Knicks vs. Heat

Though the Knicks fought hard to get into the playoffs, the Heat hold a commanding 2-0 lead and will most likely breeze through the first round. However, the team will need to stay motivated as the Knicks will not go down without a fight. The problem that the Heat have is that they tend to slack off when games are “too easy,” and this is the reason why the team has lost to teams like the Golden State Warriors in the regular season. If this team wants to continue selling out of Heat tickets and remain hot in the playoffs, they will need to keep playing hard throughout this series.

Keys To The Playoffs

• Chris Bosh

James and Wade will constantly score most of the points for the Heat but they will need the contribution from Bosh to stay consistent. A team can work with two prolific scorers but once all three are hitting their shots, I am sure that it will make for an exciting and high scoring game. Make sure you are there when it happens by buying your Heat tickets today!

• The Last Five Minutes

The Heat will need to learn how to handle the last five minutes of every game in the playoffs. Five minutes in the playoffs can seem like forever and with teams like the Magic, Pacers, Celtics, and Bulls. The Heat will need to buckle down and learn how to finish games or else it can cause them the trophy in the end.

• The Road Got Easier

The biggest problem for the Heat coming into the playoffs would have to be the Bulls. These two teams will most likely meet each other in the Eastern Conference Finals. With Derrick Rose out, the series just got a lot easier and the Heat definitely know this. However, this is where the team cannot slack off as the Bulls are still very capable of winning the series with good defense and a bench that can score. Make sure you are there to support the team to victory by buying your Heat tickets today!

• Gear Up For The Thunder

After all the drama that will unfold in the coming weeks, it will all come down to the Heat and the Thunder. Both teams have proven all year that they are the teams to beat and this will be one of the most exciting Finals matches in recent history. For the Heat to really complete this journey to the top, they will need to shut Durant down and have Wade somehow stop the Thunder guards.

If the Heat can get through this season with a ring, it will finally make James’ decision worth it. However, if the team fails once again, you will definitely hear a lot of talk about the Heat.

Following the long unprecedented lockout by the owners vs. players situation, the Heat started its regular season off well. December was by far their best month; they had won four straight games and followed up with a 12 – 5 and 11 – 2 record in January and February, respectively. Around these this time, it was very hard to find Heat tickets because the team was doing so well.  In March, the Heat’s fortunes were kind of mixed as they only won six games of their last 10 games. Creating uncertainty in the minds of Heat tickets holders that they will perform well in the playoffs.

There has been speculation that the reason why games after 03-19-12 have been a lukewarm is the fact that they have already secured a playoff berth. This certainly does not seem like it’s the case with LeBron. The superstar carried the team on his shoulders during two important wins against 76ers (April 3) and Thunder (April 4) in the absence of the injured Dwayne Wade. These two key wins should instill hope in Heat tickets holders that they will be making another run at a NBA Championship.

The other post 19/3/12 games included wins over the Suns (March 20) and Pistons (March 23). Chris Bosh came up with 29 crucial points in their win against Phoenix, while against the latter, Dwayne Wade topped the scoring chart with 24 points. These wins unfortunately, were followed by a couple of painful losses against the Thunder (March 25) and Pacers (March 26). Certainly, Kevin Durant will be one man the Heat are going to have to watch come playoffs time. Coupled with Russell Westbrook, the two can be handful.

If you had bought Heat tickets to see the game on March 29, you would have witnessed sweet revenge for the Heat when they faced off against Nowitzki and the Mavericks and won 106 – 85. This was followed by another win over Toronto (113 – 101) a day later; this win saw the return to form of Chris Bosh, who starred with 30 points in the game. On April 1, the Heat suffered a humiliating loss to Stuart Pierce and the Boston Celtics, before LeBron rescued them from a loss to the 76ers on April 3rd.

The next game for the Heat will be against Memphis – whom Miami haven’t played all season long – on April 6 at 7.30 ET. Heat tickets are available now, so buy it now before it sells out. The Memphis are currently second in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference with a 30 – 23 record and are yet to clinch themselves a playoff berth. Twelve games remain in the Heat schedule after this game; they still have to face bitter rivals Chicago and Boston twice in both instances.

At the moment, the Heat are placed second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 39 – 14 and are the Southeast Division leaders. They only lie second to the Bulls (43 – 13) in their conference and have already secured a playoff berth. The only other NBA team with a better record than the Heat is the Oklahoma City Thunder (40 – 14); the Northwest Division leaders of the Western Conference.

