’s very disappointing, obviously,” Miami forward Shane Battier said Wednesday night. “But we’re a resilient group. … The verdict process is a mystery to players, and so we don’t get caught up in it. We can’t control it. We know the NBA’s going to do what they feel they need to do and we need to live with the consequences. So it’s really out of our hands, not worth getting riled up. We’re going to put together an effort that will make Udonis and Dexter proud.”

The Heat lead the series 3-2, after a 115-83 win Tuesday night in a game that had the three flagrant fouls on the court, accusations of dirty play afterward and finally with Pacers team president Larry Bird telling The Indianapolis Star that his team was “soft” in Game 5.

“I agree with his assessment. We did play soft,” Indiana’s Danny Granger said Wednesday. “We got smacked around. We got beat up, we got bullied, and we really didn’t respond well.”

Countered Miami’s LeBron James, the NBA’s reigning MVP: “He’s just trying to amp them up. That’s all. That’s all it is. He knows his team isn’t soft. But with them, with their backs against the wall at this point, he knows what he’s doing. He’s not the executive of the year for no reason.”

Pittman logged only six minutes in the playoffs anyway, his presence in the postseason barely noticed until he laid out Stephenson — who made at least one choke sign toward James earlier in the series — with a forearm to the chin and shoulder areas.

“Hard fouls are part of the playoffs,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said Wednesday. “Fouls to the head have no place in this game, not by us, not by Miami, not by any other team in any other series. With all the concussion research that’s been going on over the last few years it’s a very serious matter and it just doesn’t have any place in the game.”

Wade sounded somewhat amused that Granger — who’s been whistled for three technicals in the series — was one of the Pacers suggesting Haslem and Pittman should be suspended. Wade and Granger have had words during the series.

“We’re not in here crying about the fouls,” Wade said. “They fouled us. … We’re moving on to Game 6. We’re not going to worry about what happened in Game 5. For us, it’s about moving forward.”

The Pacers may move forward without Granger, who sprained his left ankle in Game 5.

Granger was in flip-flops when Wednesday’s practice ended, saying he was on painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication. Stephenson, who had X-rays taken to rule out any fractures to his collarbone or shoulder areas, did not practice.

“In my mind, I’m going to play,” Granger said. “Elimination game, I have to play.”

Vogel sounded concerned, but optimistic.

“Very much hoping he’ll be available tomorrow,” Vogel said. “He’s a gamer. I’m thinking he’ll play. But his ankle’s pretty bad, so we’ll see.”

Vogel called Miami floppers before the series started, and it’s been gritty throughout. The teams combined to shoot 66 free throws in Game 1, and there have been a combined nine technicals and flagrants called in the four games since. Tension also increased after cameras caught Stephenson making a choke sign during Indiana’s Game 3 victory, and Juwan Howard confronting him about his antics before Game 4.

“It’s been a physical series, started by them,” Wade said.

And James said he doesn’t expect things to cool down when the Pacers try to save their season in Game 6.

“I always feel like in a playoff series or certain regular-season games that a team may be trying to go for me,” James said. “It’s happened. I’m not saying guys are playing dirty, but certain guys say, ‘You know, if you hard-foul LeBron, get him off the ball, he’ll stop being aggressive and things like that.’ I know when it’s happening and I see when it’s about to happen. I’m always in protect mode. I’ve been hard-fouled a lot.”

James said one of those situations happened in Game 5. Indiana forward David West — who left Tuesday’s game with what the team called a sprained knee, though he insisted Wednesday he was not hurt — took exception to a play where he was knocked backward, saying a Heat player fell into his knee. On that play, replays showed West was boxed out by Battier, but it appeared no one hit West in the knee area.

Not long afterward, West fouled James, who said he saw it coming.

“He was the one on the floor and I was the one still standing,” James said. “So I started laughing at that. But he tried to get me.”

West said on Wednesday that if Indiana wants to force a Game 7 in Miami, it simply needs to play better on both ends than it did on Tuesday night.

“You’ve just got to stand your ground. I think that’s the biggest thing,” West said. “It was unfortunate, the play at the end of the game on Lance. But we’ve just got to deal with it, man up, handle it — like I said, the best way you can, within the rules.”

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

During the game, Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough committed a flagrant foul against Heat star Dwyane Wade. A few minutes later, the Heat’s Udonis Haslem committed a flagrant foul against Hansbrough.

The worst foul of the night was by the Heat’s Dexter Pittman who threw a forearm into the chest and throat of Lance Stephenson. Of all the hard fouls, Pittman is the most likely to receive a suspension for his foul.

The Pacers agreed with Bird’s observation that they played soft in Game 5.

“I agree with his assessment. We did play soft,” said Pacers forward Danny Granger. “We got smacked around. We got beat up, we got bullied, and we really didn’t respond well.”

Granger continued, “I think he just called out what everyone else saw. We played a soft game. We didn’t play with the playoff intensity that we needed to win.”

Granger himself didn’t finish Game 5 after leaving with a sprained ankle in the third quarter. He joined power forward David West on the sideline, who also suffered a sprained knee. The Pacers hope both will be available Thursday night in Game 6.

For the Heat, they believed that Bird’s comments were just a way to try and spark the Pacers as they return home to Indianapolis for Game 6 against the Heat.

“He’s just trying to amp them up. That’s all. That’s all it is,” said Heat star LeBron James. “He knows his team isn’t soft. But with them, with their backs against the wall at this point, he knows what he’s doing. He’s not the executive of the year for no reason.”

The series started out on a sour note when Pacers coach Frank Vogel called the Heat “floppers,” meaning they try to sell fouls that may not necessarily be a foul. Granger has been whistled for three technical fouls and Stephenson made a choking gesture towards LeBron earlier in the series.

Granger spent part of Tuesday saying both Haslem and Pittman should be suspended for their fouls. It was a point D-Wade found almost amusing.

“We’re not in here crying about the fouls,” Wade said. “They fouled us. We’re moving on to Game 6. We’re not going to worry about what happened in Game 5. For us, it’s about moving forward.”

Losing Pittman wouldn’t be a big blow to the Heat. On the other hand, losing Haslem for one or two games could be the difference between the Heat moving on or going home. Haslem has just recently discovered his jump shot again and is filling the gap left by the absence of Chris Bosh.

As for Bosh, the Heat haven’t given any indication that he will be able to return for the current series, or an additional series, should the Heat advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Still, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said all of the talking about fouls and flopping was irrelevant to the task at hand.

“All the chatter and all the stuff, it’ll still end up being decided between the lines,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And it’ll be decided by the rules of the game.”

Both teams are traveling to Indiana Wednesday in preparation for Game 6 in Indianapolis Thursday night. If the series goes to a seventh game, it will be held in the AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

(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.)

According to the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds, LeBron received the most votes for the NBA’s All-Defensive first-team. LeBron, who was named the NBA’s MVP last week, was selected for the first-team by NBA coaches.

Joining LeBron on the NBA’s first-team All-Defensive team were forward Serge Ibaka, guard Chris Paul, guard Tony Allen, and center Dwight Howard, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.

In media voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, LeBron finished fourth.

While LeBron James and Dwyane Wade got their points, 30 and 28 respectively; the Heat’s victory was a total team effort. Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem both went for double digits in points and Mario Chalmers pulled down 11 key defensive rebounds.

Much of the focus after Game 4’s other-worldly performance by Wade and LeBron was on the Heat’s offense. But in Game 5, it was all about a swarming team defense that kept the Pacers from ever getting into a smooth offensive flow.

In Game 5, the Heat held Indiana to just 33.7 percent shooting, including just 28.6 percent from behind the three-point line. Plus, while the Pacers have a seven-footer under the basket; the Heat pulled down every rebound that came near them Tuesday night.

Miami outrebounded Indiana by a 49-35 margin, but it was on the defensive glass where the contrast was most evident. Miami had 42 defensive rebounds by the time the game ended, while Indiana managed to pull down just 22 defensive rebounds.

The defensive rebounding was key for the Heat because it immediately opened up the team’s unstoppable fast break offense led by Wade and James. For the game, the Heat outscored the Pacers 22-2 in fastbreak points.

But, for all the good the Heat did in Game 5, it was two plays that could come back to haunt the Heat in Game 6 in Indianapolis.

Heat power forward Udonis Haslem, who has just recently found his shot for the Heat, was hit with a flagrant 1 foul after a hard foul on Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough. Haslem didn’t hit Hansbrough in the face, just barely, but it was a very hard foul after Hansbrough flagrantly fouled Wade earlier in the game.

