Latest Today

2011-11-30T03:45:00.000-08:00

Submitted by Alex Groberman on Nov 3, 2011

It’s really happening this time, folks.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao superfight that America -- and the rest of the boxing-loving world -- has been waiting for is apparently back on the negotiating table.

After a couple of years filled with nothing but back-and-forth allegations of impropriety and dishonesty, needless finger-pointing, and nonsensical mind games, two of the sport’s biggest stars are apparently headed for a straight-on collision on May 5, 2012. Or, at least that’s the case if you believe longtime Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe, who said that on Wednesday night his client reaffirmed a desire to square off against the best of the best in his next fight.

"Floyd made it very clear that he wants to give the fans the biggest fights that are out there. He wants to stay active," Ellerbe told Dan Rafael of ESPN. "We're going to do everything in our power to make the biggest fight out there for the fans and we all know what the fight is."

And who would the “biggest fight out there” entail Mayweather squaring off against? Ellerbe answered that too.

"We're looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella."

For the first time in a long time, Mayweather and his advisors appear to be definitively suggesting that they would be open to legitimate, good-faith negotiations with the Pacquiao camp. A move that comes a mere week after Top Rank boss Bob Arum said that a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao would never happen because the former is deathly afraid of the latter’s right hand.

That sentiment doesn’t appear to have deterred the undefeated Mayweather, though. He’s so enthused about the prospect of fighting Pacquiao, in fact, that he and his people have already contacted Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and told him that, one way or another, they plan to be in the ring on May 5.

"I'm very excited that the sport's biggest pay-per-view star is going to be back on May 5,” he told ESPN. “We have informed the pay-per-view industry and I have the arena on hold. I'm excited to continue my relationship with Floyd and his team. It's always fun to work with Floyd."

Mayweather, of course, earned a highly controversial 42nd consecutive victory this past September when he knocked out Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their WBC welterweight showdown. The win came in contentious fashion because the undefeated superstar hit his opponent with what many perceived to be a sucker punch while the referee gave unclear directions regarding whether the fight was on or off.

Pacquiao, on the flip side, has a match against longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez scheduled for November 12. Although the pair has shared quite a storied history, most boxing aficionados agree that the Filipino champion will handle his champion swiftly and most likely with a quick and efficient knock out.

As far as what’s rejuvenated the prospect of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao dream match – that’s anyone’s guess, really.

Some think that Mayweather had been planning to fight Pacquiao all along and was simply playing the denial game while waiting for the opportune time to strike PR gold. With Pacquiao in the headlines these days hyping up his bout with Marquez, Mayweather gets to siphon off some of that attention all the while capitalizing off of some additional eyes that are on boxing this week that don’t pay attention to the sport in general.

Others suggest that perhaps it was Pacquiao finally agreeing to take certain USADA random blood tests that re-sparked negotiations.

"It's great to hear that they are now ready to take the same USADA random blood and urine tests that Floyd, Shane Mosley and Victor Ortiz have already taken. This is great for the sport of boxing and I commend Manny Pacquiao for stepping up to the plate," Ellerbe recently told Fighthype.com.

If the drug testing issues are all figured out, then money will be a cinch. Mayweather has already gone on record saying that he was fine with a 50-50 split, and Arum later confirmed this much. Of course, after Arum confirmed that Mayweather wasn’t asking for too much money, Pacquiao came out and contradicted his guy and said that Mayweather was asking for too much money.

Take what you will from that Top Rank misunderstanding.

Either way, this is absolutely monumental for the sport of boxing. With less than two weeks remaining before yet another awful, surefire Pacquiao KO, it’s refreshing to know that a real match is on the horizon.

Assuming Pacquiao agrees to take it.

Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao 2012 Fight Reveals PPV Details

2011-11-30T03:43:00.001-08:00

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – With the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao 2012 fight in the works, there is a Mayweather vs Paquiao fight brewing over PPV residuals. Mayweather tells news this week that he allegedly “exposed” details about PPV. Floyd Mayweather states multiple times that he is “speculating”. But in a news interview, Mayweather speculates that Pacman allegedly may not have known how his own PPV residuals work until recently.

Mayweather in a shocking news interview this week reveals a May 5, 2012 Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight is on the table, that Mayweather has allegedly agreed to the date and that Pacquiao is allegedly refusing to sign. Mayweather says ” in the first amendment, you are entitled to have an opinion. I am entitled to have an opinion… I can’t speak for Roger …. I can’t speak for my father….”

Mayweather then details elements about PPV residuals. He tells fans that, when news reports indicate how much money he is paid for each fight, that amount is just his first check from PPV. Mayweather says that the amount cited is just for the first broadcast.

Mayweather says that PPV continues to pay, for each fight, each month, for years to come as the fight is rebroadcasted worldwide. Mayweather claims that the big money is the residuals on PPV that a fighter continues to earn for the rest of their life, not just the fight-night paycheck. Floyd also states he allegedly knows the details about PPV future checks since he gets the checks directly from PPV and sees the amounts himself.

But what is happening with Pacman? Mayweather says he is speculating that Pacman didn’t understand the PPV future earnings until recently because Pacman allegedly doesn’t get the checks directly from PPV.

“I’m speculating …. I don’t know if it’s true, only know what I have heard… When he [Pacman] fights, he does PPV. When I do PPV, I keep all the money. The checks come in for years. … this kid, money comes in the backend for PPV.”

Mayweather says the PPV amount usually cited by news reports is just the guaranteed fight-night first broadcast check. “When you fight you get a guaranteed amount of money.. but Bob Arum advances him [Pacman] a lot of money…. So once he fight, he [Arum] already have advance on his [Pacman's] money, but he don’t know that.”

He adds “They don’t like me because that is something I exposed.”

Pacquiao Vs. Marquez 3: Fight Time, Live Results, Commentary And More

2011-11-08T00:40:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao, the WBO Welter Weight World Champion, is set to take on Juan Manuel Marquez November 12th. Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3 will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, at 9 p.m. ET.

Pacquiao Vs. Marquez: Marquez Must Prepare For Bigger Pacquiao's Power

Juan Manuel Marquez is fully aware of the power punching of Manny Pacquiao. The two men have fought twice, once with Manny weighing in at 125 and the rematch with Manny at 129. Marquez was knocked to the mat three times in the first round of their first battle and once in the rematch. In the four years since the second bout, Manny has gone up in weight going as high as welterweight.

Given the troubles of Marquez in dealing with the bigger Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in 2009, it's only natural to wonder how Marquez will handle the new, bigger Pacquiao.

Shane Mosley is a naturally bigger man than either fighter and he told Fight Hype that Pacquiao's power is legit:

"He has some different hitting power. He's not physically strong, but he hits pretty good, like he has a good snap or something. He's got something in his hands where he just, pop, and you can wobble. He can hurt you. ... It must be the way he throws his punches. he's not that fast... He has decent speed, but it's not like, 'Oh my God, this guy is so fast.' I felt Mayweather was faster than Pacquiao. ... With Pacquiao, he just touches you and you're already wobbling."

To his credit, Marquez said to the Manila Bulletin that "The first round is going to be tough for me because Pacquiao will be looking for the knockout."

Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook drills down into the real story of the fight and how the history and changes in each fighter is setting up:

Marquez can still box his ass off and is tougher than nails, but he's a lot less mobile than he was three years ago when he and Pacquiao last met. At one time, his style was the perfect counter to Manny. But they've both changed: Marquez has lost a step, and Manny has gotten stronger. If Pacquiao has lost just a hair, that has come against big welterweights in Mosley and Margarito. Marquez is not a big welterweight. He's a tiny welterweight, and a small lightweight.

Follow our coverage of Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3 here at MMA Nation and at our boxing blog Bad Left Hook.

Nov071:59p

UPDATE
Pacquiao Vs. Marquez 3: Evander Holyfield Joins Parade Of Stars Visiting Manny's Camp

Manny Pacquiao's camp as he prepares for the third meeting with Juan Manuel Marquez has been drawing stars from various sports and media forms. Basketball star Kobe Bryant, actorsGiovanni Ribisi, Mark Wahlberg, Sylvester Stallone, Jeremy Piven, Mario Lopez, Michael Pitt and Robert Duvall have all stopped by the Pacquiao camp.

The latest star to stop by is a legend in Manny's own sport. Evander Holyfield stopped by to talk to Pacquiao in the first meeting between the two men. Holyfield talked about what he feels makes Manny special in an ABS CBN aticle:

The big thing is faith. Faith is the key to anything. Faith is part of having that confidence. The person who has confidence, they use what they have. They never complain about, I don't have this, I'm not tall enough, I'm not strong enough," Holyfield said. "They just go out there and put their best foot forward."

"What he has done, he's been able to do the things that people tell him he couldn't do," Holyfield said of Pacquiao.

Holyfield may be damaging his own reputation as one of the sport's greats through his desperate and repeated attempts to continue fighting, but he is a man familiar with greatness. Regardless of your feelings on faith and its role in athletic success, the way that Evander transitions faith into more than a religious aspect and more of a faith in one's self and the ability to overcome perceived shortcomings.

Follow our coverage of Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3 here at MMA Nation and at our boxing blog Bad Left Hook.

12:01p

UPDATE
Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3: Shadow Of Floyd Mayweather Hangs Over Fight

When Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. prepare to fight any opponent, there's a large amount of focus shifted to the bout between the two that seems like it will never happen. Now, with Pacquiao set to face Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time talk of a bout between the two men is surfacing again.

It started when Mayweather announced that he wanted to fight again on May 5, 2012 and made it sound like he wanted a bout with Pacquiao (via ESPN):

Mayweather's opponent has not been determined but [Leonard] Ellerbe said, "We're looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella."

... "Floyd made it very clear that he wants to give the fans the biggest fights that are out there. He wants to stay active," Ellerbe said. "We're going to do everything in our power to make the biggest fight out there for the fans and we all know what the fight is."

Pacquaio promoter Bob Arum wasted no time in shooting holes in the idea when talking to Sports Illustrated:

"They are playing games. You don't negotiate this way. This is Floyd trying to move Manny out of the spotlight. This is no way to negotiate a fight. The MGM on May 5th? Who the hell is Floyd to say that? I know they are not serious. We put Floyd in a corner when we made it crystal clear that the issue of drug testing is over. So he comes out and makes this statement? Nobody even knows if he is going to be around in May."

If that wasn't enough, Arum continued firing at Floyd yesterday in an article on the Manila Bulletin:

"You know the little fellow that they already approached? Erik Morales," declared Arum.

... "Erik will confirm it, absolutely. Erik has been approached to make the fight. He'll take it for the money. I'm sure he'll take it for the money. Why wouldn't he? But I don't know who's gonna buy it. But that's (what) the whole non-sense is all about."

