HEATing Back Up in Miami

After losing 5 games in a row, the Heat are now on a 3 game winning streak after defeating the San Antonio Spurs last night.  The 1st quarter had the hopes of a great game as the Heat ended the quarter on an 11-3 run that put them up only by 3 (22-19) to end the quarter.  In the 2nd quarter the Heat began to pull away from the Spurs extending the lead 11 points with 5:39 left in the half.  The Spurs were held to only 20 points in the quarter as the Heat went into halftime 49-39 behind Bosh's 16 points and 7 rebounds.   In the 2nd half great defensive efforts by the Heats continued and the heart and intensity of the Miami team showed when Wade, after coming off of 5 blocks in the last game, blocked Duncan as he went up for a shot in the 3rd quarter.  The Heat extended there lead over the Spurs to 18 points in this 3rd quarter.  The Heat went into the 4th quarter up 14 points (77-63).  A lot were probably thinking to themselves going into the 4th quarter of play would the Heat be able to hold it out or would the dwindle and blow another double digit lead, losing to a power house team yet again.  In the 4th quarter it seemed that the Heat wanted to return the favor of embarrassment, after losing to the Spurs in their last meeting 2 weeks ago by 30 points, extended their lead to 33 points.  Later down the stretch 2 great back to back defensive steals led to a dunk by James assisted by Wade and another dunk by Wade himself following.   The Heat showed last night why even after their hard times they should still be considered as a contender for the Finals defeating the best team in the league by 30 points 110-80.  The Spurs Parker led the team in scoring with 18 points, Duncan had 14 points and 6 rebounds.  The Heat big 3 combined for the Spurs final score of 80 points with Bosh leading the team in scoring with 30 points and 12 rebounds, Wade had 29 points 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, James finished the game with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.  The Heat are now 2 games behind the Celtics and Bulls who are now both 47-18 after a loss against the New Jersey Nets last night.  Miami next game will be Wednesday as they host the OKC Thunder in South Beach.  The San Antonio Spurs next game will be Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.  It has just been a wonderful week for Dwyane Wade it seems as it seems that the Heat are now back on a roll defeating the 2 time defending champs last week, displaying MJ like numbers in the last game against the Grizzlies, the victory last night against the Spurs, and now he embarks on a new journey with his teammates (brothers) support as he has received full custody of his children.  

AP Photo

Ward and Leonard Join Dancing With the Stars

Hines Ward and Sugar Ray Leonard are the latest athletes that have joined the Dancing with the Stars Family.  Both will be on next season of dancing with the stars which premieres March 21st on ABC.

Hines Ward 

• Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver (1998-present)
• 4 time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XL MVP
• 954 receptions
• 11,702 receiving yards
• 83 receiving TDs

Sugar Ray Leonard

• Retired Professional Boxer
• Total Fights: 40; Wins: 36; KO's: 25
• 1973 National Golden Gloves Lightweight Champion
• 1974 National Golden Gloves Light Welterweight Champion
• 1976 Olympic Light Welterweight Gold Medalist

Heat Gets Over Hump

Going into last nights game the Heat were looking to end a 5 game winning streak as the Lakers were looking to extend their 8 game winning streak to 9.  The game was a hard core playoff type game with 18 ties, 16 lead changes, and 6 points being the largest lead held by both teams.  The 1st quarter ended with James hitting a 2 pointer at the buzzer which put the Heat going into the 2nd quarter up 29-26.  The 1st quarter definitely set the tone for the rest of the game with all of the shots and scores coming down to the very last seconds of each quarter.  The Heat went into halftime up 2 points (55-53) and went into the final quarter of the game down 2 points (70-68).  With both teams looking for a win the 4th quarter became very intense with continuous back and forth action throughout the entire 12 minutes.  With less than six minutes left in the game Gasol tied the game at 80 points giving the Lakers hope that they could hold off and defeat the Heat in the rematch from Christmas Day.  With less than 1:30 minutes left in the game, Wade got a big steal that led to a dunk by James that but the Heat back up by 2.  With the Heat up by 4 and less than 19.2 seconds left in the game, Artest fouled James after a long 3 point miss by Bryant.  James was able to put down both free throws and the Heat held off to defeat Lakers 94-88.  James had 19 points, 9 assists, Wade had 20 points 4 steals, and Bosh led the Heat in scoring with 24 points and 9 rebounds.  Bryant had 24 points, Gasol 20 points, Artest had 6 assists, and Bynum had 12 rebounds in the lost.  The Heat are now 2-0 against the Lakers for the season and their next game is tomorrow against the Memphis Grizzlies.  Kobe Bryant was so upset by the lost and shots missed at the end of the game that he stayed after the game and had a shoot around for a hour and 20 minutes.  The Lakers next game is tomorrow against the Dallas Mavericks.

Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Also Thursday in the NBA:

• A'mare had 36 points in the loss against the Dallas Mavericks, playing with a bruise shoulder.  Stoudemire also received his 16th technical foul for the season and is facing an one game suspension after review by the league.  Mavs defeated the Knicks 127-109, Nowitzki had 23 points, 9 rebounds, Anthony had 18 points, 10 rebounds.
• Although Melo lost last night his former team the Denver Nuggets held off to defeat the Phoenix Suns 116-97.  Nene had 27 points 7 rebounds and Lawson had 20 points 11 assists.  Gortat had 14 points, 8 rebounds and both Hill and Warrick both added 12 points each for the Suns.  

Walker's Buzzer Beater

With the score tied at 74, Kemba Walker stepped back and took a shot and the buzzer sounded just as the ball went through the hoop putting UCONN over Pittsburgh 76-74.  Walker was 8-22 from the field and had 24 points in the game including the buzzer beater to end the game.  UCONN converted 11 of Pittsburgh turnovers into 20 points and played with guard Roscoe Smith in the 2nd half.  Huskies guard Smith went out with 7:20 left in the 1st half after receiving an elbow to the head and having to get 8 stitches and undergoing a concussion test.  Pittsburgh's Gibbs had a great game as well hitting a 3 pointer with 47.9 seconds left in the game which tied it at 74.  Gibbs was 10-13 from the field and ended the game with 27 points.

Embarrassing Loss for Miami Heat

After blowing a game Thursday night against the Orlando Magic, allowing the Magic to come back from a 24 point deficit and beat them, the Heat had a horrible defensive game last night losing to the San Antonio Spurs.  After watching the 1st quarter alone you could tell that it would be a long game for the Heat, as the Spurs held them to only 11 points and taking a 24 point lead at the end of the quarter.  The Spurs were 8 of 10 from the 3 point range in the 1st quarter alone and the Heat were only 22% in shooting field goals.  As the game went on the Spurs continued to break down the Heat's defense.  In the 2nd quarter the Heat eventually went on a 9-0 run and cut the Spurs lead to 12 points by halftime.  The Spurs were held to 26 points in the 2nd after scoring 36 in the 1st alone and the Heat scored 38 points in the 2nd quarter leaving the score 62-50 at halftime.  After halftime the Heat continued to fight back but was only able to cut the lead to within 9 and eventually the Spurs took the game back going back up by 24 points in the 3rd quarter.  The Heat went on another 9-0 run in the 3rd that was ended by free throws by Tony Parker, who returned last night after missing two games due to a strained calf muscle.  With less than 3 minutes left in the quarter Dampier was ejected from the game after shoving Parker in the back landing him a flagrant foul.  At the end of the 3rd quarter the Spurs had seven players in double digits including all of the starting line up.  Its an understatement to say that the Spurs had their way with the Heat defeating them by 30 points, 125-95, the largest lost the Heat have suffered this season.  After last night's game, the Heat's schedule doesn't get any easier for them as they take on the Bulls, Trailblazers, Lakers, Grizzlies, and the Spurs again in the next 5 games.    The Heat are now 1-8 against the top 5 teams in the league and have now dropped to 3rd place behind the Celtics and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference.

