49ers land QB, take Kaepernick in 2nd round

The pressure was on the San Francisco 49ers to find a quarterback this offseason to fill the team's greatest need.
They landed one Friday night.
Another might soon be on the way.
In the first major move of the Jim Harbaugh Era, the 49ers traded up in the second round to take Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the 36th overall pick in the NFL draft. They gave Denver their second-round (45th overall), third-round (108th) and fifth-round (141st) picks to move up.
General manager Trent Baalke and Harbaugh have spent most of the offseason doing their homework on quarterbacks. While there's a growing sentiment that Alex Smith will re-sign with San Francisco, there's nothing from his past play that suggests he could be the franchise's long-term solution.
Kaepernick was watching the draft unfold with family in Turlock, Calif., and will easily be a more popular pick because of his Northern California ties and strong throwing arm. Kaepernick was so excited he immediately started making the two-hour drive and was set to be formally introduced alongside Harbaugh later Friday night.
"That just makes it that much easier for my family, friends to come and see me,'' said Kaepernick, who was the sixth quarterback taken in the draft. "I know everybody in Reno was hoping I went to the 49ers as well. For me, it was the perfect pick.''
The selection wasn't even the only move the 49ers made to secure a quarterback Friday.
Smith was at the team's facility working out and was scheduled to meet with Harbaugh, who has made it known he would like the team to reunite with the 2005 No. 1 overall pick. Smith is a free agent and his possible return could allow Kaepernick the time needed to develop into an NFL quarterback.
Kaepernick threw for 3,022 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Wolfpack last season but has been dinged for his elongated throwing motion, perhaps the biggest reason he slipped into the second round. He had a private workout with Harbaugh in Reno last month and believes that ended any doubts the team had about his throwing motion.
"I think it's a little bit more abbreviated, but at the same time, I haven't had a coach tell me they had a problem with it,'' Kaepernick said. "Coach Harbaugh was actually the first coach to tell me that it looked good. I think he was worried about whether I got the ball out quickly or not. And when he told me that, I was very excited about it.''
Although he probably won't be the immediate starter, Kaepernick will be part of new regime charged with restoring the storied franchise to prominence.
The 49ers followed up a perfect preseason last year by losing their first five games, finished 6-10 in the league's worst division and coach Mike Singletary was fired with one game left. San Francisco's brass hired away Harbaugh from just down the road in Stanford, handing him the reins to a franchise that hasn't had a winning season or reached the playoffs since 2002.
And inconsistency at quarterback might be the biggest reason why.
The 49ers also showed signs they were headed toward a reunion with Smith when they bypassed quarterback prospects that could've made a more immediate impact. Instead, they took Missouri's Aldon Smith with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round to be a pass-rushing outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme.
Aldon Smith was formally introduced at the team's practice facility earlier Friday, meeting with coaches and the few players in the building. He was set to fly back to New York immediately, then Missouri before returning to the Bay Area.
Although draft picks are often surprised by the team that selects them, going to San Francisco was a bit of a stunner. He first met with Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke at Missouri's pro day, and even Smith believed the 49ers were attending to see Blaine Gabbert - another quarterback the franchise passed on in the draft.
Smith made enough of an impression because the 49ers flew him out for a private workout before the draft. He had dinner with Harbaugh and was even given a 50-question test that included everything from football history to field dimensions.
Apparently, he passed.
"It's been amazing,'' he said. "Five hours of sleep. Ever since my name got called I've been busy. I'm enjoying every bit of it.'

Guardiola avoids war of words

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a war of words with opposite number Jose Mourinho after his side put one foot in the Champions League final with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

Guardiola was asked if he had a reaction to Mourinho's post-match rant about the referees and Barcelona, but simply said: ''I have nothing to say''.

The manager instead preferred to talk up the value of his side, as they overcame a hostile crowd to beat the ten-men of Real on home turf.