Another Heat player is pretty much guaranteed to be out. Dexter Pittman threw a tough forearm into the chest of Lance Stephenson that reeked of payback for Stephenson making a “choke” gesture toward LeBron James in Game 3.

Losing Pittman won’t impact the Heat, but if Haslem is lost for Game 6, it will further limit the rotation that worked so well in Game 4 and 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But things are just as unpredictable on the Pacers sideline as well. Forward Danny Grainger sprained his ankle and missed most of the second half of Game 5. Additionally, power forward David West suffered a sprained knee and missed the second half of the game as well.

After Game 5, which the announcers said was one of the most physical games this postseason; Pacers president Larry Bird called his team soft.

“I can’t believe my team went soft. S-O-F-T. I’m disappointed. I never thought it would happen,” Bird told the Indianapolis Star.

Bird was one of the most competitive players ever and that shot at his team was definitely an attempt to get them fired up for Game 6. On the other side, Miami knows that if they can handle their business in Game 6, it’s off to the Conference finals.

If Miami can make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, it will play the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series. The teams play Wednesday night and the Celtics are looking to close out Philadelphia after grabbing a 3-2 series lead on Monday.

In the Western Conference Finals, the top seed San Antonio Spurs are playing the number two seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

Game 6 between Indiana and Miami will take place Thursday night in Indianapolis.

James added 10 rebounds and eight assists. Shane Battier scored 13 and Mario Chalmers had eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Heatlead the best-of-seven East semifinals 3-2, with Game 6 in Indiana on Thursday night.

Paul George scored 11 points for Indiana, with starting forwards Danny Granger and David West adding 10 points apiece. Granger left with a sprained left ankle in the third quarter, and West left with what the Pacers called a left knee sprain at the end of that period.

Miami shot a franchise playoff-record 61 percent.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The last time the Heat were on the court, their proverbial backs were against the wall. The Indiana Pacers had all the momentum in the Eastern Conference semifinals after blowing out the Heat in Game 3.

But LeBron and Wade put on a show for the Indianapolis crowd in Game 4 Sunday by scoring 48 of 50 consecutive points during a run in the second through fourth quarter. LeBron finished with 40 points and 18 rebounds and Wade contributed 30 points and 9 rebounds.

The Heat also finally got a significant contribution from someone not named Wade or James when Udonis Haslem finally found the stroke on his jumpshot and contributed 14 points and 4 rebounds to the Heat’s winning effort.

That was Sunday, now the Heat have to gather themselves together and do it all over again Tuesday night in Game 5.

“We can’t win the series tonight,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve had a laser-like focus the last 24 hours because we understand how important this is.”

The Heat may not be able to win the series Tuesday, but they can go a long way towards gaining the momentum in a big way and taking a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers.

Plus, the longer the Heat can prolong their season, the better the chances of power forward Chris Bosh being able to rejoin the lineup. Bosh hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 13. During Game 1, Bosh injured his lower abdominal muscles and has been out ever since.

As mentioned before, Udonis Haslem could once again be the key to the series. If he continues to nail his jumpshot in a pick and pop style of play; the Heat will be deadly. It will open up more lanes for James and Wade by pulling the Pacers’ big men out of the lane.

But, Indiana is ready to give the Heat a heavy dose of center Roy Hibbert and power forward David West. The duo is Indiana’s best weapon against an undersized and undermanned Heat team.

For Indiana, the key may come down to if they can keep the Heat’s big two under 60 points. In the two games the Pacers have done that, they’ve won. But if LeBron and Wade get loose and into a groove like they did on Sunday, the Pacers don’t have an answer for the Heat.

Miami will come out playing strong at home looking to regain home court advantage and send the series to at least six games and maybe seven.

The best of 7 series is now down to a best two out of three with Tuesday’s game being Game 1. Tipoff for Tuesday’s game is set for 8 p.m.

Everything started with a simple play LeBron called. He made a backdoor pass to Wade who came slashing down the lane for a simple dunk. But for Wade, it was anything but simple.

He had struggled mightily in the series up to that point, with the lowest point being Game 3 where he managed to score just 5 points in the entire game. Wade started Game 4 off slowly as well, but midway through the second quarter when he made that dunk, something clicked between Wade and LeBron.

Over the course of the next quarter and a half, LeBron and D-Wade put on a show and essentially beat the Indiana Pacers by themselves for more than half the game. The Heat’s dynamic duo scored 48 of the Heat’s 50 points at one point in the game.

By the time the game ended, LeBron proved why he is the unquestioned most valuable player in the NBA and Wade showed that he still has plenty left in the tank.

LeBron finished with video-game like numbers: 40 points on 14 for 27 shooting, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots. Wade got rolling again as well scoring 30 points on 12-23 shooting, grabbing 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocked shots, and no turnovers.

For the Heat, the dynamic duo couldn’t manage to finish the job without someone helping them. The role fell on the broad shoulders of power forward Udonis Haslem, and for the first time this season, he responded with a big game right when it counted the most.

Haslem played much of the second-half with an injury just above his eye and a huge bandage over it. Things really came together for Haslem as the second half wore on. He finished with 14 points in Game 4, which were the most points scored by a Heat big man since Chris Bosh went out with injury.

What Haslem did right was finally getting the pick and pop correct. As he would set a screen for another Heat player, he would stay outside for a mid-range jumper and when the player with the ball got in trouble, they would pass to Haslem and for the first time in a long time he drilled the shots.

If the scenario looks familiar, it’s eerily similar to what happened last year when the Heat were on the ropes against the Chicago Bulls and Udonis Haslem came back and sparked the team all the way to the NBA Finals.

Sunday it was a new Big Three that showed up as Udonis Haslem finally took the place of Chris Bosh like many had expected him to over the last two games. Speaking of Bosh, there’s been no official word on how his recovery is progressing, but he’s still listed as out indefinitely.

The dynamic duo of LeBron and Wade will look to continue their torrid play when the teams return to the AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday for Game 5. Momentum has clearly shifted the Heat’s direction and if the team can win at home Tuesday; it’s a whole new series.

The longer the Heat play in the playoff, the higher the chance that Bosh can come back this season becomes. But the Heat have said they will not rush Bosh back from his injury.

Game 5 tips off at 8 pm at the AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday.

According to ESPN.com, Wade had to have fluid drained from his left knee prior to the team’s blowout loss in Game 3. During that game, Wade had arguably his worst playoff performance of his career when he managed just five points.

Wade refused to blame the procedure on his poor performance telling ESPN after Game 4, “If I’m in uniform, I’m ready to play.”

Wade came back from the horrendous Game 3 performance in a grand way Sunday combining with LeBron James to score 70 points against the Pacers. The phenomenal performance was desperately needed to keep the Heat in the series.

Wade struggled at the beginning of Game 4, but when LeBron hit Wade on a backdoor pass that resulted in a dunk, everything seemed to click for the Wade. He went on to score 22 of his 30 points in the second half and at one point, Wade and James scored 48 of 50 consecutive points for the Heat.

ESPN said no further decision had been made on whether Wade will require another procedure on his left knee before Game 5 or further down the road if the Heat continue on in the playoffs.

With Chris Bosh’s status unknown for the foreseeable future, the Heat’s only chance of surviving until he returns is for a healthy James and Wade to continue playing the way the did in Game 4.

With Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tandem saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami’s season slip away. Wade rebounded from the worst playoff game of his career, shaking off a 1 of 8 shooting start and adding nine rebounds and six assists.

Danny Granger scored 20 to lead the Pacers.

Slideshow: Heat Beat Pacers In Game 4

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

There was no looking back. No heartfelt apologies given. No need for a detailed autopsy of Dwyane Wade’s ugly sideline exchange with coach Eric Spoelstra in Game 3.

What’s done is done. All that’s for another day. Right now, it’s time to save the season.

“We move on,” Wade said.

Down 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the ready-to-rumble Indiana Pacers, the Heat were back on the floor Saturday after staying away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a day to decompress following their stunning 94-75 loss, a defeat amplified by the clash between Wade and Spoelstra during a timeout in the third quarter.

On Friday, Wade drove to Bloomington, Ind., and visited Indiana coach Tom Crean, his college coach for three years at Marquette. LeBron James went to the movies, catching “The Dictator.” Spoelstra joked that he locked away the keys to the team bus so players couldn’t get to the arena.

“We wanted to get away,” Spoelstra said as his team prepared for Sunday’s Game 4.

