MINNEAPOLIS - Who's hotter than the Heat right now in the NBA? Here's your two-word answer.

No one.

With Saturday's 97-84 victory against the Timberwolves, the Heat extended its longest winning streak of the season to eight games. Couple that with Phoenix's loss to Milwaukee Saturday, and Miami now has the longest current winning streak in the league.

Yes, Miami.

"The same team everybody wanted to count out at the start of the season," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "We're still here fighting. And we're going to keep fighting."

The Heat (43-34) has already matched its win total from last season, and has five games remaining to pad that record and show numerical proof of its improvement this season. It won't, however, reach its goal of hosting a first-round playoff series.

Saturday's victory clinched Miami's second consecutive 3-0 trip in as many weeks. Its eight-game win streak is the team's longest since 2007, and its six-game road win streak is its longest since late in the 2005-06 season when the Heat went on to win an NBA championship.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade kept the fire burning. After scoring 43 points in Friday's victory in Indiana, he came back with 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists. When he's scoring like that, I assume many might overlook the five turnovers. But you have to take everything you can get from Wade, who again turned his intensity up in the second half as Minnesota threatened to rally from a 21-point deficit. Wade wouldn't let them. He kept firing away, going 15 of 27 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. For those keeping count, Wade is 29 of 49 from the field the past two games, including 3 of 5 on threes. I'd say he's in playoff mode right now. He picked the perfect time to sharpen up his game.

TURNING POINT: The game turned in the Heat's favor in the second quarter, when Wade scored 13 points and the Heat outscored the Wolves 28-17. Miami shot 50 percent in the period and held Minnesota to 35.3 percent shooting. Miami led 53-44 at the break and would push the lead to 21 in the third quarter.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: Another solid effort from three-point range for the Heat, which made 6 of 14 attempts from deep. Of course, Quentin Richardson delivered most of the daggers, going 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Wolves couldn't find the basket from distance. Minnesota missed 14 of 18.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: You could only laugh at this one. At one point in the second quarter, Minnesota rookie point guard Jonny Flynn took the inbound pass after a Heat score and dribbled toward the Heat's bench to get as close as he could to coach Erik Spoelstra. I know what you're thinking. That this might be another Jason Kidd-Mike Woodson episode, when Kidd intentionally dribbled into Woodson to draw a technical foul against the coach for standing on the court with the ball in play. But no. Flynn had a different motive. As he approached Spoelstra, Flynn pleaded with the Heat coach, "Get out of that zone, coach." Spoelstra acted as if he didn't hear Flynn. The Heat's zone simply stymied Minnesota. And Spoelstra had no reason to retreat as long as the shots kept missing. The Heat also played zone a lot to help offset the T-Wolves early control of the paint. I'm not a zone guy at the NBA level. But you have to do what you have to do. I don't think the Heat can rely on zone in the playoffs. But as long as the more lousy teams shoot themselves out of the game, why stop them from doing it?

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Arroyo ran another solid show, with 12 points, nine assists and no turnovers in 38 minutes. Richardson was hot from long range. But Udonis Haslem had the second-biggest impact on the game for the Heat. His rebounding was relentless. He closed with 13 points and 17 boards, one off his career high. There were also two blocks from Haslem, who was challenged  before the game to keep Kevin Love and Al Jefferson from dominating the glass. With Haslem's effort, the Heat outrebounded the bigger T-Wolves 48-38.

NEXT UP: Philadelphia 76ers at Heat, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday - AmericanAirlines Arena.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

INDIANAPOLIS - There was a time when it seemed the Pacers just had too much for the Heat on Friday  night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

And then, the league issued its release of the conference players of the month. Dwyane Wade got the memo. And then, he got his game going at an MVP level and showed why he deserved the honor for March.

Wade scored 29 of his game-high 43 points after halftime to lead the Heat to a pivotal 105-96 victory over the Pacers to extend its winning streak to a season-best seven games. The fun apparently didn't end in March for the Heat (42-34), which is one game short of matching last season's win total with six games remaining.

With the combination of Miami's victory and Milwaukee's loss Friday to Charlotte, the Heat overtook the Bucks for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. It was also a breakthrough victory for Miami, which claimed its first regular-season sweep of the Pacers in franchise history.