"We came here with 12 players coming from our youth academy, we're proud of that fact," Guardiola said. "We corrected some things we did bad in the Cup [Copa del rey] final."

''We played a very good game, team was very aggressive, we won a lot of duels, [Seydou] Keita helped us a lot. We're now 90 minutes away from Champions League final and we're trying to get there.''

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique claimed that his side were better and were spurred on by the fact that Madrid did now want to attack.

''We fought well and had a good result. Now it is up to the second game,'' he said. "It's always the same, they [Real Madrid] didn't want to play at football, at their own stadium. They play at the limit of violence. If you play with fire, you can end up burning.''

Xavi maintained that Barcelona deserved to win and that Pepe deserved his red card for his tackle on Javier Mascherano.

"I just want to talk about football. There will always be decision from referees that will be talked about. Sometimes they go against you and sometimes they go in your favour. It was clear to see for everybody that Pepe's dismissal was a correct decision," Xavi told Marca.

"We got the result that we deserved. We were again superior. We're a team that wants to play attacking football and have fun on the pitch. They [Real Madrid] are just hoping that we'll make mistakes. That worked in the Copa del Rey final, but not this time.

"I don't want to talk about [Jose] Mourinho. I only want to discuss Barcelona. We put in a good performance and it's a fair result. This is a victory for football."

NFL players can go back to work - for now

The NFL is a long way from playing football again - even if players are welcomed back to work with no lockout to stop them.
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson granted the players' request for an injunction to lift the lockout on Monday, ending the NFL's work stoppage in its 45th day but prompting an immediate notice from the league that it will appeal.
And players? They were told to show up ready for work - or workouts - on Tuesday.
Bills safety George Wilson confirmed that the NFLPA emailed players after Nelson's ruling suggesting they show up at team facilities. He said players were told if they are denied access that teams would be in violation of the judge's ruling.
"We have received inquiry from a number of players and agents. We have simply responded and told them we don't see anything wrong with it,'' NFL Players Association spokesman George Atallah said in a text message to The Associated Press. "Players are organizing stuff on their own.''
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said any player who shows up at team facilities will be allowed in and "treated courteously and with respect.''
"As soon as Judge Nelson lifted the lockout this afternoon, a number of my teammates called and asked me if they could return to work,'' Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. "Basically, I told them I don't see why not.''
Others weren't ready to go that far.
"The ruling created more questions than answers,'' said Kyle Vanden Bosch, a Detroit Lions player representative. "It seems like the dust still has to settle over the next couple of days.''
Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, a free agent and one of the nine NFL players who are plaintiffs in the still-pending antitrust lawsuit against the league, said he was assured by NFLPA leadership that liability should not be a concern.
"We should feel free to try to get workouts in and try to resume any sort of normalcy that we had before,'' Leber said.
Things will be anything but normal - Leber called it the "Wild West'' - for a while.
The NFL has filed a notice of appeal questioning whether Nelson exceeded her jurisdiction, seeking relief from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. It also wants Nelson to put her ruling on hold to let the appeals process play out.
If the injunction is upheld, the NFL must resume business in some fashion.
It could invoke the 2010 rules for free agency, meaning players would need six seasons of service before becoming unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire; previously, it was four years. The requirement for restricted free agents would be four years rather than the three years before 2010. There also was no salary cap in 2010, meaning teams could spend as much - or as little - as they wanted.
All of this was in the background for this week's draft, which has a weird feel as teams prepped for picks without free agency or the ability to swap personnel.
Jim Quinn, an attorney for the players, said the pressure is on the league.
"They better act quickly, because as of right now there's no stay and, presumably, players could sign with teams,'' Quinn said. "There are no guidelines as of right now, so they have to put something in place quickly.''
Nelson's ruling was another rebuke of the NFL in the federal courts in Minnesota, which was established years ago as the venue for the league's collective bargaining system. Three weeks ago, NFL attorney David Boies suggested to Nelson that she shouldn't have jurisdiction over a dispute with an unfair bargaining accusation against the players pending with the National Labor Relations Board.
In her ruling, Nelson rejected that contention and recognized the NFL Players Association's decision to "de-unionize'' as legitimate because it has "serious consequences'' for the players.
Nelson even referenced her colleague, U.S. District Judge David Doty, who has frequently ruled for the players in the past. Not only did she declare that players are likely to suffer harm by the lockout, a legal requirement for granting the injunction, Nelson wrote they're already feeling the hurt now.
She cited their short careers, arguing that monetary damages wouldn't be enough relief.
What Nelson didn't do, however, was tackle the issue of the antitrust lawsuit filed last month when the union broke up. That, she wrote, "must wait another day.''
In an opinion piece posted late Monday on the Wall Street Journal's website, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote that Nelson's ruling "may significantly alter professional football as we know it. ... By blessing this negotiating tactic (recognizing the players' right to dissolve their union), the decision may endanger one of the most popular and successful sports leagues in history.''
Owners imposed the lockout after talks broke down March 11 and the players disbanded their union.
Nelson heard arguments on the injunction at a hearing on April 6 and ordered the two sides to resume mediation while she was considering her decision. The owners and players, who failed to reach consensus after 16 days of mediated talks earlier this year, met over four days with a federal magistrate but did not announce any progress on solving the impasse.
They are not scheduled to meet again until May 16, four days after Doty holds a hearing on whether players should get damages in their related fight with owners over some $4 billion in broadcast revenue.
With appeals expected, the fight seems likely to drag on through the spring. The closer it gets to August, when training camps and the preseason get into full swing, the more likely it becomes that regular-season games could be lost.
In a statement, the NFL expressed confidence in its appeal.
"But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans,'' the NFL said. "We can reach a fair agreement only if we continue negotiations toward that goal.''
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said players were eager to resume court-ordered mediation to resolve the fight.
"My hope is really is that there's somebody on the other side who loves football as much as our players and fans do,'' he said.