Wade, who scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting and had five turnovers in Thursday’s blowout, insists that any apparent problems with Spoelstra were overblown. He downplayed their fiery spat.

“Things happen,” said Wade, who refused to acknowledge his quarrel with Spoelstra following the game. “In a perfect world a lot of things would go differently, but it’s not a perfect world. A lot of stuff in our game is in the heat of the battle, emotional-type things. When something happens, it happens and we move on as a team.

“Me and coach have been together for nine years in some capacity. We’ve had many different conversations, some like that and some not. It wasn’t the first, it won’t the last. We know how to move on from things and we know each other wants the best for each other.”

“There’s no harm done. We’re a family.”

Spoelstra knows the dispute didn’t look good to the outside world, but it’s just part of professional sports.

“Your communication sometimes is not for everybody’s living room, but it’s normal in our living room,” he said. “We’ve moved well beyond that. Dwyane and I have been together for a long time, nine or 10 years. That’s the least of our concerns the last two days.”

With an aggressive approach on both ends of the floor, the Pacers have won the past two games to put the Heat in an unforeseen hole and place their title hopes in serious danger. A win on Sunday would put Indiana up 3-1 and send the panic meter to code red in south Florida.

James, though, believes the Heat can even the series.

“We’re a confident bunch,” the MVP said. “We’ve got a veteran ballclub. We didn’t play well in Game 3, so we have an opportunity to go out and make amends and try to bring it back to our house with the series tied 2-2.”

The Pacers expect Wade to be back on his game Sunday. Although he’s struggling with leg issues, Wade is still one of the game’s top players and has the ability to score in bunches. So his players wouldn’t forget how dangerous Wade can be, Indiana coach Frank Vogel gave them some video reminders before practice.

“We showed clips of him torching us in previous games, making shots that he’s been missing in this series,” Vogel said. “Dwyane Wade has not been the normal Dwyane Wade we’re all used to seeing. We understand the threats that are there and I’ve made sure they leave here understanding that this team can beat us.”

The most intense matchup in this series has been between James and Indiana’s Danny Granger, who has not shied away from being physical with Miami’s superstar.

Granger and James have had altercations in the past two games, with their teammates stepping in to separate them before either could do anything they’d regret. Granger was called for a technical Thursday after he pulled James’ jersey on a breakaway and then took exception to an elbow extended toward his face.

“That’s part of basketball. That’s two men battling,” Granger said. “I’m not backing down from anybody, and he’s not backing down from anybody. And when you get that, you get some altercations.”

Vogel has preached all season for his players to have an “edge,” but doesn’t want them to do anything that could hurt the team.

“They understand very clearly that we are not interested in any ejection or suspension,” he said. “They also understand very clearly that a key to this series is letting the Miami Heat know that we’re not backing down from them.”

Granger said he knows not to take things too far. The risks are too great.

“I know where the line is,” Granger said. “(NBA commissioner) David Stern has done a good job of making sure we know what the line is and what not to cross. We won’t cross that line. We just want each other to know it’s going to be an intense battle, and it’s going to be a fight.”

James brushed aside Granger’s tough-guy talk as an opponent playing mind games.

“Why would he be scared of me?” James said. “I’m not no monster and this ain’t no horror movie. I’m not trying to scare anybody. He’s hyping himself up to say he’s not scared of me. Have I ever been intimidated by anybody in this league? I don’t think so.

“I go out and play my game and let my game do the talking.”

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

There was no looking back. No heartfelt apologies given. No need for a detailed autopsy of Dwyane Wade’s ugly sideline exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra in Game 3.

What’s done is done. All that’s for another day. Right now, it’s time to save the season.

“We move on,” Wade said.

Down 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the ready-to-rumble Indiana Pacers, the Heat were back on the floor Saturday after staying away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a day to decompress following their stunning 94-75 loss, a defeat amplified by the clash between Wade and Spoelstra during a timeout in the third quarter.

On Friday, Wade drove to Bloomington, Ind., and visited Indiana coach Tom Crean, his college coach for three years at Marquette. LeBron James went to the movies, catching “The Dictator.” Spoelstra joked that he locked away the keys to the team bus so players couldn’t get to the arena.

“We wanted to get away,” Spoelstra said as his team prepared for Sunday’s Game 4.

Wade, who scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting and had five turnovers in Thursday’s blowout, insists that any apparent problems with Spoelstra were overblown. He downplayed their fiery spat.

“Things happen,” said Wade, who refused to acknowledge his quarrel with Spoelstra following the game. “In a perfect world a lot of things would go differently, but it’s not a perfect world. A lot of stuff in our game is in the heat of the battle, emotional-type things. When something happens, it happens and we move on as a team.

“Me and coach have been together for nine years in some capacity. We’ve had many different conversations, some like that and some not. It wasn’t the first, it won’t the last. We know how to move on from things and we know each other wants the best for each other.”

“There’s no harm done. We’re a family.”

Spoelstra knows the dispute didn’t look good to the outside world, but it’s just part of professional sports.

“Your communication sometimes is not for everybody’s living room, but it’s normal in our living room,” he said. “We’ve moved well beyond that. Dwyane and I have been together for a long time, nine or 10 years. That’s the least of our concerns the last two days.”

With an aggressive approach on both ends of the floor, the Pacers have won the past two games to put the Heat in an unforeseen hole and place their title hopes in serious danger. A win on Sunday would put Indiana up 3-1 and send the panic meter to code red in south Florida.

James, though, believes the Heat can even the series.

“We’re a confident bunch,” the MVP said. “We’ve got a veteran ballclub. We didn’t play well in Game 3, so we have an opportunity to go out and make amends and try to bring it back to our house with the series tied 2-2.”

The Pacers expect Wade to be back on his game Sunday. Although he’s struggling with leg issues, Wade is still one of the game’s top players and has the ability to score in bunches. So his players wouldn’t forget how dangerous Wade can be, Indiana coach Frank Vogel gave them some video reminders before practice.

“We showed clips of him torching us in previous games, making shots that he’s been missing in this series,” Vogel said. “Dwyane Wade has not been the normal Dwyane Wade we’re all used to seeing. We understand the threats that are there and I’ve made sure they leave here understanding that this team can beat us.”

The most intense matchup in this series has been between James and Indiana’s Danny Granger, who has not shied away from being physical with Miami’s superstar.

Granger and James have had altercations in the past two games, with their teammates stepping in to separate them before either could do anything they’d regret. Granger was called for a technical Thursday after he pulled James’ jersey on a breakaway and then took exception to an elbow extended toward his face.

“That’s part of basketball. That’s two men battling,” Granger said. “I’m not backing down from anybody, and he’s not backing down from anybody. And when you get that, you get some altercations.”

Vogel has preached all season for his players to have an “edge,” but doesn’t want them to do anything that could hurt the team.

“They understand very clearly that we are not interested in any ejection or suspension,” he said. “They also understand very clearly that a key to this series is letting the Miami Heat know that we’re not backing down from them.”

Granger said he knows not to take things too far. The risks are too great.

“I know where the line is,” Granger said. “(NBA commissioner) David Stern has done a good job of making sure we know what the line is and what not to cross. We won’t cross that line. We just want each other to know it’s going to be an intense battle, and it’s going to be a fight.”

James brushed aside Granger’s tough-guy talk as an opponent playing mind games.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

“Why would he be scared of me?” James said. “I’m not no monster and this ain’t no horror movie. I’m not trying to scare anybody. He’s hyping himself up to say he’s not scared of me. Have I ever been intimidated by anybody in this league? I don’t think so.

“I go out and play my game and let my game do the talking.”

The Heat are missing power forward/center Chris Bosh for the rest of this series and possibly the rest of the playoffs. Then during Thursday night’s Game 3, the Heat completely imploded en route to a 94-75 loss to the Pacers, who took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Much of the blame for Game 3’s loss fell on the shoulder of the greatest Heat player ever, shooting guard Dwyane Wade. The All-Star guard managed just 5 points on 2-13 shooting and just 1-2 from the free throw line and committed five turnovers.

During the Game 3 blowout, Wade lashed out at Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. It was the boiling point of Wade’s worst playoff game ever as a member of the Miami Heat. Several Miami players stepped in before the confrontation escalated.

Coach Spoelstra blew it off saying it happens on teams. But Friday, the Heat abruptly cancelled the team’s scheduled practice and announced they would not be available to the media at any point on Friday.

