Chalmers is Heat's third threat - Kansas.com

Mario Chalmers had just completed yet another strong performance this postseason.

As he was about to hop on the cart that taxis players from the locker room to interview podium following Wednesday’s victory, he couldn’t help but crack a joke to the driver.

“You need to put some spinners (rims) on this,” Chalmers said. “Hook it up.”

This is Chalmers, the brash, overconfident jokester who has evolved from liability to legitimate third-scoring threat for the Miami Heat. With Chris Bosh sidelined the past seven games, it has been Chalmers filling the scoring void with three-point shooting and drives to the basket.

Suddenly, his play is starting to overshadow his sometimes testy relationship with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Chalmers is averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the playoffs entering tonight’s Game 3 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

His much-publicized, on-court screaming matches with James and Wade are now secondary.

“It’s not anything new to those guys,” swingman James Jones said. “I think it makes for good TV. I think people make a bigger deal than it actually is. It’s really just those guys talking loudly. That’s their language and we understand that.”

Chalmers has been linked with Wade and James since becoming teammates. He referred to Wade as his mentor when he arrived in the league in 2008. He and James instantly formed a bond last year because they share similar candid personalties.

Last season Wade and James often spent practices roasting Chalmers about his unexpected appearance on the NBA All-Star ballot, drawing laughs among teammates. James still mocks Chalmers during interviews, questioning why the media would want to talk to him.

Moments later, James is waiting for Chalmers so they can grab post-practice lunch. It is that comfort that allows them to go from heated exchanges on the court to high-fives in one 24-second possession.

“It’s never personal,” Chalmers said. “We all want each other to be successful. If a person is slacking, you’ve got to let them know.”

It wasn’t always easy for Chalmers.

Teammates still consider him “stubborn” and perhaps too confident. He’s never seen a shot he didn’t like, and refuses to back down when called out by the superstars. The constant challenging has been somewhat humbling while also helping Chalmers develop into a solid point guard.

“Everyone sees his talent and we’re trying to get the best out of him,” forward Shane Battier said. “He gets in trouble when his emotions boil over. Give me that over a guy who you have to get the paddle boards and start his heart. He’s got a ton of heart.”

It wasn’t until he learned to better control his emotions that Chalmers began improving. The guy who made perhaps the most famous shot in Kansas basketball history had to accept he was playing alongside two of the world’s best players.

He received the best advice from his counterpart in this series. Chalmers had several conversations with Celtics guard Rajon Rondo during his first season with James and Wade.

Rondo went through a similar transition his second year in the league, going from college standout to teaming with future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Rondo’s message simple.

“Just never back down,” Chalmers said. “You’re here for a reason. You got the ball in your hands. If they don’t respect you, nobody is going to respect you.”

After scoring 22 points in Game 2, he’s no doubt earned that respect. Chalmers is averaging 15.5 points in this series when the Heat need scoring the most. It is his most productive postseason stint since last year’s NBA Finals.

He even got a pat on the back from James in the locker room after Wednesday’s victory.

“He kept us afloat by his play,” James said.

“When D-Wade didn’t have it going, Rio made big shots, especially in the second quarter, in the third quarter as well. He stepped up, made some big shots and gave us a lift. He gave us a third punch that we needed in this game. So he played a great game.”

Refs' calls against Celts fuel conspricacy theories - The Providence Journal

01:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, June 1, 2012

By KEVIN McNAMARA

Jourrnal Sports Writer

The ammunition for Celtics fans is almost too much to bear.

Like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson before him, LeBron James gets all the calls. It’s how the league does business, right? Protect the stars. Rajon Rondo can get slapped across the face driving to the rim late in an overtime game and not get a call. Tickle LeBron in the back and he’s ushered to the line.

After two games of the Eastern Conference finals, the numbers have the Celts talking to themselves and their fans ready to lynch anyone in a zebra jersey. As coach Doc Rivers said after a 115-111 overtime loss in Game Two, “Listen, it is what it is. LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight and our team took 29.”

James has hoisted 33 free throws in the Heat’s two wins. Boston’s three best players â€" Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett â€" have combined for 30. A physical beast at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, James apparently doesn’t foul much, either. In 47 minutes Wednesday, he picked up two fouls. He was whistled for an average of 1.5 fouls this season and just 1.9 for his career. As a comparison, Pierce gets called for 2.8 fouls per game over his career.

Heck, the NBA’s own website currently bears a banner headline screaming “Congratulations MVP LeBron James,” next to a link to buy “exclusive MVP T-Shirts.”

So the fix is in, right? The NBA wants James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat to play in its marquee Finals round. The Celtics have had their moment and are yesterday’s news.

Is there truth to any of this? Yes and no, but Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has heard it all before. He has two of the elite, aggressive scorers in the world in James and Wade. They are good jump shooters but do their best work flying to the rim, where fouls are generated. Miami was eighth in the NBA this season in free throws attempted at 24.2 per game. The Celtics, who love to settle for jump shots, were 27th at 19.8 a game.

“We don’t buy any of that. That’s normal playoff talk,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “That’s who we’ve been all year long, and what we’ve been trying to hammer and hold each other accountable to is that’s our identity. We’re going to attack. Everybody knows how we want to play.”

That’s where Rivers gets more than a bit annoyed, however. When James and Wade attack, they get to the line. Pierce is Boston’s top attack player. He simply played very poorly in a Game One spanking, but, like his team, he was very aggressive in Game Two and still shot only 5 of 6 from the line. Rondo dominated the ball for Boston and went off for 44 points, 10 of which came at the foul line on 12 attempts.

“They are going to shoot a lot of free throws,” Rivers said on a conference call Thursday, “but we have to as well. I thought Rondo was extremely aggressive last night, and I thought Paul was aggressive last night, even more so when you watch the film. Paul is a powerful guy, and there’s a lot of contact as well when he drives. So we just want them to continue to be aggressive. You know LeBron and Wade will be and there’s nothing wrong with it. That’s who they are. So you know going into it they are going to get to the free-throw line. But we have to get there as well and we have to do it by being just as aggressive.”

It will be interesting if the Heat continue to reap the bulk of the personal-foul disparity (52-39) when the series moves to TD Garden. Celtics fans will boo (or worse) every call that James gets and whoever the NBA assigns as officials in Game Three will be closely watched.

Rivers, to his credit, will not harp on officials’ decisions. He doesn’t want to get fined and it’s counter-productive to the task at hand. The Celtics lost two games on the road and now it’s their turn to even the series.

“I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “Listen, we have two games at home and we have to take one at a time. And if we win those two games at home, then it’s a tie series. That’s how we have to look at it.”

After losing, 93-79, in Game One, the Celtics needed the much stronger effort than they showed in Game Two, for confidence more than anything. Asked whether his team came away from Miami more encouraged than discouraged, Rivers agreed.

“That’s very accurate,” he said. “We still know we have to play better, but I think our guys know now that we can play. I don’t know if they did know it or not, but after Game One I think we needed to have that type of game last night. Obviously winning it is far more important, but I think our guys are very confident going into Game Three.”

Star treatment
As these playoffs have illustrated, LeBron James is rarely called for a personal foul, and he gets to the line a lot.
Round and opponent	G	PF	FTA
1. New York	5	14	57
2. Indiana	6	5	51
3. Boston	2	4	33
Playoffs	13	23	141

kmcnamar@providencejournal.com

Does the NBA Really Need a Draft? - Wall Street Journal

By KEVIN CLARK

The New Orleans Hornets won just 32% of their games last season and ranked 24th among the NBA's 30 teams in attendance. The team has been such a financial mess that the NBA, which took it over last year, had to run its operations all season while looking for a buyer. They were, in short, not a well-run franchise.

