Heat Team Report
(Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:40:16 PST)

For Heat forward Chris Bosh, life as a former Raptor means having to work your way back into NBA consciousness.

So, no, he was not surprised about being bypassed in the fan vote for an All-Star starting berth.

But he was somewhat surprised about where some of his after-the-fact support came from.

Yes, that was Charles Barkley stumping for Bosh over fan selection Carmelo Anthony.

"It's funny," said Bosh, who closed with 12 points and eight rebounds Sunday against his former team in the Heat's 95-89 victory over the Raptors. "My friend hit me, my best friend. He was like, 'Did you watch the pregame?' I said, 'You know, I never watch the pregame.' And he pretty much described the situation to me and I thought it was something else.

James, Heat hold back Raptors, 95-89
(Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:12:26 PST)
LeBron James took a hard foul and clearly was not happy. So the next time he saw the ball, he made sure no Toronto player could reach him. James' steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami some breathing room, and the Heat held on to defeat the Toronto Raptors 95-89 on Sunday. James finished with 30 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat (18-6), who won for the 10th...

76ers shake off loss to Miami with big win over Atlanta
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:50:15 PST)
Philadelphia 76ers swingman Evan Turner insists that he hasn't been in the league long enough to know if it's good or bad having a locker room (mostly) full of young guys unconcerned about facing a daunting stretch of the schedule.

Philadelphia 76ers 98, Atlanta Hawks 87
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:45:11 PST)
Philadelphia 76ers swingman Evan Turner insists that he hasn't been in the league long enough to know if it's good or bad having a locker room (mostly) full of young guys unconcerned about facing a daunting stretch of the schedule.

LeBron James Top NBA MVP Candidate: A Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:46:00 PST)
LeBron James is putting up some pretty spectacular numbers for the Miami heat this season and is certainly one of the top candidates to win another NBA MVP award. With the injuries that Dwyane Wade has been through this season, James and Chris Bosh have really had to step up,...

Miami Heat Rebound with Win Over 76ers: Fan Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:23:00 PST)
The Miami Heat got back to their winning ways against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb.3, defeating the Atlantic Division leaders 99-79. As expected, the game started out competitively, with both teams going back and forth until the final quarter.

Heat use late run to top 76ers 99-79
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:52:31 PST)
With LeBron James running the show, Miami ran the Sixers out of their building. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, and James had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Needing a jumpstart in the fourth, James shifted to point guard, sparking a dominant late run that put away the pesky Sixers.

Heat 99, Sixers 79
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:50:16 PST)
Coach Doug Collins called the Miami Heat a "very difficult" matchup for his Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat showed why by pulling away with a 15-0 fourth-quarter run en route to a 99-79 victory Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Miami Heat Brace for Hot 76ers Team: Fan Preview (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:28:00 PST)
The Miami Heat will try to wipe the nasty taste of defeat off their mouths, when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 3. Miami won the first encounter between the two teams in the 2011/12 NBA season, walking way with the 113-92 victory on Jan.

Clippers beat out field for Martin
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:15:13 PST)
Kenyon Martin will join the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a report. The free-agent forward who bought himself out of his deal with a Chinese Basketball League team in December, will earn the team's mini-mid-level exception of $2.5 million, according to ESPNLA.com.

Miami Heat Should Pursue Kevin Garnett (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:14:00 PST)
The Miami Heat have enough firepower to win NBA championships without Kevin Garnett, but in my opinion, his acquisition would secure Larry O'Brien trophies for Miami through the end of KG's Hall of Fame career. And, it's not as far-fetched as it sounds.

LA story: 2 Lakers, 2 Clippers get All-Star nods
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:15:40 PST)
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

Where Will LeBron James Rank Among the All Time Greats? (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:54:00 PST)
It's always hard to evaluate players in the middle of their career. On one hand, with LeBron James you have a guy who posts monster stat lines, comparable to those posted by Magic. You have a guy who has already won two MVP awards and made two Finals appearances.

Four L.A. players will be starters in All-Star Game
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:15:15 PST)
Dwight Howard of the Orland Magic was the leading vote-getter in the All-Star balloting, making him the starting center for the East, while the city of Los Angeles dominates the West starting lineup for the Feb. 26 All-Star Game in Orlando.