Wade has struggled at times during the playoffs while shooting 43 percent from the field. He’s shooting just 15 percent from behind the 3-point line and is hitting just 70 percent of his free throws in the eight playoff games the Heat have played in this year.

For his playoff career, Wade is averaging the fewest minutes, points, rebounds, assists, lowest shooting percentage and second-lowest free throw shooting percentage in the 2012 playoffs.

But Wade is far from the only player struggling on the Heat’s roster. The only player who stepped up his game in Game 3 was point guard Mario Chalmers. He was 10-15 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line and ended up with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers.

No one quite knows what to do to spark the Heat since Bosh went down in Game 1 against the Pacers.

Spoelstra experimented with a lineup that included Dexter Pittman and Shane Battier in Game 3. The duo combined to shoot 0-9 and collected a total of 3 rebounds and 3 fouls.

Udonis Haslem once again failed to show up going 0-2 from the field and rookie Norris Cole also laid a goose-egg on the scoreboard for the Heat.

The Heat were hammered on the boards and its defense allowed the Pacers’ two big men, Roy Hibbert and David West, to shoot 48 percent from the field en route to 33 points. The dynamic duo also managed to pull down 27 rebounds.

All of it has left Heat fans grasping at straws and trying to find some reason to hope the team can come back in this series.

The one thing Heat fans can take solace in is that the worst thing an opponent can see is an angry and focused Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Spoelstra will have to let the Pacers big men be guarded by others besides LeBron to keep him from wearing down.

If Spo can come up with the right defense and keep LeBron and Wade fresh into the second-half, then the Heat have a solid chance in Game 4. But, the Pacers are firing on all cylinders and Miami will have to find a way to calm the storm because the home crowd for the Pacers will be rocking on Sunday.

Overlooked during the regular season and given little chance to upset the reigning East champions, the Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday at raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

LeBron James scored 22 — 16 in the first half before wearing down — and Mario Chalmers added 25 for Miami. However, Dwyane Wade scored only 5 on 2-of-13 shooting for the Heat, already missing forward Chris Bosh because of a strained abdominal muscle and not expected to return for this series.

Indiana outscored Miami 51-32 in the second half, when the Pacers could do no wrong.

They made big shots, challenged everything the Heat tossed in the air and didn’t back down from a Miami team that appeared poised to make an easy run to the NBA finals after top-seeded Chicago lost Derrick Rose and was eliminated in the first round.

The Pacers, though, have other plans.

In the second half, Indiana forward David West flung James to the floor in the lane, and Granger later got in the superstar’s face after a foul on a breakaway. After winning Game 2 in South Florida by three points, the Pacers wanted to show they’re for real.

Believe it.

They’re two wins from tilting the balance of power in the East.

With his team down 20 in the closing minutes, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra waved the white flag and pulled out first Wade, then James, who quickly removed his headband as he got to the bench and then pulled out the mouthpiece inscripted with XVI — the Roman numeral for 16 — or the number of wins it takes to get a championship.

When the final horn sounded, the three-time MVP quickly exited the floor.

Indiana busted open a grind-it-out game with a 17-3 run in the third quarter, doing it with an inside-outside attack that had the Heat wondering what was coming next.

Pushed by a rocking home crowd wearing “Gold Swagger” T-shirts and chanting “Beat The Heat” every chance they could, the Pacers pushed their lead to 69-55 after three and then held off one brief run by the Heat in the fourth quarter.

Behind Miami’s bench, owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley stared in disbelief.

Despite playing almost 21 minutes and exerting himself on defense, James had enough energy to throw down a vicious left-handed dunk in the final minute of the first half, pulling the Heat even at 43-all. He looked back at the

Miami bench as if to say, “How about a little help out here?”

He was doing it all.

Wade, on the other hand, was lost.

He missed all five field-goal attempts, made two turnovers and ran around like a first-time rookie and not a superstar playing in his 95th career postseason game. He also appeared to be involved in a heated argument with Spoelstra during a third-quarter timeout.

Wade finally made his first field goal with 10:22 left in the third to put Miami up 47-45, but the Pacers went on a 10-1 run with Granger dropping a 3-pointer in front of the Heat bench to make it 55-48 and then playfully skipping down the sideline as Miami called a timeout.

With Bosh out, rehabbing in Florida and doubtful to be back at any point in this series, Spoelstra said “everything is out on the table. Everyone has to be ready.”

He wasn’t kidding.

Spoelstra made a dramatic change to his starting lineup, putting Shane Battier at power forward and using bench-riding center Dexter Pittman in place of Udonis Haslem and Ronny Turiaf in the first five along with James, Wade and Chalmers — a group he played together for just nine minutes during the regular season.

The moves smelled of desperation and maybe Spoelstra sensed his team was in more trouble than he wanted to admit.

And when the Pacers jumped to an 11-2 lead, amping up an already frenzied Indiana crowd, it appeared Miami was indeed in danger of dropping a second straight game.

However, with James leading the charge, the Heat responded by closing the first quarter on a 24-6 tear.

Chalmers dropped in three soft runners during the spurt and James drilled a 3-pointer — only Miami’s second make from long range in 24 tries in three games — and scored two straight layups as the Heat ended the period with nine consecutive points.

Both James and Wade were relaxed following the Heat’s morning shootatound. There wasn’t a hint of panic in either of their voices and they exuded been-here-done-that attitudes.

James downplayed the idea that he and his teammates would need to maintain some kind of “edge” to be best prepared for a pivotal Game 3 many felt would tilt the series.

“It’s the postseason,” said James, playing in his 100th postseason game. “There’s no secrets about an edge or not having an edge. It’s the postseason. You have to be ready and approach every possession as if it’s the last. I’m always going to have an edge, so that’s not going to change.”

Well, things have changed.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The Heat know that LeBron and Wade will give them 20 to 30 points per night and can carry most of the scoring load. But the team also knows that having to have LeBron serve as the power forward through long stretches on the defensive end and run the point is not a plan for success.

“It’s a lot more taxing being in there with bigger guys,” James told CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald. “Defensively is the biggest difference. When you’re on the perimeter, there’s more space. The interior is more cramped and physical. But I’m ready for the challenge.”

He may be ready, but the rest of the team outside of Wade has been as TNT analyst Charles Barkley would say, “turrible.”

The Heat’s role players haven’t been able to get anything going offensively since the playoffs began. Mike Miller and Shane Battier are shooting 33 percent and 32.3 percent respectively. The Heat could survive and thrive on if one or both of them could get nine points a night.

Some fans have called for guard James Jones to get more minutes to help with the offensive drought the Heat are putting together this year. But when Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra put Jones into the lineup for 10 minutes in Game 2, Jones responded with a 1-4 shooting performance and he’s shooting 29 percent over his last 61 shots.

That means the burden will likely fall on three players’ shoulders: point guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole and forward Udonis Haslem.

Udonis hasn’t been able to dial into his shot all season and hasn’t played consistent minutes showing the burst he used to display in his long career in Miami. Udonis has routinely passed up jump shots to defer to Wade and LeBron and has played without much aggression throughout the season.

Norris Cole got on the court for the Heat in Game 2 for 17 minutes and responded by hitting both of his shots and not turning the ball over. But, Cole being a rookie known for having his pedal to the floor at all times could make Spoelstra nervous about keeping him in the game long-term.

That leaves Mario Chalmers as the possible key to the Heat’s chances of stealing Game 3 and regaining home court advantage in the series. Chalmers played 22 minutes in Game 2 and shot 20 percent from the field and 50 percent from the foul line.

If Chamlers is able to hit 2 or 3 three pointers, the Heat’s offense takes on a completely different look. The Pacers defense will have to move out from the low post and that will open up lanes for LeBron and Wade to attack.

That’s been the plan for the Heat since the Big Three arrived and it worked to perfection with Chris Bosh in the lineup. But with Bosh out an indefinite period of time, the Heat have to have someone other than LeBron and Wade hit shots.

Chalmers has a penchant for hitting big shots, ask the University of Memphis. But he’s going to have to be able to hit shots consistently for the Heat to have any shot of not going down 2-1 in the series.

The other area the Heat need to improve on greatly is free throw shooting. LeBron missed two critical free throws down the stretch and Wade has struggled at times from the free throw line during the series.

Wade shot well in Game 2, hitting 80 percent of his free throws. But if LeBron and Wade struggle, you may see the Pacers start hacking away on both players knowing they can win by putting them on the line.

The Heat aren’t out of this series, yet. But everything rides on the shoulders of the cast around LeBron and Wade. If they can’t raise their game though and Bosh can’t get back for Game 4, the Heat may spend another season wondering what if.

