A GM's Quest to Greatness | MUST READ Post Inside!

"Wade Drops 50 to Put Away Bulls"

13-16 @ 21-7


Wade scoring over Kirk Hinrich.

93-114

Miami, Florida (AP)- The Chicago Bulls played great defense in this game. Unfortunately, they couldn't defend Dwyane Wade when it mattered most as the Miami Heat beat the Bulls.

Wade set the tone early in the game as he went 4 of 5 in the first quarter. He then had a slump in which he didn't score at all going 0 for 3 in the 2nd. Then half-time, and thats where Wade was unleashed. I dont know what they told him in the locker room but it worked. Wade went to go on a 8 for 10 3rd quarter, followed by a 8 for 15 4th quarter which gave him 50 points in the game which includesa 10 of 13 from behind the charity line. Wade also had 5 steals and 3 blocks.

As a team, the Miami Heat shot 52% from the field! Connecting on 46 of 88 shot attempts. They went 0 for 6 behing the arc and shot 76% from the free throw line. Hakim Warrick has definately mad his presence known here in Miami as he had a 17 point, 4 rebound game. Jermaine O'Neal helped with 14 points and 8 boards followed by James Jones with 12 points, 5 boards, 7 assists and 5 steals.

For Chicago, it was Derrick Rose who, coming off the bench, had 22 points and 13 assists giving him a double double on the night. Ben Gordon had 18 points to go with 4 steals, Luol Deng had 11 and 5 rebounds and Hinrich had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists but had a career worst, 10 turnovers! Like we always say, if you're going to turn the ball over a lot against Miami, then prepare for a long night because Miami simply put out the Bulls.

The Bulls had every opportunity to take the game as they brought a once 23 point lead down to 5, but Miami's was simply just too much for Chicago to handle. Dwyane Wade made sure that nobody was going to come from behind on them at home and take the W. At the end of the game, the arena filled with chants of "MV3!" as Wade made his way to the locker room.
_________________________



*Denotes Player of the Game

Holy crap. Amazing game by Wade!

nice game by wade ! James Jones played great too..good that you win but i was for the bulls because of Rose !

If you're really gonna make the Alston trade, get rid of Foyle as soon as possible

Holy crap. Amazing game by Wade!

Thank alot. I knew he was bound 50 when he had 30 in the 3rd auarter aha

nice game by wade ! James Jones played great too..good that you win but i was for the bulls because of Rose !

Lol I was assuming the Bulls would win too, but we managed to keep Rose under control (somewhat)

If you're really gonna make the Alston trade, get rid of Foyle as soon as possible

We'll see hwo it turns out because Foyle seems to be a good Defender in the post and the rebounder. I will run a 3 man rotation between my centers (O'Neal, Foyle and Blount) and see hwo every thing turns up.

Thanks again guys for following. We just finished a little over a quarter of the season and coming up on half so things seem to be coming fast

Also, I have a new idea for my recaps. I was thinking weekly recaps as oppose to just doing individual ones. This way, i can play/sim more games and possibly add more features to my association like around the nba; etc... but we'll see...

Thanks again guys. More to come...

Skip To My Lou Will Be Skipping To Miami


Alston heading to Miami

Miami, Florida (AP)- And The Miami Heat have pulled the trigger! The 6'2" guard from Orlando will be heading to Miami to join his new team in time to play the Cavaliers.

Rafer Alston was packaged with Adonal Foyle to the Miami Heat in exchange for Chris Quinn, Jamaal Magloire and Yakhouba Diawara.

What this gives Miami is a veteran point guard to go along side Dwyane Wade who can make plays for himself and others as well. When asked about the trade Alston responded, "Ah, well I have nothing against Miami. Dwyane Wade is a great player and it'll be great playing along side him. And hopefully we can bring a title to Miami, again."

Of course, Alston will be facing his old team just after Miami has completed their back to back games against Cleveland.

With this acquisition, Miami will look to switch up the line-up and include Rafer Alston in the starting line-up and Chalmers as the back up point guard.