Judging the fan vote for the starters on the Eastern All-Star squad
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:20:55 PST)
On Thursday night, the NBA announced the All-Star starters, culled from fan votes spread out over a season that has only been playing live basketball for 39 days. Yikes. So you know there are bound to be some misses, as … Continue reading ?

Report: Kenyon Martin cleared to rejoin NBA
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:14 PST)
Report: Kenyon Martin cleared to rejoin NBA FIBA, the governing body of international basketball, gave its letter of clearance to free agent Kenyon Martin, allowing him to return to the NBA immediately, Yahoo.com reported Thursday, citing sources.

Nuggets look rejuvenated with 'Melo gone
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:35:00 PST)
George Karl says he hasn't had this much fun coaching in years. It shows in Denver's record.

LeBron James Scores 40 Points to Close in on Kobe Bryant but Heat Lose: Fan's View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:23:00 PST)
For the first time in the 2012 season, LeBron James scored 40 points in a game last night on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, but the Miami Heat lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 105-98, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The win was a improbable one for the Bucks, as the Heat outscored...

Bucks Upset Heat by Dominating Second Half: Fan Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:49:00 PST)
As a supporter of the Miami Heat and someone who is eager to see them win the 2012 NBA title, it is games like these that cause some concern. On Wednesday night, February 1, 2012, the Heat met a surprising defeat by the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks win 105-97, beat Heat again
(Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:01:58 PST)
The Miami Heat have the stars, the sun and South Beach. Somehow, the Milwaukee Bucks have bragging rights. Brandon Jennings scored 31 points, including three 3-pointers in a critical stretch of the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee beat Miami 105-97 on Wednesday night for the Bucks' second win over the Heat this season.

The Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets Show Why Bench Production is Important (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:23:00 PST)
The new thing to do in the NBA is to stack a team's starting lineup with two or three top notch caliber players and surround them with any players the franchise can afford. For reference, check: the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Cleveland Cavaliers Fan Take: The Cavs Should Cash in on Varejao and Sessions (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:21:00 PST)
On January 31 st, Anderson Varejao went off for a season-high 20 points and a career-high 20 rebounds against the Boston Celtics . Ramon Sessions had 10 assists in the game. Both these guys could be gone after the trading deadline on March 15th.

Kenyon Martin deciding which contender to join
(Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:13:00 PST)
The veteran forward is debating among a group of teams that include the Lakers, Clippers and Heat.

Miami Heat Extend Win Streak to Five Games: Fan Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:54:00 PST)
The Miami Heat were able to improve their current win streak to five games, defeating the New Orleans Hornets 109-95 on Jan. 30. The Hornets played better early on in the game, but Miami started fighting back in the second quarter, taking a two point lead into the halftime break.

NBA Great Debates: Derrick Rose Vs. Allen Iverson (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:48:00 PST)
This question was posed by Ziad Deselva in Loud About Basketball, a basketball discussion forum I moderate on Facebook: Derrick Rose or Allen Iverson? I should make the disclaimer that Loud About Basketball or "The LAB" as we call it, is loaded with Chicago natives.

NBA Capsules: Heat run away from Hornets 109-95
(Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:50:37 PST)
MIAMI - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each scored 22 points, Mike Miller added 14 off the bench and the Miami Heat shook off a slow start to run away from the New Orleans Hornets 109-95 on Monday night.

Heat shake off slow start, beat Hornets 109-95
(Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:23:33 PST)
Dwyane Wade's role as captain of the Miami Heat comes with certain privileges. For example, he can occasionally shake off calls from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. And no one complained, either. Wade and LeBron James each scored 22 points, Mike Miller added 14 off the bench and the Heat rode the strength of a brilliant 18-minute run midway through the game to beat the Hornets 109-95 on Monday night,...

LeBron rides bike to work -- even before some games
(Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:14:41 PST)
LeBron James rides his bike to work all the time, usually without anyone noticing. Looks like that's changing. James' bike ride to work before the Miami Heat played the Chicago Bulls on Sunday was caught by some photographers, and suddenly became quite a talking point. James says he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, especially since he chooses pedal-power over horse-power on...

LeBron rides bike to work _ even before some games
(Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:12:27 PST)
LeBron James rides his bike to work all the time, usually without anyone noticing.