(2) Miami Heat @ (7) Charlotte Bobcats

(2) Miami Heat

@

(7) Charlotte Bobcats

7:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

Time Warner Arena

Coverage on Sun Sports

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Dwyane Wade

SF;LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List:

Michael Beasley and Justin Hamilton

Charlotte Bobcats Starting Lineup:

PG:Kemba Walker

SG:Gerald Henderson

SF:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

PF:Josh McRoberts

C:Bismark Biyombo

Bobcats Inactive List: 

Al Jefferson(plantar fasciitis)

The Miami Heat come into tonight's game with a 3-0 series lead over the Charlotte Bobcats, as they look for the sweep in today's game. If the Heat are able to sweep Charlotte, their record in the opening round of the playoffs during the "Big Three Era" will improve to 16-2. The Heat went 4-1 against the 76ers during the 2011 playoffs, 4-1 against the Knicks in the 2012 playoffs, 4-0 against the Bucks in the 2013 playoffs. Charlotte is still searching for their first playoff win in franchise history, as they hope to survive at least one more game. A victory may seem even more unattainable for the Bobcats, due to the fact that starting center Al Jefferson is out of today's game with the plantar fasciitis injury he has been dealing with, ever since he suffered the injury in the opening game of the series. It was great to see Jefferson out there on the court battling even though he had to deal with a large amount of pain. In the first two games it was fairly close despite the fact that Al Jefferson was basically playing on leg. There were stretches in those first two games in which defense lead to fluidity on the offensive side of the floor. Hopefully the Heat can end this series tonight so they don't give Charlotte even a slight glimmer of hope that they can win a game and extend the series. 

Miami Heat @ Charlotte Bobcats

2-Miami Heat(2-0)

@

7-Charlotte Bobcats(0-2)

7:00PM

Miami,FL

American Airlines Arena

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Miami Heat Starting Lineup;

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Dwyane Wade 

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List: 

Michael Beasley and Justin Hamilton

Charlotte Bobcats Starting Lineup:

PG:Kemba Walker

SG:Gerald Henderson

SF:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

PF:Josh McRoberts

C:Al Jefferson

Bobcats Inactive List:

Brandon Haywood(foot) and Jeff Taylor(Achilles) both out for season 

(2)Miami Heat Vs. (7)Charlotte Bobcats

                   2-Miami Heat

                               Vs.

               7-Charlotte Bobcats

                            7:00PM

                           Miami,FL

                American Airlines Arena 

          Game 2 of Eastern Conference 

                       Quarter Finals

        Coverage on Sun Sports and TNT

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Dwyane Wade

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List:

Michael Beasley and Justin Hamilton

Charlotte Bobcats Starting Lineup:

PG:Kemba Walker

SG:Gerald Henderson

SF:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

PF:Josh McRoberts

C:Al Jefferson

Bobcats Inactive List:

Brendan Haywood(foot) and Jeff Taylor(achilles) both out for season

The Miami Heat look to go up 2-0 in their first round Eastern Confernce quarterfinal 
series against the Charlotte Bobcats, as they are set to tip-off at 7:00PM tonight. In the open minutes of Sunday's game the Heat were obviously rusty on both ends of the court, especialy on the offensive end. They were down 23-19 by the end of the opening quarter of the game, at one point they were down by nine points 21-12 in the same quarter. Miami started to get it going a little in the second quarter as they out scored the Bobcats 30-19, at one point opening an eleven point lead 47-36 with 50 seconds left in the first half. Miami went into halftime up seven points 49-42. The Bobcats opened the first three minutes of the third quarter on a 10-0 run to give them a three point lead 52-49. The game went back and fourth throughout most of the third quarter, until the Heat created a seven point lead 72-65 heading into the fourth quarter. With 4:32 left in the game the Heat opened up a twenty point lead 95-75. Miami went on to win Game 1 against the Bobcats by a score of 99-88.

