Michael Beasley

Directed by Adam Yauch. With Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Bobbito Garcia and Jerryd Bayless. Distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories. 1 hour, 30 mins. PG-13 (profanity). Playing at: Ritz at the Bourse. A basketball movie directed by a Beastie Boy, Gunnin' for That #1 Spot follows eight high school phenoms selected for the Elite 24 all-star game held at Rucker Park, the Harlem hoops mecca, in September 2006. For roundball junkies and hip-hop heads, it's an enticing combination.

Michael Beasley griped about some calls, tumbled after missing layups, then shook his head in disappointment after a rebound bounced off his outstretched hands. After his first summer league game drew raves, Beasley looked like a rookie in his second. One day after scoring 28 points in his much-hyped debut, Beasley returned to earth yesterday, finishing with only nine points in Miami's 90-81 summer league win over New Jersey in Orlando. The second overall pick in last month's draft was a mere mortal, missing all but one of his 13 shots from the field and collecting nearly as many fouls (seven; there's no automatic disqualification in summer league)

Bad behavior "Angry people, angry place will greet Lakers," read Saturday's headline - and the story never even mentioned Philadelphia, because it was in the Salt Lake Tribune, over Gordon Monson's column about the "wonderfully maladjusted" Jazz fans. Los Angeles' Derek Fisher, a former Jazz player, bore the brunt of Utah fans' furor at Game 3 Saturday night, booed and greeted with chants of "Fisher sucks!" and trash talk about his daughter. In 2007, Fisher sought his release from the Jazz in order to seek the best medical care for his then-11-month-old daughter, who was being treated for a cancerous tumor in her left eye. Because Salt Lake City offered the renowned Moran Eye Center and Huntsman Cancer Institute, some Jazz fans questioned whether Fisher was using his daughter to get out of Utah.

Dwyane Wade soared past Zaza Pachulia, throwing down a fierce dunk as the Atlanta forward sent him sprawling into a courtside row of photographers. Down, but definitely not out. When the Miami Heat needed him most, Wade was at his best. Wade scored 41 points, Michael Beasley burst out of a slump with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat stayed alive in the NBA playoffs by routing the visiting Hawks, 98-72, in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series last night.

The only All-Star healthy enough to play made the difference. Paul Pierce scored 36 points without Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to share the load, Dwyane Wade missed his first game of the season, and the Boston Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 112-108 overtime victory over the visiting Miami Heat last night. "It almost came down to that we had Paul and they didn't have Wade," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. Wade missed the game with a right hip flexor, and the Heat missed his NBA-best 29.9-point scoring average.

Michael Beasley is headed to the NBA. Kansas State's All-America freshman announced yesterday that he will skip his final three seasons to enter the June 26 NBA draft, where he could be the No. 1 overall pick. Beasley, the Big 12 player of the year, had the second-most rebounds and third-most points of any freshman in NCAA history, leading Kansas State to its first NCAA Tournament victory in 20 years. The agile, 6-10 power forward averaged 26.2 points per game and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds, finishing second to North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough for numerous player of the year awards.

Michael Beasley stood up, exhaled, and then broke into one of his trademark smiles. For a second, the easygoing personality that predraft reports suggested might have prevented the Miami Heat from taking Beasley gave way to relief. Beasley was picked second overall in last night's NBA draft. "I was a little surprised," he said. "We had talked [with the Heat] before the draft, and just to hear my name called, it took a lot of pressure off. " The speculation of a chaotic top of the draft proved to be just talk.

Dwyane Wade watched the three-pointer drop perfectly through the net, then turned upcourt and extended the fingers on his right hand. And he screamed. "In kid-friendly terms," Wade would say later, "I was telling him he was hot. " That hand - that player - had never been hotter in a postseason game, either. And that's why Miami's season isn't over. Playing what might have been his final game in Miami, Wade scored 46 points, 30 in the second half - both franchise records - and the Heat beat the visiting Boston Celtics, 101-92, yesterday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Ben Gordon was Detroit's best player last night. He was pretty good for the Milwaukee Bucks, too. And once again, the little guard found a way to torment the Miami Heat. Gordon scored 26 of his season-high 39 points in the second half, including two huge three-pointers in the final 3 1/2 minutes, and the visiting Pistons beat Miami, 106-99, last night to snap a nine-game Heat winning streak that had been the NBA's longest. Miami's loss gave Milwaukee essentially what amounts to a two-game cushion in the race for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

It's March and the Miami Heat is again getting its act together for the playoffs. Dwyane Wade had 27 points and 12 assists, and the visiting Heat beat the free-falling New Jersey Nets, 99-89, last night for its eighth win in 11 games this month. "It's playoff time. It's money time," forward Michael Beasley said after the Heat overcame a sluggish start to hand the Nets their eighth straight loss. "We all want to make a push in the playoffs. We've got to play like it. " After spending recent months a bubble team, the big March has lifted Miami into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a game ahead of Charlotte and Toronto and 3 1/2 in front of ninth-place Chicago.