So here's their reward: On Wednesday, the Hornets earned the right to draft one of the most surefire superstars in years, Kentucky's Anthony Davis.

The concept of a player draft isn't unique to the NBAâ€"it's a fixture of every major North American team sport. For the most part, drafts are a fair way to promote competitive parity between teams: They prevent rich ones from hoarding talent while allowing struggling teams to have the first crack at the best young players.

But when it comes to the modern NBA, the draft (and its much-ballyhooed "lottery" system) has created something unique to major sports leagues: A universe of perverse incentives for teams where apathy is encouraged, mediocrity is rewarded and many franchises are all but guaranteed to be kept in a state of chaos. To put the finest possible point on this: It's getting awfully hard to understand why the NBA holds a draft in the first place.

Joe Price, an assistant professor of economics at Brigham Young University, who co-wrote a study on the competitiveness of NBA teams, said the league's draft creates a "huge incentive to lose."

The NBA's draft is a pretty big deal to begin with. Since basketball teams put just five players on the floor, it's possible for one superstar to have a grossly outsized impact. The numbers support this: Of the 64 teams to make the NBA finals since 1980, 50% had at least one No. 1 overall pick on the roster. Over the same span, only 23% of teams that made the NHL Finals and 29% of World Series teams has a top overall pick.

Moreover, NBA teams that select first in the draft improved their winning percentages by an average of 20% in the third season after the pick. (By contrast, NHL teams that selected a player first overall since 1980 were actually 6% worse in the third season after the pick.)

Knowing this, it isn't surprising that when a sure-thing star like LeBron James or Kentucky's Davis comes available in the draft, this person has the potential to become the holy grail of sports: A magic potion that, when applied, instantly transforms a losing team into a winnerâ€"all while helping the team's owner make a tidy profit.

And because the NBA's labor rules place a cap on how much rookies can earn, this incredible boost comes to the lucky team at a cost that's less than what the market would bear.

In the case of James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (the team that drafted him in 2003) and possibly Davis and the Hornets in the upcoming June 28 draft, the first pick isn't just crucial, it's arguably worth more than the franchise itself.

The result of this system is that getting the first pick in the draft has become the indisputably best way to build a team. Teams that are bad, like the Hornets, have no better option than to do no real planning whatsoever, keep losing and keep praying they get the No. 1 pick.

Of course, there's a dark side to this savior-based economy: The saviors aren't always thrilled about their lot. Super talents who get drafted by these dysfunctional teams don't generally want to stay. As soon as they approach free agency, they often go to great lengths to flee. In recent years, a growing number of top-five picks have left their original teams, often acrimoniously, for teams in larger media markets. In the last two years, James (Cavaliers to Heat), Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets to Knicks), Chris Paul (Hornets to Clippers) and Deron Williams (Jazz to Nets) have all exited the teams that drafted them, leaving them in a state similar to when they arrived.

To lessen the temptation for teams to lose games in order to secure the top draft pick, the NBA in 1985 instituted a "lottery" system. Today the worst team in the league has only a 25% chance to get the first pick. This year's drawing, performed Wednesday, ended up with the Hornets getting the nod, even though they didn't have the league's worst record.

But even so, just having a small chance to get the top pick can be a huge distraction for NBA teamsâ€"one that prevents them from making any long-term plans. After all, if you get the top pick, that's your strategy. If you don't, you have to do something else altogether. But in any case, you're crazy to do anything before you find out.

All this points to one radical question: Shouldn't the NBA just eliminate the draft and allow everyone to enter the league as a free agent?

With just two rounds, there's not much of an NBA draft anyhow. And since teams operate under a salary cap, it would be impossible for a rich owner in a big market to hoard all the expensive talent. High draft picks might not be so eager to bolt if they were allowed to choose where they play.

It's not clear that killing the draft would change the distribution of players that much: It's likely that the same struggling teams would be more willing to pay top dollar for rookies. Jerry Hausman, an M.I.T. economics professor who studied Michael Jordan's impact on the NBA, said that even if there was no draft and players entered the league only through free agency, the salary cap (and the finite number of shots a team can take in a game) would still prevent teams from "stacking" superstars and creating dynasties.

Putting these rookies on the open market might also create cost pressure that would force teams to get better at scouting. If this season taught us anything, it's that NBA scouts are often blind to talent. Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, who caught fire this season, went undrafted out of Harvard.

There is absolutely no groundswell to kill the draft. The league and its players union didn't respond to requests for comment. Billy King, the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, said the draft is necessary for franchises on hard times.

In some cases, the draft has worked: Top picks like Tim Duncan in San Antonio and Derrick Rose in Chicago have helped their teams rebound, all while seeming happy to be there.

But until the system changes, more hapless NBA teams will take the same approach to teambuilding: crossing their fingers.

W2W4: Heat-Celtics - ESPN

Updated: May 31, 2012, 9:53 PM ET

By Michael Wallace | ESPN.com

W2W4: Heat-Celtics

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• W2W4: Heat-Celtics

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• Highlight Of The Night

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MIAMI -- Coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that complaints from opposing teams about the Miami Heat's favorable free throw disparity have been frustrating, but that they won't stop LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from attacking the basket and forcing referees to make calls.

"Everybody knows how we want to play," Spoelstra said before the team traveled to Boston for Game 3 on Friday. "And if we can get some of those in the open court, get to the rim, get to the free throw line, it's not like this is something new right now. We're the league leader in free throw attempts and during the season for a reason."

Scott Van Pelt

ESPN.com Heat Index writer Michael Wallace says the Heat are not worried about the officiating in the series with the Celtics.

More Podcasts »

James and Wade are the only two players in the league this postseason to have shot at least 100 free throws, although Celtics forward Paul Pierce is third with 98 attempts.

The Heat are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals series after rallying from an early 15-point deficit -- the largest Miami has overcome in playoff history -- for a 115-111 overtime victory Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

After the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers and team president Danny Ainge avoided outright public criticism of the referees. But both took exception to the way the game was officiated, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Pierce fouled out and later when an apparent foul wasn't called when Wade made contact with Rajon Rondo's head as Rondo drove to the basket.

Through two games, the Heat have attempted 20 more free throws than the Celtics and have won the two games by a combined 18 points. Rivers on Wednesday said his team has been "distracted" by some calls and non-calls.

"I'm not going to touch that," Rivers said Thursday during a media conference call from Boston. "I think Paul Pierce attacks just as much as LeBron James attacks. I'll leave it that. Today, I think we've already moved past it and by tomorrow, I think we'll be ready to play. They are going to shoot a lot of free throws ... you know LeBron and Wade will be. There's nothing wrong with that. That's who they are. But we have to [shoot them] as well."

Rivers was asked after Wednesday's game whether he could put the officiating into words, ones that wouldn't get him fined, and he was brutally honest.

"I cannot," Rivers said. "Listen, it is what it is. LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight and our team took 29. Paul Pierce fouled out of a game where he was attacking the basket. It's just tough. But listen, we just got to keep playing. I tell my guys, it doesn't matter, we can't get distracted. We will not get distracted in this series."

Spoelstra dismissed any talk of an unfair disparity and said James and Wade earn trips to the line with aggressive play.

