Erik Spoelstra

Forward Michael Beasley said that an offseason stay in a rehabilitation facility was his "lowest hour," denied that he has a substance-abuse problem and apologized to the Miami Heat organization. Beasley would not reveal any specific details of the treatment he received in Houston, other than acknowledging that he became "pretty upset" upon learning his stay would be considerably longer than first planned. That anger, he said, sparked a wave of troubling messages posted on his now-closed Twitter feed.

OFTENTIMES, WHEN looking to juice up the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center, a scene from one of the "Rocky" movies will appear on the Jumbotron. In staying with the boxing theme, the Miami Heat may have watched a replay of the "Rumble in the Jungle," the epic fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali in Zaire in 1974. In that fight, Ali used his rope-a-dope tactic to tire out Foreman before delivering a knockout blow in the eighth round. Throughout the first two games of the NBA, Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, both Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the 76ers' Doug Collins have talked about taking the other team's best punch.

It appears that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who has used several different starting lineups this season, has decided on his Fab Five for the playoff series against the Sixers, according to the Miami Herald . Joining the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will be Mike Bibby at point guard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas at center. While Spoelstra said that "looks like" the starting lineup, he added, "I'm not afraid to pull another trigger, if necessary. "Everyone is ready and capable and have given us productive minutes.

Hours after a shocking 94-75 loss in Game 3 to the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat canceled Friday's practice and media availability. One day after they lost by 19 points and Dwyane Wade lost his cool, the Heat needed a short-term escape. They stayed inside their downtown Indianapolis hotel to recharge mentally and physically for Sunday's Game 4. The team gave no reason for Friday's decision. On Thursday night, while the Pacers were pulling away in the third quarter, Wade got into an ugly sideline exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra.

MIAMI - Relatively anonymous 76ers guard Jrue Holiday, trailing by 21 late in the third quarter, bent over to pick up a loose ball 15 feet from his own basket. LeBron James, who famously took his talents to South Beach, leading by 21, dived onto the floor and ripped the ball from Holiday's hands. Ten seconds later, with Holiday still trailing the play, James hit an undefended 10-foot jumper to take a 23-point lead. That's how the Heat owned Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, start to blowout finish, how they took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Sitting at a circular table with four reporters, Brook Lopez pointed across the room to where a horde of maybe 20 media members assembled around Michael Beasley, some standing on chairs for a better glimpse. Lopez, the workmanlike center from Stanford, isn't a glamour prospect in tonight's NBA draft. But he is, after all, potentially the third pick after Beasley and Memphis guard Derrick Rose. "I know that," Lopez said of such a characterization. "You know, see everyone else in the media, all that circling [Beasley]

MIAMI - The tone was serious, and the Miami Heat were all business both during and after a practice that lasted more than two hours Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. This time, the Boston Celtics, who face the winner of the Eastern Conference first-round series between the Heat and 76ers, were a taboo subject. The Heat clearly seemed agitated that they didn't put the Sixers away when they had the chance, losing Sunday, 86-82, at the Wells Fargo Center. Now up three games to one in their best-of-seven series, the Heat get their second chance to close this series with Wednesday's 7 p.m., Game 5 matchup against a rejuvenated Sixers squad.

Score: Heat 97, Sixers 91 How it happened: For the fourth time in five games, the Sixers jumped out to a big lead early, this time 11 points midway through the first quarter. The Sixers hit eight of their first nine shots, but the Heat's somnambulant starting five morphed into its high-energy unit, began playing defense - the Sixers were fruitless in nine of 10 trips downcourt - and put together a 19-4 run, led by backup guard Mario Chalmers' eight points; he finished with 11 in the quarter and 20 in the game.

MIAMI - The Miami Heat are prohibitive favorites as they begin their playoff series on Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena against the 76ers, but one thing that came out clear was how much respect they have for their opponent. The same theme kept emanating from the Heat players and coach Erik Spoelstra about the Sixers - that they are a young talented unit that is extremely dangerous in the open court. And as the Heat seem comfortable in the villain role after LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade to make Miami the Yankees of the NBA, they are giving their opponent far more respect than the general public is giving.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra couldn't quite believe the question. After his team had used a 32-16 fourth quarter to cement a 99-79 win on Friday over the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center, Spoelstra was asked whether the team he just defeated was among the elite squads in the Eastern Conference. Spoelstra, paused, then laughed and finally delivered forceful answer. "They absolutely are," Spoelstra said. "That record is not an aberration. " The Sixers are now 16-7, while Miami improved to 17-6.