The Heat still have injury worries, with Dwayne Wade facing ankle, knee and foot problems. Mike Miller is also still sidelined with an ankle injury. With Wade not being fully fit, King James might have to push his game a notch higher to sustain the Heat’s momentum. The problem is that they risk exhausting the maestro well before the playoffs begin. James who still lacks a championship ring, will undoubtedly want to get one this year, especially after coming so close last season. I project that the Heat will take it easy during their remaining regular season games in order to save their energy for the playoffs. Heat playoff tickets are available now, so get yours today!

The Heat are a very strong home team, having only lost two games all season on their home court. So if you want to see them win, make sure you buy your Heat tickets to a home game. The only other team with a similar home court record is the Lakers. This type of home court performance is a huge plus once the playoffs begin. The Heat will need to capture home court advantage throughout the playoffs to increase their likelihood of success. They are only one game behind the Bulls in the loss column in the Eastern conference and tied with Oklahoma City, so they have a descent chance of winding up with the best record. I know that I will be using my Heat tickets to show my support and make sure that they end up with the best record.

Home court advantage is just one piece of the puzzle that needs to come together for the Heat to go all of the way. They recently played the conference leading Chicago Bulls in a game they lost 106-102. Although the score was close, this game highlighted the problems Miami needs to fix heading into the playoffs, if they hope to become NBA champions. Offensively they performed well, but their defense was not good enough to beat a Chicago Bulls team that was missing their superstar player Derrick Rose. When I bought my Heat tickets for this game, I thought it was going to be an easy win. I guess I was wrong and the defense really needs to step it up if they don’t want to lose.

The second problem that this game exposed was the bench play of the Heat. Both offensively and defensively the bench players are not making the contribution necessary to have a championship season; as soon as the starting lineup needs a rest, it is good news for the Heat’s opponents. Overall, the scoring is being done by the big three Miami players: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James. The bench players need step up and start scoring more.

Defensively the Heat are 12th in the league in rebounds. This is better than average, but not good enough for a championship team. Both the starters and the bench players need to start getting more rebounds, which will then help the overall defensive effort. The entire team needs to put more pressure on the opposing offense to create poor shot selections; too many easy points are being scored against the Heat. It turns my stomach every time I am at a game and I see how easy it is for the opposing team to score. It makes me want to give up on my Heat tickets and stop supporting the team.

Their last game was close against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Heat fans need to remember that the 76ers are the league leader in defense and they but still were not able to contain James and Wade.

Miami must get better on defense and have the bench players step up, if these two areas can be improved, the Heat can have a strong second half to the season. Keep an eye on the up coming matches against top teams to see if they are making significant progress. They will be playing Oklahoma City on March 25th and then again at home on April 4th. Heat ticketsfor these games are available now!

At other times, however, they’ve looked awfully susceptible. During their three game losing streak in mid-January, for example, they lost games to the Warriors, the Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. It appeared that the Heat looked like the team that played inept basketball during the NBA Finals last year. This really  left a lot of fans asking: are Miami Heat tickets really worth all the money?

There probably isn’t a clear-cut answer to that question. As we near the All-Star break, Miami is currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 26-7 record, just one games ahead of the Chicago Bulls. They’re 12-3 since their three game losing streak in January. And, it should be noted that an injury to Dwayne Wade was certainly partly responsible for that losing streak. Now that Wade is back, it is safe to say that when buying Heat tickets, you should expect them to win.

After the losing streak they thrashed a few quality opponents, beating San Antonio 120-98, the Lakers 98-87, the 76ers 113-92, and New York 99-89. When they faced their division rival, the Orlando Magic, however, they were torched for 17 three-pointers and lost 102-89. Dwight Howard scored 25 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, and pointed out that the Heat still lack a dominating force inside the paint. This is a fact that surely reminds fans who bought NBA Finals Heat tickets last year of Dirk Nowitzki’s performance, which showcased the Heat’s lack of a strong center.

It could be argued that the Heat are gelling this year, and have benefited from having a year to play together, as well as from the addition of some key free-agent role players. The stretch leading into the All-Star weekend will certainly tell us some more about the team, as they will face Atlanta, Orlando, and the suddenly hot New York Knicks. At 26-7, the Heat certainly seem to be putting themselves in a position to make a nice playoff run like they did last year. I can only hope that I get another chance to use my Heat tickets to the playoffs this year.

But the January losing streak causes a reliable refrain from critics who question the Heat’s ability to withstand adversity. The major flaw that last year’s Miami Heat had, was not being able to bounce back after falling behind in big games. Because they play such an electric style of basketball, where they play better after creating big plays, they seem to be sapped of energy once they’ve fallen behind. They will need your support at their next game to help them rally to victory, buy your Heat tickets now and save!