"We don't buy into any of that," Spoelstra said. "That's normal playoff talk. That's who we've been all year long. What we've been trying to hammer and hold each other accountable to is that's our identity. When we get away from that identity, it hasn't been a successful formula. We're going to attack."

Eastern Conference Playoffs

Get all the news and commentary on the Celtics-Heat matchup on ESPN.com's matchup page.

• Predictions: Simulator | SportsNation
• More: TrueHoop | Schedule | Bracket
• Celtics Report | ESPN Boston

James, who shot 24 free throws against Boston in Game 2, has a league-high 141 attempts in the playoffs. Wade was 7-of-11 from the line Wednesday and has 100 total attempts.

This isn't the first time in the playoffs that Miami's ability to get to the free throw line or draw fouls has gotten underneath its opponents' skin. New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson pointed to the discrepancy in the first-round series, when the Heat averaged 31.3 free throw attempts to 17 by the Knicks in the three games played in Miami. The averaged attempts were virtually even at 29 apiece in the two games the teams played in New York.

The Heat won that series in five games before advancing to face the Indiana Pacers in the second round. But even before that series started, coach Frank Vogel was fined $15,000 for what the league deemed attempts to influence the officiating when Vogel told reporters before Game 1 that the Heat were the biggest flopping team in the NBA.

The Heat averaged eight more trips to the line than Indiana in the three games played in Miami, but shot about two fewer than the Pacers during the three games in Indiana. Overall, Miami has attempted 383 free throws compared to 308 by its opponents through 13 playoff games this season.

Spoelstra hopes Wade and James don't abandon their attacking style when the series shifts to Boston out of any concern about the games being officiated any differently.

"You'll have different challenges on the road than at home, and dealing with a lot of different things," Spoelstra said. "I think those are all distractions and when we get caught up in that, everybody does -- the staff, the players -- we all become frustrated at some point.

"I think we've been able to compartmentalize and focus on what really matters. And that's the possession and the game and trying to win, rather than get caught up in all the things we can't control."

Information from ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg was used in this report.

Michael Wallace

ESPN.com

• ESPN.com NBA reporter
• Blogs regularly on the Miami Heat
• 14 years covering the ACC, SEC, NFL and NBA

Paul Pierce Attacked Rim 'Just As Much' As LeBron James, Doc Rivers Says, But ... - NESN.com (blog)

by Ben Watanabe on Thu, May 31, 2012 at 5:22PM

Doc Rivers is a very rich man, and he would like to keep it that way.

The Celtics coach would not bite on several questions about the foul disparity between his team and the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, staying away from any response that could net him a fine from the NBA.

The Celtics were whistled for 33 fouls to the Heat's 18, and attempted only 29 free throws to the Heat's 47. They picked up another technical foul, their fourth non-team tech of the series, and were called for seven personal fouls before Miami picked up its first foul more than 10 minutes into the game.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were second and 22nd in the NBA in free throw attempts during the regular season, respectively, so the Celtics anticipate the Heat getting their share of foul shots. Rivers cannot be pleased with the volume of free throws the Heat have gotten or the disparity between his own team's free throws, but he danced around any criticism of the officials in his conference call Thursday.

"They are going to shoot a lot of free throws, but we have to as well," Rivers said. "I thought [Rajon] Rondo was extremely aggressive [Wednesday]. I thought Paul [Pierce] was aggressive, even more so when you watch the film. Paul's a powerful guy, and there's a lot of contact when he drives."

Pierce took only six foul shots on Wednesday after attempting none in Game 1. James had 24 free throw attempts in the second game to bring his two-game total in the series to 33.

James has attempted the most foul shots of any player in the postseason with 141 in 13 games, while Wade is second with 100 foul shots. Pierce comes in third with 98 free throws, but his have come in two more games than James and Wade have played.

"I think Paul Pierce attacked just as much as LeBron James attacked [Wednesday], so I'll leave it at that," Rivers said. "We'll get past that distraction."

To get past the back-and-forth about the officiating, Rivers made some more illuminating comments about the Celtics' predictability in the third quarter. They were outscored 35-22 in the frame in part due to a 13-5 rebounding disadvantage, but also due to going stagnant on offense.

Rivers compared his team's third quarter in Game 2 to the first quarter of Game 1, when his team concentrated on the first option on offense and failed to move the ball.

"You're not going to beat Miami just on the strong side," Rivers said. "You're not going to beat Miami on isos. You have to have ball movement. The ball has to touch different hands and you have to use both sides of the floor."

Ball movement forces the defense to move with it. When a defense moves, it tends to get out of position. When defenders are out of position, they foul.

Rivers knows this, and that's why he gets paid -- and holds onto -- the big bucks.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.

LeBron James and the Annoying Narrative That Even Victory Cannot Kill - Bleacher Report

LeBron James took the final shot in regulation last night.

He missed.

And then he and Dwyane Wade banded together in overtime like Batman and Robin (or Batman and Superman, or whatever incredible tandem of superheroes I can mention without making one more important than the other) and they took a commanding two-game lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

What a game. 

Instead of talking about the overtime battle, a day later people are still talking about the shots that James missed. Not the four huge offensive rebounds, the 34 points, 10 rebounds or seven assists, and not the victory, but that he didn’t hit the shot to finish things in regulation because that is what matters.

Newsflash: The Heat won the game. It doesn’t matter. 

Enough with this clutch crap. Had the Celtics pulled out the victory, the criticisms of James would be just as annoying but more understandable. Today though? Enjoy two teams fighting for a victory, enjoy Rajon Rondo’s performance, enjoy the replays of Wade attacking the hoop, of James earning himself 24 trips to the free-throw line. Enjoy Udonis Haslem coming up big for his team in the clutch and Mario Chalmers providing a steadying hand throughout. 

None of those things matter, though. In the news cycle and in water cooler talks and on television tickers, it is James who will dominate conversation.

If you want to criticize James in this victory, then you’re likely going to find a way to criticize the way he hoists the Larry O’Brien trophy when he eventually wins it. His time is coming and until it does, those who want to criticize will find a way. When there isn’t a reason to fault James, one will be created. This is part of his journey, though. Instead of just having to win, to prove to himself that he can lead a team to a championship and that his team is the best in the league, he has to know that each and every step along the way will be picked apart and examined, that whether the end result is a win or a loss, his performance is an entirely different matter altogether.

While most players are defined by the amount of wins and losses their team has, for the time being, James is defined by the decision to announce a decision. 

Will winning change that? I suppose in some ways it will. A player who wins can overcome a lot of things. Transgressions can be forgiven, faux pas forgotten, mistakes accepted. If James overcomes the mountain in front of him to accomplish his ultimate goal of becoming a champion, things will change. Has there been a player under as harsh a microscope of social media and pressure and expectation than James? A player so despised for what he hasn’t done on a basketball court and where he chose to go to accomplish it? 

The narrative that chases him is a frustrating one. A superstar often treated like anything but, unlimited potential but unlimited criticism to go along with it, James can only play one game if he wants to win. That game, of course, is his own. The same game that garnered him his third MVP award and makes him the single most complete, dominant player in the game today. If he stays true to that, one day he will hoist that trophy and earn himself the ring that he so desperately covets, regardless of how we want to dissect the performances it took to get him there.

Highlight Of The Night - ESPN

Updated: May 31, 2012, 5:30 PM ET

By Michael Wallace | ESPN.com

Highlight Of The Night

NEXT VIDEO

• Highlight Of The Night

  Highlight Of The Night

• Smith: 'Rondo Is The Boston Celtics'

  Smith: 'Rondo Is The Boston Celtics'

• Were Heat That Good Or Celtics That Bad?

