James, Wade led Heat over Wizards 105-94

LeBron James and Erik Spoelstra had a pregame meeting Monday afternoon to talk about Miami's offensive woes.

Early returns suggest it was a productive chat.

James scored 30 points, Dwyane Wade added 26 and the Heat beat Washington 105-94 on Monday night, keeping the Wizards winless away from home this season.

James had 20 of his points in the first half, Wade added 15 in the third quarter, and though it didn't get into a blowout until the fourth quarter — it's the fifth time already this season where the Wizards have lost by double digits — it was comfortable for Miami throughout.

The Heat topped 100 points for the first time in their past seven games, and led by as many as 22 on the way to just their second win in their past six games.

And for Spoelstra, it was a milestone, his 100th regular-season victory, coming in career game No. 182.

Andray Blatche scored 26 for Washington, which is 0-8 on the road. Gilbert Arenas added 23 for the Wizards, who lost to the Heat for the eighth time in the teams' past nine meetings.

Nick Young scored 13 and JaVale McGee finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Washington.

The Wizards were without No. 1 draft pick John Wall, who missed his second straight game with a bruised right knee, and went largely with a seven-man rotation for much of the night. Washington was also again without Al Thornton (ankle) and Yi Jianlian (knee).

Miami's lead was only 55-49 with 10:31 left in the third quarter, before Wade — who has been slumping — got his scoring touch back.

He did it in a hurry, too.

Wade scored 15 points in the quarter, matching a Heat season best for any quarter this season, and needed only 6:17 to get that done. Consecutive jumpers 27 seconds apart, both set up by James, got him started, and he went on the attack the rest of the quarter — getting all 11 of his remaining points either at the foul line or on driving layups.

His personal spurt ended with 3:17 left in the period, when Wade split defenders on a spin move, got fouled, made a layup from the left side and hit the free throw for a 76-63 lead.
From there, things got chippy.

Washington's Hilton Armstrong and Miami's Juwan Howard were ejected with 32.3 seconds left in the third. Armstrong flagrantly fouled Heat center Joel Anthony on a layup attempt, pushing him with both hands in what was deemed a flagrant-2 infraction. Howard's night ended after referee Bill Kennedy saw he had pushed Armstrong in the back while coming to Anthony's defense.

The Wizards' Kirk Hinrich and Miami's James Jones were called for double technicals after getting in each other's faces with 8:20 left to play, and Washington's Trevor Booker was called for a flagrant-1 about 5 minutes later.

James made 6 of his 9 shots in the first half, and then started 2 for 7 following the break before hitting a 3-pointer with 2:32 remaining for a 103-83 lead.

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Obama on Heat: 'It takes some time'

ORLANDO, Fla. – Miami's slower-than-expected start is a talking point around the NBA. Around the White House, too.

And the nation's First Fan says the Heat will need time to reach their best.

President Barack Obama — who wasn't thrilled that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade turned down the Chicago Bulls this summer — told ABC's Barbara Walters that when it comes to the Heat, it would be prudent for fans to be patient.

"It takes some time for the team to come together," Obama said. "There's no 'I' in team. So no matter how good a player is, no matter how good a group of players are, if they haven't played together before they are not going to be as good as a team that has played together a long time."

The Heat dropped to 8-7 with a 104-95 loss in Orlando on Wednesday

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Spurs Back on Top of NBA with Blazing Start

Tony Parker's private life has been splashed across tabloids after splitting from his TV star wife. Tim Duncan is playing the fewest minutes of his career and coach Gregg Popovich's big summer addition can't find his way off the bench yet.

Yet here are the San Antonio Spurs, back atop the NBA.

"The Lakers are the back-to-back champions. The Celtics are the Eastern Conference champions. We got to respect them," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "We're just looking at them, trying to learn and be as good as them."

Through the first month, no one has been good as the Spurs.

Their NBA-best record of 12-1 is the best start in franchise history, surpassing even how they began their four championship seasons. Their 11-game winning streak is their longest in nearly three years, and they can stretch it to a dozen Wednesday at Minnesota.