There's no real long-term point to fretting over the public posturing by either party. Once the bout is signed, it'll be time to start fully embracing the idea of it actually happening. For now it's just a lot of movement to see who can get the better of the PR battle.

Floyd says he wants to make the fight so that when it doesn't happen, people remember him saying he wanted it. Arum points out that Mayweather's people have already reached out to a shot Erik Morales to make it seem like they weren't being honest. And the nonsense goes on.

Follow our coverage of Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3 here at MMA Nation and at our boxing blog Bad Left Hook.

ORIGINAL STORY
Manny Pacquiao Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III: Which Boxer Has The Edge This Time?

Manny Pacquiao, the WBO Welter Weight World Champion, is set to take on Juan Manuel Marquez November 12th in the pair's third matchup of all-time. The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, at 9 p.m. ET.

The first two Pacquiao-Marquez fights were exceptional events. The two boxers fought to a draw in 2004 in their first matchup and Manny Pacquiao won by a razor thin margin in a decision in 2008.

Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook recently broke down Pacquiao-Marquez's recent history. Christ said, "Many did score both fights for Marquez, many scored both for Pacquiao, and many felt the official decisions were entirely fair. Either way, the fact is that over 24 rounds, almost nothing has separated these two great fighters."

Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao's trainer, gives Juan Manuel Marquez plenty of credit. Roach said, "I'm worried that Marquez could have Manny's number. He is the only fighter who seems to have figured out Manny's style. That is why I am training Manny for the knockout -- to clear the air on who is better. Manny is going to shut up Marquez once and for all - I'm sick of his whining."

Christ says Marquez may have a chance against Pacquiao but there are plenty of questions:

Does [Marquez] he have enough left to weather the Pacquiao storm? I think that's the real question. It's not size, it's perhaps not even purely age. It's about Marquez's style, his willingness to engage in a brawl, and the fact that Manny is, I think we can all agree, faster and a harder puncher than Katsidis, Casamayor, and Diaz. Marquez survived those guys and put them away. Can he survive Manny?

Stick with this Storystream for the latest news, live results and full fight card coverage of Pacquiao vs. Marquez III. Our boxing community Bad Left Hook is already pumping out plenty of content around the fight as well.

Steven Paul Jobs | Pendiri "APPLE"

2011-10-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Steven Paul Jobs (lahir di San Francisco, California, Amerika Serikat, 24 Februari 1955; umur 54 tahun) adalah pemimpin perusahaan Apple Computer bersama Steve Wozniak dan tokoh utama di industri komputer. Sebagai pendiri (dengan Steve Wozniak) Apple Computer di tahun 1976, ia mempopulerkan konsep komputer di rumah tangga dengan Apple II.

Kemudian, ia merupakan salah satu orang yang pertama kali menyadari potensi untuk mengomersialkan antarmuka pengguna grafis (graphical user interface) dan mouse yang dikembangkan di Palo Alto Research Center perusahaan Xerox, dan kemudian teknologi ini diterapkannya ke dalam Apple Macintosh.

Jobs juga memimpin Pixar Animation Studios, sebuah perusahaan komputer animasi terkemuka di dunia layar lebar. telah menjadi multi-jutawan sebelum berumur 30 tahun. Dimulai dengan perusahaan NeXT untuk membuat sistem pendidikan dengan harga yang terjangkau, menemukan bahwa menjual software lebih baik dari pada menjual hardware.

Dilahirkan di San Fransisco oleh ibunya Joanne Simpson dan ayahnya Abdulfattah Jandali mahasiswa tamu dari Syria yang kemudian menjadi profesor ilmu politik. Sejak bayi beliau diadopsi Paul dan Clara Jobs dari Mountain View,Santa Clara County California. Orang tua angkat inilah yang memberikan nama Steven Jobs. Orang tua biologisnya kelak menikah dan memberinya adik perempuan bernama Mona Simpson yang kini terkenal sebagai novelis.

Beliau melewati masa SMP dan SMU di Curpetino, Califonia, seringkali setelah jam sekolah mengajar di Hewlett Packard Company di Palo Alto, California. Maka tak heran segera setelah itu ia dan Steve Wozniak segera menjadi pekerja paruh waktu di perusahaan ini. Di tahun 1972, Jobs lulus dari SMA Homestead di Cupertino, California dan diterima di Reed College di Portland, Oregon, tapi dikeluarkan/ drop out setelah satu semester. Tapi ia segera mendaftar ke Reed College, salah satu hal yang dipelajari di sini kaligrafi. "Jika saya tak pernah dikeluarkan dari tempat belajar hanya satu semester mungkin Mac saat ini tak akan memiliki multiple typefaces atau font-font yang proposional," katanya.

Di musim gugur tahun 1974, Jobs kembali ke California dan mulai menghadiri pertemuan "Homebrew Computer Club" dengan Steve Wozniak. Dia dan Wozniak bersama bekerja di Atari Inc., sebuah perusahaan pembuat permainan komputer yang terkenal, dengan jabatan sebagai perancang permainannya. Motivasinya saat itu adalah mengumpulkan uang untuk melakukan perjalanan spiritual ke India.

Jobs kemudian melakukan perjalanan pencerahan spritual ke India bersama temannya di Reed College, Daniel Kottke, yang kemudian hari menjadi pegawai Apple yang pertama. Kembali dari India dia menjadi Buddhist dengan rambut dicukur/gundul dan mengenakan pakaian tradisional India (biksu?). Selama masa ini ia mempraktekkan psychedelics (semacam meditasi, saat itu Jobs sering dianggap aneh, karena berjalan telanjang kaki di atas Salju- ini semacam meditasi kesadaran). Ini adalah dua atau tiga hal yang paling penting dalam hidup yang pernah ia lakukan dalam hidupnya.

Di tahun 1976, Jobs, usia 21, dan Wozniak, 26, mendirikan Apple Computer Co. di garasi milik keluarga Jobs. Komputer pribadi yang diperkenalkan Jobs and Wozniak diberi name Apple I. Komputer itu dijual dengan harga AS$666.66, sebagai referensi terhadap nomor telpon dari Wozniak's Dial-A-Joke machine, yang berakhir dengan -6666.

Di tahun 1977, Jobs dan Wozniak memperkenalkan Apple II, yang menjadi sukses besar di pasaran rumah tangga dan memberi Apple pengaruh besar di industri komputer pribadi yang masih muda. Di tahun 1980, Apple Computer mencatatkan namanya di bursa efek, dan dengan penawaran saham awal yang sukses, ketenaran Jobs bertambah. Tahun itu juga, Apple Computer melepas Apple III, walaupun kesuksesannya tidak sebaik sebelumnya.

Seiring dengan berkembangnya Apple Computer, perusahaan itu mulai mencari kepemimpinan baru untuk membantu mengatur perkembangan perusahaan tersebut. Di tahun 1983, Jobs menggaet John Sculley, dari perusahaan Pepsi-Cola, untuk memimpin Apple Computer, dengan tantangan, "Apakah kamu mau menjual minuman berkarbon seumur hidupmu, atau maukah kamu mengubah dunia?" (Do you want to just sell sugared water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?) Tahun itu juga, Apple juga mengeluarkan Apple Lisa yang teknologinya tergolong sangat maju pada saat itu tapi gagal meraih pembeli di pangsa pasar.

Tahun 1984 menjadi tahun pengenalan Macintosh, komputer pertama yang berhasil dijual ke pasaran dengan menghadirkan fitur antarmuka pengguna grafis. Pengembangan Mac dicetuskan oleh Jef Raskin dan tim tersebut menggunakan teknologi yang sudah dikembangkan bukan oleh Apple, seperti di Xerox's PARC, tetapi belum sempat dikomersialkan. Kesuksesan Macintosh membuat Apple menelantarkan Apple II demi mengembangkan produksi Mac, yang bertahan sampai saat ini.

Walaupun Jobs sangat persuasif dan karismatik bagi Apple, Banyak yang menganggap dia sebagai pemimpin yang gampang berubah pikiran dan beremosi tinggi. Di tahun 1985, setelah banyak menyebabkan masalah kepemimpinan di dalam Apple, Sculley memberhentikan Jobs dari jabatannya dan mengusirnya dari Apple.

Setelah keluar dari Apple, Jobs mendirikan sebuah perusahaan komputer lagi, NeXT Computer yang seperti Lisa, NeXT tergolong sangat maju dalam hal teknologi, tetapi tidak pernah menjadi terkenal, kecuali di lingkup riset sains. (Tim Berners-Lee mengembangkan sistem World Wide Web di CERN dengan menggunakan sebuah NeXT workstation.) Namun NeXT membantu memajukan teknologi-teknologi sepert program object-oriented, PostScript, dan perangkat magneto-optical.

Di tahun 1996, Apple membeli NeXT seharga AS$402 juta, dan membawa Jobs kembali ke perusahaan yang ia dirikan. Di tahun 1997 ia menjadi pemimpin sementara di Apple setelah kepergian Gil Amelio.

Dengan pembelian NeXT, banyak teknologi dari NeXT diterapkan ke dalam produk buatan Apple, terutama NeXTSTEP, yang berkembang menjadi Mac OS X. Dibawah bimbingan Jobs perusahaan tersebut meningkatkan penjualannya setelah memperkenalkan iMac. iMac merupakan komputer pertama yang dijual dengan mengutamakan penampilannya (walaupun iMac juga banyak menggunakan teknologi maju di dalamnya). Sejak saat itu, penampilan yang menarik dan merek yang terkenal telah memberikan keuntungan bagi Apple.

Belakangan ini, Apple mulai mengembangkan sayapnya. Dengan pengenalan iPod alat musik portabel, piranti lunak iTunes, dan iTunes Music Store, perusahaan tersebut melakukan gebrakan di bidang peralatan elektronik pribadi dan musik online. Sambil merangsang inovasi, Jobs juga mengingatkan bawahannya bahwa, "artis tulen membuahkan hasil," (real artists ship) yang maksudnya adalah, menghasilkan karya-karya dengan tepat waktu sama pentingnya dengan inovasi dan produk jitu.

Jobs bekerja di Apple selama beberapa tahun dengan gaji AS$1/tahun. Karenanya dia tercatat di buku Guinness World Records sebagai "pemimpin perusahaan dengan gaji terendah" (Lowest Paid Chief Executive Officer). Setelah Apple mulai meraih laba penjualan kembali, perusahaan tersebut melepaskan gelarnya sebagai pemimpin sementara. Saat ini penghasilannya di Apple adalah AS$219 juta, menurut sebuah artikel yang ditulis di situs Bloomberg di tahun 2003.