::WEEK 10 IN REVIEW::

December 28, 2008
21-7 @ 21-8

(Projected Starters)


Cleveland, Ohio (AP)- In this match we feature the two top teams in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs will be led by Lebron James who is averaging almost a triple double every game with 25 points, 9.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists a game. He will be the main vocal point for this Cavaliers team. The Heat will need to keep James away from the rim and force him to shoot jumpers. James Jones will have the hard task of making sure of that as he will be guarding James for the night. Look for Cleveland to isolate the two very often.

Dwyane Wade will be joining his 03' class mate in setting the tone for their respective teams. Wade, who scored 50 points against the Bulls will need just that type of energy to come out of Cleveland with a win. Of course, all the role players will need to do their part as usual. Jermaine O'Neal, Hakim Warrick and James Jones will need to at least score in double figures and the aqcuistion, Rafer Alston will need to bring his veteran leader ship to the table as well.

::Key Players of the Game::


#3 Dwyane Wade vs. #23 Lebron James

Line: Miami by 1.2
Over/Under: 190
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January 2, 2009
21-7 @ 17-13

(Projected Starters)


Orlando, Florida (AP)- We have two southeast division teams playing against each other in this matchup of the Florida teams.

Dwyane Wade will need to lead his team to victory against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Howard is averaging a double double on the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds a game. His points have decreased since last season but with a great supporting cast, they might not need a 20 point night from Dwight. Courtney Lee has had a great start to his career averaging 16.2 points a game and Turkoglu is avergaing 18 points with Rashard Lewis averaging 17. If Orlando want's to give Miami a challenge, then they will need to play hard nose defense and keep Wade away from driving.

I think this match-up will focus more on Jermaine O'Neal as he will have the tough assignment of guarding Dwight Howard. Howard is much more physical then O'Neal and so we will look for Orlando to pound the ball inside until Miami can cover up Howard. Wade will need to keep attacking the rim as he's been doing this whole season and get to the free throw line.

Warrick, O'Neal, Jones and Alston will all need to be in sync in this one if Miami hopes to return home with a win and some momentum heading into their next 2 home games.

::Key Players of the Game::


#7 Jermaine O'Neal vs. #12 Dwight Howard

Line: Orlando by 2.5
Over/Under: 188

OMG Pat Garrity? Where's Rashard bro?

::WEEK 10 RESULTS::

Heat Make Easy Work of Cavaliers

December 28, 2008
22-7 @ 21-9
FINAL SCORE: 101-76


Wade (above) fighting for the ball.

Cleveland, Ohio (AP)- The Cavs just didn't stand a chance against the Miami Heat. Dwyane Wade led his troops to a road win against the East's #2 team in the league. It was Miami's defense that did it for them yet again.

Lebron James did what he could but Miami's defense finally caught up with him and he was forced to come back to planet earth. The Cavs as a team hit just only 38% of their shots on a 32/84 shooting night. They committed 21 turnovers which immediately sealed their fate. They did manage to snag 12 offensive board in which all 12 led to 12 second chance points.

The Cavs also had a decent bench play as the bench racked up 42 points.

Dwyane Wade did his thing right from the start. He played defense, he scored and got his team involved. The Miami Heat shot 52% off a 42 of 74 shooting night. What helped them were the 24 free throw attempts the made at the line and the 17 steals the forced as a team. Rafer Alston had a great game as he had a double double as his first night as a Heat

Miami also produced 30 bench points in their victory.

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Lee Scores 16 As Magic Rally Past Heat in OT

January 2, 2009
23-9 @ 19-14
FINAL SCORE: 92-85 (OT)


Rashard Lewis pumping himself up after a dunk.

Orlando, Florida (AP)- The Orlando Magic showed up at home and showed Miami that they can be a dangerous team to face even with their mediocre record. However it took an extra period for them to make that point.

All of the Magics key players came through in this victory. Despite shooting 35% on a 34 for 88 night, Dwight Howard and the Magic seemed to have escaped Miami's grip. The Magic had 12 offensive boards in which 10 of them led to 2nd chance points and had a game high 27 assists. The bench also contributed 36 points to rid the Miami Heat.