They've won while Parker and Ginobili -- arguably the best backcourt in the West so far -- have turned Duncan into the team's fourth-leading scorer. They've won without needing Tiago Splitter, their heralded new 7-footer who has barely cracked the rotation.

After winning 50 games last season and needing a late surge just to secure the No. 7 playoff seed -- the lowest of the Duncan era -- the Spurs didn't make any big summer adjustments. Duncan merely got older, swingman Richard Jefferson worked harder and the front office finally signed Splitter, their 2007 first-round pick from Brazil who had played several years in Spain.

Parker didn't play overseas to recover from a slew of injuries. Ginobili rested, too. Signing both to extensions are the biggest moves the Spurs have made in the last eight months.

So far, that seems to be all they needed.

"They've always been real good. But one of the three main guys have been hurt a lot the last three years, and that's not the case anymore," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said before Orlando lost to San Antonio on Monday night. "We're seeing them at their best."

Ginobili is averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game, a resurgence for the 33-year-old who was so bothered by ankle problems the last two years that the Spurs waited until the end of last season to extend a new deal. He and Parker have taken over while Duncan's numbers have plummeted to 13.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, putting him on pace to not average a double-double for the first time.

He's done so with a career-low 29.1 minutes per game.

"Timmy's taking a little bit of the back seat so we can save him for the playoffs," Parker said.
Parker is on a pace for perhaps his best season in his 10 years in the NBA, averaging 19.5 points and a career-best 7.8 assists. He's had no drop-off since his split from "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria, who filed for divorce in Los Angeles last week after three years of marriage.

Parker, 28, hasn't spoken about the breakup aside from a few, clipped statements to a horde of reporters outside the Spurs' locker room a week ago.

Jefferson, who broke off an engagement with his fiancee before joining the Spurs last season, said people are often too quick to chalk up personal issues as potential distractions.
The job, Jefferson said, is sometimes the only refuge.

"I've gone through personal issues myself. Sometimes basketball, those couple of hours you're on the court, that's the only time you're focused on that," Jefferson said. "I'm not surprised by how well [Tony's] playing. If anything, this is when you become more focused on your game."

After beating the Magic, Ginobili wouldn't declare the Spurs the best in the league.

"It's too early to tell. What we know we're winning games that last year we would have lost," Ginobili said. "But it's too early. Thirteen games so far. We've got a long way to go."

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Rampage Jackson Edges Machida, Penn Destroys Hughes

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Quinton "Rampage" Jackson looked stunned beat Lyoto Machida.
B.J. Penn left no doubt against Matt Hughes.

In the UFC's first card featuring four former champions, one main event ended quickly and the other marquee matchup went the distance Saturday night.

Jackson was awarded a split-decision victory against Machida — after raising his opponent's hand.

"When he dominated me in the third round, I forgot what happened in the first two rounds," Jackson said. "At the time, I thought I got whooped because he landed a flurry on my face."

Penn, meanwhile, screamed as he celebrated a 21-second knockout of Hughes at UFC 123.
He knocked Hughes flat onto his back by countering with a right cross, then unleashed a flurry of shots to his head that led to their fight being stopped.

"He hit me hard," Hughes said. "When I felt the hit, I thought it was a knee or a kick."
There weren't many punches or kicks in the Jackson-Machida fight, but Jackson's aggressive style seemed to pay off for the judges against Machida's passive ways.

"I think that's the only reason that earned the decision," Jackson said.

Machida shuffled and backpedaled more than he punched or kicked, but took Rampage down in the third after two rounds without much action.

He didn't bristle at the decision that didn't go his way, losing a second straight fight after starting 16-0.

"If the judges saw that Quinton won, then they saw Quinton win," the Brazilian said through a translator.

Jackson (31-8) was determined to show he can still be a force in the UFC after playing B.A. Baracus in "The A-Team" movie. He was unimpressive in a loss to Rashad Evans in May, one of just two setbacks in a 10-fight stretch, and was lackluster against Machida.

"I was really going for the knock out," he said. "I am kind of disappointed in my performance a little bit."