Jobs sangat dikagumi karena keahliannya untuk meyakinkan orang dan menjadi salesman unggul, yang sering dijuluki reality distortion field dan hal ini tampak nyata saat ia memberikan keynote speeches di Apple expos. Namun, kegigihannya juga pernah mengundang sial. Kekerasan kepalanya mungkin telah menyebabkan Apple kehilangan kesempatan emas untuk menjadi pemimpin di bidang komputer pribadi. Keenganannya untuk membiarkan perusahaan lain membuat komputer yang kompatible dengan Macintosh mengakibatkan Apple harus menelan kekalahan dalam merebut pengguna komputer yang ada. Perusahaan piranti keras dan lunak akhirnya memutuskan untuk mengadopsi platform IBM PC yang menggunakan sistem operasi buatan Microsoft. Microsoft kemudian juga mengejar ketinggalannya dari Apple dengan mengembangkan antarmuka pengguna grafis buatan mereka sendiri, Microsoft Windows.

Di tahun 1986 Jobs mendirikan (bersama Edwin Catmull) Pixar, sebuah studio animasi komputer di Emeryville, California. Perusahaan itu didirikan dari apa yang dahulunya divisi grafik komputer milik Lucasfilm, yang Jobs beli dari pendirinya, George Lucas, sebesar AS$10 juta. Satu dekade kemudian, Pixar berkembang menjadi terkenal dan berhasil dengan film terobosannya Toy Story. Sejak saat itu Pixar sudah membuahkan film-film yang memenangkan Academy Award yaitu Finding Nemo dan The Incredibles. Karena kepemimpinannya di Pixar dan juga kemapanannya di Apple, Jobs dianggap oleh banyak pengamat industri hiburan salah satu calon pengganti Michael Eisner sebagai pemimpin dari The Walt Disney Company, yang mendistribusikan dan mendanai film-film buatan Pixar.

Lakhimpur incident: Opposition parties slam Mayawati statement

2011-06-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Opposition parties on Wednesday took strong exception to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's statement blaming previous governments for the rising cases of atrocities on women, and termed it irresponsible and an admission of her failure on the law and order front.

Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said the statement showed her desire to run away from responsibility.

If the Chief Minister speaks in this manner, she is not fit to continue in the post even for a minute, Chaudhary said.

"Instead she made selected goondas and mafias of the state and sent them to Parliament and legislature and thus gave them patronage," BJP spokesman Hardwar Dubey claimed.

Congress spokesman Subodh Srivasatava said her is like a confession of her failure as the chief minister. "She had come to power promising to send all the goondas to jail."

CPI (M-L) state secretary Sudhakar Yadav in a statement said that by saying that she is ready for a CBI probe in the Lakhimpur case if the family of the victim so demands, the chief minister has shown her insensitivity.

"The family members are also demanding death sentence to the culprits, will she go by their wishes in this regard also?" Yadav questioned.

2G scam: Reliance Industries Limited apologises to Chidambaram

2011-06-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Wednesday tendered a "profuse apology" to Home Minister P Chidambaram for remarks by one of its staff purportedly suggesting he was a beneficiary in the 2G spectrum scam.

Responding to a legal notice from Chidambaram, RIL Group President V Balasubramanian said in a letter to the Home Minister's lawyer stating that one of its employees K R Raja had in a private telephonic conversation with lobbyist Niira Radia "made certain remarks which were unjustified, unwarranted and derogatory in nature".

Subramanian said that Raja had been severely reprimanded for his "irresponsible and baseless statement". As a corporate entity RIL tendered its "profuse apology" and regretted the incident.

Raja, in a separate apology, wrote to the Home Minister's lawyer that during a "private conversation on one-to-one basis" with Radia he had made certain remarks without any basis or justification which were derogatory in nature relating to Chidambaram.

He, therefore, tendered an "unqualified and profound" apology for having made the remarks "in the heat of the moment without realising the implications and without any expectation of the remarks being recorded or coming in public domain".

Chidambaram's lawyers had served a notice on Raja demanding an unconditional apology for a conversation between him and Radia which was recorded and carried in the media.

The Home Minister said in a statement that the conversation between Raja and Radia is "reckless and malicious gossip".

On the basis of the media reports, the BJP had demanded Chidambaram's resignation alleging he was a beneficiary in the 2G scam.

"By this letter, I am tendering my unqualified and profound apology for having made this remark which I realised were without any justification or basis whatsoever and having hurt your client's (Chidambaram's) sentiments and for any harm that may have been cast to your client in this regard," Raja said in the letter.

He said he bore no malice towards Chidambaram and the statement was not made with any deliberate intention to harm his reputation or lower him in the esteem of the general public.

"I wish to assure you that these were my personal remarks and do not reflect the position of my employer, M/s Reliance Industries Ltd who as a corporate entity hold your client in very high esteem," Raja said.

In his letter, Balasubramanian said as a corporate entity they had always looked upon Chidambaram to provide meaningful leadership and direction to the country and looked forward to his continued contribution to the cause of the nation.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat NBA Finals Game 2: Epic Collapse

2011-06-11T02:41:00.000-07:00

The Miami Heat were on the verge of taking a commanding 2-0 series lead, had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, had Dwyane Wade back to his nut-punching ways, were alley-ooping and dunking and partying like it was 2006, and even had Mike Bibby scoring points. And then, of course, everything went to shit.

Led by the Geico Caveman Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks erased the 15-point deficit and stunned Miami, beating them at their own game of obliterating the opponent's ass in crunch time, and won Game 2 95-93. The series now heads back to Dallas for three games tied 1-1 while all of America is throwing a party like the Ewoks at the end of Return of the Jedi. Yub-nub, motherfuckers!

Let's relive the epic fail in bullet form! Weeeeee!!!!

How The Game Went From Everything's Fantastic! To a Giant Pile of Flaming Dicks

• In the final six minutes, Dirk Nowitzki and his gnarled middle finger scored the final 9 points for the Mavs while the Heat went 1-for-10.

• With Dwyane Wade playing his best game of the entire postseason, making Jason Kidd his personal hand puppet, as well as his history of ass-wrecking the Dallas Mavericks, it stands to reason the Heat would draw up that play where they give him the ball and the get the fuck out of the way for the final minutes of the game. Instead, the Heat fell in love with shitty pick-and-rolls that led to shitty jump shots that led to this shitty feeling you now have in the pit of your stomach and will have to endure for at least two more days.

• 4-of-16 shooting from Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh has been a giant pile of dinosaur shit since the second half of Game 1.

• Mike Bibby finally woke the fuck up and these assholes squandered his 5-for-8 14-point performance. Nice going, assholes.

• 16-for-24 from the charity stripe. The Heat didn't get to the free throw line until mid-way into the second quarter. But once they got there, they decided to make shit sandwiches for everyone.

• After stock piling an assload of points in Game 1, the Heat bench managed only 11 points in Game 2. For all the love we give Udonis Haslem around here, he's been the main culprit of sphincter clenching sucktiude. While he's been solid on D, his offense has disappeared.

• The fuck was Bosh doing guarding Nowitzki instead of Haslem for the final Dallas possession?

• The fuck was the Heat doing in not using their "foul-to-give" on Nowitzki at the end?

• The fuck is LeBron doing settling for 25-footers instead of taking it to the hole? All those clutch three-pointers have turned him into a fucking chucker.

• The Heat took 42 jump shots beyond 16 feet, compared to Dallas' 25. The entire Miami Heat offense has devolved into a bunch of George Costanzas.

• The always excellent Tom Haberstroh over at ESPN breaks down the moment it all went wrong for the Heat. As he puts it, it was 55-seconds of doom. In those 55 seconds, I managed to unleash the Hiroshima of F bombs. It was quite a scene, man.

Celebration Gate Will Now Set America's Pants on Fire

All we're going to hear for the next couple of days is how the Heat's supposed over-celebration fueled the Mavericks comeback (as opposed to, you know, just plain ole sucking ass).

Apparently D-Wade angered the Mavs players when he left his hand up in the air after he hit a three-pointer with 7:15 remaining. Dallas called a timeout, and Wade and LeBron then celebrated as players are wont to do when they score a big basket. HOW DARE THEY!

Wade and LeBron and the Heat can go fuck themselves because they're not allowed to celebrate made shots!

The media has already picked up on the "story," and the Mavs players and Dallas media made it their mission to point this out to everyone.

Never the fuck mind that Jason Terry (the same dickhole who tattooed the NBA trophy on his bicep) runs around like an airplane (A FUCKING AIRPLANE!!!) after every made three-pointer, or that DeShawn Stevenson makes three-point goggles every single time he knocks one down.

Look at the video above. Wade holds up his hand. LeBron punches him in the chest in exuberance. Every fucking team does this. But because it's the Miami Heat, it's apparently a crime against humanity.

So Now What?

• Stay away from ESPN and sports talk radio. It will only ruin your weekend.

• The Heat are now going to have to overcome the media hate machine, their own mentality about the collapse, and the horseshit Finals 2-3-2 format to now win the title. They'll have to win at least one game in Dallas to bring it back to Miami.

• Since the start of the 2-3-2 format, the Finals have been tied at 1-1 eleven times. The team that has won Game 3 has won the NBA Championship all eleven times. Holy fucknuggets, Sunday is pretty gargantuan.

Game 3 is in Dallas on Sunday. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

NBA Finals Game 3: Miami Heat (1-1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (1-1)

2011-06-11T02:05:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Mavericks took care of business during the first two games of the NBA Finals, leaving South Florida with a split and now heading home to host the next three games against the Miami Heat. Dallas' 2-game split is even more impressive when you factor in that they lost the first game and had to come back from a 15-point deficit in the final minutes of Game 2.

Most of the time you would be hoping that the Heat could do the same thing that their opponent did, leaving town with a split and re-gaining home court advantage, but that isn't possible in the Finals. Why? Because for some reason the NBA still uses the 2-3-2 schedule in the final round. I don't know one person that prefers that to the 2-2-1-1-1 setup that is used during the first three rounds, but who knows if the league will ever wise up and get with the times.

So with that being the case, Miami now will try to get out of Texas with a pair of wins, otherwise they will come with a very difficult task in front of them. Either way, assuming neither team sweeps the 3 games in Dallas, someone will be returning to South Beach with an opportunity to end the series and become champions next Sunday night at the AAA.

For now the focus is on Game 3, which takes place tonight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the same place that the Heat celebrated their 2006 NBA championship. They hit the road with what I'm sure is a very intense mindset after the way the last game ended. Miami has shown that they can control the game against the Mavs so hopefully Erik Spoelstra and his staff will make the proper adjustments to continue their solid play against the double screen's and smaller lineups that caught them off guard at the end of Game 2.

GAME NOTES

Miami has gone 4-3 on the road so far in the playoffs, getting a split in each series. They have won their last two road games (2 and 5 against the Bulls).