Dwyane Wade and Hakim Warrick were the only vocal points of the game. Though Miami shot 44% off a 35 of 79 night, it just wasn't enough that Wade and Warrick were the only real contributors, Miami committed 22 fouls.

Miami's defense did what it could with 6 blocks and 10 fast break points off turnovers.

Miami's bench also contributed 30 points on the night

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 10:

December 30, 2008: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat
Loss 92-71

January 3, 2009: New Jersey Nets @ Miami Heat
Win 80-67

Week 10 Record:

2-2

Alright guys another month finished with.

Team Leaders section has been updated.

December Record for Simmed Games have been updated.

Let me know what you guys think of the updates i Just listed as well as my Association.

Constructive criticisms are welcome!

::WEEK 11 IN REVIEW::

January 5, 2009
22-11 @ 23-9
[Click either Box for Team Stats]

(Projected Starters)


Miami, Florida (AP)- Two of the top 5 teams in the NBA today will look to go head to head. Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat will look to defend home court against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs!

Tonight should highly favor the Heat as Tim Duncan is injured with a strained groin and there is no word as to how healthy he really is. This could be very problematic for the Spurs as they run their offense through the big man. With Duncan almost uncertain, that leave Ginobli and Parker to carry the team. Parker isaveraging 17.8 points on the season and will need to get into the paint to get his teammates involved. Parker can also score in the paint or draw the foul trying so Miami will need to be smart and must stay ahead of Parker.

Ginobli is averaging 18.2 points and must score to help his team. If Ginobli finds a hard time scoring then the Spurs will have a hard time winning. Look for Bowen to guard Dwyane Wade at times to prevent him from getting hot and going on a shooting rampage.

Dwyane Wade, Dwyane Wade, Dwyane Wade. Thats all we have to say here. Wade must be efficient in order to survive at home against the Spurs. If Wade can set the rhythym early for his team then this can easily be a W for the Heat. However, considering Wade averagins a big majority of the team's points, Wade must be at the top of his game to get through this night. Hakim Warrick, Jermaine O'Neal and Rafer Alston will all need to be in effect as well.

Alston will have the chance to guard Parker. Seeing as their both fast, this should be an interesting match-up to watch. Warrick will need to help the bench and stack 15+ in the game and Jermaine O'Neal will need to bring his 1.6 blocks a game and also crash the boards to fend off the Spurs. His 13 points a game will be crucial in this game.

::Key Players of the Game::


#21 Tim Duncan #3 Dwyane Wade

Line: Miami by 6.1
Over/Under: 178
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January 9, 2009
23-9 @ 13-21
[Click either Box for Team Stats]

(Projected Starters)


Sacramento, California (AP)- Not a lot of people are expecting this to be a great match-up nor a close one as Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat will visit Kevin Martin and the Sacramento Kings.

From the get-go this game looks to highly be in Miami's favor. Unless Kevin Martin can silence all doubters and lead his team at home against the red hot Heat. Martin is averaging 21 points a game and will truthfully need all the help he can get from his squad. That means, Sam Cassell will need to step up, Andres Nocioni will need to help, and Spencer Hawes will need to have solid game.

Cassell and Nocioni both average 10+ points heading into the game, but truth be told, it's going to take a whole lot more than that to ice the Miami Heat, especially when Dwyane Wade is playing like he's untouchable.

Miami will appreciate this less than mediocre team in Sacramento. The Miami Heat are expected to have Michael Beasley back in the line-up and that just gives Miami and much more difficult squad to defend. Dwyane Wade might not even have to do much in this game as Beasley and co. can possibly take Sacramento with mediocre numbers from Wade.

The keyt to Miami's game is to shut down Kevin Martin. If they can shut him out, it will force the rest of the Kings to score and produce their own points. Hakim Warrick will be a key factor off the bench but again... nobody is expecting this to be a close one.