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 50 points, with 27 by LeBron and 23 points by Wade. Dwyane Wade had a very solid game as he scored 23 points on 10-16 shooting and added 5 assists as well, he looked very healthy and he defiantly had his step back. Dwyane was cutting to the basket and knocking down his jumper with agressiveness. The most surprising pefromance of the Heat victory was from  James Jones. Erik Spoelstra elected to give Jones minutes to help spread the floor agaisnt the clogging defense of the Bobcats. James Jones added 12 points from the bench on 4-6 shooting and also knocked down 2-3 threes. Jones has been at the end of the Heat bench for the past three seasons. Despite sparingly playing through most of this season , James Jones has one of the best work ethics in the league, as he always is doing a lot of work behind the scenes to keep himself ready to play when his numbers is called, which Jones reiterates in the below post comments he said after the game.  “Coach called my number and asked me to go in there and bring some energy and make some shots, and that’s what I did,” Jones said. “My team won, that’s the best thing about it. My individual efforts don’t really give me much excitement.

“It’s all about winning. If I can help the team win by performing well, I relish that opportunity.”. LeBron James also appreciates the quality minutes Jones provided, as he let known that Jones may be a big part of this postseason push with the loss of Mike Miller in the offseason. LeBron said “I think J.J. is going to play a big part of our success — of how far we go,” James said. “It was huge for him to come off the bench tonight and make the plays that he made. He even had two layup attempts, which is unlike J.J. — a career high — so that was huge.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/22/4071984/bobcats-fly-back-to-charlotte.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/22/4071984/bobcats-fly-back-to-charlotte.html#storylink=cpy

Miami Heat Vs. Charlotte Bobcats

              

             2-Miami Heat(0-0) 

                                Vs.

                7-Charlotte Bobcats(0-0)

                            3:30PM

                          Miami,FL

               American Airlines Arena

       Eastern Conference Quarter Finals 

                           Game 1 

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Dwyane Wade

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List: 

Michael Beasley(ankle)

and Justin Hamilton

Charlotte Bobcats Starting Lineup:

PG:Kemba Walker

SG:Gerald Henderson

SF:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

PF:Josh McRoberts

C:Al Jefferson

Bobcats Inactive List:

Brendan Haywood(foot) and Jeff Taylor(achilles) both out for season

Finally the playoffs are upon the Miami Heat, as they are set to tip-off agaisnt the Charlotte Bobcats in about one hour. 

This 2013-2014 regular season for the Heat was unlike the previous three years of the "Big Three" era. They had to deal with issues they never faced before , such as dealing with Wade's knee maintainence program. Dwyane's maintainence knee program and several ailments which included migraines, a strained hamstring, a cold, and even a case of drop foot, caused him to miss 28 games this regular season. Wade missing  more than a third of the season caused the Heat to use fluctuating lineups, in the process slightly distributing the flow of the team. Wade's absence also changed the way LeBron played his game, which placed a bigger burden on his back. When Wade and Lebron stepped on the court this season together the numbers were good but not great. So this regular for Miami wasn't like the pretty season they had last year when they won 62 games, winning 27 games consecutively at one point. It's seems to me that the franchise being cautious with Wade's health has payed off.

Wade says that he feels much better heading into this years postseason than last year, that's great news for Heat fans. To sum it up the real season starts for the Heat, as to look to make it to their fourth consecutive Nba finals, in route to completing the feat of the three-peat. A three-peat will surely solidify this Miami Heat team as one of the best teams in the impressive history of the NBA. That coveted accomplishment will heighten Lebron James legacy as well, bringing him a step closer to becoming one of the greatest players of all time.

Miami Heat Vs Philadephia 76ers

                 

                     

            Miami Heat(54-27)

          Vs.