  Were Heat That Good Or Celtics That Bad?

• LeBron's Thunderous Block Leads To Wade 3-Point Play

  LeBron's Thunderous Block Leads To Wade 3-Point Play

  LeBron James blocks Paul Pierce's shot, leading to Dwyane Wade going down the court for the layin and the foul.

MIAMI -- Coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that complaints from opposing teams about the Miami Heat's favorable free-throw disparity have been frustrating, but that they won't stop LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from attacking the basket and forcing referees to make calls.

"Everybody knows how we want to play," Spoelstra said before the team traveled to Boston for Game 3 on Friday. "And if we can get some of those in the open court, get to the rim, get to the free-throw line, it's not like this is something new right now. We're the league leader in free-throw attempts and during the season for a reason."

Scott Van Pelt

ESPN.com Heat Index writer Michael Wallace says the Heat are not worried about the officiating in the series with the Celtics.

More Podcasts »

James and Wade are the only two players in the league this postseason to have shot at least 100 free throws, although Celtics' forward Paul Pierce is third with 98 attempts.

The Heat are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals series after rallying from an early 15-point deficit -- the largest Miami has overcome in playoff history -- for a 115-111 overtime victory Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

After the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers and team president Danny Ainge avoided outright public criticism of the referees. But both took exception to the way the game was officiated, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Pierce fouled out and later when an apparent foul wasn't called when Wade made contact with Rajon Rondo's head as Rondo drove to the basket.

Through two games, the Heat have attempted 20 more free throws than the Celtics and have won the two games by a combined 18 points. Rivers on Wednesday said his team has been "distracted" by some calls and non-calls.

"I'm not going to touch that," Rivers said Thursday during a media conference call from Boston. "I think Paul Pierce attacks just as much as LeBron James attacks. I'll leave it that. Today, I think we've already moved past it and by tomorrow, I think we'll be ready to play. They are going to shoot a lot of free throws ... you know LeBron and Wade will be. There's nothing wrong with that. That's who they are. But we have to (shoot them) as well."

Rivers was asked after Wednesday's game whether he could put the officiating into words, ones that wouldn't get him fined, and he was brutally honest.

"I cannot," Rivers said. "Listen, it is what it is. LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight and our team took 29. Paul Pierce fouled out of a game where he was attacking the basket. It's just tough. But listen, we just got to keep playing. I tell my guys, it doesn't matter, we can't get distracted. We will not get distracted in this series."

Spoelstra dismissed any talk of an unfair disparity and said James and Wade earn trips to the line with aggressive play.

"We don't buy into any of that," Spoelstra said. "That's normal playoff talk. That's who we've been all year long. What we've been trying to hammer and hold each other accountable to is that's our identity. When we get away from that identity, it hasn't been a successful formula. We're going to attack."

Eastern Conference Playoffs

Get all the news and commentary on the Celtics-Heat matchup on ESPN.com's matchup page.

• Predictions: Simulator | SportsNation
• More: TrueHoop | Schedule | Bracket
• Celtics Report | ESPN Boston

James, who shot 24 free throws against Boston in Game 2, has a league-high 141 attempts in the playoffs. Wade was 7 of 11 from the line Wednesday and has 100 total attempts.

This isn't the first time in the playoffs that Miami's ability to get to the free-throw line or draw fouls has gotten underneath their opponents' skin. New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson pointed to the discrepancy in the first-round series, when the Heat averaged 31.3 free-throw attempts to 17 by the Knicks in the three games played in Miami. The averaged attempts were virtually even at 29 apiece in the two games the teams played in New York.

The Heat won that series in five games before advancing to face the Indiana Pacers in the second round. But even before that series started, coach Frank Vogel was fined $15,000 for what the league deemed attempts to influence the officiating when Vogel told reporters before Game 1 that the Heat were the biggest flopping team in the NBA.

The Heat averaged eight more trips to the line than Indiana in the three games played in Miami, but shot about two fewer than the Pacers during the three games in Indiana. Overall, Miami has attempted 383 free throws compared to 308 by its opponents through 13 playoff games this season.

Spoelstra hopes Wade and James don't abandon their attacking style when the series shifts to Boston out of any concern about the games being officiated any differently.

"You'll have different challenges on the road than at home, and dealing with a lot of different things," Spoelstra said. "I think those are all distractions and when we get caught up in that, everybody does -- the staff, the players -- we all become frustrated at some point.

"I think we've been able to compartmentalize and focus on what really matters. And that's the possession and the game and trying to win, rather than get caught up in all the things we can't control."

Information from ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg was used in this report.

Michael Wallace

ESPN.com

• ESPN.com NBA reporter
• Blogs regularly on the Miami Heat
• 14 years covering the ACC, SEC, NFL and NBA

LeBron, Wade power Heat to 2-0 lead - FOXSports.com

Updated May 31, 2012 2:50 AM ET

MIAMI (AP)

Back and forth they went in overtime, Rajon Rondo and the Miami Heat.

HEAT VS. CELTICS

• Heat work overtime for Game 2 win
• Witz: This won't cut it in Finals
• Tomasson: LeBron escapes critics
• Photos: Game 1 | 2
• Heat postgame video: Game 2
• Celtics postgame video: Game 2
• NBA Playoff Central

Rondo scored. The Heat answered. Then again. And again.

Eventually, Rondo missed, one of the rare times he didn't deliver on an unforgettable night. Moments later, the Heat took the lead for good, finally able to close out a wild Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored eight of his 23 points in the extra session and the Heat rallied from 15 down to beat the Boston Celtics 115-111 on Wednesday night - taking a 2-0 lead in the series by pulling off the biggest comeback in franchise postseason history.

''One of the best games I've played in, win or lose,'' Heat forward Shane Battier said. ''It's easier said when you win - but it's unbelievable.''

Rondo scored all 12 of Boston's points in overtime, capping a 44-point, 10-assist, eight-rebound effort in which he played every second of a 53-minute game. The Heat expected Boston's best - and the Celtics didn't disappoint, yet still head home for Game 3 on Friday night facing a deficit no Boston team has rallied from to win a series since 1969.

''Listen, we played terrific,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ''I told them, we played extremely hard. I thought we played with great heart tonight, but I didn't think we played smart all the time. And there's things we can absolutely fix, and we'll do that. We'll be ready for Friday.''

Mario Chalmers scored 22 for the Heat, who took 47 free throws - 24 by James - to Boston's 29.

''This group had resolve,'' Wade said of the Celtics. ''They came out and played a great game. It was physical early. They brought the game to us. That can't happen. We used our crowd and the energy to get back into the game and we had to play better.''

Paul Pierce scored 21 points, Kevin Garnett added 18 and Ray Allen 13 for Boston. Rondo finished 16 of 24 from the floor, 10 of 12 from the foul line and made both his 3-point tries.

''He showed why he's one of the best point guards in this league,'' Chalmers said.

Rondo shrugged off his night.

''We lost,'' Rondo said. ''Simple as that.''

Allen's 3-pointer with 34.3 seconds left tied the game at 99-all. James missed two shots, first a layup - he got the rebound of his own miss - and then a jumper on the final possession of regulation, and to overtime they went.

''We had to do it the tough way,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat had come back to win from 14 points down in playoff games twice before, first in Game 6 of the 2006 NBA finals - their title clincher - and again last season against Philadelphia.

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And this one was slipping away, more than once. James missed two free throws 21 seconds into overtime, and Miami looked in trouble, especially since Rondo was simply taking over.