NFL players and owners at impasse as judge's decision awaited

Four days of court-supervised mediation were adjourned on Wednesday until May 16 without an agreement on a dispute that could wipe out a season of America's most popular sport.

The ruling by Judge Susan Richard Nelson, expected to be made on April 25, could be a significant bargaining chip for either the players or owners in their dispute, according to several legal experts.

But even if the judge grants the injunction it would not result in an immediate end to a lockout, now in its 41st day, as a stay of her decision would likely be sought by the losing side while it appeals.

That could lengthen the legal process of the dispute and affect preparations for the upcoming NFL season.

High profile quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees were among nine NFL players who asked in March for the injunction as part of a class-action antitrust lawsuit against the NFL and its owners.

Their filing came after collective bargaining talks between the players' union and the league collapsed on March 11. The union then decertified and the players filed their lawsuit and a request for an injunction. The owners' lockout followed.

Both sides also are awaiting a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board on the owners' complaint against the since-decertified players union. A ruling favoring the owners could bring the sides back to the bargaining table.

A court hearing also is set for Minnesota on May 12 on the NFL players' request for damages in a dispute with the league over $4 billion in television revenue.

Ultimately, the two sides must reach a new collective bargaining agreement and settle a major impasse of how to divide the $9 billion in annual league revenue.

"We're going to do everything we can to make sure we play our full season this year," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who participated in the Minnesota mediation, said during a conference call on Wednesday.

The comments came a day after the league released its complete schedule for the 2011 season. The NFL Draft is still slated for April 28-30.

Capitals-Rangers, Game 4: Chimera steals the show

When the shouting -- and the taunting -- was over, the Washington Capitals skated away with a victory that could silence the New York Rangers fans for good.

Jason Chimera scored at 12:36 of double overtime to give the Capitals a 4-3 victory Wednesday in New York. Game 5 of the series is at 3 p.m. ET Saturday in Washington.