(AP Photo/ Bahram Mark Sobhani)

Also Friday in the NBA:

• After an impressive 24 point comeback against the Heat Thursday night, the Magic were unable to achieve another comeback last night against the Bulls.  Chicago defeated the Magic 89-81 and Dwight Howard received a 1 game suspension after getting his 16th technical foul of the season.  
• The Knicks are now 0-3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers after they have lost twice to the Cavs in the past week.  The Knicks were unable to hold on last night, losing to the Cavs 119-115.
• Kevin Durant returned last night, after suffering from an ankle injury, against the Atlanta Hawks.  Durant had 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 111-104 victory over the Hawks.

Shaun Rogers Signs with Saints

The New Orleans Saints announced Tuesday they had signed free agent Shaun Rogers, defensive tackle, to an one-year contract.  The former Cleveland Brown was released on February 9th from the Browns after an unsatisfactory performance during the 2010 season due to ankle, hip and elbow injuries.  Rogers also had trouble off the field last season as he was arrested for carrying a gun in his carry-on bag at the airport and received discipline from the NFL.  The Browns GM Tom Heckert believes that Rogers going to a good team for the first time in his career could be a good move and cause a turn around in Rogers.

Mike Vick Signs Franchise Tender

 

After the Philadelphia Eagles placed the franchise tag on Michael Vick February 15th, meaning Vick was unable to receive offers by other teams during the off season, Vick has signed the Eagles' one-year franchise tender.  Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is set to expire tonight at 11:59 pm, Vick will earn a salary equal to average the top five highest paid quarterbacks in the league.  With current negotiations going on at this time, provisions regarding the franchise tag and tender could change with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Vick set a couple of career highs last season, including passing rate (100.2), completion percentage (62.6) and yards passing (3,018).

Serena Williams Suffers Pulmonary Embolism

Serena Williams returned home yesterday after being hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lungs.  Williams has had two operations done on her right foot in which she injured last summer outside of a restaurant in Germany following her Wimbledon victory.  The blood clot in her lungs surfaced during her return to LA following doctor appointments in New York for ongoing issues with her foot.  Williams spokeswoman, Nicole Chabot stated, "Thankfully everything was caught in time.  With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision."  Williams was disappointed as she was hoping she would return to tennis really soon, upon the recovery from her foot injury.  "This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing," Williams said. "I know I will be back.. While I can't make any promises I hope to back early summer."

Grizzlies Defeats Number 1 Spurs

Darren Abate

With only one Spur in double digits and starters Duncan, Ginobili, and Blair sitting out the entire 4th quarter, the San Antonio Spurs failed to deliver against the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night.  George Hill started in place of veteran Tony Parker who will be out for 2-4 weeks with a strained left calf muscle.  Spurs were unable to find any rhythm or chemistry throughout the entire night and had 22 turnovers, one short of their season high.  Arthur and Randolph led both teams in scoring with 20 points and Randolph added 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies.  Memphis led the Spurs by 25 points at one point during the game and held off to beat the Spurs by 16, 109-93. Ginobili stated the loss provided the Spurs with a preview of what could be the first round of playoffs if current standing remained the same in the West and the Grizzlies and Spurs would have to face each other in that round.

Bibby Opts For Buyout

After being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizard only a week ago, Mike Bibby has now opted for a buyout giving up $6.2 million.  After only playing 2 games with the Wizard Bibby decided that he would rather take a buyout by the deadline so he can sign with another team in time to make the playoff roster.  As a veteran reaching the end of his career, Bibby wanted to take this buyout and join forces with a championship contending team.  After hearing about the buyout, the Heat, Celtics, and Lakers are supposedly reaching out to acquire the veteran point guard.  The Miami Heat have now parted ways with Carlos Arroyo in order to have cap room for Bibby.  Mike Bibby will clear his waivers tomorrow, and may be suited up as a Miami Heat as early as Thursday as the Heat takes on the Orlando Magic.