MIAMI -- Paul George will never forget that moment in 2009 when, as a skinny 19-year-old, he found himself guarding the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player in a pickup game. Every year, James hosts the top high school players in the country at a Nike-sponsored camp.
MIAMI -- Before the Miami Heat try to take a 2-0 series lead Friday in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, Chris Bosh had a confession to make about the closing seconds of his team's overtime win in the opener.
MIAMI -- Making peace with the pain continues to be a precipitous work in progress for Dwyane Wade. But even as the Miami Heat star drags his troublesome right knee into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, Wade no longer bothers with optimistic hopes and expectations.
MIAMI – For the past several weeks, LeBron James has finished up his daily routine at practice by shooting free throws with Ray Allen. Every practice, same thing. But on Tuesday, things were different.
MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra is already in adjustment mode. The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers don't play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals until Wednesday, but the Heat's coach is tweaking at least the narrative entering the best-of-seven series to advance to the NBA Finals.
In the 2011-12 playoffs, the Indiana Pacers were the team that forced the Heat to implement Erik Spoelstra’s title-winning vision. If Chris Bosh’s injury was the fuse, the size of the Pacers provided the gunpowder to make it all happen.
MIAMI -- As a four-time league MVP and the catalyst for the NBA's defending champions, LeBron James isn't accustomed to having his rhythm disrupted these days. Good defenders rarely bother him. Great schemes do little to knock him off his game.
MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra laughed at the question. The coach was asked at Heat practice on Friday if he feels pity for the video coordinators these days. After all, they have to prepare not one, but two, full scouting reports, one for the New York Knicks and one for the Indiana Pacers, because the Heat still don't know who they're playing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
MÁS COBERTURA NBA