When Rondo missed a layup - he thought he was fouled, and the Celtics agreed - with 1:33 left, Miami took advantage, with Udonis Haslem getting a dunk to put the Heat up 105-103. And after a turnover on the next Boston possession, Wade drove the lane, hit the deck and watched as his layup bounced on the rim and dropped through.

Garnett stood over Wade and glared, to no avail. Wade hit the free throw, and Miami was up 110-105 with 59.7 seconds left. By then, the no-call on Rondo had the Celtics seething.

''It was obvious,'' Rondo said.

Added Allen: ''We all thought he got hit. I'll say it. He did, but what can you do about it?''

Miami was down by 15 in the first half and by as many as 11 in the third quarter, before a pair of 3-pointers by James started a comeback. Wade made consecutive jumpers midway through the third to shake off a slow start to his night and get the Heat within three both times, and the 2006 NBA finals MVP set up Haslem for a three-point play with 2:55 left that gave Miami its first lead since the opening minutes, 73-71.

As Haslem's shot dropped, Wade spun at midcourt and punched the air. More highlights followed.

Miami's lead got to as much as seven in the third after James blocked Pierce's shot near the rim, sending the ball high into the air and starting a sequence that was capped by a three-point play from Wade, pushing the margin to 78-71. It capped a 12-0 run for the Heat, who took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

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It was the fifth straight game where Miami outscored its opponent by double-digits in the third quarter. In each of the previous four of those outings, Miami never trailed in the final period.

That streak ended in this one.

''It's been very key for us, whether we're up, whether we're down, to win that quarter,'' Wade said. ''But in the fourth quarter, even when we were down, we felt like we were close enough. ... We never felt like we were out of it.''

They weren't out of it - but a call that Boston argued against played a big role in the Celtics getting the lead back.

James stole the ball from Rondo early in the fourth, drove down the court and got wrapped up by Pietrus, who was assessed a clear-path foul, meaning Miami got two free throws and the ball. James missed both foul shots, Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer later in the possession, and the lead stayed at 85-81.

Barely a minute later, it was gone. Pietrus hit a 3-pointer, Rondo followed with a steal and layup and Boston led 86-85. The Celtics led by five with 3:50 left after a jumper by Pierce, and the Celtics looked to be in control.

It was temporary. The Heat scored the next nine points, Haslem's jumper with 1:08 remaining put Miami up 98-94. So of course, back came Boston - Allen's 3-pointer tying the game a few moments after Pierce fouled out.

''Rondo was absolutely amazing,'' James said. ''The performance he put on tonight will go down in the record books. ... It was a battle, and we never felt like we won the game or lost the game when there were zeros on the clock.''

Notes: Celebrities in attendance included UCLA coach Ben Howland, rapper Flo Rida and former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, a regular in the Heat crowd. ... Celtics F Greg Stiemsma had four fouls in the first quarter, the first NBA player to do that since 2009. ... Rondo's only other 22-point first half was Feb. 22, 2009 at Phoenix. ... Allen, considered one of the game's absolute best shooters for many years, said he's been getting plenty of unsolicited advice lately on how to get rolling again. ''I've only been doing this for 20 years,'' Allen said at the morning shootaround. ... Haslem (6) had more rebounds than Boston (5) in the third quarter. ... Heat C Ronny Turiaf started, played the first 4:51 and did not return. Joel Anthony started the second half in Turiaf's place.

Heat take 2-0 lead into Boston in East finals - The Seattle Times

MIAMI â€"

Dwyane Wade led a comeback from a 2-0 series deficit in the 2006 NBA finals. LeBron James rallied his team from two games down to win the Eastern Conference crown a year later.

So they know this East title series is not over.

As the series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Friday, Miami expects to see the best the Celtics can muster. A 44-point, 10-assist, eight-rebound night from Rajon Rondo went for naught in a 115-111 overtime loss in Game 2, as Miami held serve at home.

Only 14 teams in NBA history have rallied from an 0-2 hole to win a series, and the Celtics haven't done it since 1969. But Wade and James know it can happen, and the Celtics believe they're capable as well.

Heat guard Mario Chalmers becomes third scoring option - Sun-Sentinel

Mario Chalmers had just completed yet another strong performance in this postseason.

As he was about to hop on the cart that taxis players from the locker room to interview podium following Wednesday's victory, he couldn't help but crack a joke to the driver.

"You need to put some spinners (rims) on this," Chalmers said. "Hook it up."

This is Chalmers, the brash, overconfident jokester who has evolved from liability to legitimate third-scoring threat for the Miami Heat. With Chris Bosh sidelined the past seven games, it has been Chalmers filling the scoring void with 3-point shooting and drives to the baskets.

Suddenly, his play is starting to overshadow his sometimes testy relationship with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Chalmers is averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the playoffs entering Friday's Game 3 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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His much-publicized, on-court screaming matches with James and Wade are now secondary.

"It's not anything new to those guys," swingman James Jones said. "I think it makes for good TV. I think people make a bigger deal than it actually is. It's really just those guys talking loudly. That's their language and we understand that."

Chalmers has been linked with Wade and James since becoming teammates. He referred to Wade as his mentor when he arrived in the league in 2008. He and James instantly formed a bond last year because they share similar candid personalties.

Last season Wade and James often spent practices roasting Chalmers about his unexpected appearance on the NBA All-Star ballot, drawing laughs among teammates. James still mocks Chalmers during interviews, questioning why the media would want to talk to him.

Moments later, James is waiting for Chalmers so they can grab post-practice lunch. It is that comfort that allows them to go from heated exchanges on the court to high-fives in one 24-second possession.

"It's never personal," Chalmers said. "We all want each other to be successful. If a person is slacking, you've got to let them know."

It wasn't always easy for Chalmers. Teammates still consider him "stubborn" and perhaps too confident. He's never seen a shot he didn't like, and refuses to back down when called out by the superstars. The constant challenging has been somewhat humbling while also helping Chalmers develop into a solid point guard.

"Every one sees his talent and we're trying to get the best out of him," forward Shane Battier said. "He gets in trouble when his emotions boil over. Give me that over a guy who you have to get the paddle boards and start his heart. He's got a ton of heart."

It wasn't until he learned to better control his emotions when Chalmers began improving. The guy who made perhaps the most famous shot in Kansas University basketball history had to accept he was playing alongside two of the world's best players.

He received the best advice from his counterpart in this series. Chalmers had several conversations with Celtics guard Rajon Rondo during his first season with James and Wade. Rondo went through a similar transition his second year in the league, going from college standout to teaming with future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Rondo's message simple.

"Just never back down," Chalmers said. "You're here for a reason. You got the ball in your hands. If they don't respect you, nobody is going to respect you."

After scoring 22 points in Game 2, he's no doubt earned that respect. Chalmers is averaging 15.5 points in this series when the Heat need scoring the most. It is his most productive postseason stint since last year's NBA Finals.

He even got a pat on the back from James in the locker room after Wednesday's victory.

"He kept us afloat by his play," James said. "When D-Wade didn't have it going, Rio made big shots, especially in the second quarter, in the third quarter as well. He stepped up, made some big shots and gave us a lift. He gave us a third punch that we needed in this game. So he played a great game."

srichardson@tribune.com

No Warning - ESPN

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LeBron, Wade suffer from trust issues - FOXSports.com

FOX Sports Exclusive

Updated May 31, 2012 1:11 PM ET

Consistency separates the Spurs from the Heat.