Miami Heat owner Micky Arison has reportedly been fined $500,000 by the NBA, three days after he made references to the locked-out league's ongoing collective bargaining process on his Twitter account. The NBA did not disclose the amount of the fine, or say publicly why Arison was sanctioned. Arison posted several tweets Friday night, including a reply to someone who referred to those involved with the lockout as "greedy . . . pigs. " Arison replied by saying "Honestly u r barking at the wrong owner.

Bad behavior "Angry people, angry place will greet Lakers," read Saturday's headline - and the story never even mentioned Philadelphia, because it was in the Salt Lake Tribune, over Gordon Monson's column about the "wonderfully maladjusted" Jazz fans. Los Angeles' Derek Fisher, a former Jazz player, bore the brunt of Utah fans' furor at Game 3 Saturday night, booed and greeted with chants of "Fisher sucks!" and trash talk about his daughter. In 2007, Fisher sought his release from the Jazz in order to seek the best medical care for his then-11-month-old daughter, who was being treated for a cancerous tumor in her left eye. Because Salt Lake City offered the renowned Moran Eye Center and Huntsman Cancer Institute, some Jazz fans questioned whether Fisher was using his daughter to get out of Utah.

Dwyane Wade watched the three-pointer drop perfectly through the net, then turned upcourt and extended the fingers on his right hand. And he screamed. "In kid-friendly terms," Wade would say later, "I was telling him he was hot. " That hand - that player - had never been hotter in a postseason game, either. And that's why Miami's season isn't over. Playing what might have been his final game in Miami, Wade scored 46 points, 30 in the second half - both franchise records - and the Heat beat the visiting Boston Celtics, 101-92, yesterday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Ben Gordon was Detroit's best player last night. He was pretty good for the Milwaukee Bucks, too. And once again, the little guard found a way to torment the Miami Heat. Gordon scored 26 of his season-high 39 points in the second half, including two huge three-pointers in the final 3 1/2 minutes, and the visiting Pistons beat Miami, 106-99, last night to snap a nine-game Heat winning streak that had been the NBA's longest. Miami's loss gave Milwaukee essentially what amounts to a two-game cushion in the race for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal says his surgically repaired thumb is healing ahead of schedule. Looking remarkably fit, O'Neal, who has been out since tearing a ligament in his thumb on Feb. 25 and having surgery, said he plans to resume basketball activities soon and may return before the end of the regular season. "I will be ready," O'Neal said. O'Neal attended last night's Milwaukee at Cleveland game with his mother, Lucille, who was in town promoting her book, "Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go: From Mental Welfare to Mental Wealth.

It's March and the Miami Heat is again getting its act together for the playoffs. Dwyane Wade had 27 points and 12 assists, and the visiting Heat beat the free-falling New Jersey Nets, 99-89, last night for its eighth win in 11 games this month. "It's playoff time. It's money time," forward Michael Beasley said after the Heat overcame a sluggish start to hand the Nets their eighth straight loss. "We all want to make a push in the playoffs. We've got to play like it. " After spending recent months a bubble team, the big March has lifted Miami into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a game ahead of Charlotte and Toronto and 3 1/2 in front of ninth-place Chicago.

If a chance to move into fifth place in the Eastern Conference wasn't motivation enough for the Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Beasley had them hitting the court angry. These days, that's bad news for the Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA. Stephen Jackson scored 24 points, Gerald Wallace added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Bobcats completed a 6-0 homestand with their most lopsided victory in team history, 104-65, over the listless Heat last night. Shutting down a frustrated and foul-plagued Dwyane Wade, the Bobcats (21-19)

Whenever the Miami Heat appear to be slipping, they turn up the defense. No one has done that any better against Atlanta this season. Dwyane Wade had 28 points and eight rebounds, Michael Beasley scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half and the Heat snapped a three-game skid by easily beating the sputtering Hawks, 92-75, last night. "We're far from a perfect group," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But this group does have a spirit and they enjoy coming to work, and even though we went through a very tough stretch . . . we've shown an ability to bounce back and have some resiliency, and it was a strong and important win. " Miami held visiting Atlanta to season lows in points (29.9 below its average)

Dwyane Wade emerged from the training room wearing a black robe and with a thick bag of ice strapped to his aching right wrist. "It's all right now," Wade said. Unlikely as it seemed a few days ago, so are the Miami Heat, who enjoyed a rare romp past the Orlando Magic. Wade had 25 points and seven assists, Michael Beasley added 22 points and the host Heat were in control throughout an easy 104-86 victory over the Eastern Conference champion Magic last night. Wade sat out the entire fourth quarter for the third straight game, all of them routs with Miami winning the last two. Since a pair of team meetings following a 28-point home loss to Memphis on Sunday, the Heat are 2-0 with an average winning margin of 19 points.

Shaquille O'Neal vowed to protect LeBron James when he was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason. Apparently, that goes for the rest of the King's men, too. O'Neal had 16 points and stepped right in when Jamario Moon was taken down by a hard foul in the fourth quarter, helping the Cavaliers beat visiting New Jersey, 99-89, last night. With Cleveland leading by 11 with 3:48 left, Devin Harris was called for a flagrant foul and ejected after wrapping his arm around Moon's face and neck and pulling him to the ground when Moon went up for a breakaway basket.