               Philadelphia 76ers(18-63)

            8:00PM

           Miami, FL

                American Airlines Arena

              Coverage on Sun Sports and CSNP

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:
PG:Toney Douglas 
SG:Dwyane Wade
SF:James Jones
PF:Shane Battier
C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List: 

Mario Chalmers, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Chris Andersen(all out due to rest)

Philadephia 76ers Starting Lineup:

PG:Michael Carter-Williams

SG:James Anderson

SF:Thaddeus Young 

PF:Hollis Thompson

C:Henry Sims

76ers Inacitve List: 

Nerlens Noel(knee)

Tonight the Heat tip-off against a rebuilding 76ers team in the season finale of the regular season of the 2013-2014  NBA season. Finally the long 82 game regular season is coming to close for the Miami Heat tonight.
It was a season in which Miami didn't play consistent championship basketball, as they dealt with some issues such as lackluster defense, questionable mistakes late in games, and even playing teams who tried hard to knock off the back-to-back NBA champions no matter their record.
 Throughout the season the Heat have dealt with Dwyane Wade's knee maintenance program and other minor ailments, which have caused fluctuating lineups to be put out.
Wade missed a substantial amount of games this season, twenty eight to be exact; which resulted in fewer minutes played together between Dwyane, Lebron and Bosh. With Wade missing that many games, it provided a slippage in the +/- on defense and offense when Dwyane and Lebron were on the court together. In contrast to the Indiana Pacers the Heat all season long weren't worried of grabbing the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. Even though the Pacers were in a embarrassing slump not that long ago, giving the Heat a slight lead for the top spot in the East for about a week in April; Miami lost the lead in the East as they lost 4 out of 5 next games after grabbing the top seed.
With three more games left for the Heat and two games left for Indiana after the Heat's 98-86 victory over the Pacers last Friday, the Heat who had a half a game lead over the Pacers had to win out to end the season or win 2 games, then have the Pacers lose at least one of their final two games to finish the season with the top seed. The following night the Heat got beat on the road in Atlanta versus the Hawks during the return of Wade who was on a nine game hiatus, as he dealt with a strained hamstring injury. Then the Pacers won their next game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. After the win by Indiana the Heat needed the Pacers to lose their final game versus the Orlando Magic and win their final two games, but the Heat lost all chances to be the #1 seed in the East; as they were killed 114-93 versus the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Tonight in the final game of the regular season they Heat will rest Lebron James, Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen, and Chris Bosh, as the playoffs start this weekend on Saturday or Sunday. Greg Oden will be active tonight, as he has missed time with back spasms and a stomach flu since playing March 26th in Indiana.  Many Heat players and Erik Spoelstra have recently pointed out that brutal the schedule between March and April has played a toll to them, which is why a little rest is needed for the players that played a lot of minutes throughout that stretch of time.

Miami Heat @ Washington Wizards

Miami Heat(54-26)

@ 

Washington Wizards(42-38)

7:30PM

Washington, District of Columbia

Verizon Center 

Coverage on Sun Sports and CSNB

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:
PG:Mario Chalmers
SG:Toney Douglas
SF:Dwyane Wade
PF:Shane Battier
C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List: LeBon James(rest) and Chris Bosh(rest)

Washington Wizards Starting Lineup:
PG:John Wall
SG:Bradley Beal
SF:Trevor Ariza
PF:Trevor Booker
C:Marcin Gortat

Wizards Inactive List:Glen Rice Jr. and Chris Singleton

Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks

Miami Heat(54-25)

Vs.

Atlanta Hawks(36-43)

7:30PM

Philips Arena

Atlanta,GA

Coverage on Sun Sports and FSSO

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Dwyane Wade 

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List: 

Greg Oden(stomach virus) and Justin Hamilton

Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup:

PG:Jeff Teague

SG:Kyle Korver  march 26

SF:DeMarre Carroll

PF:Paul Milsap

C:Elton Brand

Hawks Inactive List:
Pero Antic(ankle/dressing out for emergency need to play)