The Heat now looks to complete its second consecutive 3-0 trip when it travels to Minnesota on Saturday.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: After scoring just 10 points in Wednesday's victory at Detroit, Wade was on a mission to attack and keep the winning ways going for the Heat. He took over this game in the second half. It started with an 18-point third quarter. Wade found his rhythm with a pair of jumpers and a pair of free throws. Then, he went to his highlight material. Wade could have been charged for assault after that driving, twisting dunk in traffic over Troy Murphy in the third quarter. And that was just the appetizer when it came to sweet moves. Moments later, Wade split a double-team at the top of the key by shifting the ball around his back and dribbling through his legs from back to front. He capped the move with a layup off the glass. Afterward, Wade said he was just glad to give fans in town for the Final Four a good advance screening of sorts. He closed the game going 14 of 22 from the field and 13 of 17 from the line. He had nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks. That all-around play made up for the five turnovers.

TURNING POINT: Again, this goes back to Wade. After passing up several open looks from three-point  range, Wade stepped into two huge treys in the overtime period after Indiana drew to within 95-93. Wade's  two daggers made it 101-93, and it was a wrap. Miami outscored Indiana 16-7 in the extra period.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: The Heat held the Pacers to 37.8 percent shooting from the field. Indiana also missed six of its eight shots in overtime. When the Heat is that stingy around the basket, it usually is unbeatable. Miami is 23-1 this season when holding opponents below 40 percent.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Now that the Heat has moved into fifth place in the East, you don't have to think long and hard about which team Miami might match up better against in the playoffs. I'm sure the Heat, and most Heat fans, would like to see a rematch with Atlanta in the first round. But right now, it looks like the Hawks are rolling again and could end up holding onto the third seed in the East. That means, as of now, the Heat would end up in a 4-5 matchup with Boston in the first round. Miami is 3-1 against Atlanta this season and 0-3 against the Celtics. I've gone on record saying I'd like to see Miami-Boston just for the intensity and energy that serious would provide. Wade could be the man to end Boston's Big 3 run. So what do you do if you're the Heat in this spot? You keep winning and let the chips fall where they may. But if slipping back to sixth means a shot at Atlanta and a potential second-round path through Orlando instead of Cleveland, you might just consider resting Wade a game or two down the stretch. But the way this is shaping up, Charlotte will be on Miami's heels, meaning a fall from fifth to seventh is quite possible.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: It was one of those nights when there was Wade, and several notches down there was everyone else. Michael Beasley had a bad start before he picked it up a bit in the second quarter. But he clearly was laboring throughout the game with what turned out to be full-body cramps. He had 12 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Mario Chalmers was the point guard of choice to close out the game. He delivered 11 points, including two three-pointers, along with four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Udonis was right at another double-double with nine points and 11 boards, and Dorell Wright had 11 points and seven rebounds. Again, no one stood out. But everybody did a little bit of something. Not much else was needed on a night when D-Wade was able to do just about everything.

NEXT UP: Heat at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. Saturday - Target Center

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - And the hottest team in the Eastern Conference right now is ...

Yep. The Miami Heat. Believe it or not, the Heat earned its first six-game winning streak of the season with Wednesday's 98-81 victory against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. With the victory, Miami (41-34) moved to within a half game of the Milwaukee Bucks for fifth place in the East.

The Heat also has won 12 of its past 15 games and closes out its most productive month in three years. Too bad March has to come to an end. After falling behind 19-9, the Heat eventually recovered and pulled away from the Pistons in the second quarter.

Dwyane Wade had an off night, yet the Heat still was on. That's because Michael Beasley emerged from that scoring slump to attack the basket for his breakthrough. That's because Quentin Richardson got hot at just the right time from three-point range. That's because the court has become a sanctuary of sorts for Dorell Wright, who has had an embarrassing month off the court.

Either way you slice it, the Heat is hitting its groove at just the right time of the season. The schedule is offering teams that can't wait to get the season over with. That's what makes this stretch so critical for Miami, which could really use these games as glorified scrimmages to shore up the rotation, get some of the second-unit guys going and allow Wade and some of the veterans to work through kinks and hit their stride rolling into the postseason.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: On the same day another dose of nasty details and accusations emerged in his divorce proceedings, Wade went out and played as if he had a tremendous weight on his shoulders. As much as he's tried to play through these lawsuits and this divorce without showing any effects, there are times when Wade admits that he's human and has to take a step back. Wade is now fighting for custody of his two sons. To do that, he has to prove his soon-to-be ex-wife is unfit to take care of Zaire, 8, and Zion, 2. With those developments taking place off the court, Wade took the court and was limited to 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field. It's clear this is weighing on him, although it doesn't seem to overwhelm him. This wasn't exactly a Pistons team that wore him down with defense. He just didn't have it tonight. Fortunately, enough of Wade's teammates did manage to get it going. "I'm not going to be spectacular every night," Wade said afterward. "I can't be. My teammates picked me up."