Bosh has an abdominal injury and is currently listed as out indefinitely for the Heat. He stayed in South Florida for more treatment of his lower-abdominal strain, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

While the Heat have listed him as out indefinitely, Bosh hasn’t ruled out a return during this series.

“He’s upbeat as you can be with an injury,” forward LeBron James told the Sun-Sentinel. “He’s just trying to do all the rehab he can. He can’t do much rehabbing right now. He has to rest, but just trying to stay upbeat as much as he can.”

The Heat have been tight-lipped about Bosh’s injury, but one thing has been made abundantly clear, without Bosh in the lineup; the Heat have major problems.

Vogue singled Wade out as one of the most well-dressed athletes in the U.S. For Wade, he’s long been the fashion guru of the Heat and now more people are starting to take notice.

“My fashion is whatever comes, I try to do,” Wade told CBS4. “I try to stay with the trends; and I start trends. It’s just trying to be comfortable in what you are and who you are.”

Wade’s running buddy in Miami, LeBron James, approved of Wade’s inclusion into the Vogue magazine spread, as did Udonis Haslem.

“D-Wade is known as the fashion guy. I think it’s great,” LeBron said.

“He’s definitely taken on the fashion thing,” Haslem said. “At the same time, as long as it doesn’t affect what he does when he comes out here and handles his business on the court, he can dress however he wants to dress.”

Wade was asked about the latest trend in fashion, the so-called “nerd look.”

“I’m not going to say whose idea it was. It’s just. Somebody did it,” Wade said with a grin. “I ain’t going to say who did it. Somebody did it.”

Wade continued saying it was something he did as far back as high school. When pressed on whether it was cool to wear glasses, Wade had a quick answer.

“When I did it in high school it was cool,” Wade said laughing. “Because when I did it they didn’t have the rims.”

Wade said his glasses aren’t prescription, but that he puts them on mainly when he’s reading books and other things. Wade said that things like glasses or the nerd look shouldn’t be frowned upon by kids.

“It is cool [to look smart],” Wade said. “When you go out and try to talk to kids you try to let them know it’s cool to be smart. It’s cool to be educated.”

Wade still may have some work to do with his teammates.

“Once we got UD out of the baggy, baggy pants, I know we can get anyone out of them,” Wade said.

Udonis didn’t quite see eye-to-eye with Wade’s assessment of his fashion sense.

“He didn’t get me out of that [baggy clothes],” Udonis said laughing. “It was just a time for change. I’m getting a little older now. You gotta dress a certain way as you get older.”

Udonis continued to poke fun at Wade’s style in fun.

“My pants still ain’t as tight as his,” Udonis said. “I don’t buy my pants with the wedgie already in them, tailor-made wedgies.”

Wade said he does have stylist and that he needs one because “as much as I love fashion, I can’t focus on it all the time. I got another job.”

But Wade was more than willing to give CBS4’s Jim Berry a fashion assessment.

“You’re looking like it’s an off day,” Wade said jokingly. “You know it’s an off-day, nothing really going on in the news. This [what Berry had on] is nice, maybe a little more fitted.”

As for LeBron, he didn’t mince words when he discussed his look.

“I don’t have a look,” LeBron said. “I’m all over the place. What’s up with all these fashion questions? I’m outta here [as he walked away with a smile on his face].”

In some ways, the Heat should take some solace from the fact that the Big Two of LeBron and Dwyane Wade almost beat the Pacers two on five. But the rest of the Heat team were just flat out awful in Game 2.

Outside of LeBron and Wade, no one on the Heat’s roster scored more than five points. Not only that, the team’s shooting was abysmal for the game. Leaving out LeBron and Wade, the rest of the team shot a combined 9 of 34 or 26 percent from the field.

But that’s not the ugliest stat from Game 2’s loss and the Pacers series overall. Through two games, the Heat are 1-22 from behind the three-point line, meaning they are shooting 5% from long range.

Some criticized Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s decision at the end of the game to give the ball to Mario Chalmers to hit a much-needed three point shot to send the game into overtime. Statistically speaking, Chalmers is the best three-point shooter on the court for the Heat this year.

Much of what was missing during Game 2 was any sense of offensive continuity. For most of the game, it was simply LeBron and Wade coming off a pick and trying to get a shot.

Several times in the second-half, the Heat were getting to the basket, but shots were blocked because the Pacers didn’t have to come out from the lane to respect the Heat shooters. If the Heat shooters can’t give more spacing by hitting open shots and Bosh can’t return, the Heat could be done in the second round.

Still, the Heat played as poorly as they could Tuesday night and the Pacers barely beat them by three points. If just one Heat player gets double figures to help out the Big Three, the Heat are up 2-0 in the series.

The games now shift to Indiana, where Miami has played well this season. But, a wild atmosphere is awaiting the Heat. If they continue to shoot this poorly from both the floor and the free throw line, they will quickly lose home court advantage in this series.

Tipoff for Game 3 is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

David West scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, George Hill added 15 and the Indiana Pacers took home-court advantage away from Miami by beating the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored 28 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade finished with 24, but both missed big chances for the Heat late. James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Miami down one, and Wade was short on a layup that would have tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.

Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer to tie bounced away on the final play, and the series was tied 1-1.

Danny Granger scored 11 points and Paul George added 10 for Indiana, which took advantage of Heat forward Chris Bosh’s absence and outrebounded Miami 50-40.

Game 3 is Thursday in Indianapolis.

James had a chance to give Miami the lead with 1:22 left, but his shot was blocked from behind by George, who was fouled two seconds later. He missed both free throws, keeping the Indiana lead at 76-75. And after Wade missed a jumper, James was fouled by Granger — his sixth — battling for the rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining.

James couldn’t connect on either, and the Heat didn’t score again.

Bosh is expected to miss the rest of the series with a strained abdominal muscle. Without him, James and Wade combined for 52 points — and no other Miami player scored more than five.

A dreadful third quarter by Miami — 3 for 17 shooting — allowed Indiana to lead by as much as 11, before the emotions picked up considerably in the fourth.

Wade was steaming when he missed a shot after trying to create contact with Indiana’s Dahntay Jones with 9:53 left. As Wade argued, Jones went the other way and set Leandro Barbosa up for a score that put the Pacers up 63-56.

Chalmers turned the ball over on the next possession, and as the Pacers took off for what set up as a 2-on-none break, Wade caught Darren Collison from behind and knocked him over. A flagrant-1 was called, Collison hit both free throws, the Indiana lead was nine and tensions were suddenly high.

It all seemed to spark Miami.

The Heat scored the next six points, James — who got hit in the head by Granger with 7:25 left, sparking a bit of shoving that led to double-technicals given to both players — added a putback off an offensive rebound and Wade did the same about a minute later, getting Miami within 69-66 with 5:57 left.

James missed a free throw that would have tied it with 4:30 remaining, but after George got the rebound, James dove in to create a jump ball situation. The MVP easily won the tap, sending it to Wade, whose bank shot over West put Miami back on top 72-71.

Barbosa scored on the next Indiana possession. The Pacers weren’t rattled, and left celebrating minutes later.

Indiana scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the first half, then scored 17 in the next 17 minutes. And even after a drought like that, Miami’s lead was only 38-33 at the break.

George missed four shots in a 60-second span early on, setting the tone for an icy-cold half by the Pacers. Indiana was up 16-9 midway through the first when the Heat went to a smaller lineup that paid quick dividends.

Three baskets at the rim — a layup by Wade, then James firing a pass to Turiaf for a dunk, followed by a Wade touch pass to James for another slam — erased most of the early deficit, and defense did the rest. Indiana missed 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, and after Hibbert used his size advantage to get three shots in the first 1:11, he only got two attempts over the rest of the half.

Miami was 0-for-7 on shots that would have pushed its margin to double digits in the first half, continuing a trend from Game 1. Neither team ever led the series opener by more than nine either, and when George made a 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third, the Pacers had pulled into a 46-all tie. A steal and dunk by George followed on the next possession, putting the Pacers back on top.

Before long, the Pacers had that first 10-point edge of the series. Collison’s jumper with 1:29 left in the third put Indiana up 59-49, and the margin was 61-52 entering the fourth.

For as bad as Indiana’s first half was offensively, Miami’s third quarter was equally dreadful — the Heat were outscored 28-14 on 3-for-17 shooting in the period, the third-worst shooting effort by the reigning East champs in any quarter this season.