It looks as if Penn made the right decision to keep fighting.

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Bosh’s season-high 35 lift Heat past Suns, 123-96

Bosh scored a season-high 35 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, LeBron James finished with 20 points and the Miami Heat ran away from the Suns 123-96 on Wednesday.
“We’re smart,” Bosh said. “And we know how to play the correct way.”

Dwyane Wade(notes) added 17 points, six rebounds and six assists for Miami, which used two big runs—a 24-9 spurt to end the first half, followed by an 18-3 flurry that closed the third quarter—to snap the Suns’ three-game winning streak. James also had nine assists and eight boards, but deferred afterward to Bosh’s breakout night.

“I think he was due—well overdue—for one of these games,” James said.

Eddie House scored 15 points and Carlos Arroyo added 10 for Miami, which enjoyed its biggest win over Phoenix in nearly 14 years and held Suns point guard Steve Nash to an uncharacteristically low two assists.

“Well, we weren’t necessarily expecting that result,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just wanted to focus on our game, our energy and really having a defensive edge to us again. That’s one of the most challenging teams to defend.”

The top criticisms of the Heat this season, in no particular order, had been how they struggled against big-time point guards, how they couldn’t seem to put teams away and that Bosh’s numbers had taken a hit as he adjusted to his new role in Miami.

None of those issues were issues against the Suns.

“They just outplayed us the entire game,” Nash said. “We only have ourselves to blame. We didn’t play hard. We didn’t play with enough aggressiveness or urgency and I think it showed.”

Slowed by a sore groin, Nash scored 17 points for Phoenix. But the last time he had only two assists was Dec. 29, 2008, against Oklahoma City, 141 games ago. And Wednesday marked only the ninth time in 737 games where Nash played at least 29 minutes and failed to get more than two assists, according to STATS LLC.

“I kind of took a little risk,” said Nash, who may consider sitting out Thursday in Orlando. “It didn’t feel great, but I don’t think I did serious damage to it.”

Controlling Nash, who came in averaging 12 assists in his last five games, was a huge point of emphasis for the Heat. In Miami’s four losses this season, opposing point guards—Rajon Rondo twice, Deron Williams and Chris Paul — averaged 16.5 assists per game.

Grant Hill scored 15 for Phoenix, which also got 14 from Channing Frye , 11 from Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic , and 10 from Hedo Turkoglu . The Suns were outrebounded 42-32.

Bosh started quickly—not a surprise given his recent history against Phoenix.

“When CB comes out as aggressive as he was, I think that helps us a lot,” James said.

He hit his first four shots and had 14 points by the time the game was 9 minutes old. He has topped 30 points in three of his last six meetings with Phoenix—yet oddly, hadn’t been part of a win over the Suns since Feb. 10, 2004.

By the time Bosh went to the bench for the evening, snapping that streak was certain.
“We just never came close to guarding Bosh tonight,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

Miami wasted a 22-point home lead at home against Utah last week, and for a moment in the third quarter, the Heat seemed on the brink of blowing another huge edge. Phoenix frustrated Miami briefly with zone defense and Nash’s finger-roll with 3:14 left in the third cut what had been a 25-point Miami edge minutes earlier to 82-70.

Some anxiety pulsed through the building.

No need.

“We didn’t panic,” Bosh said. “We didn’t get out of place or anything. We just continued to play solid basketball.”

Bosh scored the game’s next seven points, kickstarting a run that put things away for Miami.
Reserve House hit a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to get the lead back to 24, and Wade had a spectacular three-point play—defensive rebound at one end, drive downcourt, finger-roll layup while getting fouled and then highstepping past photographers—to make it 100-73 entering the fourth.

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Need a Resuscitator?

Chris Bosh has shrunken from a center to a power forward to a small forward in just a matter of weeks, and at this rate, will soon be able to look Muggsy Bogues in the kneecaps.
Erik Spoelstra doesn't have the guts, or the resume, to tell the Big Three what to do, or how to do it.

LeBron James left his better talents (as in teammates) in Cleveland.