::Key Players of the Game::


#7 Jermaine O'Neal #23 Kevin Martin

Line: Miami by 11.4
Over/Under: 188
_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 11:

January 7, 2009: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets

::WEEK 11 RESULTS::

Wade Sits Out 4th As Miami Blow Out Spurs

January 5, 2009
26-9 @ 13-22
FINAL SCORE: 88-65


Parker (above) driving against Dwyane Wade

Miami Heat (AP)- The Duncan-less Spurs just could not stand a chance against the Miami Heat. The only upside to this game for the Spurs was that it was not on their home court in San Antonio.

This game was controlled by Dwyane Wade through 3 quarters in which Wade shot 13 of 20 for 30 points including 4 for 4 from behind the free throw line. San Antonio just could not find an answer for Wade nor the Miami Heat as a whole as Miami damn near shot almost 60% from the field off a 41 of 70 shooting night. Miami shot a season high 89% from behind the arc and had an amazing bench performance. Miami bench contributed 33 points.

Wade would later sit out the 4th quarter as the lead by Miami went up as far as 29!

Even with Wade on the bench, the Spurs still could not com up with an answer to spark their own run.

San Antonio shot 45% off a 29 of 65 shooting night as Miami's defense reared its ugly head and completely shut out the Spurs offense. The Spurs committed 16 turnovers which every team by now should already know- is a no no. The Spurs defense did manage to get 7 blocked shots and 9 steals but offensively, things were just not clicking as Tim Duncan was in and out of the game due to foul trouble (which was probably the game changer).

Ginobli was the high point man with 12 points for San Antonio. Frabicio Oberto had 10 and other than those two, the Spurs had no other player in double figures. Parker had a real quiet night with 6 points and 8 assists. You better believe Coach Papovich will have a few things to say as to how his team played tonight.

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Heat Barely Need Wade in Rout of Kings

January 9, 2009
23-9 @ 19-14
FINAL SCORE: 88-65


Wade & Martin fighting for ball.

Miami, Florida (AP)- As expected, the Miami Heat proved to be too much for the Kings to handle. The Heat barely needed a significant performance by Dwyane Wade to show that.

The Kings just couldnt handle the Miami Heat as they shot just 36% on 25 of 70 shooting. They also had 78% free throw night as they hit 14 of 18 free throws. An up side to their night was there 16 points off fast break points and 10 steals on the night but other than that Miami outrebounded them and out-assisted them and basically just took over the stat sheet.

Kevin Martin wasn't in a happy mood as he was carrying the already broken apart Sacramento Kings. Spencer Hawes was a no show considering he was in fould trouble almost every time he came on the floor. Drew Gooden and Jason Thomas combined for 16 points and 21 rebounds and other then those two and Udrih and Martin, the rest of the team were basically not a problem for Miami.

Miami's shooting gave them this win. With Michael Beasley coming back from a 28 day injury, the Miami Heat have such a deep scoring bunch that they can run against any team. The Miami Heat shot 53% from the field and made all 9 of there free throws. They dished out 25 assists, had 17 steals and 7 blocked shots. Micheal Beasley showed no signs of the injury affecting him as he had 13 points, 7 boards, 2 steals and 1 block on the night.

Wade had his usual peformance with 21 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Udonis Haslem almost had a double double with 8 points and 11 boards. The surprise here was Mario Chalmers who only had 2 points but dished out 11 assists to go with 2 steals.

In the end, Miami simply out-hustled and wanted to win a lot more than the Kings.

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 11:

January 7, 2009: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets
Win 96-73

Week 11 Record:

3-0

Great week man Flash's on fire.

I'm really surprised of your consistency, especially that you have will power to write a story for every recap. Hopefully you'll keep this up.

Great week man Flash's on fire.

Thanks and yeah he is. #1 Scorer in the League in my association (As it should be )

I'm really surprised of your consistency, especially that you have will power to write a story for every recap. Hopefully you'll keep this up.

Yeah thanks a lot. I'm forsure keeping this up till the end. No way I'm going almost halfway through the season and calling it quits aha...

Thanks for the compliment man.