TURNING POINT: After watching the Pistons sprint out to a 19-9 lead, the Heat took control in the second quarter. Miami trailed 25-23 going into the second, but would use a 17-2 run at one point to establish a cushion. Better still, the Heat used a 15-point turnaround to turn a two-point deficit into a 13-point edge when Wade was out of the game for his normal start-of-the-second-quarter rest. Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem and Dorell Wright got it done in that period. 

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: Three-point accuracy was the Heat's weapon of choice Wednesday. Miami shot 57.1 percent from deep, going 12 of 21 from beyond the arc. Four different Heat players nailed at least two three-pointers, with Q-Rich and D-Wright each knocking down four. 

HEAD-SCRATCHER: You have to wonder what in the world happened to the Pistons. Just two years ago, these guys were in the Eastern Conference Finals. For some reason, that wasn't good enough for Joe Dumars and the folks who run this once-proud franchise. There has been nothing but turmoil, injuries, bad decisions, and a pile of losses since then. Perhaps this is what happens when you outsmart yourself and make change for the sake of making changes. Again, the Pistons were in the Eastern Conference Finals and figured that was no longer good enough. First, they make another coaching change. Then another. They also trade Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson. Another dumb move. The logic behind Billups' ouster was that it would clear cap space for Detroit to quickly reload. So they bring in Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon as their free-agent saviors. Well, how's that working out for these guys? Granted, this team had to make some tweaks to that aging championship team. But you can't tell me the Pistons are in a better place now than they were two years ago. I bring this up to suggest that Joe Dumars probably should be taking more heat than he is. I also bring it up to as a reason to suggest that Miami might want to be careful for selling this summer's promised overhaul so strongly before the goods are actually delivered.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Beasley is almost like a city bus. People jump off and on his bandwagon so frequently that he probably should charge a fare. Games like tonight are the reason why you can't give up on this dude, especially while he's still on his rookie contract. It's also the same reason why there will continue to be trade value in the kid. Because no matter how you slice it, Beasley's upside is just too strong to remain frustrated with him for too long. Of course, tonight's breakthrough came with Wade struggling and Jermaine O'Neal out with a knee injury. That mean there were few other options to take shots and confidence away from Beasley. Plus, the Heat's best run came when Udonis Haslem and Beasley were on the floor together. Beasley was 11 of 22 for 28 points, two off his career high. He added nine rebounds, two steals and a block in 39 minutes. He needed a game like this, especially coming off that 1-of-10 performance Sunday against Toronto. These next seven games are crucial for Beasley as he gets himself ready for the playoffs against a bunch of teams that don't have much to play for. Beasley didn't rely on his jumper against Detroit. He worked all facets of his game. And it paid off. For this to mean anything, there has to be some carryover into Friday's game at Indiana. There just has to be.

NEXT UP: Heat at Indiana, Friday 7 p.m. - Conseco Fieldhouse

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Barring a major injury that removes Dwyane Wade or Jermaine O'Neal from the equation for the duration, Heat owner Micky Arison, team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra will get to say, 'I told you so.'

In some ways, not all.

That's because when all is said and done, at the end of the regular season, the Heat will finish with a better record than it did a year ago. Miami will enter the playoffs a better team than it did a year ago.

And the Heat will have a better chance to advance than it did a year ago. Funny how quickly things change around here. Just a little more than a month ago, Miami's playoff chances seemed on life support.

I presented in this very blog space 10 logical reasons for playoff panic. And then, this Heat team proceeded to do what it always does. It did the unexpected. This team has had a tendency all season to drive you crazy, and then drive itself right back into contention.

"Just when everybody thinks we're down and counts us out, we've been able to come back and prove that we've got a lot left," Heat forward and co-captain Udonis Haslem said. "That's the way it's been all year."

And now, they're here.

With eight regular-season games remaining against teams all out of play contention and a combined 189 games below the .500 mark, the stage is set for the Heat to storm into the playoffs.

Which, based on its M.O. all season, is reason No. 1 why you shouldn't feel too comfortable. Again, just when there are expectations and high hopes for this team, it has shown a tendency to deliver the opposite.