While supporters can argue that streak was when Wade was injured, critics can assert that injuries happen all the time, and a Heat team with Lebron James and Chris Bosh shouldn’t be prone to losing three games in a row even with Wade on the bench. All the Heat can do to silence these critics is to keep winning, and this season will tell a lot about their characters. I only hope that this will come true and supports from all around will buy Heat tickets to support them to victory.

They started their resurgence this season with a 7-1 win-loss record. With a shortened season this year, every win is that much more important to Miami Heat tickets holders. After winning their first game against their former NBA Finals nemesis, the Dallas Mavericks, they went on to win five straight games. They won their second game at home against the team they eliminated in the postseason, the Boston Celtics. On the road, they won against Charlotte Bobcats and Minnesota Timberwolves by squeakers via a Wade last-second jumper and alley-oop play from James-to-Wade, respectively. Make sure your not the one left out this season, purchase your Heat tickets now for their next home game against the San Antonio Spurs

Back in Miami, it was the Bobcats’ turn to visit the Heat. Heat tickets for this game sold out fast.  It was supposedly Charlotte’s turn to avenge their heartbreaking loss in their first game but it turned out to be a Bobcats beating.  Heat won by a mile, 129-90, and became the first team to score the most points this season.  Be sure your there to see the Heat continue to post first of the season records at their next game by buying your Miami Heat tickets now! You can be sure players like rookie Norris Cole will make his presence felt by scoring high numbers to help Miami continue their wining record. As usual, the Heat’s big three of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh did not back down as they led their team to a great start.

With their confidence up high, the Heat played host to the visiting Atlanta Hawks.  Led by their undersized center Al Horford and Joe Johnson, the Hawks tightened their defense in the fourth quarter to snap the Heat’s five straight wins, 100-92.  Former-All Star, Tracy McGrady, found his grove to help open the last quarter with a 15-3 spark.  Miami, on the other hand, could not shake down Atlanta’s zone defense and suffered their first loss of the season. I am sure this loss was just a fluke and the Heat should bounce back stronger. Be sure to pay close attention to this team if you decide to buy a Heat ticket to their next game.  I am sure they would have adopted a new plan to fix the flaws in their offense.

With the recent defeat, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra vowed to make his team respond better to stiff defenses and the Heat showed that with a 118-83 trouncing of the Indiana Pacers in their next game.  What’s more, Dwayne Wade had to sit down because of a sore left foot he suffered in their game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Lebron James was also hurt with his sprained ankle, but fought through the pain and finished with 33 points and 13 assists. You should expect nothing less from one of the most talented superstars in the NBA.

The Heat, now 6-1, had their hands full in a return match up against the Hawks in Atlanta. This time though, they have to do it without Lebron James and Dwayne Wade; both had to be sidelined because of their nagging injuries.  It was Chris Bosh turn to carry the whole team with him and he did not disappoint.  Backed by long-time teammates Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers, Bosh led the Heat with 33 points and 14 rebounds to a phenomenal 116-109 win after three overtimes against the Hawks.  It was a long night indeed for Heat as they needed Bosh’ lucky three-pointer to send the game to first overtime then some stops to force the game to second and third overtime.  Chalmers finished with 29 points and rookie Terrell Harris added 9 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

Miami Heat will visit the Nets in New Jersey for their next game and they hope to have Lebron James suit up.  Both James and Wade are listed day-to-day and the Heat will need production from Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem once again.  Aside from scoring, Miami can use another profound effort like they had against the Hawks to win without their two All-Stars. We can only hope for a speedy recovering because without these two superstars, I would expect Heat ticket prices will remain low.

The Heat have been in training camp for five days and its players have been working really hard.  Everyone is excited for this new season and this time, Miami is expected to play better because the team has been together for one season and they know how each player plays. Therefore, you should make sure to buy your Heat tickets earlier this year because games will sell out fast. The Heat should now feel very comfortable running plays and making easy adjustments to any kind of problems on the court.  Last year, the Heat managed to reach the NBA Finals in its first year together and this year, fans expect nothing less. The team still has its core starting group from last season, meaning that they will not suffer from the shortened training camp and preseason games.

The NBA lockout should cause major problems to other teams that added a substantial amount of new players because they won’t have much time to get used to each others playing style.  The only main addition to this Heat team is Shane Battier.  He is mostly known for his defensive skill, which is mainly to lock down the main scorer of the opposing team.  A lot of teams have been after him but he chose to sign with Miami because of the high probability of  wining a NBA championship.  The Heat has also re-signed some of their role players from the previous season. Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Juwan Howard will be playing with their Heat.  The Heat has a full roster right now and they are ready for the season when it starts.