::WEEK 12 IN REVIEW::

January 11, 2009
26-9 @ 22-13
[Click either Box for Team Stats]

(Projected Starters)


Los Angeles, California (AP)- Probably one of the most anticipated matches so far this season is the Miami Heat going up against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA's leading scorer, Dwyane Wade, will look to lead Miami into Los Angeles and play against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. These two players have been the talk of the NBA as of recent and to see these to superstars go at it will be a great site to see. Kobe Bryant, who averages 25.3 points a game, will try and defend their home court against the #1 team in the East, Miami Heat. Bryant will need to be at the top of his game if he hopes on fending off the Heat.

Bynum will play a crucial role as he averages 11 points and 10 boards this season. If they can get him rolling in the paint offensively and defensively, then the Lakers can easily take this one. Pau Gasol is averaging 15.1 points and is also a key to this game. If the Lakers can get their big 3 going and scoring and defending, then Miami will have a real hard time winning.

Mr. MV3 (as Heat fans are calling him), will no doubt need an excellent performance. If he can drop 25+ tonight, then everything should be okay. This is of course assuming Miami's key players can help him out. Hakim Warrick will play a crucial role as he is the bench's leading scorer. If they can get Warrick hot, then Miami can steal one in L.A.

Jermaine O'Neal will have the task of guarding Andrew Bynum who seems to be healthy this year. O'Neal must be physical with Bynum and make him shoot over him- basically make him work for his shot. Haslem will need to be defensively minded here because Pau Gaol is no joke. Gasol can score from anywhere on the paint and with his length advantage over Haslem, Haslem will need to put 100% into defending Gasol.

::Key Players of the Game::


#3 Dwyane Wade #24 Kobe Bryant

Line: Miami by 3.5
Over/Under: 194
_________________________

January 17, 2009
26-9 @ 23-16
[Click either Box for Team Stats]

(Projected Starters)


Houston, Texas (AP)- A rematch of the teams earlier meeting. In it, it showed Houston winning within the final seconds with a late 3 point shot by Dan Dickau.

This is different. Dwyane Wade is looking for revenge for their home loss against the Rockets and considering Wade has been hot as of late, I can see that happening. Expect Wade to take off and ignite the Heat past the Rockets. In order to win it, defend the arc and stop the Rockets' big 3. Artest, Ming and McGrady will need to be heavily guarded to prevent any hopes of yet another loss to Houston.

McGrady and the Rockets got lucky in Miami. However, this is different. Miami has the 2nd best record in the league and is #1 in their Conference. The Rockets will need to keep an eye out for Dwyane Wade as he can go on a run by himself at anytime. McGrady will have the opportunity of guarding Wade, so look for a lot of pushing and shoving between the two stars.

Yao Ming was a non-factor in their first meeting. I don't think he will go out like that again. This time around, Ming will need to be a force in the paint. Jermain'e O'Nealwill be guarding him so he must take advantage of that. The Rockets must keep feeding yao downlow till Miami finds a way to disrupt Yao inside.

Artest and Beasley will meet again and I do expect this to be a veyr physical match-up. There was a lot of pushing and shoving in their last meeting and I don't expect that to change tonight.

::Key Players of the Game::


#3 Dwyane Wade #Tracy McGrady

Line: Miami by 5.5
Over/Under: 182
_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 12:

January 13, 2009: Miami Heat @ Minnesota Timberwolves

January 14, 2009: Miami Heat @ Milwaukee Bucks

::WEEK 12 RESULTS::

Lakers Fail to Extinguish Heat at Home

January 11, 2009
27-9 @ 22-14
FINAL SCORE: 86-75


Mario Chalmers (left) guarding Derek Fisher

Los Angeles, California (AP)- This game didn't exactly live up to the hype. There were a few "ooo's and ahhh's" but it just wasn't as close nor as entertaining as one would hope. Still, one came out a winner and the other left a loser.

Miami had another excellent shooting night connecting on 49% of their shots. They attacked the rim and dished out just like in their game plane- and it worked, too. Miami shot 25% from behing the arc and shot a low 56% from behind the charity line. Miami had 21 assists and 41 total rebounds (4 offensive). Their defense showed up as expectedwith 8 steals and 6 blocked shots on the night! And the bench contributed with 36 points.