Tonight the Miami Heat are playing a desperate Atlanta Hawks team who are trying to clinch their playoff spot with the 8th seed in the East; as they own a two game lead on the Knicks for the final playoff spot. With three games remaining in the regular season for both the Hawks and Knicks, Atlanta has a two game lead in the win and lost columns giving them a two game lead over the Knicks. Atlanta will clinch the playoffs with a win or a Knicks lost and they own the tiebreaker over New York, as they have a better conference record than the Knicks.
As for the Heat they are fresh off an impressive 98-86 win against the visiting Indiana Pacers inside the American Airlines Arena last night. Before the start of last night's game the Pacers owned the best record in the East, with a half a game lead over the Heat for the top spot. With the win Miami regained the top record in the East, as they earned a half a game lead over the Indiana Pacers. The Heat have control of their own destiny in regards to earning the #1 record in the East and possessing home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Miami has three remaining games left in the regular season, which include tonight's game versus the Hawks, Monday night against the Wizards, and closing the season on Wednesday against the 76ers. As for the Indiana Pacers they have two more games remaining to close out the season, which include games against the Thunder tomorrow afternoon and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. If some how the Heat and Pacers end up tied in the standings, Indiana owns the tiebreaker between the Heat, as they have the better record in the Eastern Conference than Miami.
Dwyane Wade will give it a go tonight in the starting lineup, as he is returning to the lineup since he has missed 9 straight games for the Heat, while he has dealt with a strained hamstring injury he suffered on March 26th against the Pacers in Indiana. After missing substantial time Wade is looking to get in some sort of rhythm heading into the playoffs, which begin next weekend.
Greg Oden will miss his 10th straight game tonight versus the Hawks and he will miss Monday's game versus the Wizards, as he is dealing with a stomach virus, which made him miss the current  two game Heat road trip. A win tonight is important for both the Heat and Hawks, as Atlanta looks to clinch their spot in the playoffs and Miami looks to keep their #1 spot in the East. The Heat are playing against a talented offensive team in the Hawks, who average the second most assists in the NBA with 24.8 a game. Miami needs to play good team defense and rotate quickly to defend the perimeter of the Hawks, which is highlighted by the excellent three point shooting by Kyle Korver, who is shooting 47% during the year from beyond the arc. The Heat are looking to improve to 55-25, as well as ending the season series between the Hawks with a record of 3-1.

Miami Heat Vs. Indiana Pacers

Miami Heat(53-25)

@

Indiana Pacers(54-25)

7:30 

Miami,FL

American Airlines Arena

Coverage on Sun Sports, FSIN, and NBAtv

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:
PG:Mario Chalmers
SG:Toney Douglas
SF:LeBron James
PF:Chris Bosh
C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List:
Dwyane Wade(hamstring), Greg Oden(back spasms),

Indiana Pacers Starting Lineup;
PG:Geroge Hill
SG:Lance Stephenson
SF:Paul George
PF:David West
C:Roy Hibbert

Pacers Inactive List:
Andrew Bynum(knee) and Solomon Hill(inactive)

Tonight the Miami Heat are playing a struggling Indiana Pacers team who have lost 12 out of their last 20 games. After the Heat lost a couple weeks ago in Indiana the quest for the #1 seed for Miami seemed all but out of the question, but the Pacers have recently struggled mightily. Despite their recent struggles the Pacers have a half a game lead over the Heat for the best record in the East. The Pacers have been playing horrible basketball as of late, which has caused some friction among key players, who have been arguing on and off the floor. Their lackluster play was highlighted last Sunday during a blowout 107-88 lost against the Atlanta Hawks, in which the Pacers offense was a complete no show, as they only put up 23 points in the opening half. Indiana's last win came against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday by a score of 104-102, in a game in which head coach Frank Vogel sat out his fatigued and bickering starters. Miami is also dealing with their own problems, which include the constant changing of starting lineups and several injuries to players . Dwyane Wade(hamstring), Greg Oden(back spasms), Ray Allen( stomach flu), Udonis Haslem(stomach virus), and Chris Andersen(knee,back and ankle soreness) have all have missed some time within the last couple weeks for the Heat, due to injury.
Miami have lost 3 out of their last 4 games, which include losses to the Timberwolves, Nets, and Grizzles. Despite the struggles of the Heat, they were leading in the East for about a week until the Pacers won and the Heat lost versus Memphis on Wednesday, giving Indiana a half a game lead heading into tonight's much anticipated game. With 4 games remaining for the Heat and 3 games remaining for the Pacers, the winner of tonight's game is pretty much going to own the best record of the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason. Hopefully the Heat can claw their way through this playoff style game, to grab a win against the rival Indiana Pacers in front of their home crowd; as they get set to tip-off at the American Airlines in Miami, FL  in roughly 30 min. It is ironic that a matchup between Heat Vs. Pacers is most likely the most important game of the regular season for both the back-to-back championship Miami Heat and the East heavy weight Indiana Pacers.