The Mavericks have been almost as good at home as the Heat, going 7-1 through the first 3 rounds.

Overall the Heat has won 5 of their last 6 games and 10 of 13 while Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 and 11 of 13.

Miami has lost 5 consecutive games in Dallas.

The Mavericks turned the ball over 20 times in Game 2, leading to 31 Heat points (a franchise postseason record). They only turned it over once in the last 7:20 of the game though.

Miami also had 15 steals, another franchise postseason record.

The Heat is reporting no injuries for Game 3.

For the Mavs, Brendan Haywood (hip) is questionable and Caron Butler (knee) is out.

Tipoff from the American Airlines Center is set for 8 o'clock. There is going to be a massive watch party inside the AAA here in Miami hosted by the Heat. They made 12,000 free tickets available on a first-come first-served basis on their website, but they are now all gone. If you are attending, parking will be made available in the P2 garage for $5, and the first 2,000 fans will receive free t-shirt.

On a side note, both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will be wearing new colorways on their particular shoes. Wade wears the ‘Jordan Fly Wade's' and LeBron sports the ‘LeBron 8 PS'. These new color schemes are special for the NBA Finals and the Wade's wont be available at retail, but the LeBron's will be in a limited capacity. Check out the photos of the new colors below. Lets Go Heat!

Choosing Life, Rejection the RH Bill

2011-06-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

Choosing Life, Rejection the RH Bill

(A Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines)

Our Filipino Brother and Sister:

The State values the dignity of very human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Act. 11 Section 11). The State recognizes the sanctity of the family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as basic autonomous social institution. it shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception (Act. 11 Section 12).

Background

We begin by citing the Philippines Constitution. We do so because we intend to write you on basis of the fundamental deals and aspirations of the Filipino people and not on the basis of specifically Catholic Religious Teaching.

We are at a crossroads as as nation. before us are several versions of a proposed bill, the Reproductive Health Bill or sanitized as a Responsible Parenthood bill. This proposed bill in all its versions calls us to make a moral choice: to choose life or to choose to death.
At the outset we thank the government for affording us an opportunity to express our views in friendly dialogue.

Sadly our dialogue has simply revealed how far our respective position are. Therefor, instead of building false hopes, we wish at the present time to draw up clearly what we object to and what we stand for.

Moral Choices at the Crossroads - - at EDSA 1 and Now

Twenty five year ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. with this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA 1 and a window of political integrity. Today we came to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice.

Our president rallied the country with the election cry, "kung walang corrupt walang mahirap." As religious leaders we believe that there is a greater from of corruption, namely, moral corruption which is really the root of all corruption. On the present issue, it would be morally corrupt to disregard the moral implication of RH Bill.

This is our unanimous collective moral judgment: We strongly reject the RH bill.

Gigabyte M2432 laptop with GeForce GT 440 graphics card dock hands-on

2011-06-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Gigabyte's no stranger in the field of dockable computing devices, and its M2432 laptop shown off at Computex is yet another example proving just this. Let's focus on the actual machine first: here we have a Core i5-2410M (2.3GHz to 2.9GHz) rig packing a 14-inch 1,366 x 768 LCD, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 500GB 7200rpm hard drive, and a DVD burner that can be swapped with a secondary battery. You'll also find 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI-out, VGA-out, 1.3 megapixel webcam, an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, and two USB 3.0 ports on this Windows 7 Home Premium laptop. All of this weigh 1.8kg (3.97lbs). READ MORE

1. Mavs Comeback Spurred By Heat Gloating

2011-06-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

MIAMI -- The Miami Heat were at it again, celebrating before they had accomplished anything.
There were no fireworks or smoke machines or hydraulic lifts this time. This was a much simpler, two-man production. It consisted of Dwyane Wade extending his right hand up like a swan's neck, pausing to savor the 3-pointer he made in front of the Dallas Mavericks' bench that put Miami ahead by 15 points with 7:44 left in Thursday's Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

When the Mavericks called timeout and Wade finally started heading toward his own bench LeBron James joined him, the two rejoicing in the moment.

Jason Terry wasn't going to have that. He stomped forward, but he never quite reached them and, according to Terry, no words were exchanged before they all returned to their respective huddles.
"I know what I wanted to say," Terry said.
Which was ... ?
"It's not over."
The Heat could have checked with the Los Angeles Lakers, who led the Mavericks by 16 in the third quarter in the first game of the second round yet wound up getting swept.

They could have asked the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had a 15-point lead over Dallas in the fourth quarter of the fourth game of the Western Conference finals yet lost that one and the next.
Instead the Heat got a lesson of their own from the Mavericks, who delivered Miami its first home loss of the playoffs, 95-93, in stunning fashion.

"If there's time on that clock, there's still time for us," Terry said.
Time enough for Terry to pull himself out of a dreadful performance to score eight points in the game's final six-plus minutes.

And time enough for Dirk Nowitzki to work his way to 24 points, in the process shoveling a little dirt over the painful memories from the 2006 NBA Finals while keeping talk about the torn tendon in his left middle finger to a minimum for the next two days.

He lofted a 3-pointer that gave the Mavericks their first lead of the second half with 26.7 seconds remaining.
And after the Mavericks let Mario Chalmers (Terry's defensive assignment) float by himself to the far right corner for a wide-open 3 to tie the game, Nowitzki delivered the victory by spinning past Chris Bosh for the game-winning layup with, yes, his left hand.

"It felt great," Nowitzki said. "I thought it wasn't going to bother me before the game, and it didn't."
And now Nowitzki doesn't have to be bothered by every ghost from the Mavericks' 2006 Finals collapse that began here in American Airlines Arena. He finally got a postseason win in this building. And wherever this series goes from here, at least it won't involve those familiar numbers: 2-0.
This just got real good, real quick.

First offense returned to the series. Both teams made more than 50 percent of their shots in the first quarter, both teams scored more than 50 points in the first half after scoring a combined 33 points in the first quarter and shooting less than 40 percent in Game 1.

The Mavs' victory ensures that the rest of the NBA Finals will be a contest and not a celebratory lap for the Heat, who find themselves tied instead of holding a 2-0 lead.

The Heat converted 20 Dallas turnovers for 31 points and Wade was spectacular up until that 3-point pose, scoring 36 points to go with five assists, three steals and two blocks. James had an array of highlight dunks and jumpers to beat the shot clock.

The Mavericks extended their defense to create Miami turnovers and earned some fast-break chances of their own, speeding up the game up to a tempo that makes the Heat comfortable. They cut Miami's offensive rebounds from 16 to six and on the overall board battle, 41-30.
Shawn Marion kept the Mavs in the game when the barrage of big plays by the Heat made it feel as though the celebration should have started in the fourth quarter, not the third. He had 20 points and eight rebounds and also played defense well enough to hold James to eight points in the second half.

The postgame news conference broke down into a matter of semantics, debating what does and doesn't constitute a celebration.
"There was no celebration at all," James said.
Wade added: "A celebration is confetti, champagne bottles."
Wade had a point when he said every team in the league does something to commemorate a hot run, and he would have been within bounds to say that the guy who took the greatest offense, Terry, can be one of the primary offenders when he does his "jet" move after hitting a shot, sometimes even his first shot of the game.

But the Heat should know by now that they're held to a different standard, viewed differently, liable to be criticized for every move they make.
Where the Heat have gone wrong since the moment -- and method by which -- James joined them was to fail to comprehend the way their actions would be interpreted. What might have seemed like a good way to raise funds for charity, or a rallying opportunity for an excited fan base have come across as an insensitive breakup on national TV, followed by a self-indulgent party.

What Wade didn't take into account during those few seconds of celebration in the corner in the fourth quarter wound up preventing him from celebrating in the locker room after the game.

"It's definitely frustrating when a guy does that and celebrates in front of your bench," Mavs center Tyson Chandler said. "When you've got a guy showboating like that in front of your bench and you're down 15 with seven minutes to go, you're like, 'The game ain't over.' That's all we said on the bench: 'Listen, I don't care what they're saying over there on the other bench. The game ain't over.'"
This was like a synopsis of everything bad that was said about the Heat this season:

• Chris Bosh doesn't deserve superstar status:
After quieting that talk with a string of solid playoff performances he boosted the volume again when he missed 12 of 16 shots, failed to step up and challenge Nowitzki when he came off the screen to hit the game-tying 3 and then got taken to the hoop for the winning layup.

• They can't finish close games:
At the 90-second mark their next three shots consisted of contested 3-pointers with the shot clock running down. No crisp passing, no attacking the basket ... seemingly no clue how to close.

• Erik Spoelstra doesn't get the nuances of coaching on this stage.
We all remember how his revelation of crying in the locker room blew up on him. Thursday, when he said, "We went to our normal package of late-game sets, we just didn't have the necessary execution," he has to understand that it can come across as laying all the blame on the players. "Strategy" is a synonym for coaching failures, "Execution" is code for player failures.

That said, there were no signs of a player-coach fissure developing. Wade said the Heat's failure to foul when they had one to give on Dallas' last possession was "a mental breakdown on us" because the coaches had reminded them in the huddle. Bosh twice said the team didn't execute and said the final play was "all bad defense by me."
Next time, Spoelstra should let the players say it.

And next time the Heat should wait until the game actually ends to exhale. They could have been halfway toward wrapping up the best-of-seven series. Instead they aren't even guaranteed another appearance in American Airlines Arena to either party or play.

"We made it a lot harder on ourself," Wade said.
That's been the theme of their season. They accelerated the timetable for a championship and erased the allowances for finding roles and learning chemistry when they strutted on stage last summer.
And maybe this was a referendum on these Mavericks, the comeback kings of these playoffs.

"We have shown that we have the ability to come back and the guys believe that if we get stops, we'll always give ourselves a chance," Rick Carlisle said.
Just like the Heat have shown that they never think it's too soon to party ... even if they're far from sharing a confetti-covered stage with David Stern.

2011 NBA Finals a rematch of 2006 won by the Miami Heat

2011-06-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

The 2006 NBA Finals had the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat in their first experience on the league's biggest stage.

What is most remembered is how the Mavericks let a title slip away by dropping four games in a row after winning the opening two at home.

Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki (FSY) has said how much the outcome of the 2006 Finals will gnaw at him if he never wins a title.

"We had a good chance in '06. You never know in this league if you ever get another chancem" he says.

WHO WILL WIN? USA TODAY analyzes the matchups
NBA INSIDER: News and notes from the Finals

Nowitzki and Jason Terry (FSY) are the only remaining Mavericks on the roster who played in that Finals. Darrell Armstrong (FSY) , who played then, is a Mavs assistant.

"We sleep with it every night, myself, Dirk, (owner) Mark Cuban, our fans, Darrell Armstrong," Terry says.