But March has been a month in which the Heat has made strides in distancing itself from that stigma. Miami has won 11 of 14 games to get to 40-34 going into Wednesday's game at Detroit. It is six games above .500 for the first time since March of 2007.

When all is said and done, I've got the Heat winning six of its final eight to close at 46-36. Those two potential stumbling blocks could come at Indiana this week and at either New York or Philadelphia in a back-to-back set on the season's final road trip.

Still, when all is said and done, that would be a three-game improvement from last season, when it finished fifth, advanced to the first round of the playoffs and lost in seven games to the Atlanta Hawks.

Unless the Milwaukee Bucks go on another ridiculously successful run despite a loaded schedule down the stretch, a 6-2 finish should give the Heat just enough of an edge to finish a game or so ahead of the Bucks to reclaim the fifth seed in the East.

And that could very well put the Heat in first-round rematch against the Hawks, with the Heat 3-1 against those very dirty birds this season. Of course, it could also mean a matchup with the Celtics, too. And Miami is 0-3 against Boston after squandering late leads in two of those games.

Even with all of the twists and turns of this turbulent season, the Heat is in position to, technically, be the improved team that Arison, Riley and Spoelstra talked about in training camp. But they can't take full credit for those proclamations because the Heat didn't take the route here that was charted.

The development of young players Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley has revealed anything but clear-cut progress. The improved play at point guard has come from Carlos Arroyo, not Chalmers. The shooter expected to take pressure off Dwyane Wade has come from Quentin Richardson, not Cook or James Jones. The breakthrough season needed from Micheal Beasley has given way to the late surprising surges from Joel Anthony and O'Neal, who, according to TNT folks, has stepped out of the hot tub time machine.

When all is said and done, this team has delivered on the modest expectations heading into the playoffs. Even though it took a different and much more bumpy path to make that delivery.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

The Miami Heat looked defeat in the eye and didn't blink.

Instead, the Heat turned a 17-point third quarter deficit around and pulled off their biggest comeback of the season to defeat the Raptors 97-94 on Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

At 40-34, Miami is six games above the .500 mark for the first time since March of the 2006-07 season. It also maintained its hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, where the Heat sits a game behind fifth-place Milwaukee.

Dwyane Wade did plenty, but this was a night when others on the roster clearly stepped up to help the team avoid what could have been a momentum-killing vibe the team has been on the past few weeks. Udonis Haslem scored 23 points, Carlos Arroyo scored 8 of his 12 in the fourth, and sealed it from the free-throw line, and Joel Anthony filled in solidly for the injured Jermaine O'Neal.

A loss would have put the Heat in a very difficult spot, with Miami already losing the tie-breaker edge to Milwaukee and Charlotte. Instead, the Heat earned a season split with the Raptors. The finish sets up pretty well for the Heat, which plays its final eight games against teams with losing records and all but out of playoff contention.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade was in a fighting mood. Perhaps it had something to do with his dog, Sasha, being attacked by other dogs while the Heat was away on that three-game trip last week. Sasha remains in the vet as she recovers from injuries that left her in need of a couple of doggy casts. The ordeal clearly troubled Wade, who will spend the team's off day on Monday "at the hospital with her." The man had a lot on his mind. And he clearly didn't want to add to the misery by seeing the Heat blown out at home after its first undefeated road trip of the season. Wade had another of those Magic Johnson-type performances Spoelstra has talked about. He finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists, five steals and three blocks. Those numbers helped to offset his six turnovers. Once Toronto loaded up on Wade, he was more than ready to become a facilitator. That opened the door for Haslem and Arroyo to step up huge.