Without Bosh in the lineup, the Pacers are expected to target the low post with Roy Hibbert and David West getting heavy minutes. The Pacers leaned on West and Hibbert in Game 1 and the duo produced 34 points and 23 rebounds against the Heat.

That means the Heat will have to counter with a rotation of Ronny Turiaf, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony and perhaps Dexter Pittman at times until Bosh comes back.

The Heat will have to find a way to replace Bosh’s ability to hit jumpers away from the basket. Without that, the Pacers can clog the lanes for the Heat’s Dwyane Wade and LeBron James making Miami’s challenge significantly more difficult.

In Game 1, LeBron and D-Wade combined to score 61 points on 20-49 shooting and make 21-24 free throws they attempted. James contributed 15 rebounds, including six offensive boards to Miami’s Game 1 victory.

The Heat know what they will get from LeBron and Wade as both have vowed to step up their games further, which given the way LeBron is playing, should really scare the Heat’s opponents.

LeBron is averaging 28.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game during the 2012 NBA Playoffs. He’s picked up right where he left off in the regular season and has settled into his role as being the most dominating player in the game.

The real heavy lifting is going to fall on the shoulders of Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Mario Chalmers. All three of them can hit the three, but none of them have been doing it consistently during the playoffs.

In Game 1, Miller, Battier, and Chalmers were 1-9 from the field and scored a total of six points. Battier was held scoreless despite playing nearly 30 minutes in the game.

With Bosh out of commission, the Heat need one of the trio to contribute, or at least for the three of them to contribute 15-20 points each game to help make the lift easier on LeBron and Wade.

The Heat are averaging just less than 97 points per game in the playoffs while holding opponents to 83.3 points per night. Miami is averaging 19 assists for every 14 turnovers, and those numbers are reversed for their opponents.

But the Heat face their first real adversity in the postseason dating back to last year. The Heat have always had the Big Three of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh in the lineup in the playoffs. When Game 2 tips off, the Heat will begin the chase again with Bosh as an onlooker.

ESPN ran computer projections of how the Pacers series would turn out with Bosh on the court and found the Heat won more than 80 percent of the time. ESPN’s simulation without Bosh on the floor dropped the Heat’s chances to win the series to roughly 75 percent.

An MRI exam performed Monday confirmed the diagnosis.

Bosh was hurt late in the first half of the Heat’s 95-86 victory over Indiana on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Game 2 of the series is Tuesday night.

Bosh’s minutes will likely be filled by Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf, both of whom played extended stretches Sunday after Bosh departed.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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. The Heat outscored Indiana 25-16 in the fourth, with Wade and James combining for 22 of those points.

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.

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.

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 31 shots after halftime.

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

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 percent 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 Indiana coach Frank 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.

Even with Bosh out, things started going Miami’s way in the third quarter. The Heat held the Pacers to 31 percent 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.”

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

On Sunday NBA Commissioner David Stern handed James his third MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony before the Heat hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

James was announced Saturday as the winner of the award. Fans attending the Indiana-Miami playoff game were all given headbands with James’ logo and the letters “MVP” printed on them, as well as placards to mark the occasion.

James is the eighth player to win the award at least three times.

“Pretty good company,” Stern said.

The Heat played a video tribute on the scoreboard to start the brief ceremony, which ended with James thanking fans and telling them they played a part in it as well. He ended his speech with “Gracias, Miami,” as the sellout crowd roared.

(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.)

If the scene goes as Dwyane Wade expects, the moment will be more about motivation than culmination for James.

“His goal is to be the best player at the end of the season,” Wade said. “But if he can pick up a little history along the way, I don’t think he’s mad about that at all.”

So the MVP trophy that was awarded Saturday and will be repeated for ceremony’s sake Sunday will be put away, and the chase for another – the one presented to the NBA champions – resumes for the Heat.

The reigning Eastern Conference champions open a second-round series at home against the Pacers, who won the last meeting between the clubs in the regular season after losing the first three matchups.

Some of the time leading up to this series was dominated by talk of how the Pacers insist the Heat flop their way into calls from referees, but the verbal jousting never really took off. The NBA noticed, however, fining Indiana coach Frank Vogel $15,000 on Saturday for “comments about how the referees should officiate the Pacers’ upcoming series with the Heat,” the league said.

And while perceptions might be that the Heat are overwhelming favorites, it certainly bears noting that Miami’s 46 wins were fourth-best in the NBA during the regular season – while Indiana’s 42 wins were fifth-best, suggesting there might not be as big a gap between the clubs as some might think.

“I feel great,” Vogel said Saturday before his team headed to Miami, and a few hours before the fine was announced. “You never know how it’s going to go once you get out there, but we’re as prepared as we have been for any game this year and I feel good about what we can do.”

He should, given the way his club has been playing of late.

Since April 1, counting both regular-season and playoff games, Indiana is 16-4 – the second-best record in the NBA over that span, trailing only San Antonio’s 18-2 mark. The Pacers are scoring nearly 101 points on average in their last 20 games, sixth-best in the league entering Saturday’s play.

In short, the Pacers – who beat Miami 105-90 in their last meeting March 26 – got hot at the right time.

“I think this is what we all live for,” Pacers forward Danny Granger said. “Big stage, big moment, playing a team that everybody talks about. It’s definitely the place you want to be. … I don’t know if it’s about respect. It’s about basketball. It’s about finding out who’s the better team. We’re a good team. They’re a good team. It’s going to be a battle.”

Miami doesn’t disagree with that assessment.

“They’re a much different team in the last six weeks,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We feel we are, too. Watching some of our film from those last two games (against Indiana), it’s not really recognizable. Our energy level at that period of time, but also how we were playing offensively – there’s a lot of different things from our standpoint.”

It will be a different series for the Heat than the first-rounder with the New York Knicks was, for a lot of reasons. Indiana’s starting front line of Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert stands 6-foot-9, 6-9 and 7-2, respectively.

In the teams’ last matchup, Indiana outrebounded Miami 49-33, with those three players doing much of the damage. Not surprisingly, rebounding has been a point of emphasis in Miami’s practices leading up to this series.

“It’s going to be a more physical series,” said Miami’s Chris Bosh, who will see time at both power forward and center in the series. “There will be a lot of fouls drawn, but we can’t worry about foul trouble. Of course, we can’t just foul them. Free throws are a huge part of their offensive efficiency. So we’re going to have to have a fine balance between both. We’ll have to use our fouls wisely but try not to foul in the act of shooting.”

Oddly, one of the reasons Wade feels like Miami should be in position to win this Sunday is because it lost last Sunday.

The Heat had a chance to sweep the Knicks in Game 4 of the first-round series, but Wade missed a wild shot at the buzzer and New York extended the matchup with a two-point win. Miami closed it out at home on Wednesday night.

Obviously, Miami would have preferred to win that game and sweep the series. But Wade says the benefit to playing a fifth game in that series was that Miami didn’t have to sit around for a week and wait for the second round. The Heat were off Thursday, practiced Friday and Saturday, and Wade figures they’ll still be sharp for Game 1 against the Pacers.

“The best thing for us was to keep playing and stay in our rhythm,” Wade said. “You want to kind of stay in the flow of things. And we’re ready to get back out there. It’s going to be a special day, an opportunity to share what LeBron and this team has worked for all year long with our fans before the game and we’ll go from there.”

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

“Heat nation, we have a bigger goal,” James said. “This is very overwhelming to me as an individual award. But this is not the award I want, ultimately. I want that championship. That’s all that matters to me.”

The third MVP award for James puts him in very rare company. The only other players who have at least three MVP trophies are: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Moses Malone.

“It’s amazing to think about it in that sense — three in four years,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “And there could have been one last year. It just shows how great of a talent, how great of a player that he is. Obviously, as an organization, we’re excited, especially coming off of last season and everything that happened and was said.”

For the season, LeBron averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He’s only the fourth player all time with numbers at that level. The others are Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird.

James’ shooting all season was at a level that put him on par with the greatest NBA player in history, Michael Jordan.

His Airness is the only person who has had a season better than what LeBron did this year. In 1988-89, Jordan averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, 2.9 steals on 54 percent shooting.

“We love you,” Heat President Pat Riley told James during the ceremony. “Not just because of this, but because of what you mean to our organization.”

James received 85 of a possible 121 first-place votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league, as well as one collective fan vote on NBA.com. He finished with 1,074 points, topping Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (889 points, 24 first-place votes), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (385, six first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (352, two first-place votes), and San Antonio’s Tony Parker (331, four first-place votes).