Dwyane Wade (FSY) and Udonis Haslem (FSY) are the remaining Heat on the roster. Coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant to Pat Riley, now the club president.

"The '05-'06 season doesn't matter anymore. It's two totally different teams. We've moved on past that," Wade says.

DIRK NOWITZKI: In photos and his own words
DWYANE WADE: In photos and his own words

The Mavs, in 2006, were the Western Conference's fourth seed. They swept the Memphis Grizzlies, upset the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in seven games and knocked off the Phoenix Suns in six to reach the Finals.

As the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat dispatched the Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons, none of the series lasting more than six games.

Nowitzki entered the Finals having a spectacular playoffs, scoring 30 points or more in seven of the 17 games through the three rounds.

His team took charge of the Finals at home right away, beating the Heat in the first two games by a combined 24 points.

The Mavs were poised to take a commanding 3-0 lead, a deficit no NBA team has overcome to win a Finals, and led by 13 with just 6:15 remaining in Game 3 in Miami. But behind Wade (42 points, 13 rebounds), the Heat stormed back to win 98-96 and revive their chances.

"This could have been a season-ending kind of win if (the Mavs) win this game," Wade said then. "We came out and ran our offense real quick and came back and won."

Gary Payton (FSY) had put the Heat up by two with 9.3 seconds left. Nowitzki had a chance to tie it but uncharacteristically missed the latter of two free throws.

"At the end, we folded a little bit," Nowitzki said later. Wade "made some tough shots, and offensively we didn't execute. … It's going to be a tough one to swallow for us. The good thing is we're still up 2-1."

Instead, it was the turning point. The Heat protected home court in Game 4, blowing out the Mavs 98-74, behind 36 from Wade. And Jerry Stackhouse (FSY) , the Mavs' fourth-leading scorer, committed a hard foul on Shaquille O'Neal (FSY) and got suspended by the league for Game 5.

The Mavs' frustration boiled over into that game, won 101-100 by the Heat in overtime. Wade finished with 43 points to propel the Heat to a 3-2 series lead.

Unhappy with a couple of calls, Cuban stormed the court and yelled at referee Joe DeRosa. Cuban also appeared to stare down NBA Commissioner David Stern, who later fined Cuban $250,000.

On June 20, in Game 6, at home, the Heat capped their comeback in a 95-92 victory for their first NBA championship. Riley won his fifth as coach, after the four he earned with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1982-88.

Nowitzki, who had 29 points in the final game but no field goals in the fourth quarter, didn't play to the level of the first three rounds. He averaged more than five points fewer for the series.

"That was a tough loss (in Game 3) and that really changed the whole momentum of the series," Nowitzki said then. "After that, they got confidence. They played a lot better afterwards."

Wade, who averaged about 35 points for the series, was named NBA Finals MVP.

"Some of the stuff he did, you can't teach," then-Dallas coach Avery Johnson (FSY) said after the series. "He beat double-teams, and he beat triple-teams. There was no trickery there. He has a will to win. … We tried a lot of different things, but he just had a desire to get it done."

The Mavericks' tag of being "soft" started with that outcome.

"You can't go to the Finals and be soft. I'm sorry," Armstrong says.

In any event, this year's Dallas team is totally different, he says.

"The difference is Jet Terry is a scoring guard and he was running the point," Armstrong says. "Now we have a Hall of Fame point guard (in Jason Kidd (FSY) ). … Also, Tyson Chandler (FSY) is a more athletic big man (than was Erick Dampier (FSY) , now on the Heat). (Chandler is) our defensive presence. … Two different teams."

To get Wade reflecting on 2006 is as difficult as guarding him when he's on.

"LeBron (James) told me I need to take a look at what I did," said Wade, who rarely views tapes of those Finals. "But I always wanted that moment again. You know, I wanted to be hungry, like I was the first time."

Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals 2011 LIVE and Replay

2011-05-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

CHANNEL 1. WOW! Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals 2011 LIVE and Replay is here. Get this this now. Grab this one out before it will expire. You got to rush on it because millions of people, especially NBA fans (whether a Heat, Maverick or any team supporter), will be taking advantage of this special offer just to watch this historical NBA championships 2011.

What to expect in this NBA finals 2011? Well, many people are guessing that Miami Heat will takeover this just by looking on their season record and the three stars they have, namely: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Cris Bosh. The Miami Heat displayed great talent and heart during the playoffs and by defeating both highly-competitive teams of NBA; the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls. An average basketball fan will surely agree to the notion that they grab the ring and put Miami to its second championships with Wade.

However, on the other hand, Dallas Mavericks is a special team not to be underestimated by the Heats. This team has the league's best shooter (Dirk Nowitzki), the league's best point guard and play maker (Jason "the Mastermind" Kidd), and the long forgotten Matrix (Shawn Marion.) Those names aren't just for posters and surely will give Miami a hell of a match. CHANNEL 2.

Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls Game 5 NBA Playoffs 2011 East Finals

2011-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls Live Stream Online - The Miami are one win away from the NBA Finals. Derrick Rose and the Bull will try to bounce back into the series Game 5 in Chicago, while LeBron James is doing it all for the Heat.

This could be the last night for the Bulls if they loss over the Heat, but they can extend the series with a win at home. Miami lead the Chicago 3-1 in the Eastern Conference finals. A victory on Thursday means they will be playing for a championship.

The Heat is on the border of its first trip to the NBA finals since 2006 after defeating Bulls 101-93 in overtime on Tuesday. Dwyane Wade came up with three blocks in overtime, Chris Bosh had 22 points and James made 35 points to contain Rose down the stretch.

The Miami took a commanding lead over the league-leading 62 wins and top overall seed Chicago. Heat outshooting the Bulls 46.8 percent to 39.9.

Chicago Bulls Vs. Miami Heat, game five analysis

2011-05-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Bulls hadn’t lost two games in a row since February. Now, the Bulls haven’t won a game since a week from last Sunday.

The Bulls have dropped three straight games to be down 3-1 in the series with the Miami Heat. Probably the worst part about this series is the fact that Chris Bosch maybe the soul reason the Bulls are on the brink of elimination.

Bosch was criticized in the series against Boston for playing soft and for the most part being nonexistent on the court. In the Heat’s only loss to the Celtics in game 3, Bosh scored 6 points.

“My emotions got the best of me early on and it kind of dictated what I was doing for the rest of the game.”

Even before Bosh’s statements, fans and the media were stunned by Bosh’s lack of performance. Since then however, Bosh has been either a crucial part, or the reason that the Heat have managed to win seven of their last nine games in their past and current series. Bosh even had what could be considered a game winning shot against the Celtics in game 5.

Bosh went from being the talk of ESPN and sports radio for lacking heart and aggression, to literally being the MVP of the series against the Bulls. The Bulls on the other hand have not shown up since game one of the series with the Heat.

Since having a 31 point fourth quarter in game one vs. the Heat, the bulls have not managed to score 31 points in any quarter in the four games and have scored a low of 10 points in the fourth quarter of game two.

When the Bulls step on the court today there is no choice. They must win. If they don’t the series is over and the Heat will go on to face the Dallas Mavericks who defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder last night with a 100-96 win.

Whether or not the Bulls show up tonight is anyone’s guess. The only thing that people can be sure of now is that Chris Bosh may have broken out of his shell and for the Bulls, it couldn’t of come at a worse time. Regardless I have the Bulls winning this game 97-92.

NBA Playoffs Heat vs. Bulls Game 3: Advantage, home-court and otherwise

2011-05-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

How many times do you read the word “advantage” in sports? It’s used so frequently even in the face of the obviousness of what it implies. After all, what makes teams “bad” so often is a lack of advantage, or a lack of willingness to exploit that advantage. Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks is kept from being an elite player by a reluctance or inability to access his inherent advantage on the floor with his physical tools. In the NBA there’s player, tactical, circumstantial, home-court, and intangible advantage, just to name a few. All will be in play for Game 3 between the Heat and the Bulls.
Player Advantage

The Heat have better players. That’s been pretty obvious from the first two games. There is no denying the fact that what led to the Bulls’ Game 1 victory wasn’t a superior roster, it was a deeper roster hitting on all cylinders, versus the Heat’s design of three players (Wade, James, and one other) playing to the best of their ability. If you rank all players on a scale of one to ten, with one being a D-League fill-in and ten being LeBron James/Derrick Rose, then yes, the Bulls’ final score will be higher. But if you rank all players on a scale of one to a hundred, the Heat’s total will be higher due to Wade and James both being in the 95+ range versus just one 80+ for the Bulls in Derrick Rose. Game 2 showed what happens when the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts for Chicago, and we just stack up players vs. players. This isn’t to say the Heat are a better team. They’re not, nor are they a worse team. These two are about as evenly matched as you’re going to find, a reflection of the Western Conference Finals which display the same trait. But the Heat have better players to rely on.

If Game 3 becomes a matter of “who has more talent” then the Heat win. We saw shades of that in Game 2, even as the Heat showed flashes of team cohesion thanks to Udonis Haslem‘s spark. Conversely, if the advantage is defined by what group of players meshes together better, the Bulls have an excellent chance of stealing back homecourt. The best way for the Heat to disrupt the Bulls’ cohesiveness is with individual brilliance wearing them out, and the best way for the Bulls to combat the Heat’s elite superiority talent wise is to get back to swarming them with cohesive, communicative defense. And knock down a few shots, but that’s more tactical.
Tactical

It’s safe to say many underestimated Erik Spoelstra’s defensive chops going into this series. It’s been a much closer defensive bout than anticipated. Were it not for some great efforts on the offensive glass by the Bulls, this series would be in dire shape for Chicago. That isn’t to take anything away from a sound gameplan of making up for their offensive deficiencies by creating extra possessions, it’s simply to point out the Bulls are still trying to find anything resembling a shooter’s touch. And that’s in large part due to how well the Heat have defended. Derrick Rose has been contained with multiple looks, and that’s prevented both of his threats. He hasn’t filled in with efficient scoring, and he hasn’t gotten teammates involved. When he has, they’ve missed semi-open looks, in part thanks to fantastic close-out defense by the Heat. That’s been in part responsible for the offensive rebounding woes (hard to grab a long rebound off a jumper when you’re diving out of bounds after running off the perimeter shooter), but it’s also helped keep the Bulls’ offense under wraps.