TURNING POINT: The Heat used a 15-2 run that started in the third quarter to claw back from that 17-point Raptors lead. Haslem and Arroyo simply took over in the fourth, combining to score 19 points in the period. Toronto simply wilted away and couldn't make a shot.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: Miami's hot shooting was clearly the edge. The Heat shot 52.9 percent overall and was 61.3 percent in the second half. The Raptors shot 42 percent in the second half.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Michael Beasley's up-and-down play has hit another dip. He missed 9 of 10 shots and had four turnovers while finishing with only 2 points. It had to be a low-point of the season for the second-year player. He said the other day that he was searching for the player who used to dominate the game in college during his lone season at Kansas State. That search is about to hit a desperation point. It's not a good thing for Beasley that the team is playing so well despite his struggles. But clearly, there's too much talent in Beasley for things to continue this way. At some point, he either has to alter his game or his approach to dealing with this inconsistency. Something's gotta give here, right? Right? The Heat is a much better team when Beasley's confident, loose and productive. The team will need him in the playoffs. He's got a handful of regular-season games left to work his way out of the doldrums.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Haslem always talks about how much of his game he's had to sacrifice in order to fully embrace the heart-and-hustle role with the Heat. On Sunday, he got back to being the kind of low-post option he was during his days at Florida. Haslem was 10 of 11 from the field and scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. This comes a game after he matched his career high with 18 rebounds in the win at Milwaukee. And better still, this comes with him essentially playing on one leg because of that severe ankle sprain. Everyone knows that Haslem is probably one of the league's best spot-up shooting forwards from the baseline. That's his shot. Has been for years. But he showed other parts of his offense. There was the up-and-under move at the basket. There was also the spinning drive into the lane for another score.

NEXT UP: Heat at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday - The Palace of Auburn Hills

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

MILWAUKEE - Revenge week continued for the Miami Heat.

After taking down Charlotte a week ago at home following three consecutive defeats in the season series, the Heat finally got on the board against the Bucks. Miami fended off a season sweep against yet another nemesis with Friday's 87-74 victory against Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

While the Heat still lost the season series 3-1 to the Bucks, the victory had huge ramifications.

Miami extended its winning streak to four games. At 39-34, the Heat is five games above .500 for the first time since a Nov. 14 victory against New Jersey moved it to 7-2. But most importantly, the Heat closed to within one game of the fifth-place Bucks (39-32) in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Miami has now won consecutive games against the Bobcats, Nets, Bulls and Bucks going into Sunday's home game against the Toronto Raptors. The Heat, 10-3 in March, also has won more games this month than any other since March of 2007.

In other words, the Heat is rolling right now. And, on top of that, it is in position to keep its good times going, with its final nine games against teams with losing records. Not only is a repeat fifth-place finish within the Heat's grasp, it should essentially be a formality at this rate.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade flirted with another triple-double Friday, closing with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade has been having a "Magic Johnson-type" impact on this team with the way he's played lately. Wade came out in attack mode and made his first five shots in a near-perfect first quarter. He had 12 points in the period after making all three field goals and all six free throws. Then, came the facilitating. Wade piled up the assists, and would have reached double figures in dimes had a few of his teammates been able to hold onto the ball for layups. Wade was flattered by the Magic comparison, but suggested he wasn't anywhere near that lofty status yet. "Do you have another name? Somebody else? I'm just trying to be a complete player."

TURNING POINT: Just when the Bucks overcome their slow start and cut a 22-point Heat lead to 10 in the third quarter, Miami responded with another run to push it back to 19. Dorell Wright was key during that stretch to start the fourth quarter as Wade rested on the bench. Wright scored seven of his 14 in the fourth.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: The Heat held the Bucks to 31.5 percent shooting, marking the fourth straight game it has held the opposition below 40 percent shooting from the field. Carlos Arroyo won the battle at the point with nine points, six rebounds and six assists. He held rookie sensation Brandon Jennings to four points on 1-of-8 shooting. Michael Beasley led the Heat with two blocks.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Just when Jermaine O'Neal had his game going at an All-Star level, he hits a bump in the road. This time, it was a pretty bad stumble. O'Neal was knocked out of Friday's game with what was initially diagnosed as a hyperextended left knee. He sustained the injury with five minutes left in the first quarter when his knee buckled as he drove to the basket. O'Neal did not return to the game. Obviously, he was frustrated while sitting in his locker after the game. The last thing he wants right now is for a knee injury - after all the knee trouble he had in the past - to haunt him now. "It's a concern," O'Neal said. "But we'll see how much tomorrow when I see the doctor." Miami has a favorable schedule down the stretch, but it needs a healthy O'Neal to take full advantage of that opportunity. This is the second time O'Neal hyperextended a knee this season. He didn't miss any time when he did a few months back against Detroit. Michael Beasley missed two games when he had the same injury. Every knee is different.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: With O'Neal sidelined, Udonis Haslem stepped up big-time to fill the power void. He closed with 18 rebounds to match his career high and also chipped in 10 points. It was a bittersweet night for Haslem, who also inadvertently stepped on Carlos Delfino's head in the second quarter. Delfino ended up being taken off the court on a stretcher and examined at a local hospital for neck and jaw injuries. Haslem was shaken by the incident and tried to check on Delfino's condition at halftime and after the game. The team expected Delfino to recover fine. He had use of all of his extremities. It was Haslem's 16th double-double of the season. It helped that he didn't have to contend with Andrew Bogut, who sat out with a back strain. Miami outrebounded Milwaukee 46-36.