Everything went almost perfect for the Heat. The problem was that their key players werent performing as well. Warrick and O'Neal combined for 15 points in the entire game. Fortunately, Michael Beasley (17) and Mario Chalmers (17) sparked things up for the Heat.

The Lakers obviously let this one slide. Andrew Bynum had the worse night fouling out mid 4th quarter on a drive by Beasley. The Lakers shot 37% from the field and 13% behind the arc. They shot 77% from behind the free throw line. The Lakers' offense kicked in a couple of times and got the lead down to as far as 8 points. But they just couldn't keep the momentum going as Miami kept going on with its high percentage shooting.

Kobe led his team with 22 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Gasol added 13 and 14 and Luke Walton had a decent game with 12 points. Nobody really got things going for the Lakers (apart from Kobe) and that ultimately became there flaw. If nobody is going to produce against Miami, then you might as well throw in the towel becasue Miami, this year, is a lot more discipline and a lot more focused this year.

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Heat Ride Wade's Spark to Upset Houston

January 17, 2009
30-9 @ 24-17
FINAL SCORE: 102-95


Shane Battier (left) driving against Michael Beasley

Houston, Texas (AP)- What a game here in Houston! Miami needed Wade's 4th quarter surge to take revenge from their last meeting back in Miami.

Dwyane Wade would just not go down without a fight. After just having 8 points in the first half, Wade came out of the gates and took this game over. He had 20 points in the 2nd half which helped his Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets. "I just came out of the second half telling myself we have to take this," Wade said. "I knew that if I got myself started, that my teammates would get their offense going and pick up their intensity because we were awful in the 1st half." And that they did, Michael Beasley had a great game with 26 points, 5 boards and 3 steals.

The Miami Heat struggled in the 2nd quarter as they were otuscored 17-23, but their spirits weren't down. Hakim Warrcik added 14 points and Jermaine O'neal had 10 points and 8 boards. Rafer Alston almost had himself a double double with 8 rebounds and 9 assists.

The Rockets led by as much as 12 points during the 2nd half and the 3rd quarter, but they just could not find an answer for Wade and Beasley. "There real tough," Artest said of the two. "They struggled for most of the game and came just came back and unleashed hell on us. Beasley is a great scorer and that was that." Artest, who only had 2 points in the entire game, sat out a lot due to his inconsistency.

Yao Ming was merely unstoppable in the paint in the early going but he later saw Miami get more physical and a lot more aware of what to do against Yao. Tracy McGrady couldn't stop Wade at all during his surge saying, "Wade is a fast dude. Once he gets going, its hard to keep up and defend him because he can always find ways to score."

As Houston drew closer to 7 points, they looked to immediately foul and get back in this game. Unfortunately the ball kept going to Wade who shot 10-14 from behidn the line. This ultimately had its consequence as Shane Battier fouled out within the closing seconds.

With this win, Miami finishes the week undefeated and are currently on a 8 game winning streak.

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 12:

January 13, 2009: Miami Heat @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Win 100-86

January 14, 2009: Miami Heat @ Milwaukee Bucks
Win 106-69

Week 12 Record:

4-0

Hey guys,

Week 13 is coming up and I want to know which games you would like for me to play. Here are your options:

Miami Heat @ Seattle Sonics= Garbage Match

Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat= Top 2 teams in the East

Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat= Rematch from last game in which Orlando won 92-85 at home.

I'm only playing one game so choose wisely!

Thanks alot.

You keep winning even simulating games. That's top notch I'm with Boston for your recap.

::WEEK 13 IN REVIEW::

January 21, 2009
29-13 @ 30-9
[Click either Box for Team Stats]

(Projected Starters)


Miami, Florida (AP)- This has been an anticipated match ever since each team got to this position. We have the #1 seeded Miami Heat hosting the #2 seeded Boston Celtics!