This tactical matchup continues in Game 3 with an added wrinkle. The Heat have shown their advantage in their reliance on LeBron James’ special talents, which means Tom Thibodeau has something to plan for as the game gets deep. It’ll be up to the Heat to either adjust with better opportunities for Wade and Bosh, or find new ways of creating space for James, who may not get as many ISO opportunities as he did in Game 2. It wasn’t a flawed approach from the Bulls to rely on Luol Deng who has played spectacularly against James in this series, but having seen James demonstrate that he cares not for Deng’s defense, the Bulls are likely to commit more resources against him.
Circumstantial

How big was three full days off for Udonis Haslem, the savior of Game 2 for the Heat, coming back from injury and having played long minutes in the Heat win? Getting the extra break definitely favors Haslem, as well as the Heat stars who have to take the most pounding in this series. To be certain, the time off probably helped Derrick Rose’s ankle as well, but with the way the Chicago offense relies upon more personnel for production, the extra hours were a good thing for the Heat. The time off also holds a mental advantage to a degree. A short two day break and the Bulls don’t have to concentrate on the fact they’ve lost homecourt advantage, nor does it allow time for the Heat to bask in their own confidence, which has proven to be their downfall time and time again. How the extra time manifests itself will likely go a long way in deciding who has control after Game 3.

Home-Court

Two things here.

1. The Heat are well regarded as not having a strong home-court advantage due to a docile and late arriving crowd as the fashionable South Beach crowd is not exactly the rabid jumping madhouse of OKC or even the raucous basketball-intelligent crowds in Boston. Some have even argued that with the way the Bulls’ fanbase travels and all the transplants in Miami, this could be an even more divided crowd than first thought.

2. The Heat have not lost at home in the playoffs.

That second figure stands out, considering they faced a Boston crew more than capable of facing down an opposing crowd. Furthermore, the Heat crowd has been surprisingly loud in the playoffs, even with the “white out” one of the more ineffective and lame promotions you’ll find. So the home-court advantage isn’t as great as it is for say, OKC (who promptly loss home-court last night), but it is definitely an advantage for the Heat. The ability to sleep in your own bed, etc does a lot of good, and that comfort helps put the Heat in a position they want to be in mentally. On the other end of it, though, this is the Bulls’ comfort zone. Attacked, picked against, under bad conditions, struggling to regain home-court advantage in a hostile environment. If any team is well geared mentally to have their backs against the wall, it’s the Bulls.

Intangible

Is Derrick Rose going to have three straight bad games? Is LeBron James really going to shed his non-clutch recent rep? Is Luol Deng really going to be contained this well? Is Carlos Boozer really not going to earn hardly an ounce of that massive contract? Is Udonis Haslem boing to be able to bring the emotional energy for a second straight game the Heat need? Has Mike Miller really become a “defense and hustle” player without a shot? Will Mario Chalmers play that terribly three games in a row? Will Kyle Korver continue to miss open looks? Can Taj Gibson possibly keep up this kind of performance?

And what about Wade?

There’s a mountain of questions that leave you dubious as to either team winning Game 3. Which is why it should be so much fun.

The advantage is clear, both teams have an advantage. Whichever has more or stronger ones will walk away with a Game 3 win.

Tumultuous year ends with Wade back in NBA finals

2011-05-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Only a year ago, everything in Dwyane Wade's life was uncertain.

Former business partners had brought a combination of civil lawsuits, seeking somewhere around $100 million US in what they said was the earnings potential of some failed deals. His yearslong divorce battle was still unsettled. Another courtroom fight was looming for custody of his two sons. And the free-agent period was fast-approaching.

"Very long year," Wade said Saturday. "Very, very long year."

Alas, it comes with a very, very sweet opportunity to close this chapter.

Wade is heading back to the NBA finals for the second time. When his Miami Heat open the series at home against the Dallas Mavericks -- the franchise they beat in 2006 as well -- on Tuesday night, it'll be exactly 52 weeks after the four civil suits were settled in what was an overwhelming victory for his side.

With that, everything started falling into place.

Wade got his divorce. He stayed in Miami. He got LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join him. He got Udonis Haslem to stay with him. He got custody of his kids. The Heat won 58 games, endured some major bumps along the way, needed only 10 games to get past Chicago and Boston on the way to the Eastern Conference title, and now stand four wins from the ring.

"This would be the capper," said Tragil Wade, the Heat star's sister. "My mom has been saying this since his 29th birthday in January: 'This will be the year and he will be rewarded. It'll be in his favour. It will end in his favour.' So even now, it's all about belief. We've always had belief. When things are good, when things are bad, we always have to have belief."

The first championship was great, sure.

After the last 12 months, for Wade, a second title would be monumentally more enjoyable.

"I know him better than anybody and I saw the toll that it kind of took on him," Haslem said of the past year for one of his closest friends. "Through all that, he stayed professional. I think he's used basketball as an outlet, as many of us do, and when it was all over and he was fortunate enough to get custody of his kids, I saw a light just shining around him."

Well-known history

That light hasn't always been there, of course. Wade's story is well-known, starting with an incredibly rough upbringing in Chicago, leaning on his sister as the maternal influence for many years when his mother -- Jolinda, now a minister who turned her own life around -- wasn't there for her children for an array of reasons.

Basketball was the escape, taking him away from the problems in Chicago to Marquette, then from Marquette to Miami. It has given him wealth and fame, and now -- after a season unlike any other, where the Heat were as scrutinized as perhaps any team in NBA history -- it has brought him to the cusp of a second championship.

"Basketball," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, "has always been Dwyane's sanctuary."

The overriding theme for this season was sacrifice, and in the beginning, that meant money.

Not only did Wade take less than the maximum he could have accepted from Miami, but he even signed for less than James and Bosh did, giving the Heat even more flexibility to fill what he envisioned as a roster able to contend for championships.

He sacrificed stats, too. The ball isn't in his hands as much, obviously, with two other All-Stars in tow. Somehow, his scoring average dipped only 1.1 points from where it was in 2009-10, down to 25.5, and he shot a career-best 50 per cent -- exactly 692 makes, 692 misses.

"Whatever it takes," Wade said.

Those words rung true in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in Chicago. Wade struggled for much of the night again before he, James and Bosh led an 18-3 burst to end the game.

Game over. Series over.

And afterward, in his hometown, Wade looked simply drained.

"I had a lot of emotions going through my mind and my body and thinking about going back to the finals," Wade said. "It's been a long time. And everything we went through this year to get to this point -- where we expected to be and where we wanted to be - finally was reality."

Rest day

After a day of rest, some spring in his step was back Saturday, though he was excused from much on-court work to get time to rest after an East finals where he battled an aching shoulder -- but stopped short of calling himself injured.

Wearing low-cut sneakers and Heat practice gear, Wade spent nearly a half-hour taking part in a shooting contest with teammates James Jones and Erick Dampier, where they wasted some time by hoisting a series of one-handed 3-pointers, arguing about the score of the game and messing with each other as they were about to release the basketball.

Things about this season were not fun.

Things about last summer were definitely not fun.

But another finals trip is already something Wade is savoring. He rarely, if ever, watches tapes of the 2006 finals, and his MVP trophy from that series has remained at the arena the Heat call home for the past five years. Back then, he thought championships would come with great regularity. After the lessons of this year -- and the four other title-less ones before that -- he's grown considerably more appreciative of the moment.

"We're still blessed," Tragil Wade said. "But we know we've got to savour every moment, good and bad. He's still in the prime time of his life right now. We're going to enjoy this."

2011 NBA finals schedule

2011-05-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

(Reuters) - Schedule of matches in the 2011 National Basketball Association finals.

Game 1 - Tuesday May 31, Dallas at Miami

Game 2 - Thursday June 2, Dallas at Miami

Game 3 - Sunday June 5, Miami at Dallas

Game 4 - Tuesday June 7, Miami at Dallas

Game 5 - Thursday June 9, Miami at Dallas (if required)

Game 6 - Sunday June 12, Dallas at Miami (if required)

Game 7 - Tuesday June 14, Dallas at Miami (if required)

(Compiled by Julian Linden)

2011 NBA Finals Schedule-Dallas Maverick NBA Championship Preview Read more at Suite101: 2011 NBA Finals Schedule-Dallas Maverick NBA Championship Preview

2011-05-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Preview & schedule of the 2011 NBA Finals - Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowtizki & the Mavs have their eye on the prize this year.

Miami vs Chicago Eastern Conference Preview and Prediction
Image by RMTip21

The Mavericks are back in the saddle again! Dallas beat Oklahoma City 100-96 last night, May 25, 2011, to advance to the NBA finals. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and company have played their way to the pinnacle of the professional basketball world again as they will be playing in the NBA Championship Series beginning on May 31 or June 2, 2011. The Mavs were just the third seed in the Western Conference, but the middle of the bracket proved to be the place to be as Dallas has blown through Portland, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City like a Texas tornado, taking no prisoners as they swept through the playoffs.

A complete NBA finals schedule can be found at Yahoo Sports.

The Road to the 2011 NBA Finals

Dallas had an up and down regular season, but finished with four straight wins to end up at 57-25. They rode that momentum into their first round series with Portland, and played well enough to win the series 4-2.

Then came the big match up with Kobe Bryant and the No. 2 seed defending champion Lakers. Given their dubious playoff history, the Mavs were heavy underdogs in the series, but they came out and punched Los Angeles right in the nose, winning the first game at LA behind 28 points from Dirk Nowitzki. Then bing, bang, boom and three more wins and the Lakers were ignominiously swept 4-0 by the streaking Mavs. It was sweet revenge for Dirk Notwitzki and the entire Dallas organization for many years of frustration at the hands of the Lakers.
Images
2011 NBA Finals Preview - Dallas Mavericks - Image by RMTip21

Oklahoma City was the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference bracket, and many figured that Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook would give the Thunder the firepower to keep up with the Mavericks, but it was not to be. Every time the Thunder would get a good lead Dallas would come storming back, and Dallas managed to ride the momentum switch to victories, taking the series 4-1 and leaving the Mavs to watch Miami and Chicago finishing up their series to determine who gets to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals. The Heat beat the Bulls to win the East, so the 2011 NBA Finals are Miami vs Dallas. Game 1 is scheduled for 9 pm ET on Tuesday, May 31 in Miami.
Mavericks Playoff History

The Mavericks have never won an NBA championship and this is just their second trip to the Finals. It has been five long years for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, the only two players remaining from the 2006 team that blew a 2-0 series lead in the Finals to Miami and shattered the psyche of that Dallas team. Dallas lost in the first round of the playoffs in three of the next four years, never making it further than the second round, and they were seemingly unable to shed the dreaded label of choker.

But redemption is at hand for Notwitzki and Terry, and for Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd and the rest of the Dallas squad. One more series and all is forgiven...all they have to do is keep their eyes on the prize.

Mavericks' Depth Will Ultimately Be the Deciding Factor in Rematch of '06 Finals

2011-05-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

In June 2006, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy as NBAchampions for the Miami Heat. They had completed a highly improbable 4-2 series win, after starting the series down 2-0 to Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks. It was only the third time in NBA history that such an upset had occurred.