LEBRON JAMES has never taken fewer shots in a playoff game than he did on Sunday night, which at first glance might seem like a good thing for the Milwaukee Bucks. It was not. James scored 27 points on 9 for 11 shooting - finishing two assists shy of a triple-double - while Ray Allen scored 20 off the bench and the defending champion Heat picked up where they left off in the NBA playoffs a year ago, never trailing on the way to beating the Bucks, 110-87, in Game 1 of an East first-round series.

Playing at home in a key Game 4, the Oklahoma City Thunder - paced by Kevin Durant's game-high 36 points - beat San Antonio, 109-103, Saturday night to tie their Western Conference finals series at two games each. Tim Duncan paced the Spurs with 21 points. Wade pledges to step up Everywhere Dwyane Wade turned Friday, two Boston Celtics seemed to be waiting. And as long as Chris Bosh is out, he understands it's probably going to stay that way. The Boston Celtics can double-team him without fear, knowing LeBron James is the only other Miami player who can consistently hurt them.

Hours after a shocking 94-75 loss in Game 3 to the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat canceled Friday's practice and media availability. One day after they lost by 19 points and Dwyane Wade lost his cool, the Heat needed a short-term escape. They stayed inside their downtown Indianapolis hotel to recharge mentally and physically for Sunday's Game 4. The team gave no reason for Friday's decision. On Thursday night, while the Pacers were pulling away in the third quarter, Wade got into an ugly sideline exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra couldn't quite believe the question. After his team had used a 32-16 fourth quarter to cement a 99-79 win on Friday over the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center, Spoelstra was asked whether the team he just defeated was among the elite squads in the Eastern Conference. Spoelstra, paused, then laughed and finally delivered forceful answer. "They absolutely are," Spoelstra said. "That record is not an aberration. " The Sixers are now 16-7, while Miami improved to 17-6.

Before Dwyane Wade even sat down for a post-practice news conference yesterday in Miami, he offered a pre-emptive strike. "I'm not hurt," he said. And that was news Miami Heat fans wanted to hear on the eve of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Wade, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and James Jones were all back in practice yesterday, a day after being held out of contact drills for precautionary reasons. Everyone fully participated in the workout, which coach Erik Spoelstra said he had to cut a bit short because of how physical things were getting.

MIAMI - LeBron James walked through the tunnel leading from the Miami Heat locker room Monday, stepped onto the court, and gave a yell. He looked down at the NBA Finals logo newly affixed on the floor, smiled, and nodded. With that, it became real. His championship chance - the biggest reason he came to Miami - has finally arrived. Swept out of his only other Finals appearance four years ago, James will get his long-awaited second opportunity starting Tuesday night when the Heat play host to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA's title series.

There is no way to discuss this Miami Heat thing rationally. There's the group that was appalled by LeBron James' televised ego-drama and that whole flashpots-and-smoke travesty of a pep rally, and there are those who ignore all that and simply enjoy watching James play basketball. We are not interested in finding common ground between these two warring camps. Nor are we interested in committing another chunk of newsprint and Internet space to mocking The Decision or mocking the mockers of The Decision.

CHICAGO - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined to win a championship. Well, now they have their shot. James scored 28 points, Wade added 21, and they led a furious rally in the final minutes as the Miami Heat eliminated Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, 83-80, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last night. James and Wade were simply spectacular down the stretch, each scoring eight during a game-ending 18-3 run as Miami wiped out a 12-point deficit to win the series.

All series long, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the players repeatedly spoke about the respect they had for the 76ers. While words are nice, it was the Heat's actions that showed how highly they regard the Sixers. Although Miami had the noticeable edge in talent, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, it was the Sixers who often dictated the action in the series and the Heat who were forced to respond. There is no bigger sign of respect than that. The Heat won this best-of-seven affair four games to one following Wednesday's 97-91, closeout victory at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Score: Heat 97, Sixers 91 How it happened: For the fourth time in five games, the Sixers jumped out to a big lead early, this time 11 points midway through the first quarter. The Sixers hit eight of their first nine shots, but the Heat's somnambulant starting five morphed into its high-energy unit, began playing defense - the Sixers were fruitless in nine of 10 trips downcourt - and put together a 19-4 run, led by backup guard Mario Chalmers' eight points; he finished with 11 in the quarter and 20 in the game.