Dwyane Wade prefers Robin to LeBron's Batman and it's hurting his swag.

Pat Riley is now busy rummaging through his closet, searching for an Armani that'll look good on the bench.

Leave anything out? Have we covered all or most of the issues preventing the Heat, to paraphrase the LeBron commercial, from being who you want them to be?

Everything we just mentioned as a degree of merit to it here in mid-November, a time for panic in Miami, . Bosh is looking softer than your grandmother's touch, averaging six rebounds and appearing timid and afraid. You can't imagine Spoelstra ripping into his team, let alone his best players.

LeBron doesn't have an Anderson Varejao or Mo Williams on the Heat. Wade is terribly inconsistent as he plays the "my turn, your turn" game with LeBron. (We're just kidding about Riley mulling a return, but check back next month if Miami's staring at .500 in the standings.)

Everybody's overreacting, to a degree. The season's too early to draw any concrete conclusions about Miami. But there's one very legitimate concern that won't flare up until spring, when the Miami season matters most, and it is this:

Will the grind of doing-it-all eventually wear down LeBron and Wade, just in time for the playoffs?

It's not just the minutes, which LeBron alluded to a few days ago (and as you might expect, the public took his comments as a swipe toward Spoelstra). It's the multi-tasking. LeBron is playing nearly 38 minutes a night, 35 for Wade, which is normal for them, but heightened once you factor in the stress of playing almost every position on the floor and defending the other team's best players. Because there's such a massive gap between the talent level of LeBron/Wade and everyone else, Miami is leaning heavily on two players to do it all. Big minutes, plus big responsibility, equals lots of tread wear.

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Eighth World Title Gives Pacquiao Exceptional Status

Manny Pacquiao cemented his place in the pantheon of boxing greats by recording an unanimous points victory over Antonio Margarito on Saturday to claim the vacant WBC super welterweight title.

The 31-year-old southpaw dominated all 12 rounds against his bigger Mexican opponent at Cowboys Stadium to land an eighth world title in an unprecedented eighth weight class.

Having already established himself as one of the best offensive fighters of all time, Pacquiao outclassed Margarito with his lightning hand speed and precise power punching to improve his career record to 52-3-2 with 38 knockouts.

"It was a really hard fight, the hardest fight in my boxing career," Pacquiao told reporters after winning his 13th consecutive bout since losing to Erik Morales in Las Vegas in March 2005.

"He's strong. I never expected him to be as strong as he was. He's a very tough fighter. I can't believe he took all those punches."

The Filipino, a heavily odds-on favorite going into the fight, pummeled the Mexican's head virtually at will for much of the bout, leaving his opponent with a puffed left eye and a cut under a badly swollen right eye.

Despite being outweighed by 17 pounds, Pacquiao blended raw power with speed in front of a crowd of 41,734 to deliver a spectacular performance against an opponent who was also four-and-a-half inches taller.

The pride of the Philippines, who had never previously fought above welterweight, dominated the official ringside statistics, landing 474 power punches compared to Margarito's 229.

At one point during the 11th round, Pacquiao looked across at referee Laurence Cole and asked him to stop the fight.

"I feel for my opponent, his eyes and his bloody face," said the Filipino, who was hurt by Margarito's body shots during the middle rounds when pinned against the ropes. "I wanted the ref to look at that."

"In the 12th round I wasn't looking for a knockout. I take it easy because my trainer told me to take it easy and just be careful."

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Why Agent 0 Faked an Injury

Gilbert Arenas' candid nature swings both ways. About a month ago, he admitted to begging off of a Wizards exhibition game with a fake ankle injury in order to free up more playing time for young'ish Wizards guard Nick Young.

November rolls around, and he's telling Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix (in a fantastic piece) that he actually wanted to sit out of the game because he was scared of being booed.

This is still wrong. You don't lie about injuries, and you don't take time off of your (very, very well-paid) job just because you're afraid about getting your feelings hurt.

But, somehow, the idea that Gilbert was out for his own insecure interests rather than looking out for Nick Young's interest as a burgeoning prospect is, somehow, more palatable. Because nobody likes to be disliked, and everyone can understand.