Marcus Johansson completed the Capitals' comeback to reach overtime with his first two goals of the playoffs -- the equalizer coming at 12:07 of the third period.

Until the third period, it appeared the Rangers would walk to a tie in the series.

Cheered on by boisterous and clearly perturbed fans, the Rangers vented their collective spleens on the Capitals -- and especially their coach, Bruce Boudreau. It was Boudreau who had criticized Rangers fans for lacking enthusiasm and Madison Square Garden as an overrated relic with substandard facilities and accommodations.

His comments became blackboard material on overload.

“Well, the one thing, its reputation is far better than the actual building,” Boudreau said in a radio interview after Game 3 -- which the Capitals lost. “I mean, it’s nothing. The locker rooms are horrible. The benches are horrible. There’s no room for anything. But the reputation of being in Madison Square Garden is what makes it famous. Also, our building’s a lot louder, too. So I mean, they can say what they want, but it’s not that loud in there.”

Neither team scored in the first period, but the Rangers took command in the second period with three goals -- by Artem Anisimov at 4:24, Marian Gaborik at 13:30 and Brandon Dubinsky at 13:47. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Anisimov and Gaborik, the second for Dubinsky.

It also was the first goal in a month by Gaborik, nominally the Rangers' most dangerous scorer. And two goals allowed in seven seconds was a Capitals playoff record.

The Capitals regained the composure in the third period, and they then rallied after Alexander Semin scored at 2:47. Johansson scored less than a minute later to make it 3-2. He then tied the game with less than eight minutes to play.

The Capitals played without top-line forward Mike Knuble, who appears to be nursing a bum right hand. Eric Fehr took Knuble's lineup spot, with Jason Chimera moving up to play with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Knuble missed practice Tuesday and wasn't at Wednesday's morning skate.

Leather-lunged Rangers fans went after Boudreau as soon as the doors opened. In response to his criticism that the Garden was too quiet for Rangers home games, they unloaded on Boudreau -- especially with the Rangers in the lead -- by chanting "Can you hear us?"

In addition to the usual vulgar chant about Boudreau, they also howled "Boooooo-dreau."

Rose scores 36, Bulls beat Pacers 96-90

The way this series is going for the Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or concerned.

"It's kind of both," he said.

The 2-0 lead sure looks good. How they got it, though, is a different matter.

Rose scored 36 points, Carlos Boozer added 17 points and 16 rebounds, and the top-seeded Bulls pulled out another dramatic victory over Indiana, beating the Pacers 96-90 on Monday night in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

"It's always good to win in this league," Rose said. "It's very hard to win. But the way that we're winning, we're just trying to sharpen up things especially on the defensive end so that we can control the game more instead of us having to play crazy at the end of the game."

Rose went wild again, scoring eight points over the final 4 minutes. Kyle Korver nailed another big 3-pointer to make it 90-85 with just over a minute left after hitting the tiebreaker in the opener.

A.J. Price hit three free throws with 23.4 seconds left after being fouled by Rose to cut the lead to 90-88. Luol Deng quickly answered with two of his own to make it a four-point game. Ronnie Brewer added two more after a missed 3 by Mike Dunleavy, and Chicago, which made its last 16 free throws, hung on.

It hasn't been easy for the Bulls after they stormed through the regular season with a league-best 62-20 record.

"Our play has to get better," Rose said. "We have to be more smooth, more efficient, especially on the defensive end where we have to try a lot harder. But I feel like we're going to get things together pretty quickly."

The Pacers hung in even though they lost Darren Collison to a sprained left ankle going for a layup late in the first half, and coach Frank Vogel is "very" concerned his point guard might miss the rest of the series. Vogel said he's not sure that will happen; he had not talked to team medical personnel.

"He's a big part of what we do," Vogel said. "I don't even know what the update is. I just know he was out for the rest of the game. We'll see where he's at. We got two days."