On a nightly basis, you know exactly what to expect and what you’re going to get from Gregg Popovich’s squad. The Spurs trust their system of unselfish ball and man movement. It’s as if they’re on autopilot and the only possible variable is individual effort within the system. Popovich’s in-your-face coaching style stabilizes the effort.

System plus effort equals 20-game winning streak.

In Miami, there is no offensive system and the effort, particularly on the offensive end, varies significantly depending on the night and the opponent. We saw evidence of these facts Wednesday night when Rajon Rondo almost single-handedly knotted the Eastern Conference Finals.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had been on a four-game tear of Spurs-like ball and man movement. They’d whipped the Pacers three straight to close out one playoff series and opened the ECF against the Celtics with another impressive display.

Wednesday night, James and Wade returned to isolation, hero ball. The Celtics dominated the first half, building a lead as big as 15 points. The Heat, particularly Wade, summoned energy, focus and discipline in the third quarter and took control of the contest. And then in the fourth, James and Wade disappeared. Neither sank a field goal. Wade didn’t even assert himself offensively. If not for some very friendly, one-sided officiating, the Heat would’ve lost Wednesday night.

Instead, they won in overtime. They survived Rondo’s 44-point game. On a night when Paul Pierce fouled out, Kevin Garnett looked exhausted, Ray Allen remained a shell of his former self and the refs sent Miami to the line 47 times, the Heat, in order to escape, needed those same refs to overlook Wade’s near-beheading of Rondo late.

Why?

There are two easy cliche answers:

1. LeBron lacks the “clutch gene.” He missed a layup and then settled for a fallaway 20-footer over Rondo in the final seconds of regulation.

HEAT VS. CELTICS

• Heat work overtime for Game 2 win
• Witz: This won't cut it in Finals
• Tomasson: LeBron escapes critics
• Photos: Game 1 | 2
• Heat postgame video: Game 2
• Celtics postgame video: Game 2
• NBA Playoff Central

2. Erik Spoelstra can’t coach. It’s Spoelstra’s fault that James and Wade deviated from the style of offensive play that produced such magnificent results in four straight games.

I don’t believe in the “clutch gene.” And I believe controlling James and Wade â€" or any millionaire celebrity â€" is far more difficult than the typical talk-show host argues on radio.

And let me tell you what is extremely hard, quite possibly as difficult as landing a man on the moon: controlling a millionaire celebrity who was raised in a difficult, dysfunctional environment.

Stop. I am not dumping on James and Wade. I like and respect them. I’m rooting for them to win the championship this season. I think they are good people. In fact, they’re my two favorite athletes at the moment.

I just happen to believe their difficult upbringings make it hard for them to trust and submit to the will of authority figures. We know James was raised by a teenage mother who had some problems. We know Wade’s mom had problems with drugs and Wade credits an older sister for his upbringing.

It’s my belief Wade and James have childhood emotional scars that impact their ability to consistently operate in a team environment. Most of us have childhood emotional scars. Some scars â€" any kind of parental abandonment â€" are just deeper than others.

Gregg Popovich is a tremendous coach. So was Phil Jackson.

But coaching Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan is quite different than coaching LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Again, I’m not denigrating Wade and James as people. They are good people. I’m saying they have justifiable trust issues stemming from their nontraditional upbringings, and those issues often manifest themselves on the basketball court.

Popovich can scream at and publicly belittle Duncan, Parker and Ginobili without damaging his relationship with his stars. Popovich is free to “coach” his stars. Spoelstra has to “manage” his stars. It’s simpleminded to attribute this difference solely to Popovich’s four championship rings and Spoelstra’s zero rings.

Popovich is coaching men who grew up in less chaotic, stressful environments. It’s not a coincidence that the greatest players and winners in NBA history â€" Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Kobe, Russell, Duncan â€" primarily came from solid, two-parent families. Larry Bird is the most notable exception.

The Heat can win it all with Wade and James. They’re capable of beating the Spurs this season. When James and Wade are focused and in the mood to be coached, they can push the Heat to a level as high as San Antonio. But, as we saw last year, as we saw in the Pacers series and as we saw Wednesday night, Wade and James can fall into a prolonged funk that turns the Heat into the Bobcats.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are the Spurs almost every night.

Miami Heat Burn Through Celtics Despite Rondo's Big Game - Fox News

Imagine playing your biggest game but having nothing to show for it?

Rajon Rondo posted a stat line never before seen in NBA playoff history. He was on the court for every second of a game that finished more than three hours after it started. He scored more points in a single overtime than anyone this season.

His night was called incredible, amazing and unbelievable â€" and that was by the Miami Heat.

And when it was over, Rondo could only express disappointment that the Boston Celtics needed more.

LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored eight of his 23 points in overtime and the Heat took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-111 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night, overcoming what will surely go down as the best game of Rondo's career to move within six wins of an NBA title.

"We lost," Rondo said, shrugging off talk of the historical ramifications of his night. "Simple as that."

Rondo's final numbers: 44 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds. He scored all 12 of Boston's overtime points, giving the Celtics the lead three times, only to have the Heat answer each of those. And when he finally missed in the extra session â€" on a play where Rondo said he got struck in the face by Wade â€" then and only then could Miami put Boston away.

Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, where the Celtics will try to make this a series. No Celtics team has successfully rallied from an 0-2 hole since 1969.

"He really played his heart out and carried the load for us offensively," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. "He shot the ball, did everything possible you could ask for in him. You just hate to see an effort like that really go to waste."

Mario Chalmers scored 22 points for Miami, which got 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists off the bench from Udonis Haslem. The entire Celtics bench combined for seven points, five rebounds and one assist.

Miami trailed by 15 points in the first half, making this the largest deficit the Heat have overcome to win a playoff game in their history. Miami had rallied from 14 points down to win twice before in the postseason, one of those being the game that clinched the 2006 NBA title.

"There just can't be any other way with this team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And it has to be the hard way."

The Heat won on a night where so many things â€" Rondo's effort included â€" suggested that they were in going to be in trouble.

There was the big early deficit, a 7-for-20 shooting effort from the floor by James, Wade going scoreless until the final seconds of the first half, 16 missed free throws and two missed chances to win â€" both shots by James â€" at the end of regulation.

And if all that wasn't enough, Boston's Big Four were Big again. Pierce scored 21 points before fouling out. Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and added eight rebounds. Ray Allen, ailing right ankle and all, went through two gameday shooting workouts to try to snap out of a slump and apparently did, finishing with 13 points, the last three of those coming on a 3-pointer that tied the game at 99-all with 34.3 seconds left in regulation.

Miami managed to survive it all. Haslem's dunk with 1:28 left in overtime to put Miami on top for good, Wade had a three-point play with 59.7 seconds left, and the Heat won their sixth straight East finals game going back to last season.

"One of the best games I've played in, win or lose," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "It's easier said when you win â€" but it's unbelievable."

Miami was down by as many as 11 in the third quarter, before a pair of 3-pointers by James started a comeback. Wade made consecutive jumpers midway through the third to shake off a slow start to his night, and the 2006 NBA finals MVP set up Haslem for a three-point play that gave Miami its first lead since the opening minutes, 73-71.

As Haslem's shot dropped, Wade spun at midcourt and punched the air. More highlights followed.

Miami's lead reached seven points in the third after James blocked Pierce's shot near the rim, sending the ball high into the air and starting a sequence that was capped by a three-point play from Wade, pushing the margin to 78-71. It capped a 12-0 run for the Heat, who took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

James stole the ball from Rondo early in the fourth, drove down the court and got wrapped up by Mickael Pietrus, who was assessed a clear-path foul, meaning Miami got two free throws and the ball. James missed both foul shots, Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer later in the possession, and the lead stayed at 85-81.