Miami Heat Vs. Memphis Grizzles

              Miami Heat(53-24)

                          @

        Memphis Grizzles(45-32)

                      8:00PM

                    Miami,FL

         American Airlines Arena

Coverage on Sun Sports and ESPN

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Toney Douglas

SF:LeBron James

PF:Shane Battier

C:ChrisBosh

Heat Inactive List: 

Udonis Haslem(stomach virus), Chris Andersen(knee), Greg Oden(back spasms), and Dwyane Wade(hamstring)

Memphis Grizzles Starting Lineup:

PG:Mike Conley Jr.

SG:Courtney Lee

SF:James Johnson

PF:Zach Raldolph

C:Marc Gasol

Grizzles Inactive List:

Tayshaun Prince(ankle)

Miami Heat Vs Brooklyn Nets

               Miami Heat(53-23)

                        Vs.

          Brooklyn Nets(42-34)

                     8:00PM

                    Miami,FL

         American Airlines Arena            

 Coverage on Sun Sports and TNT

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers/RIO

SG:Toney Douglas/TEE-DUB

SF:LeBron James/KING JAMES

PF:Shane Battier/BATTLE

C:Chris Bosh/C.B

Heat Inactive List: 

Dwyane Wade(hamstring), 

Greg Oden(back spasms), and Udonis Haslem(stomach flu)

Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup:

PG:Deron Williams/D-WILL

SG:Joe Johnson/JJ

SF:Shaun Livingston/S-DOT

PF:Paul Pierce/TRUTH

C:Mason Plumlee/PLUMS

Nets Inactve List: 

Kevin Garnett(back),

Brook Lopez(foot) and Andray Blache(illness)

The Miami Heat are set to tip-off agaisnt a Brooklyn Nets team, who have won all three previous games in the season series between Heat this season. Brooklyn has been the best team record wise in the Eastern Cpnfernce, since the start of the new year. The Nets look like a completly different team than what they previously looked like earlier in the season. Miami looks to continue to play good and win, as they look to keep the #1 seed in the East heading into the playoffs. With the recent struggles of the Indiana Pacers, the Heat are in good position to keep hold of the best record in the East, heading into the playoffs. With the Heat being up a full game over the Pacers in the East, Friday's game versus Indiana is high in importance. It seems to me that the Indiana Pacers have put way to much importance on grabbing hold of the #1 seed in the East, ignoring the condition of their players along the way.

As things have gone bad for the Pacers the leadership of Frank Vogel

hasn't been strong, as players have argued with each other on and off the floor. The Pacers have somehow imploded infront of our eyes in a way not seen often in sports. Indiana's play recently has slightly hauled the conversation of the Heat versus Pacers Eastern Finals that was once an immediate thought. Nevertheless the NBA playoffs are on the horizon, as the two time defending Miami Heat look to complete the hard feat of a three-peat Miami looks to end the season series between the Nets with a victory tonight

, to improve the season record with Brooklyn to 3-1.

Miami Heat Vs New York Knicks

               Miami Heat(52-23)

                          Vs

          New York Knicks(33-44)

                    Miami, FL

          American Airlines Arena

              Coverage on ABC

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Toney Douglas 

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh 

C:Udonis Haslem 

Heat Inactive List: 

Dwyane Wade(hamstring), Greg Oden(back spasms), Chris Andersen(knee/back)

New York Knicks Starting Lineup:

PG:Raymond Felton

SG:J.R Smith

SF:Carmelo Anthony 

PF:Amare Stoudemire

C:Tyson Chandler

Knicks Inactive List: 

Andrea Bargnani(elbow) and Kenyon Martin(elbow)