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat will need to play smart offense if they hope on defending their home court against Pierce and his Celtics. Both teams have tied for 1st in the Conference, but Miami easily took it with their recent 8 game winning streak. If Miami loses, this won't affect the standings but this is a match Wade won't let slip away or give.

"I'm just going to do what I got to do against Boston, " Wade said. "I must set the tone for my team and we must execute every play accordingly." Wade has already beaten the Lakers and the Rockets, but those were all on their home floor. Miami needs to prove a point by winning against a top team at home.

Pierce is walking into the lions den. Miami can attack and go on long streaks at anytime. Its up to Bostons defense to slow the fast paced Miami offense. Kevin Garnett will play a big role as he is the x-factor in the game. If Garnett can get established early and get Pierce and Allen going, this could prove to be a match that gets decided down to the last second!

Boston, defensively, must key in on Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley. They are the top two scorers on the team and can explode for big numbers at anytime. Allen and Pierce will need to lock them down. Both Wade and Beasley can shoot down the lane at any time and just wreak havoc in the paint. If Boston can keep them outside the lanes, then this will force Miami's others players to make plays. However, let one of these players loose, then you might have yourself a victory heading to Miami.

::Key Players of the Game::


#5 Kevin Garnett #3 Dwyane Wade

Line: Miami by 1.1
Over/Under: 185
_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 13:

January 18, 2009: Miami Heat @ Seattle Supersonics

January 24, 2009: Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat

hey how do you put pictures side by side? in my association thread. they always end up on top of each other. even when they were small enough.

::WEEK 13 RESULTS::

Wade, Heat Too Hot For Celtics to Handle

January 21, 2009
29-14 @ 31-10
FINAL SCORE: 97-88


Udonis Haslem preventing Pierce from an easy jumpshot

Miami, Florida (AP)- If we told you that Dwyane Wade started the game 0 for 8 and sat out for the rest of the 1st quarter after that, you wouldn't believe that he would come back and take over the game. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened!

Despite starting 0 for 8 from the field, Dwyane Wade managed to somehow lead his team to victory against the #2 Boston Celtics. Wade had 31 points after missing every shot in the 1st quarter. Wade from then on went to score 10 points in the 2nd quarter, 10 in the 3rd and then 2 in the 4th, however he did get the remainder of his point from the free throw line as he went 7 for 8.

"I was just cold from the start," Wade said after the game, "I knew that my team needed me, so in the 2nd quarter I just kick it up a notch and it got us the win. It was great team work from everybody, Beasley, Warrick and O'Neal all came through and we won this as a team."

The Celtics on the other hand led by as much as 5 before Dwyane Wade was let loose. The way the Celtics were playing, it looked like they could've easily won this game from the get-go. Ray Allen was scoring (24), Garnett (21) but Paul Pierce struggled a lot with Beasley covering him as he only had 10 points, which is where Boston needed him most. If Pierce scored his average, then we would've had a ball game. But i guess Miami's strategy for this game was to shut out Pierce instead of Garnett.

"We let this one get away from us," Ray Allen said, "We played great in the beginning but after we kind of just lagged off and didn't play defense. Dwyane Wade was a hard guy to defend. I mean when he gets things going for his team, it's almost like you don't have a chance to catch up or do anything for that matter."

(TOP 5 PERFORMERS)

_________________________

Simulated Games Within Week 12:

January 18, 2009: Miami Heat @ Seattle Supersonics
Lose 117-120

January 24, 2009: Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat
Lose 100-71

Week 13 Record:

1-2

::MID-SEASON REPORT::



::STANDINGS::





::PLAYOFF PICTURE::



::LEAGUE LEADERS::

hey how do you put pictures side by side? in my association thread. they always end up on top of each other. even when they were small enough.

have you tried just putting a space in between the image url's rather than hit return or enter?

Alright guys, week 13 is done and I'am officially through with half of the season. Week 14 is up, here are your choices for games to see posted...

Atlanta @ Miami- Division Rivalry game

Washington @ Miami- Conference Rivalry game

Miami @ Indiana- Conference Rivalry game

Dallas @ Miami- Only game versus team out West

You can choose 2!