Perhaps it is only fitting then that in Dirk's quest for his first NBA championship, he must face a familiar Finals foe, the same team that foiled the Mavericks the last time they were here. However, much has changed since 2006.

Both teams are much improved, and many of the key players in this series will be vying for their first championship rings. Here's a look ahead at how the teams match up, by position:

Point guard: Jason Kidd vs. Mike Bibby/Mario Chalmers

Advantage: Dallas. The 38-year-old Kidd has looked rejuvenated in these playoffs, racking up the steals and three pointers in bunches. More importantly, he has been the cool, calm veteran floor leader that comes through in clutch situations.

Other than hitting the occasional three, Bibby and Chalmers have been relative non-factors so far in the playoffs. This doesn't hurt the Heat as much though, because both LeBron and Wade can take turns handling point guard duties.

Shooting guard: Jason Terry vs. Dwyane Wade

The King has been as clutch as they come this postseason.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Advantage: Miami. Although Deshawn Stevenson is the Mavs' starter at shooting guard on paper, Jet gets the bulk of the minutes, so it makes more sense to list him here as the team's primary 2-guard.

Dwyane Wade's recent shooting struggles aside, his impact for the Heat is understated, as he has been playing tough defense and crashing the glass. Like any of the Big 3, Wade has the ability to explode for thirty points at any time.

Jet, although rock-solid for the Mavs in the playoffs, struggled in two games against the Heat during the regular season. However, as a key member of the Mavs team that lost to the Heat in the 2006 Finals, look for Terry to come out extra motivated for this series. Jet has been lights out from downtown in this year's playoffs, nailing more than two a game thus far on a scorching 46% rate.

When it comes down to it though, Wade is one of the top five players in the world right now and can impact the game on so many levels.

Small forward: Shawn Marion vs. LeBron James

Advantage: Miami. No one is as hot as LeBron in the playoffs right now, not even Dirk. He seems to have a focus and intensity that was lacking in his previous playoff appearances with the Cavs, and this may simply be due to the fact that he actually believes he can win it all with his new teammates.

Who will win the championship this year?

Miami in 5

15.1%

Dallas in 5

10.7%

Miami in 6

26.7%

Dallas in 6

30.7%

Miami in 7

8.0%

Dallas in 7

8.9%

Total votes: 225

"The King" has been a terror on defense and more importantly, a stone-cold killer in late game situations. He is proving his ability as a clutch player with each passing game.

Marion will prove to be a tough matchup, though. He was extremely disruptive against Durant, the NBA's scoring leader this year. This was highlighted by his clutch block in Game 4 on KD, effectively sending the game into overtime.

The series might very well hinge on Marion's ability to disrupt Lebron's drives into the lane and deny entry passes. This will be no easy task, however. WhileDerrick Rose may have won his first MVP this season, LeBron has actually been playing like one this postseason.

Power forward: Dirk Nowitzki vs. Chris Bosh

Advantage: Dallas. Props to Chris Bosh for playing so well despite that massive chip sitting on his shoulder. In light of all the criticism and jokes that Bosh has endured for essentially being a third wheel to James and Wade, he has actually produced at a very high level. Maybe Carlos Boozer should have considered that he actually had to play defense on this guy before calling him out.

Regardless, Dirk has simply been unstoppable in the 2011 playoffs, playing at an MVP level and making seemingly impossible shots in clutch situations. Defensively, Bosh has never been known as a stopper, so he definitely will need help from LeBron to contain Nowitzki.

Boxing out Tyson Chandler will pose a formidable challenge for the Heat.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Center: Tyson Chandler vs. Joel Anthony

Advantage: Dallas. Just as the length and athleticism of the Bulls' frontcourt were an issue for the Heat in the Conference Semifinals, it will also be an issue in the final round.

Chandler is a monster on the offensive glass for the Mavs, averaging almost four offensive rebounds per game through 15 playoff games this year. This will create multiple second looks for his team. He is also a very agile, solid finisher at the rim, and will consistently challenge shots at the defensive end.

Anthony can also change the game on the defensive end, but he makes little to no impact on the other side of the court.

Bench: Jason Terry, J.J. Barea, Peja Stojakovic vs. Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller

Advantage: Dallas. Much of Dallas' postseason success has been due to their ability to spread the floor and knock down the three ball, highlighted by the three-point barrage that they used to knock out the Lakers in Game 4 of that series. Terry has been great in fourth quarters, Barea has been causing headaches for opponents with his ability to penetrate the lane at will, and Stojakovic is tough to stop if he gets hot.

For the Heat, Haslem hasn't been doing that much on offense, but he has brought a much-needed toughness to the Heat and he will probably be instrumental in the team's defense against Nowitzki. Miller has also woken up as of late, emerging as a perimeter threat for the Heat. Better late than never.

Could this be the year for Dirk and J Kidd to finally get their rings?
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

However, the depth of Dallas' bench is what makes them such a dangerous team, and they are simply deeper than the Heat.

Overall prediction: Dallas in 6. The popular pick for NBA champion this year is the Miami Heat, both because of the tremendous momentum that they seem to have and their home court advantage due to being a higher seed. However, I think the heavy minutes that the Big 3 have been playing for Miami because of their lack of bench depth will catch up to them.

Also, Dallas won in two regular season matchups. Why? Because although the Big 3 showed up, the rest of the team didn't. Dallas showed a strong effort across the board, with many of their bench players having significant roles in those two wins.

Dallas will find a way to steal one of the first two games of the series in Miami, and from there it will be an scrappy, physical series. Unlike 2006, these two teams are now both legitimate powerhouses that belong in the Finals. LeBron will win many championship rings with the Heat when all is said and done. Just not this year.

NBA Playoffs 2011: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Series Analysis

2011-05-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Midway through the conference semifinals of this year's NBA Playoffs, I questioned whether destiny was intervening and bringing two old nemesis' together for a finals rematch. As it turns out, that was exactly what destiny had in mind as Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat will meet Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, five years after the former beat the latter by recovering from a 2-0 deficit and winning four straight. This series will be Dirk's shot at playoff redemption, as that series haunts his legacy to no end. Meanwhile, the Heat's LeBron James, so criticized throughout his career for never winning a title, will be seeking to finally silence his critics by hoisting his first championship trophy. One of these great players will finally win a ring after years of playoff disappointment. The other will see his season end with him still searching.

The Dallas Mavericks won the season series against the Heat 2-0, but after the Heat eliminated two straight teams that they were a combined 1-6 against in the regular season, it's hard to put much stock in those results. Here is my analysis of the matchup between the East's champion and the West's champion.

The Case for the Mavericks

Dirk. Dirk. And Dirk again. With the possible exception of LeBron James, Dirk has been the best player in this year's playoffs. He is averaging 28.4 PPG and shooting over 51 percent. With his near automatic perimeter shooting, three-point shot and greatly improved post game coupled with a 7'0" frame, Dirk is perhaps the toughest man in the league to defend. The Heat really don't have a good matchup for him. Bosh may guard him some, but then the Heat have to worry about foul trouble for their third best player. It's likely James and Udonis Haslem will be on him as well. And while Heat fans remember the solid job that Haslem did on Dirk in the 2006 finals, Dirk is a much improved player than he was then. I wouldn't necessarily bet on a repeat performance by Haslem. The Mavericks will be the most explosive offensive team the Heat have faced in the postseason. The Mavs are averaging 99.6 PPG as a team while shooting an impressive 46 percent from the field.

But they are not just an offensive juggernaut, as their defense is good as well. They are allowing 92.3 PPG and 44 percent shooting against, which are not bad numbers. Jason Kidd has played exceptionally well, both in terms of running the offense and playing tight defense. Plus, Tyson Chandler is very active under the basket and could give the Heat problems on drives in the paint. With great role players like J.J. Barea and Jason Terry, the Mavs have one of the league's deepest teams. Finally, the Mavericks are very adept at playing zone defense, which has given the Heat problems at stretches this season.

The Case Against the Mavericks

They won't have home-court advantage in the series. Granted, they have won their last five straight playoff road games, but since 1990, the team without home court in the finals has won the series only 24 percent of the time. The Mavericks also have a similar problem that the Bullsfaced in the conference finals: Three of the four best players in the series will be wearing Heat jerseys. Unless, Dirk just dominates the Heat and is the best player on the floor for all seven games, it will be hard to overcome the Heat's Big Three. The Mavericks also have one key problem in their matchup with the Heat: They are primarily a perimeter shooting team. Great defensive team versus perimeter oriented team is not usually a good mix for the shooters of the latter, and guys like Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry are going to have to find a way to shoot a high percentage against the Heat's tough defense.

One of the big advantages the Bulls had in their series against the Heat was rebounding. The Bulls were an excellent rebounding team, and their crashing of the boards gave the Heat problems. The Mavericks are only the 12th best rebounding team in the postseason, which is the worst of any team the Heat has yet faced. Their defense is also solid, but compared to the type of rough and tumble, points-at-an-absolute-minimum defenses that the Heat have just seen from the Bulls, Celtics and 76ers, the Mavs D is not quite as intimidating. Case in point: One of the reasons the Thunder lost the series against the Mavericks was due to their poor perimeter shooting. They took too many jumpshots when they should have been attacking the basket. The Mavs defense gave up 66 percent shooting in the paint, which is surprising considering the presence of Chandler. If the Mavs give up 60+ percent shooting to Wade, James and Bosh in the paint they have no chance.

The Case for the Heat

Defense, defense, defense. The Heat have the better defense between the two teams. The Heat also boasts three of the four best players in the series. From a matchup standpoint, the Mavericks have no real answers for James or Wade. Shawn Marion will probably defend James, while DeShawn Stevenson will check Wade, but neither of those players will be able to really contain either in this series. The Heat will also have home-court advantage in the finals. Since the finals converted to the 2-3-2 format in 1985, teams with home court in the finals win the series 73 percent of the time. It also helps that the Mavericks are not structured in a way that can exploit the Heat's weaknesses.

The Bulls had a strong inside game and rebounding to give the Heat problems in the paint, but the Mavs are basically a jump shooting team. They have no real inside presence that they seek offense or interior toughness from. Chandler will score on ally-oops and putbacks, but he is not a central figure in their offense. Dirk will be Dirk, but the rest of the Mavs are very streaky and seem unlikely to carry the team to victory in the series without a heroic effort from Dirk. The Mavericks' interior defense has been quite porous at times in the postseason, so expect that to come into play if James, Wade and Bosh are aggressive driving to the basket. LeBron and the Heat have been listening all year from critics, pundits and assorted talking heads about why they cannot win, will not win or don't deserve to win. James wants to quiet his critics once and for all. He will not want to be denied.