Barely a minute later, it was gone. Pietrus hit a 3-pointer, Rondo followed with a steal and layup and Boston led 86-85. The margin was out to five with 3:50 left after a jumper by Pierce, and the Celtics looked to be in control.

"We never felt like we were out of it," Wade said.

They were right. A 9-0 run gave Miami the lead back, before Allen's 3 tied the game. James missed a layup with 21 seconds left, but got his own rebound and extended the possession. He tried a jumper with 2 seconds left to win it, the shot missed, and the teams went to overtime, where the reigning MVP missed two more free throws to start the extra period.

"LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "And our team took 29."

Miami finished 31 of 47 from the line, Boston was 26 of 29. The Celtics were called for 33 personal fouls, Miami 18.

Rondo nearly rendered all those talking points moot. He was 4 for 5 from the floor in overtime, but with Pierce having fouled out and Garnett and Allen having combined to play over 80 minutes at that point, it seemed like Rondo was going 1-on-5.

He almost pulled it off.

"Rondo was absolutely amazing," James said. "The performance he put on tonight will go down in the record books."

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Game 2 loss was demoralizing to the Celtics - WEEI.com

It seems to me in sport there are losses. There are losses that our moral victories. And then there are demoralizing. Losses. I suspect I don't know that's for sure but I suspect last night's overtime setback in. Miami. Qualifies as the latter a demoralizing loss and not because the Celtics don't have heart. Or grit and balls. But for me the take away it was and I guess probably for some of the celtics' all the Celtics deep down in their heart. They know that they can't play much -- They can't play much better than that shortly Rajon Rondo I don't think can play any longer than he played last night and it's still. Wasn't enough to beat the heat doesn't qualify as a demoralizing loss for basket.

But I think it's all the above I think -- moral victory too because I didn't think they have this in -- did you. Do you think they had this and I'm. Not there may be back here exactly right and and I do think. That day I post game and their comments -- attitude and demeanor. Is all about winning game three and I wouldn't put it past them would you wanna go get it right that it's 21 and it's all about game four. And they win game four that the question is can they win one in Miami right right they just showed good so we're making progress here and they went one of Miami. Did they show you last night that they could win one in my hand all right I will add to the square that question if you -- to this and they play better. Harder than they did last night in Miami they can play they can't play harder. They can play -- Kevin Garnett could play yet to assert himself a little more I mean sadly. -- cannot cannot play better he cannot play better for the rest of his career he cannot. But other guys can. Could they get more out of their bench. They got anything. That they -- we got three baskets and a 07 points and three baskets seven points. 45 points for the heat. --

11 -- small one repeat this one for dueling. Their bench sucks so anyone -- as if anyone wants to ask how a team with four hall of famers and pro Rhonda when there is as a last night of put him in the hall of fame. Can be an underdog can be all about Britain balls when they and just keep the game close it's because they have no bench they have no help. They have no Avery Bradley or or Chris Wilcox or or or Jeff Green that's why they have -- hand tied behind their back. When you think about it in -- Miami is then to -- for obvious reasons but. They bring Mike Miller off the bench in on the -- has honest Haslem the rest of the bench. His. Udonis Haslem you know in in in two minutes did more than you'll see from this bench in this whole series. I don't blame steams me he does what he does he falls he tries to block shots -- little bit but to a links stinks. And so does pages than just -- just not. Quality NBA players and I'm gonna assume. Just because doc knows what he's doing that Sasha sucks even worse and it's too bad that they could it is -- anything -- had any kinda. Any kind of James. PGA.

Rounder James Posey and Posey and house more or Eddie House or or a Scott Edmond north. In your name every good NBA every good Celtics too well these Serbia yet it. Although I don't think Wally and we'll get to that yeah Wally would fit in so well on Kevin Garnett right team. Public yet that kind of -- that could bring a guy like that right well deserve it was small stuff yes here's the problem -- dueling -- would have trouble getting in the game at at the line at the Charlotte who thought of her first yeah he'd be on the bench in Charlotte. By the way so was Boris Diaw but. And it is too bad in game like that that -- so many guys. Doctors and wanna play. -- 53 minutes and certainly doesn't wanna play rob Ray Allen 42 minutes for Kevin Garnett 4545 he doesn't want to which is option. Ryan Hall things. He has to time the enforce -- roller -- here's the problem. When when when we talked about what has to happen for them to win we put letter grades on the performances of the guys we thought were.

Necessary to make this happen we said somebody asked to have an A plus game that would be Rajon Rondo at seven A plus game. Kevin Garnett -- communion have a games and you need an -- minus very very strong B plus on a ball players. The problem is when you get that 100% effort and this is a -- we've seen this again and again and again. During the course of these playoffs for the Boston Celtics you'll get 18 plus effort. From one guy on that night. Then the efforts after that would generally -- beat plus effort or beat and that might work against Atlanta that might even work against the Philadelphia 76ers but when you get to the final four. In the NBA when it is down to these four teams that you're looking at now you can't get by with a -- plus effort and a couple of -- You need you need some Kevin Garnett is the example from last night you didn't get the Kevin Garnett -- plus or eight. The game out of him he wasn't demanding the ball on you spot he wasn't dominating the jump shot he wasn't the Kevin Garnett we saw earlier in the playoffs that's simple.

And if he was just better they -- but you know what. You picked a win tomorrow I think the when -- and I think they have in them I think doc we now know. Was playing in games when he said. It's painful to watch rail and play and I might sit him out a game that was a mind game that was just in challenging. Ray Allen and play with the with the heat he didn't mean he never got to votes in my. He's -- his best to guide and it's not even close there's nobody else he had no choice. He couldn't ever break an ankle it is no amputated and gone out of the boy and -- and plan B was no bed and -- the best. And the best to guide and -- is only option is patriots who doesn't even know how to file Connecticut asking too much. A Peterson dueling yeah. Statesman knows how to follow right in front of slowdown you know run government and the -- and ripped his arms out at the socket if you have do you don't allow a three point play you don't allow a breakaway. -- about the web -- well. Your job is to -- at times that your job if you're doing it pizzas that if it's LeBron or way anybody who's. Good anybody can -- Do it yeah. Can I do believe me you don't believe regular FF -- across of course just under no. I -- but do you believe me I could follow through -- way up. And -- what she files do any -- battle -- he wouldn't screw up files that they let me -- score well you get two shots out. Admit it on your grass over it get two shots he would miss one he would not get a three point play. It is unforgivable committee that that peaked too -- now -- can't even when. They -- it's amazing. The the rivers. That Rondo and rivers and Allen and peers and -- Pushed the Miami Heat overtime without any help. In such an exhausting game Unita bench in the game like that that -- if you need to remind you could -- you can make me move on from this little weekend begins and -- now because they annoy me and they annoyed me last -- obviously the refs. Were knowing and the world but but too lenient and papers were normally.

Out when you're when you're mining for gold -- seen -- the old westerns and have that that little sick of running all the dirt in the sand and a water over look at that little nugget of little nugget from last -- just make you feel better about this demoralizing loss. Isn't it great to know that in spite of LeBron James 34 points and ten rebounds. He did not in any way shape reform changes legacy about the united -- down the stretch that's a great isn't that great old -- and I just well there and you know what.