“I think LeBron is an MVP candidate every year,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said last month. “It’s just who he is. He only does everything. So I don’t know what more you can ask from him.

“LeBron, to me, is the favorite every year,” Rivers added. “The years he doesn’t win it, it’ll usually be because people are just tired of voting for him. Statistically, if you go all-around game, I don’t know how you don’t vote for him every year.”

For James, it’s a confirmation of his decision to join up with the Heat.

Last season, LeBron said he played more out of anger to quiet the very vocal criticism he received after he joined the Heat. LeBron said he was much more in his comfort zone this season and it showed with his performance on the court.

James’ voice broke a couple of times as he spoke, and he confessed he was more nervous than he anticipated. James relayed a story about his reaction when the news broke publicly Friday night, telling family he was with at the time that “this is crazy.”

“I see my two sons, I do what I do and I try to perform at the highest level every night, and a big part of the reason is those guys. I don’t want to let them down,” James said, pausing for a brief moment as he looked at fiancée Savannah Brinson and his sons. “Secondly, my teammates, like I said. The reason I’m up here today is because of those guys. If those guys don’t sacrifice what they sacrifice every single night … I wouldn’t be up here.”

Moments later, he asked the entire Heat roster to join him on the stage, and they huddled behind him.

“These 14 guys right here, they give everything,” James said. “And they give me everything.”

LeBron becomes the first Heat player to ever win the NBA MVP award. Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo won the award once with the Buffalo Braves in 1975.

LeBron and the Heat will begin their second round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday starting at 3:30 p.m.

As part of the award, LeBron also won a KIA, but he will donate it to his charity.

(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.)

6. The Closer

James scored 12 points in the final 3:02 of a game at home against Philadelphia on April 3, capping what became a season-high 41-point effort for the eventual MVP. The 76ers got within three points late, before James made two jump shots in a 24-second span to provide some breathing room, then sealed the win with an alley-oop dunk less than a minute later — closing a possession extended by Shane Battier diving to control an offensive rebound.

Quotable: “It was a big play. The dunk, it was the easy part, honestly.” — James.

5. The Flurry

Miami was trailing 63-49 at halftime of a home game against San Antonio on Jan. 17, a game where James played through flu-like symptoms in the first two quarters. Whatever James did to feel better at intermission apparently worked wonders. The Heat went from getting blown out to a blowout win, with James outscoring the Spurs 17-12 in the third quarter by himself, keying a 23-1 run with three 3-pointers in a span of less than two minutes, and Miami won 120-98.

Quotable: “There’s not much you can do. He was on fire.” — Spurs guard Tony Parker.

4. The Opener

James and the Heat went into Dallas on Christmas Day, watched the Mavericks raise the NBA championship banner that they earned at Miami’s expense last season, then started this season with an absolute blowout. James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists — no other player had totals like that in a game all season — and the Heat led by as many as 35 at one point before settling on a 105-94 victory.

Quotable: “It was showtime.” — Heat guard Mario Chalmers.

3. The Statement

It was less than two weeks after the Heat went into Oklahoma City and got battered, so Miami needed a response when the Thunder came to Miami on April 4. The game is maybe best remembered for James getting pulled down by Russell Westbrook from behind on a fast break and taking an awkward tumble. He was fine, proving it by completing a 23-point first half with a jumper to give Miami the lead at the halftime buzzer, and finished with 34 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a 98-93 win.

Quotable: “King James isn’t playing around.” — New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, tweeting as he watched the game.

2. The Comeback

The Heat were playing out the string of the regular season when they visited New Jersey on April 16, and were trailing by five points with 5 minutes left against the lowly Nets when James took over. Miami scored 17 points the rest of the way — all by James, 15 of them coming in the final 3 minutes when he was 4-for-4 from the field, 7-for-7 from the line, and ensuring that the Heat would escape with a 101-98 win.

Quotable: “That guy, No. 6, he was pretty good going down the stretch. He was sensational. Obviously, he made every big play offensively. I believe it was 17 straight to close the game. That’s what an MVP does.” — Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

1. The Dunk

A simple back-door lob pass from Dwyane Wade brought perhaps the moment of the season for James, who started his sprint on the right wing, leaped with his right arm outstretched, caught the ball and slammed it home — leapfrogging Chicago Bulls guard John Lucas III in the process. Lucas never saw James coming since he was looking toward the rim and at the ball, not at the 6-foot-8, 250-pound man flying toward him.

Quotable: “I just wanted to go get it.” — James.

(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.)

A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that James will be announced Saturday as this year’s winner of the league’s top individual honor, and that he’ll be formally presented with the trophy by Commissioner David Stern on Sunday afternoon before Miami hosts Indiana in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not announced the results.

James is winning the award for the third time in four seasons. Only seven other players — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone — have at least three MVP trophies.

James said last week that while another MVP award “would be amazing and would be humbling,” it’s not what drives him. In his ninth season, James still has not won an NBA title and it’s clear that, although he wanted to reclaim the MVP trophy, winning a championship is far and away his top basketball priority.

“What I’m all about is team and ever since I was a kid, I was always taught it’s team first,” James told the AP on Friday. “My first time playing basketball, we went undefeated and won a championship and Frank Walker Sr. gave everyone on the team a MVP trophy. Right then and there, I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to see my teammates reap the benefits as well.”

Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP six times, Jordan and Russell five times each, Chamberlain four times. After this weekend, they’ll be the only players with more than James.

“I think he’s probably as committed as he’s ever been in his career,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this week, asked to summarize James’ season. “And he’s always been committed. … We all respond to his energy on the court.”

James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists — making him only the fourth player with those totals in at least two different seasons, according to STATS LLC, joining Oscar Robertson (five times), John Havlicek (twice) and Bird (twice).

Add James’ 53 percent shooting and 1.9 steals per game into the mix, and the club gets even more exclusive. Only Jordan had a season with numbers exceeding what James did this season in those categories — 1988-89, when he averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and 2.9 steals on 54 percent shooting.

And Jordan wasn’t even the MVP that year, the trophy going to Johnson instead.

“I think LeBron is an MVP candidate every year,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said last month. “It’s just who he is. He only does everything. So I don’t know what more you can ask from him.

“LeBron, to me, is the favorite every year,” Rivers added. “The years he doesn’t win it, it’ll usually be because people are just tired of voting for him. Statistically, if you go all-around game, I don’t know how you don’t vote for him every year.”

The MVP votes will be revealed Saturday. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant was thought to be James’ top competition for the MVP, after winning the NBA scoring title for a third straight season. Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs also had seasons that generated some MVP buzz.

James’ teammates also lobbied for him to be defensive player of the year this season, noting that probably no one else in the league routinely plays four positions on offense while sometimes being asked to guard anyone from a point guard to a center on defense. James was fourth in that balloting.

“LeBron has been unbelievable,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said before the playoffs. “He’s done it at both ends, every night, offensively and defensively.”

Last season’s MVP, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, appeared in only 39 of 66 regular-season games this season because of a variety of injuries. His season ended in Game 1 of the Bulls’ first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, when he tore a knee ligament.

Many in the Heat organization thought James should have won the award a year ago as well, when he dealt with constant fallout from “The Decision” to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent and sign with Miami, where he, Wade and Chris Bosh formed a “Big Three” that has been celebrated at home and reviled in just about every other NBA arena.

James has said he played more out of anger and to silence criticism than anything else last season. So this season, his mindset changed, with him trying to revert to old ways, first as a superstar-in-waiting at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, then during his seven seasons with the Cavaliers.

It apparently worked.

“I wanted to get back to who I was as a person,” James said.

It’s the first time that the Heat will be hosting an MVP celebration.

Shaquille O’Neal won his only MVP award before coming to Miami, and James won the 2009 and 2010 trophies with the Cavaliers — collecting 225 of a possible 244 first-place votes in those seasons.

The NBA MVP trophy is named for Maurice Podoloff, the league’s first commissioner. Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo won the award once, for the Buffalo Braves in 1975.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The Indiana Pacers will square off against the Heat in the second round and that means Miami’s focus will be on the much bigger and more athletic frontline of the Pacers.

Indiana’s biggest acquisition in the offseason last year was power forward David West. The veteran has spurred the Pacers’ push into the second round. In the playoffs, West is averaging 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. At 6’9”, the Heat has players that can deal with West.

The bigger challenge lies at the center position with Roy Hibbert. The towering center stands 7’2” and is both a strength and weakness for the Pacers. Hibbert averaged 13 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during the regular season and 11 points and 11 rebounds per game thus far in the playoffs.