NEXT UP: Toronto Raptors at Heat, 6 p.m. Sunday - AmericanAirlines Arena

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

CHICAGO - The feeling was much different in the United Center's visitors locker room six weeks ago.

Back then, the Heat was just coming off a 95-91 loss to the Bulls, a setback that extended Miami's losing streak to five consecutive games. It was the longest drought the Heat has had all season.

Emotions were raw. Feelings were hurt. Questions were asked. Doubt was dominant.

"It doesn't seem that long ago that I was walking down this hall and we had just dropped a game here and went to 24-27," coach Erik Spoelstra recalled Thursday night. "Some people had jumped off the bandwagon."

That was the lowest of the low for the Heat this season. Now, Miami is riding a bit higher. Much higher, actually, after Thursday's 103-74 destruction of the Bulls.

The Heat was so lethal early that all it needed was 19 minutes to build a 30-point lead, one it carried into the halftime break. This was never a contest after Miami's initial onslaught. The Heat (38-34) has won nine of its past 12 games and moved to 2-0 on a critical three-game road trip that ends Friday in Milwaukee.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade has struggled mightily in his previous homecomings. But he decided to take the pressure off himself early in this one. "You always want to play well in front of your hometown, family and friends," Wade said. "But tonight wasn't about that. I stopped thinking about that. This was about team." So Wade took on the role of facilitator and carved up the Bulls' defense with nine first-half assists to go with eight points. The Heat was so precise early that it only needed 12 points, 10 assists and 29 minutes from Wade, who barely broke a sweat this time.

TURNING POINT: There really was no turning point. It was more like a blitz. The Heat raced to a 31-19 lead in the first quarter and pushed the lead to 30 midway through the second quarter. Miami's 63-33 halftime lead was the second-largest first-half edge in franchise history.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: The Heat shot 60 percent in the first half. The Bulls couldn't even muster half of that percentage in shooting just 27.9 percent in the first half. Game over. Done.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson delivered the humorous lines as expected during TNT's special court-side announcement of Thursday's game. The line about Jermaine O'Neal finding the hot tub time machine was classic. So was Barkley's insistence upon keeping the mic in front of his own mouth when he did the first-half interview with Spoelstra. He didn't know to even slide the mic over to Spo when it was Spo's turn to speak. But I'm not sure how I feel about that line from Barkley in the second half, when he said the Bulls were struggling like black people in the 1960s. I know it was meant in fun. But some things you just can't compare. There's a reason most people no longer compare sporting battles to war or make references to someone having an unstoppable night as that person blowing up "like the World Trade Centers." Barkley is 99 percent entertaining on things he says. There is no TNT show without him. But there is the rare time when he might want to think about what he says before he blurts it out.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Jermaine O'Neal is pricing himself out of the Heat's potential pay range this summer with these type of performances. On Thursday, he got 24 points in 24 minutes. He also had two blocks, three assists and four rebounds. O'Neal said this is the best he has felt since the middle of his tenure in Indiana, when he was a perennial All-Star. He's finishing the season much better than it started. It will be interesting to see if he can carry this momentum down the stretch and into the playoffs. O'Neal has made 20 of his last 30 shots and is the timely defensive anchor the Heat needs.

NEXT UP: Heat at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:30 p.m. Friday - Bradley Center.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

CHICAGO - The sights and sounds from the Heat's practice in Chi-Town offered a number of interesting tidbits during Wednesday's workout in advance of Thursday's game against the Bulls.

-Several Heat players felt right at home during the two-hour session. And they probably should have. Miami practiced on the West Side at the spacious facility run by noted trainer Tim Grover, who has worked with Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, Dorell Wright and Quentin Richardson among dozens of other NBA players during the NBA offseason. Just consider it the house Grover built on his hookup with Michael Jordan.