That said, you weren't getting booed, Gilbert. There's just no way. This isn't to say there isn't booing, even needless home-team booing, in the NBA. But fans are freaks, and I'm one of them (if for a different team), and if I've been a Wizards fan for ages and sat through the worst of your downs and saw you strutting out on the court even in a meaningless preseason game after a couple of years off (essentially), I'd clap away. Because you'd be on the team I support.

OK, that aside? Get to being Gilbert, already. And that doesn't mean doing something to a teammate's shoes.

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Millsap and the Jazz Spoils Lebron’s 29th Career Triple-Double

Paul Millsap scored a career-high 46 points, including a putback at the buzzer to force overtime, and the Utah Jazz got two free throws from Francisco Elson with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Miami Heat 116-114 on Tuesday night.

Utah erased a 22-point deficit, plus overcame a 39-point night from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James' 29th career triple-double - 20 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds - to hand the Heat their first home loss.

The Heat missed five shots in the final two minutes of overtime that either would have tied the game or given them the lead, including Eddie House's desperation jumper at the buzzer.
Deron Williams had 21 points and 14 assists before fouling out late in regulation for the Jazz, who also got 16 points from Andrei Kirilenko.

Kirilenko hit a 3-pointer with 1:50 left to put Utah up 112-111, and Wade answered with a 3-pointer with 17 ticks remaining to tie the game at 114.

But Wade fouled Elson near the basket on Utah's final possession. Elson made both free throws - banking in the second - and the Heat needed a miracle. House barely had time to get the final shot off.

Millsap's 46 were by far the most by any player to face Miami this season - and he might have been a most surprising candidate to top that list. In eight previous games against the Heat, Millsap averaged just 6.9 points.

But he owned the Heat all night, hitting 3-pointers with 12.1 and 4.3 seconds left in regulation as Utah scored 42 points in the fourth alone just to get into the extra period.

The Heat led by 19 at halftime and were still comfortably ahead at 67-51 when James made a layup with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. And considering third quarters have been a strong suit for Miami all season, the Heat were likely feeling good about things.
Utah changed everything in a flash.

Down 77-66 with 10:20 remaining, the Jazz held Miami without a field goal for 4 1/2 minutes, roaring back. CJ Miles - who had two points in the first 38 minutes - scored six straight for Utah to start a rally, and when Ronnie Price hit a 3-pointer with 6:59 left, the game was tied at 79.
Utah took the lead on Williams' jumper on the next Jazz possession, before Miami swung things back its way.

When the Jazz decided to double-team James at the side of the lane, he kicked the ball to Wade for a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Miami the lead again, the start of a 9-0 run. James Jones was flagrantly fouled by Price about a half-minute later - Price did make a play on the ball, and even offered to help Jones up - and Miami wound up getting four points on that possession.
Wade's dunk - off another assist by James - made it 88-81, but the Jazz were far from done that time, too.

Utah's first trip to the Eastern time zone this season made the Jazz seemed a bit jet-lagged coming out of the gate.

The Jazz missed 10 straight shots in the opening quarter, allowing the Heat to peel off a 15-0 run - matching Miami's biggest of the young season - and run out to a quick 22-7 lead. Miami led by as many as 22 in the second quarter, and the margin was 51-32 at halftime.

NOTES: Emeka Okafor's 26 points in the loss to New Orleans had been the high against Miami this season. ... Miami hosts Boston on Thursday in a rematch of the season-opening loss to the Celtics. ... The Jazz had lost seven straight in Miami.

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Manny Pacquiao Transcends Sporting World

It’s not often that the President of the United States serves as an opening act for another politician, but to boxing promoter Bob Arum, that’s exactly what happened Sunday on “60 Minutes.”

After Steve Kroft’s interview with President Obama, a profile of Manny Pacquiao, the true star of the show in Arum’s eyes, was broadcast.

Pacquiao – Congressman Manny Pacquiao, to those in the Sarangani province of the Philippine Islands – has become not only the best boxer in the world, but also the most beloved since Muhammad Ali.