If they had pulled out that would be the story wouldn't be obviously on this story it would be the face rate. On wade wouldn't be dueling papers should be the mr. lay -- be that John Johnny ace in order on on replay right. And and then Jeff and got to have a term for earlier in the game remembered.

And practice show oh yes right Rondo wanted to -- pressure shots nobody in his face no pressure no double -- just run though. Relaxing. And stroke and it and I understand what they give it to we've seen a missed those point eight times. Those are practice shows guess what that guess what the Celtics gave LeBron with the game on the line in regulation a practice shot. They put their small got their point guard on him for a reason. Because they knew if they did that can pull up and take an eighteen footer and they like their chances that's it if they had been a solemn and people vote. Speaker sonim I think he tries to get the Rand think and I'll get filed and may be of it.

One of should not have been the article what all the had to do was get passed for John -- all the added it was macro shot Rondo fouled him and go to the line but Ronald did get a and that's eggs off -- take the step back jumper he said shoot -- they let him shoot I think that was the strategy. If if but no if you put pierce on papers or some even drive at right time based on that got to go but he has he's trying to -- you got a hand in his face he can't take the team for LeBron on him. They said okay you know you're you're great -- get in the rim. You've got a million free throws you're gonna get two more. Even doctor evil -- one of two home yet but it but I don't win again but that strategy and it dot employ that strategy to back off him and and and and and make sure you decide to shoot the basketball. You still want her show on Rondo if your LeBron James need to take that -- who. But he he says he gets help and gets filed. I think that's his field. I think he you know he knows it Musharraf. He passed it at all it was 9990 not at that point of course she gets filed you'll think he makes one there. But my point is would run on them they're saying you get taken out opened eighteen footer you get to it's all yours. I mean even LeBron at home game like this in the good game. Is -- good chance it goes in my point is that I think I think LeBron James made a gutless mistake by not. Driving to The Who make you or John -- fault him and going to the free throw at 999 and and don't forget though. Maybe you know this Ian Ian the very next -- or in the overtime you missed two free throws right to free throws we -- you didn't.

I think he's more for that -- he is of the opening eighteen footer that people jumpers all the time it you know what it got worse Europe's right you wanna look at the bright side here. -- getting really good game using great great player he's a phenomenal player of the passport source if he plays hard ball -- the war. Which is its route and we won't give up and and Ohio run commit to play 53 it's about Joseph -- catches his breath on defense. To say. It probably. Needed that they needed them on the floor if he -- to catch his -- by. Floating on defense. That's fine -- what we say they needed to improve on last night's game. -- off yes yes good point coming and they -- in gitmo for us and I guarantee rivers did have a problem it is now the because he sought to link that says -- like 45 minutes away but. Right LeBron did nothing to dispel Lewis does per socket yeah I had -- percent -- guest -- I don't follow on Twitter. And others like that is that eight that he pulled up and -- that it misdirected. In at home with a little with no one in the space with no for a prior to that -- the latest idea to let up at 9999. You know what the bottom line is LeBron as a great player perhaps the best player in the game. He's not and never will be Jordan he doesn't have that technology those used to anyway he doesn't have that ability. And don't get to Dwyane Wade close your points. Did wade and -- LeBron how many baskets wade LeBron lemon in the fourth quarter. Quick quick -- through them you know. Closer in my. Us last night -- Dwayne wade didn't score in the fourth quarter and needed -- LeBron didn't didn't have. Impressions score of course they. Had to have some free throws but -- Battier had brought all for four. Com Dwyane -- 04 -- In one free throw but look at Bjorkman six that's the fourth quarter game on line right yet. -- This month eggs and meaningless. Weighed more than LeBron. That it bullies and -- its own it or film. Of Hispaniola with the cool air down and -- fall mean he can appoint who peek at the -- got to give him. Now he's glaring in -- just noisy parts of the -- rate. The -- rate next phase out will hear from doc about that -- about it that's what I hate about the game eight. The officials played in big role didn't want them to -- you just wanna move past. Appreciate getting to our eye on the ball planet Mikey week after.

LeBron James is favorite for NBA Finals MVP - USA TODAY

To the surprise of absolutely no one, LeBron James is the betting favorite to win NBA Finals MVP.

Of course another 44 points, 10 assist, 8 rebound game by Rajon Rondo may skew things a bit. Of course the Celtics have to advance.

Here courtesy of sportsbook.com (via covers.com) are the current odds:

LeBron James: +150 (win $150 on a $100 bet)

Tony Parker: +200

Kevin Durant: +500

Manu Ginobili: +750

Tim Duncan: +1,000

Dwyane Wade: +1,000

Paul Pierce: +1,200

Rajon Rondo: +2,000

Russell Westbrook: +3,000

Chris Bosh: +3,000

LeBron James: LeBron, Chalmers lead Heat to Game 2 win - Rotoworld.com

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'Hatfields & McCoys' miniseries outscores LeBron James - Orlando Sentinel

'Hatfields & McCoys' miniseries outscores LeBron James

By Hal Boedeker, Staff writer
9:23 a.m. EST, May 31, 2012

The "Hatfields & McCoys" miniseries rode out a winner Wednesday night in the Orlando TV market.

The History production starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton averaged 196,600 viewers. The three-part miniseries has been a giant hit for History. Nationally, the first two parts each drew more than 13 million viewers.

The Miami Heat-Boston Celtics game on ESPN placed second in Orlando with 116,500 viewers. LeBron James and the Heat won, 115-111, to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

"So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox drew 83,800 viewers.

It was a tight race for the fourth place among CBS'"CSI" with 64,500 viewers, the premiere of CBS' "Dogs in the City" with 63,500, ABC's"The Middle" with 63,300 and CBS' "Criminal Minds" with 61,900.

We'll have national numbers later today.

Did James Come Up Short in the Clutch? - HoopsWorld

Updated: May 31, 2012, 7:10 am ET

By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors

That set the stage perfectly for (LeBron) James to deliver a winner. But with the ball in his hands and the chance to win, James missed two shots in the final 20 seconds of regulation. First, a contested lay-up that rimmed out after he set a high screen for Wade and rolled hard to the hoop.

“(Dwyane) D-Wade was able to hit me on a pass to the rim, and I missed the lay-up,” James explained. “I felt I had a good look at it, but I was kind of off balance.”

After saving the possession by securing the offensive rebound, James isolated on (Rajon) Rondo at the top of the key, running out the clock before launching a step-back jumper over the smaller defender. His shot rimmed off as the buzzer sounded.

“I had a great look at it at the end of regulation, it just didn’t go down,” James said.

The second shot was an opportunity at a signature moment but also a horribly passive decision, especially considering the match-up. There seemed to be some carry-over from the miss into overtime, as James missed his pair of free throws, halted a drive to kick out cross-court to Shane Battier for an errant three, and then found himself tied up with Rondo a few possessions later.

But the miscues alternated with flashes of brilliance, the product of relentless effort on both ends of the court. An on-target pass to Wade for a game-tying dunk. Two possession-ending defensive rebounds. A tip-in putback, his fourth offensive rebound of the game, to tie the game at 105 with 1:50 to play. A dish to forward Udonis Haslem for a go-ahead slam 22 seconds later. One final drawn foul, and two made free throws with 11 seconds remaining, to put the game out of reach, 114-108.

“He made winning plays,” (Erik) Spoelstra said. “He missed a couple of free throws and yet still hand an impact… It’s not always going to be about the shot. It’s about finding a way to win, especially against a team like this.”

via Ben Golliver of CBS Sports