-Naturally, with Wade's high school coach (now a regional scout for the Heat) and several TV camera crews in attendance to interview Wade, the subject of potentially playing for his hometown Chicago Bulls came up. Wade, who has carefully and playfully handled questions about his pending free agency, was again prepared to offer very little. He did, however, suggest that Chicago probably shouldn't have cleared cap space especially for him. "I understand the business side of it, so I understand what they're doing," Wade said. "But it had nothing to do with me." Yeah. Right.

-After initially taking offense to Charles Barkley labeling him among the "Titos" who have failed to offer enough support to Wade's Michael Jackson, forward Michael Beasley changed his tune Wednesday. He said Barkley should feel free to call him anything he wants. He simply doesn't care. "He can call me Tito. He can call me New Edition. Spongebob. He can call me whoever he wants. I'm going to go out there and play."

Beasley said the name-calling episode with Barkley was never anything personal. "I might have said (something) the wrong way. He took it the wrong way. It escalated and snowballed. But I honestly really don't care."

-There was a first for me in four years on the Heat beat. Until Wednesday, I had never seen assistant coach and Hall of Fame player Bob McAdoo lose a shooting contest after practice to any of the players that have flowed through the franchise. If it's one thing 'Doo can still do, it's shoot the ball. He insists he could still average double figures today, at age 58, "as long as I don't have to run back the other way and play defense," he's fond of saying. But Jermaine O'Neal somehow got 'Doo to reach into his pocket to hand over a few bucks after O'Neal beat him from the college three-point line."I tried to warn him," O'Neal joked afterward. "I would have shot like 80 percent from that college three-point line had I gone to college." Responded 'Doo: "Anybody gets lucky once. He lucked up on that last shot." 

-Had a chance to holler at Carlos Arroyo, who said he would not only like to resign with the Heat next   season, but that he'd also try to recruit free agent Raja Bell to play with Miami, too. Bell was released a few days ago by the Golden State Warriors. He has missed most of the season with a wrist injury. Bell played at FIU with Arroyo and still lives in Miami. "Our wives are best friends, too," Arroyo said. "I haven't talked to him since he was released, but I know he can help this team and be a good fit. Wouldn't it be something if we both were able to play here next year?"

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Take 1: Arroyo Speaks His Mind 

It's not meant in any way as an insult. In fact, it's probably much closer to being a badge of honor. But the truth of the matter is this: The best point guard on the Heat's roster has been the one it signed off the street. Carlos Arroyo has proved time and time again that he's the best there is at the position for now, although he might not be the long-term solution at point guard.

Read more on the Herald's main sports site later about how Arroyo stood his ground by standing up to Dwyane Wade during a critical stretch in Monday's victory against the Nets. Arroyo then came right back and tossed that sick alley-oop to Wade to show that chemistry is building between them. Arroyo may be somewhat of a loner in the Heat's locker room, in part, because he doesn't necessarily gravitate to one clique or another. But he's certainly commanded the respect of his teammates because of his passion and swagger.

"I've been looking forward to this moment all year, and I'm just trying to take advantage of it," Arroyo said of his opportunity to guide the team into the playoffs as the starting point guard. "We all understand that winning is the bottom line around here. Nobody should take anything personal. This chemistry with me and Dwyane is only going to keep getting better as we play more with each other the rest of the way."

The Heat had a voluntary workout in Chicago on Tuesday. But the biggest thing the team accomplished was getting plenty of treatment and rest for the growing number of banged-up players. The injury list was pretty extensive coming out of Monday's game.

Udonis Haslem, who missed Monday's game with a sprained right ankle, will be a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup against the Bulls. Haslem has played through all kinds of injuries that would have knocked most other players out of action, so you know this ankle deal has to be serious.

Wade, who sustained a bruised quad muscle against the Nets, also took extensive treatment. He sustained the injury in the third quarter, but came back to finish the game. Wade is expected to play against the Bulls, who indeed will be geared up to shut him down after the heated and physical finish in the victory against Chicago in Miami two weeks ago. Quentin Richardson and Jermaine O'Neal both had ankle injuries addressed Tuesday but are expected to play. The Heat will certainly need all of its key players available against the Bulls, who have won two in a row since getting Derrick Rose (wrist) and Joakim Noah (foot) back from injuries.

As if it wasn't bad enough that New Jersey extended its franchise-record losing streak to 14 games in Monday's loss to the Heat, the Nets took another public beating when CEO Brett Yormark foolishly got into a shouting match with a fan sitting courtside with a bag over his head.