CBS correspondent Bob Simon, who traveled to the Philippines to do the “60 Minutes” profile and was twice stood up for interviews by the notoriously hard to pin down fighter, opened the segment by noting “We haven’t done many stories about boxers, but there’s good reason to do one now.”

Pacquiao, who meets Antonio Margarito on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the World Boxing Council super welterweight title for what could be, depending upon who is doing the counting, a championship in a record eighth weight class, has a global influence now that extends far beyond the borders of his beloved homeland.

At Arum’s request, Pacquiao left training in Los Angeles on Oct. 29 to fly to Las Vegas to help boost Sen. Harry Reid’s chances of re-election. Reid, the Senate majority leader and one of the most powerful politicians in the country, was in the toughest race of his career. The local newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was gleefully reporting his demise and leading the charge against him. Reid’s negatives among would-be voters were astronomical. He trailed upstart challenger Sharron Angle in nearly every public opinion poll.

Las Vegas is home to a large Filipino population and Reid needed all the help he could get in what was a very tight race. When Pacquiao arrived for the joint appearance with Reid and Arum at Orr Middle School, the crowd looked as if it could have been in Manila. The gym was filled with Filipinos.

Pacquiao, publicist Fred Sternburg noted, didn’t simply lend his dazzling smile to Reid’s re-election effort. Sternburg was in Los Angeles with Pacquiao, coordinating his public relations effort, and discovered Pacquiao researching the Nevada campaign and Reid’s stances on the issues.

“He didn’t just want to show up and smile and wave and then fly back (to Los Angeles),” Sternburg said. “Just in the time I’ve worked with him, he’s grown tremendously. Since the (Joshua) Clottey fight (on March 13), I’ve noticed a visible change in his temperament, in his demeanor. I think he realizes that being a public servant is his calling and that this is what he was meant to do.”

Arum has promoted boxing for nearly a half century, and for much of that time, he’s had to beg, plead and cajole the media to take an interest in his shows.

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Heat Blowout

Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 26 points, James added 20 points and a game-high 12 assists — the most ever by a Heat forward, according to STATS LLC — and Miami rolled to its fourth straight win, 129-97 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

Wade made 12 of 17 shots in just 24 minutes for Miami, which has outscored opponents by 22.8 points per game losing the season-opener in Boston last week.

James Jones hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 for the Heat, who got 15 from Eddie House, 13 from Chris Bosh and 11 from Udonis Haslem.

Kevin Love led Minnesota with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

It was Miami's highest-scoring non-overtime game since beating Phoenix 135-129 on March 4, 2009. Minnesota gave up at least 130 points five times last season alone, all in regulation.

Michael Beasley's return to Miami was one that will stay with him for a few days — in the form of a bruised hip.

The former Heat forward left with about 8 minutes remaining until halftime after scoring on a drive, but tumbling awkwardly to the floor and slamming his left side on the hardwood. He scored 11 points, and X-rays were negative.

Sebastian Telfair and Wes Johnson each scored 13 for Minnesota, which stayed with the Heat for much of the first half. Miami's lead was only 50-44 when Wade got free for a dunk with 5 minutes left until halftime, kickstarting what became a 44-22 run over the next 16 minutes.

Nikola Pekovic scored 12 for Minnesota.

Miami shot 58 percent, and to think James wasn't even doing much of the scoring.
He turned down shots in the first half to make extra passes, and his 12 assists were distributed among eight different Heat players. By the time James got his second basket of the night — a layup with 9:12 to play in the third quarter — the Heat were already leading by a comfortable 79-58 margin.

James hit 6 of 8 shots in the third quarter, scoring 14 of his points, then took the fourth quarter off as Miami's reserves completed the runaway.

Even when he wasn't scoring, James was active. Wes Johnson tried to drive for a layup, never knowing that James was lurking from behind in the third quarter, swatting his try out of bounds, then grabbing the ball and twirling it a bit while smiling. He wasn't alone, either — Wade was still grinning a minute after that play was over.

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