The Case Against the Heat

Dirk will be a tough cover. The Heat really have no great matchup against him, and if he's hitting his shots, he makes the fact that the Heat play great defense a moot point. The Heat have had their problems with zone defenses and the Mavs have taken the Heat out of their offense with it this season. Granted, these two teams have not played since January (even the staunchest Heat critic has to admit they are better now than they were then), but they have given the Heat problems. The Heat is a great defensive team, but when the Mavericks are hitting their shots, they are unguardable. Jason Kidd is not as explosive as the two previous point guards the Heat vanquished, but he is more savvy and experienced, and that could translate very well against the Heat's weakest position on the floor. If they get out and run they can be deadly from long-range. They sport solid shooters at nearly all positions. Dirk remembers what occurred in 2006 and wants redemption. If he and his team play inspired basketball (which they very likely will), they will have an excellent shot at winning the series.

Final Analysis

The battle of the two players with everything in the world to prove. LeBron wants to finally show that he is not just a guy who fills up a stat sheet, but that he is indeed a winner. Meanwhile, Dirk has played like a man on a mission the entire postseason and wants to finally wipe the bitter taste of the '06 finals out of his mouth and prove that he is a champion as well. LeBron has more to lose in terms of public image from failure in this series, but Dirk and Jason Kidd could be looking at their last chance to win a title as they have been in the league longer.

Verdict

In an article I wrote back in October 2010, I said that there were only two possible endings to the Miami Heat's season this year: "They would lose the conference finals or they would win the NBA Finals." I see no reason to go back on that prediction now. The Mavericks are a great team and no lead will be safe in any game since both of these teams have shown an incredible resiliency and championship determination throughout the postseason. Not to mention the spectre of "Dirk's Revenge" hanging over the proceedings. But I just can't bet against LeBron James and home-court advantage in the finals. Unless Dirk simply dominates the Heat for 42-plus PPG throughout the series, I can't see James being denied his first ring. The Heat have overcome so much this season to be champions—injuries, universal hatred, media scrutiny, criticism left and right, mocking, etc.—I can't see them not doing it again and overcoming their last obstacle to a title in the Mavericks.

2011-05-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

It had to happen sometime this season. At one time or another, the Miami Heat's oft-injured and inconsistent bench would have to provide some support if the team wanted to achieve its goal of winning a title. Even making it as far as the conference finals would need significant support from a player or two off the bench, just as a means to give the big three some help on the offensive and defensive ends.

James Jones one night. A few Mario Chalmers sightings. The triumphant return of Udonis Haslem. Mike Miller's return to Earth.

Disgustingly inconsistent for the entirety of the season, the Heat's bench has proved to be more detrimental than beneficial at times. Through the postseason thus far, Jones is averaging the most points per game with a little less than seven. However, Jones has been substituted for Miller in the Heat's series against the Bulls for rebounding, hustling and defense rather than for offensive purposes.

At times, coach Erik Spoelstra seemed to be reaching for an answer when it came to picking players off the bench to play. Prior to getting Haslem back in Game 2 of the conference finals, Spoelstra turned to the likes of Juwan Howard and Jamaal Magloire, who had not been given significant minutes in a meaningful game in months, for answers in the middle.

They left more questions than answers.

As inconsistent as the Heat's bench has been, we have seen its best in the postseason. They might not be able to consistently pour in 10 points and a couple of rebounds and assists every game, but they will seemingly step up in moments where the team needs them most. Miller, Jones and Chalmers have all provided the Heat with answers during dire moments of close games.

For examples, take a look at James Jones and his 25 points in the Heat's Game 1, nine-point victory over Boston. Or Chalmers and his 20 points in the Heat's series-clinching victory against Philadelphia. Haslem and his 13 points and five rebounds were key in the Heat's Game 2 road victory against the Chicago Bulls, and most recently Mike Miller had 12 points and nine rebounds in Miami's Game 4 overtime victory against Chicago.

On each occasion, the Heat could have easily given up a victory if not for the support from their bench. All season long, Miami would have to relinquish victories because it couldn't find a player to provide some support alongside the efforts of the big three. Playing without Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller hurt, but playing with James Jones, Mario Chalmers and the myriad of centers would sometimes hurt even more.

For as talented a trio as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh form, they couldn't do it all on their own. It was extremely detrimental to the team when any of these players would attract a double-team and kick out to the open man only to see him miss an easy opportunity for two or three points.

Whether it was the shooters not being able to shoot or the men in the middle playing the part of statues, the big three were suffering because of their supporting cast. Throughout the regular season, Miami struggled because its open players weren't finishing the shots that they were brought in for. Now that we are in the postseason, these players are beginning to thrive, and it's the reason why Miami has advanced so far.

Chalmers is beginning to feature himself as more of a positive than a negative, and the return of Haslem has strengthened the defense and rebounding. Perhaps the most significant sign of progress was Miller's Game 4 against the Bulls, where he scored 12 points and grabbed nine boards. On a night where Wade couldn't get anything going, Miller was there to pick up the pieces by providing enough support to help the Heat win it in overtime.

Unfortunately for the Heat, they probably won't see their team at full strength this season considering Miller is still suffering from various injuries and Haslem is still rehabbing an injury he suffered in November. However, just receiving any help from at least one of these players is significant to a team where three players score 80 percent of the team's points on any given night.

The Heat have done well for a team that has been without its sixth and seventh men for nearly the entire season and most of the postseason, but they'll need those two now if they want to finish off the Chicago Bulls and then compete with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. With three of the top players in the game already in the starting lineup, Miami will still need at least one or two players to step up.

Haslem and Miller have been key components of the Heat's recent success. Their hustle and effort have been a necessity in the Heat's series against the Bulls, and it will be even more if they advance to play the Mavericks. If Miller can also maintain his newly found jump shot, it would space the floor and help his teammates find easier opportunities to score.

We know Haslem is one of the most consistent players on the team, so the most to worry about him is monitoring his minutes and making sure that he doesn't do anything to hurt himself. He could play the part as the most important player on the team thanks to his defense on Dirk Nowitzki. In the 2006 NBA Finals, Haslem held Nowitzki to 39 percent shooting, and he is very well possible of performing the same feat again.

With Udonis and Mike back, the Heat can now look towards a deeper bench with Chalmers, Jones and possibly Erick Dampier to play against Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood as well. They'll need to come alive and provide all the support that the team can use if they want to beat a team as deep as the Mavericks.

For now though, we'll enjoy the Heat's bench actually providing some support and willing the Heat to victories. If Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem are ready to consistently perform, then this team just became a lot more dangerous than anyone could ever have imagined.

Late James magic pushes Heat past Bulls

2011-05-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, May 18, 2011 (Reuters) — LeBron James produced some more fourth-quarter magic to propel the Miami Heat to a scrappy 85-75 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, evening their NBA Eastern Conference final at a game each.

Miami Heat's LeBron James (L) tries to get past Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose during Game 2 of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals playoff basketball game in Chicago, May 18, 2011. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes

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Dead-locked at 73-73 late in the fourth and the Bulls on the charge, James took over, scoring nine of Miami's final 12 points to earn the Heat a split in the Windy City.

The best-of-seven series moves to South Beach for Games Three and Four on Sunday and Tuesday.

James finished with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds while Dwyane Wade contributed 24 points and nine boards.

Chris Bosh, the other member of the Miami's big three, chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Chicago got 21 points from Derrick Rose but the NBA's most valuable player had little help, Luol Deng the only other member of the Bulls to hit double figures with 13 points.

NBA Playoffs: Chicago Bulls lock horns with Miami Heat

2011-05-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA: The Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 93-73 in Game 6 of their NBA Playoffs second round and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will face Miami Heat.

Derrick Rose. Courtesy: Getty Images
It was the NBA’s MVP Derrick Rose who had yet another sparkling night where he scored 19 points and 12 assists to play an essential role in the victory. He was no short of support as Carlos Boozer outperformed him with 23 points as Chicago Bulls built a huge lead in the first quarter that they kept for the whole game.
The Chicago Bulls have made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since Michael Jordon took them into the finals in 1998.

Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks - Game Six. Courtesy: Getty Images
Ever since that golden era of 1990s, Chicago Bulls had lost its steam and registered three consecutive seasons with 60 or more losses but a new and talented team has now got what it takes to be among the top sides.
They were the best regular season team and had achieved more victories than even Miami Heat who they will face on Sunday in Chicago in the Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Derrick Rose once again showed why he is the MVP as he was everywhere with his assists and points to give Bulls control of the game right from the initial minutes.
Luol Deng had 13 points as well 5 assists, Joakim Noah hit 11 points as well as three blocks while Omer Asik chipped in with two swats of his own.

Derrick Rose, Zaza Pachulia. Courtesy: Reuters
Atlanta Hawks did try to stretch the series to Game 7 but it wasn’t their night at all as Chicago Bulls maintained a 10-point lead till halfway stage with the score at 45-35.
Chicago Bulls then added another 10 points in the overall lead during the final two quarters to clinch the game 97-73 and with it the series by 4-2.

Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks - Game Six. Courtesy: Getty Images
For Atlanta Hawks, Joe Johnson led the way with 19 points; Josh Smith scored 18 points as no other player could score in double figures.

Michael Bisping “Disappointed” in Chael Sonnen’s Suspension, Ready to Fight Again Soon

2011-05-19T23:02:00.001-07:00

Michael Bisping was in line to coach The Ultimate Fighter 14 opposite fellow contender Chael Sonnen before squaring off for a shot at the middleweight title, but those plans were dashed by Wednesday’s news that Sonnen’s suspension in California would continue indefinitely.

“I’m disappointed,” Bisping told MMA Fighting. “It’s a shame for the guy. I really do feel for him. We’re all human beings; we all make mistakes. He’s being punished, and OK, he’s made some very, very bad decisions lately, but no one’s perfect — I’m certainly not perfect — and I feel for the guy…He’s an exciting fighter, and I think it’s a shame for him; it’s a shame for mixed martial arts.”

With Sonnen out and Nate Marquardt dropping to welterweight, Bisping is waiting to hear from the UFC on whether he’ll still coach TUF and who he’ll be facing next, but wants to return to the Octagon as soon as possible.

“I’m sitting by the phone, waiting for a call from the UFC. I’m very, very eager to know when I’m going to fight again or whether I’m going to coach The Ultimate Fighter. I’m not sure what’s happening, but I’m very, very eager. I still have been training for a while. I love to fight and I can’t wait to fight again.”

Strikeforce’s Tim Kennedy became the latest fighter to call out Bisping in an exchange on Twitter on Wednesday.

Would you like to see Kennedy cross over to face Bisping, and should they be coaches on TUF 14, which features bantamweights and featherweights?