Don't be surprised if Yormark made a martyr of the Bagman Fan. A handful of the dozen or so fans who show up for the next game will be wearing bags in protest. Considering the Nets could play most of their games in a high school gym these days because of embarrassing low turnouts, Yormark should be welcoming anyone who walks through the doors at the IZOD Center. And frankly, with the way that franchise has been going recently, it should be the front-office staff wearing the bags to hide from fans.

With TNT studio hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith scheduled to take their show on the road and broadcast from the United Center for Thursday's Heat-Bulls game, this entire Tito episode should come to a head. Barkley and Smith have gotten plenty jabs in on the Heat's supporting cast over the past two seasons, referring to Wade as "Michael Jackson playing with a bunch of Tito Jacksons."

Michael Beasley only gave the studio crew more fuel to add to the fire with a couple of sub-par performances after he called out Barkley for making the comments. Kenny Smith even went as far as to suggest Tito - and not Beasley - should be the one offended by the reference. Someone is going to have eat crow after Thursday's game. At the very least, there should be a Tito truce. 

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Heat didn't bother with the suspense this time. Miami didn't leave much   to chance in the second half on the way to holding off the Nets 99-89 Monday at the IZOD Center.

With the victory, the Heat (37-34) maintained its grip on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It also helped the Nets extend their franchise-record losing streak at home to 14 consecutive games.

Dwyane Wade and Jermaine O'Neal got the Heat going early, but things didn't really start to go Miami's way until the supporting cast of Michael Beasley, Dorell Wright and Carlos Arroyo pitched in with big-time plays in the second half.

The Heat trailed 53-52 at the half, but took control in the third quarter and maintained a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter to cruise to the victory.

Arroyo ran the team with confidence and even had enough swagger to shout down Wade on a play in the fourth. Beasley, who got chewed out by coach Erik Spoelstra for taking an ill-advised jumper, responded down the stretch by taking everything to the rim. Dorell Wright offered the energy to lift the Heat out of its lethargic start. It was a team win. Yes, it was bit harder than it should have been against the Nets.

But what else is new with this Heat team?

D. WADE'S DOINGS: The bad news: Wade banged up his right knee/lower thigh late in the third quarter and admitted after the game that he lost quite a bit of his lift by the time he returned to finish the game. The good news: The Heat has two days off before he'll be asked to display his heroics again when the Heat's three-game trip continues Thursday in Chicago. Wade was far from his defensive best at the start of Monday's game. In fact, Courtney Lee tortured him on several plays on the way to a 13-point outburst in the first. But that seemed to wake Wade up. He then proceeded to pick apart the Nets for 27 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Wade simply embarrassed his defenders on several plays down the stretch. The one that sticks on the mind was that lethal move to the basket, when he dribbled behind his back, split two defenders and scored off the glass. Wade then shot a long look and smile over at the apparent Nets fan who wore that bag over his head in the courtside seats.

TURNING POINT: A lethargic first half left the Heat trailing 53-52. But Miami got going in the third quarter and outscored the Nets by 13 to carry a double-digit lead into the fourth. Arroyo found his jumper in the third to help Wade and O'Neal. The Heat also suffocated the Nets defensively.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: It's rare when the Heat wins the transition battle against any team. But it outscored the Nets 15-5 in fastbreak points. The best play of the night came on Arroyo's lob pass to Wade on to complete an alley-oop in the third quarter.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: I know the Nets are bad. But the fans in the metro area should be ashamed of themselves for the embarrassing attendance. At tipoff Monday, there literally were as many arena workers, media members and team members as there were fans. As if that wasn't enough, the Nets were working with their third coach in as many games against the Heat this season. Lawrence Frank coached the first game against the Heat. Kiki Vandeweghe coached the second. And with Kiki out of town tending to a family issue Monday, the Nets went with assistant John Loyer against Miami. I know what you're thinking. John Who?

KEY CONTRIBUTION: O'Neal returned from a sprained left ankle to put up another solid performance. He finished with 25 points, but scored 14 in the first half to get the Heat going. His legs were back. Just consider the first-half flush he had against the entire Nets frontline. When Jermaine's dunking, the Heat is usually doing big things. He certainly has saved his best for the season's stretch run. Of course, he's also playing for that next contract. Still, O'Neal clearly has emerged ahead of Michael Beasley as the Heat's second option on offense. He's handled this type of role before. It might be best for Beasley as well.

NEXT UP: Heat at Chicago Bulls, Thursday 8 p.m. United Center

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)