This afternoon the Miami Heat are facing off against a New York Knicks team who are trying to keep their heads above water, as they are battling the Hawks for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Knicks are 11% points behind the Atlanta Hawks, who currently own the 8th playoff spot, as they have two fewer losses than the Knicks. As for the Heat they come into today's game 5% points ahead of the Pacers for the top spot in the East. The Heat are fresh off a disappointing 122-121 double overtime loss on Friday against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. That loss came as the Indiana Pacers lost against the Toronto Raptors, a victory would've gave the Heat a full one game lead over Indiana for the #1 East seed. Dwyane Wade and Greg Oden will be joined by Chris Andersen on the  bench, as they are dealing with different ailments. A win will give the Heat some space over Indiana, as they  look to grab the #1 heading into the playoffs. 

Miami Heat Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

                    Miami Heat(52-22) 

                                Vs.

         Minnesota Timberwolves(37-37)

                            7:30PM

                           Miami, FL

                 American Airlines Arena

        Coverage on Sun Sports and FSN

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Toney Douglas

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List:

Dwyane Wade(hamstring) and Greg Oden(back spasms)

Minnesota Timberwolves Starting Lineup:

PG:Ricky Rubio

SG:J.J Barea 

SF:Corey Brewer

PF:Kevin Love 

C:Gorgui Deng

Timberwolves Inactive List: 

Dante Cunningham(personal issues), Nikola Pekvoic(ankle) and Kevin Martin(sore foot)

Miami Heat Vs Milwaukee Bucks

                  Miami Heat (51-22) 

                              Vs 

             Milwaukee Bucks (14-60)

                         7:30PM

                        Miami, Fl

             American Airlines Arena

   Coverage on Sun Sports and FSWI

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

PG:Mario Chalmers

SG:Toney Douglas

SF:LeBron James

PF:Chris Bosh

C:Udonis Haslem

Heat Inactive List:

Dwyane Wade(hamstring) and Greg Oden(back spasms)

Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup:

PG:Brandon Knight

SG:Ramon Sessions

SF:Khris Middleton

PF:Jeff Adrien

C:Zaza Pachulia

Bucks Inactive List:

 Carlos Delfino(foot), 

Larry Sanders(head),ErsanIlyasova(ankle)    
Nate Wolters(hand), O.J Mayo(ankle)

Tonight the Miami Heat are tipping off against a Milwaukee Bucks team, who they beat on Saturday by a score of 88-67. The Bucks have the worst record in the league with a record of 14-60. Miami struggled during most of the month of March; but they were able to close the month winning 4 out of the 5 final games in the month, the lone coming against the Indiana Pacers last Wednesday by a score of 84-83. Despite struggles throughout March the Heat were able to close out the month with a record of 10-8. The loss against the Pacers was a frustrating game for the Heat, who had struggled to score down the stretch of the game. Although it was frustrating many players in the locker room felt that they put themselves in excellent position to win the closely fought game. Even worse than losing, Dwyane Wade strained his hamstring late in the contest causing him to miss the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Wade has also missed the three Heat games since the lost against the Pacers, as he continues to recover from the hamstring injury. Tonight Wade will sit out his 4 straight game with the strained hamstring, alongside Greg Oden who has been sidelined for a couple games with back spasms. After Miami lost Wednesday versus the Pacers, the thought of grabbing the top spot in the Eastern Conference seemed to be an afterthought. But the Indiana Pacers have struggled throughout March, as they posted a record of 8-10, losing 6 out of their last 8 games in the process. Despite being down 2-1 in the season series against the Indiana Pacers; the Heat found themselves 1 game behind them for the best record in the East, as they were set to tip off versus the Raptors Monday night. The Heat won against the Raptors, then the Pacers lost against the cruising San Antonio Spurs on the same night. Due to the Heat victory and the Pacers lost, it allowed the Heat to go up by percentage points over Idiana for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It is the first time all season that Miami has been atop the East standings. With nines games remaining in the regular season for the Heat, their final matchup versus the Pacers in Miami on April 11th is heightened in importance.