He becomes a liability if the Heat can pick up the tempo and get Hibbert running up and down the court.

Miami scored about 1.6 points more per game against the Heat versus the rest of the league. The Heat also clamped down defensively against the Indiana holding the Pacers to roughly 7 points less per game when the two matched up.

Miami’s defense also cleaned up on the glass against the Pacers, while keeping the Pacers’ big men off the boards. Miami averaged 41.9 rebounds per game against Indiana, which was at their season average. Indiana averaged 38.3 rebounds per game against the Heat, which was roughly 5 rebounds less per game.

Both the Pacers and Heat got to the free throw line more often when they played each other than against the rest of the association.

Looking at the shooting, Miami and Indiana both struggled shooting from inside the arc until they got into the paint where both teams shot better, especially around the bucket. Indiana struggled from behind the arc against the Heat, except from the corners where they were slightly better against Miami.

Past Indiana’s front line, the Heat will worry primarily about Danny Granger. The Pacers forward lit up the Orlando Magic for 21 points per game and grabbed 7 rebounds to boot. In the regular season, Granger averaged 18.7 points and 5 rebounds per game.

The Heat are favored in the series over the Pacers, but this series will be much tougher than the first-round series against the New York Knicks.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Heat and the Pacers will tip-off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

The Heat announced late Wednesday night tickets for Games 1 & 2 at the AmericanAirlines Arena will go on sale Thursday at 2 p.m.

The tickets for Game 1 can be bought through Heat.com, ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. The team said there would be an eight-ticket limit per purchase.

No tip-time has been given for Game 2 as of Thursday morning, but tickets for that game will also go on sale at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Miami has beaten Indiana three out of the four times they played in the regular season. But, Indiana improved each time against the Heat and won the last game in March when the Heat were essentially in cruise control.

Miami will be favored in the series, but Indiana counters with a solid frontline of Roy Hibbert at center and David West at power forward, which could give the smaller Heat team problems.

The Miami Heat closed out round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs Wednesday night by beating the New York Knicks 106-95. Miami will host the Pacers in Game 1 of the East semifinals on Sunday afternoon.

LeBron James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points.

“Even though it was a five-game series,” Wade said, “it was a very tough series.”

Slideshow: Heat Oust Knicks

For the Heat, it was only the first step. They have one goal — getting back to the finals and winning it all — and that was likely why even beating the longtime rival Knicks prompted, at most, a subdued celebration.

“We do not take this for granted,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This was a tough series. We feel very good about moving on and it’ll only get tougher from here.”

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 was far from being enough to stave off an all-too-familiar playoff result for Anthony, part of that 2003 draft class that also yielded James, Bosh and Wade.

Anthony has played 54 postseason games, being part of wins only 17 times. A misleading stat for certain — it’s hardly all on him — and no shortage of people in the Heat organization interrupted their celebrating of a series-clincher to tip their caps Anthony’s way afterward.

“We fought, under the circumstances,” Anthony said. “I’m not one to make any excuses for anything. … But Miami, they’re a tough defensive team. They stick to what their schemes are.”

Head-to-head, Anthony and James both scored 139 points in the series. James shot 48 percent from the field, Anthony 42 percent. James averaged 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists, Anthony averaged 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

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

Amare Stoudemire scored 14 points, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith both added 12, Mike Bibby had 10 and Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds for New York, which is 1-8 in playoff games since Anthony and Stoudemire became teammates.

“Miami is a very good team,” Stoudemire said. “You have to give credit to them.”

Stoudemire fouled out with 4:48 left, and the Knicks put together one more run with hopes of extending the season. New York cut the margin to 11 points four times in a 2-minute span, but 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.

“There’s a lot of pride that takes place in this kind of series,” Wade said.

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 to all but seal 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.

“We stress moving the ball,” Bosh said. “We had some fantastic possessions.”

For the Knicks, it was not a fantastic finish.

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 by a knee injury, the Knicks had a roller-coaster ride that continued with a debilitating series of injuries against Miami.

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.

“I thought we played well in spurts,” Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson said. “Our guys got a short taste of what playoff basketball’s about. It’s something this summer we’ve got to sit and think about and hopefully get ready for next season.”

He didn’t put any extra emphasis on the word “hopefully,” but he could have. One of New York’s first orders of business this offseason will likely be deciding if Woodson will be back on the sideline, as many expect.

“Woody’s done a heck of a job with that team,” Spoelstra said.

(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.)

Indiana blew out the Magic by 20 points on Tuesday to finish off the Magic. The series win was the first for the Pacers since Reggie Miller was still playing in 2005. But now they will go from favorites to underdogs against the Heat.

During the regular season, the Heat were 3-1 against the Pacers including a 118-83 win on January 4 at the AAA, 105-90 on Valentine’s Day in Indiana, a 93-91 victory at the AAA on March 10 and a loss in Indiana on 105-90.

The Pacers have posted major improvements thanks to the acquisitions of power forward David West from the New Orleans Hornets and George Hill, formerly of the San Antonio Spurs. The pacers starters are Hill, Paul George, Danny Granger, West, and Roy Hibbert.

Then they bring Tyler Hansbrough, Leonardo Barbosa and Darrin Collison off the bench.

If the Bulls are eliminated in the other half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, Indiana and Boston are the Heat’s two biggest challenges on the path to the NBA Finals. If the Bulls go down, Miami would have home court advantage in the Eastern Conference.

But, the Heat have to take care of the Knicks first, which they will try to do in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs opening round.

So far, that hasn’t happened and despite being a starter, his minutes are starting to erode during the playoffs. Haslem is averaging just 17.5 minutes per game in the playoffs even though he starts.

Haslem has been his normal self grabbing every rebound he can get to, but he’s struggling on the offensive end of the floor. He’s averaging just 3 points per game and is shooting just 41 percent in the series against the Knicks.

The former Florida Gator used to be money on a medium range jumpshot, but this year he’s struggled to get his game going and shot 7 percent lower than his career average during the regular season.

Still, Haslem’s defensive intensity keeps him on the floor. He’s averaging 6.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs, which is in-line with his regular season average of 7.3 rebounds per game. Haslem proved his worth last year in the playoffs against the Chicago Bulls.

The Heat have envisioned the closing lineup for the team would be LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh, a Big Five if you will. With that lineup on the floor, teams have had a hard time stopping the Heat.

The Heat have the ability this year to run that lineup out there, but if Miller and Haslem continue to struggle from the field, it’s going to make the journey that much more difficult for the Big Three.

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.)

“I told them, I said, ‘Listen, I’m just going to see how I feel,” Wade said according to NBA.com. “This is about being health – I think for all of us, going into the summer healthy – and taking it from there.”

Wade’s physical style of offense has taken a toll on him over the years. During the current season, Wade has missed games at different points in the season and LeBron James has carried the Heat for most of the year.

Still, Wade’s competitiveness and his desire to put together one more Olympic gold medal will likely keep him in the Olympics mix if at all possible.

The US team in the Olympics is expected to feature LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden to name a few. Team USA’s biggest competition will likely come from the Spanish team.

In Game 4, the Heat shot just 41.1 percent from the field and shot just 16 percent from beyond the three-point line. The team did no better from the free throw line, led in large part by Dwyane Wade’s struggles.

For the game, Wade made just 4-11 free throws and his seven misses dropped the Heat’s free shooting down to just 68.6 percent. For the series, Wade is shooting just 52 percent from the free throw line. LeBron James and Chris Bosh combined to go 16-18 from the free throw line in Game 4.

While LeBron did well from the free throw line, he struggled from the field shooting just 9 of 21, or 43 percent. Wade shot 50 percent from the field, but the other starters, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, and Chris Bosh combined to shoot 9-25 or roughly 36 percent from the field.

Overall, Miami is shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the three-point line against the Knicks in the opening round series. The Heat are owning the Knicks in every category except Rebounds and free throw shooting percentage.

One of the brightest spots in the playoffs thus far has been Heat power forward/center Chris Bosh. Since being moved to the center position in the starting lineup, Bosh is averaging 14 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and has been key in opening holes for LeBron and Wade.

The Heat have dominated at home most of the season including, but for them to make it far into the 2012 NBA Playoffs; they will continue to have find at least one shooter to get hot each game to make for easy victories.

In Game 4, Shane Battier and Mike Miller combined for five points on 2-7 shooting. One or both of those players will have to near 10 points for the Heat to truly have easy victories from here on out.