The Miami Heat is arguably one of the toughest teams to guard because of the caliber of their players.  LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are known to make shots for themselves and they can score even when they are double-teamed.  When they are on the floor together, it is just very hard to find a way to stop these players and even a team with an excellent defense will find it tough to contain them.  The team also has Udonis Haslem back and this time, he will be fully ready to play and score a bit for the team when they need it.  The team did not have any kind of low post presence back during the Finals because Haslem was not fully recovered.  This time, things will be much easier for the team down low with both Bosh and Haslem are working better together.  The team’s defense is one of the best in the NBA and it will only improve with the addition of Shane Battier. Do miss your chance to see one of the best teams in the NBA. Purchasing your Heat tickets now! Their first home game is scheduled to play on 12/27/2011 against the Boston Celtics.

The Heat defeat the Hornets in the first round in seven games and found their rookie guard an emerging star. Wade continued his stellar performance in the Eastern conference semi-finals against the number 1 seeded Indiana Pacers but fell short after losing in six games. Still, Wade proved to be a success as he lead his team in scoring and assists in the postseason.

In the 2004-05 season Dwayne Wade got a chance to play with Shaquille O’Neil who was traded to the Heat by the Lakers for a bulk of their young roster. Their tandem proved to be successful as the team finished with a franchise second best of 59-23 and entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seeded team. Their journey came to a stop though when Wade suffered a rib injury in the Conference finals against the Pistons.

The next season saw the return of Pat Riley as coach and the introduction of a slew of veterans to the roster. The Heat finally won their first Championship that season after a coming back from a 0-2 deficit in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Dwayne Wade Became the Finals MVP and finally gave veterans Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Jason Williams, and Antoine Walker and the fifth for Shaquille O’Neil.

The 2006-07 proved to be a devastating season as Wade dislocated his shoulder in a game in February. Though he would return in the later part of the season and into the play-offs, he never fully recovered and the Miami Heat suffered a first round sweep from the Chicago Bulls.

O’Neil departed the next season and with a recovering Wade the Heat ended the season with the worst record in the NBA finishing with only 15 wins. Pat Riley finally stepped down and handed the coaching responsibilities to his long time assistant coach Eric Spoelstra. The team made it back to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons being ousted in the first round in both.

The 2010 free agency was a big one for the Heat as they ended up acquiring not only the returning Dwayne Wade but also fellow superstars LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The reaction of the teaming-up of the “Big 3″ was met with both welcome and disdain from the fans. The team managed to return to the NBA finals after a rough season, but failed to win the title to a more experienced and cohesive Dallas Mavericks.

With a lot to prove in the coming season, it will surely be entertaining to watch the Heat as they continue to vie for dominance in the league. Heat tickets will surely be hard to come by as everyone either wants to see the team win or fail against other teams in the league.

Sometimes it’s not about the talent

Just like the Los Angeles Lakers team that featured Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’neal, Karl Malone and Gary payton, it seems as if the Heat have too much talent on the floor. It is safe to say that there is only one basketball on the court and only one person can score at one time. So why is that these teams are addicted to getting as many scorers as possible? Just like the New York Knicks who now have Amar’e Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony, they can’t seem to get their system down properly. The main reason most organizations thrive on grabbing superstars is because they sell the tickets. These star studded teams are what the world wants to see. Whether the Heat win the championship or not, the organization sees the team as a profitable investment. A team like the Warriors may have some talent and at the same time have some quality players, but when you compare them to the Knicks or the Heat, they are like a high school team. The league has become focused on money and after all, that is what the NBA is all about, entertainment.

Does the Heat have what it takes?

Though I stated that the Heat might have too much talent, I was still actually hoping they would win the championship last year. The difference between the Lakers team that had 4 Hall Of Famers and the Heat today is that they have younger more athletic guys. LeBron James is a legit scorer and facilitator and can very well be thought of as one of the best players of all time. Dwayne wade is a very unselfish guard who can also score at will while LeBron is on the bench. Chris Bosh may very well be the best “third option” in the league as he is considered to be one of the best power forwards in the NBA. Though the whole world will be against the dream team once the NBA season begins, the Heat will definitely still be one of the favorites to win it all.

Miami played home to an ABA team known to as Floridians back then before they entered NBA. They played their first game in November 5, 1988 losing to the LA Clippers, 111-91, at the Miami Arena. They had a really freezing start setting an NBA record for the most losses (17 games) to their debut season. But the Miami fans celebrated in December 14 when the Heat got their very first win beating Clippers in LA, 89-88. This ugly start led their way to a productive start, selecting both Michigan stars Glenn Rice and Syracuse Sherman Douglas in 1989 NBA Draft. But still, they ended up having an 18-64 record finishing in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

Under a new coach Kevin Lounghery in 1991, the Heat get their first taste of success as they registered a 38-44 record, qualifying for its first playoff appearance with Glenn Rice leading the way with 22.3 ppg. However, they were overwhelmed by the Chicago Bulls in the first round in three straight games. In 1993, the much improved Heat continued to soar high posting their first ever winning season as they finished in fourth place with a 42-40 record, to edge out the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Hawks defeated the Heat, taking the series in five games. Improving on each year, fans decide to purchase more Heat tickets to support their team to victory.

In 1995, Coach Pat Riley reconstructed the team as the Heat acquired Alonzo Mourning, Pete Myers and LeRon Ellis from the Hornets before the start of the season for Glenn Rice, Matt Geiger and Khalid Reeves. Tim Hardaway also helped the team as he achieved his career season hitting several clutch shots while leading the team in scoring with 20.3 ppg in 1996. Alonzo Mourning suffered a knee surgery in 1997 which led to his absence in the first 22 games of the season. He still made it at midseason bringing the Heat a cruise to their second straight Atlantic Division title with a solid 55-27 record.

In 1998, Alonzo Mourning achieved his career year as he led the team to their third Division title at the same time winning Defensive Player of the year but in 2000, he suffered a kidney disorder after returning home from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Pat Riley, on the other hand, became the second coach to win 1000 games — really a milestone.

But, in 2003, Pat Riley gave his position to his assistant Stan Van Gundy as the coach. This is the same year when Dwayne Wade joined the team. The Heat became an unstoppable team when they acquired Shaquille O’Neal in 2005 which immediately elevated the team to elite status. The Shaq-Wade duo along with the veteran Alonzo Mourning led the Heat to win their NBA Championship against Dallas in 2006 making Wade the NBA Finals MVP.

In 2008, the Miami celebrated their 20th anniversary but suffered a severe downfall equal to their first year in 1988 having a disappointing 15-67 record. But under new coach Erik Spoelstra, the team were determined to regain their status. In 2010, the biggest deal in NBA history happened when LeBron James from Cleveland and Chris Bosh from Raptors joined Wade in Miami. They are now considered as the “Big Three”. They reached the 2011 NBA Finals but were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Next year, this team should come back even better. Make sure you buy your Heat tickets early because it should sell out quick.

The team certainly does not lack in talent and it seems like they are simply just planning to mesh better as a unit. The 2011 NBA draft was able to bring in 23 year old point guard Norris Cole and the Cleveland State star will have to learn how the system works through Mike Bibby. The veteran point guard might be heading towards his final years as he is approaching his 14th season in the NBA. If this does end up being his last season, he will be missed every time I use my Heat tickets and go to a game.

As one of the veterans on the team, Mike Bibby was definitely a great addition to the team as he is a legit 3 point shooter and continues to facilitate the ball quite well on the fast break. After all, if having LeBron James and Dwayne Wade as your wing men is not enough, Bibby brings a veteran point guard’s mind into their system and will definitely be a big factor in the 2012 playoffs.

The Heat might have a lot of talent but it seems like the lack of presence down low can become an issues. The Heat will have a hard time handling guys like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum in the playoffs. Though they have a decent shooter in 7’3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas and veteran Erick Dampier, the fans can’t help but worry about this problem. If these two are able to control the paint, the Heat will have a better chance at finally winning the championship. I am sure match-ups against teams with key big men down low will be great. I cant wait to use my Heat tickets to see games like the Heat vs. Lakers.

One of the biggest factors for any team to win the championship are the role players. What many thought of as a “weak” bench was definitely exposed in the Playoffs last year. I believe that the Heat have some of the best “role players” in the league, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller. They will have to step it up all year for the Heat to get more chemistry as a team. If they can do this, I am sure fans will stay entertained throughout the game and want to come back to buy more Heat tickets. Last year it look as if the team relied on the talents of Dwayne and LeBron too much and it seemed like they forgot how to play as a team. Veterans Juwan Howard and Eddie House will also have to lead the way for the role players as they are both heading towards the end of their careers.

The Heat are definitely on the right path but it seems like the league and the fan’s are expecting too much from the team. Though the Heat definitely have the talent to win it all, we will just have to wait and see if they will be able to work together as a team. Teams like the Lakers and Dallas might have less talent but have proven to work better as a team. If the Heat mesh together perfectly next year, they just might have an easy road to the finals. Be sure that you are ready to feel the Heat when this NBA lockout is finally over. Buy your Heat tickets now to ensure you have the seats for their first game.