Rose continued to continued to torment the Pacers even though he had six of his team's 22 turnovers, following up a career playoff-best 39-point performance with another big outing. How good has he been in this series?

Well, Indiana's Danny Granger went from comparing him to a "crazy stalker ex-girlfriend" who doesn't go away after Game 1 to saying this after Game 2: "I feel like this was the sequel to the Derrick Rose show. It really just happened all over again."

Rose didn't get to the line quite as much this time but made the most of his opportunities, hitting 12 of 13 free throws after making 19 of 21 in the opener.

Boozer came up big after a quiet Game 1. The Bulls dominated the boards, outrebounding Indiana 57-33, and came away with the win even though they shot just 38.6 percent and had trouble hanging onto the ball.

Granger led Indiana with 19 points, but Tyler Hansbrough struggled, finishing with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting after scoring 22 points in the opener.

"We feel like we've outplayed them for most of the series," Price said.

Indiana's T.J. Ford provided the shot of the game at the end of the third quarter when he banked in an 65-foot heave at the buzzer that tied it at 67, sending loud oohs and aahs through the arena.

But the Bulls let out a big sigh of relief in the end. They realize there's plenty of room for improvement, but they're still in control.

For that, they can thank Rose.

"He made big play after big play," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He kept attacking the basket. They put a lot of pressure on him. He made the right play. He made the right decisions. He go to the line again. We have to do a better job taking care of the ball. That caused a lot of problems for us."

One encouraging sign was the emergence of Boozer after foul trouble helped limit him in Game 1.

"The big thing is that he was more aggressive because he was not in foul trouble," Thibodeau said. "His rebounding was great. He got off to a good start offensively. We should have searched him out more in the post in the second half."

NOTES: Bulls G Ronnie Brewer said he doesn't expect his sprained left thumb to heal until after the season and will likely play with pain the rest of the way. "It's not like it's just going to heal after a day or two," he said. "We practice every day. It's not like I'm sitting out or taking plays off." ... Thibodeau on Granger's stalker comment about Rose: "I certainly don't see it that way. I guess beauty's in the eye of the beholder. He looks pretty good to me." ... Former Bull Cliff Levingston presented the game ball before the opening tip. ... Fans cheered Bears coach Lovie Smith when he was shown during a timeout late in the first quarter. ... The Pacers have not won a playoff game since Game 3 of their first-round series with New Jersey in 2006. They dropped the next three games to bow out in six and did not get back to the postseason until this year.

Adelman out as Rockets coach

Rick Adelman is out as coach of the Houston Rockets.

The team announced that the Rockets and Adelman "have mutually agreed to part ways." Adelman's contract expires on June 30.

General manager Daryl Morey said in a statement Monday night that the decision came after "numerous discussions and careful consideration."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to work with and learn from Rick during these past four years," Morey said. "He is a Hall of Fame coach who earned the respect and admiration of our entire organization during his time here. These situations are always difficult, but we would like to personally thank Rick and his staff for their efforts the past four seasons and we wish them the best in their future pursuits."

The 64-year-old Adelman went 193-135 in four seasons with the Rockets. The .588 winning percentage was the highest among the 11 full-time coaches the franchise has had. Adelman led the Rockets to their only playoff series victory since 1997. His career record is 945-616 and ranks eighth in all-time wins.

"I have enjoyed my time in Houston over these past four seasons," Adelman said in a statement. "We accomplished quite a bit, despite overcoming numerous obstacles during the past few years.

"I especially enjoyed coaching this group of players the past two seasons," he said. "Despite difficult circumstances, they never gave in and they never quit. It was a joy coming in every day and working with such a group of dedicated players and coaches. I wish them all the best."

Adelman accepted the Houston job in 2007 and envisioned building a championship contender around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. By the end of Adelman's first season, both all-stars had injuries that would require surgery.

With Yao healthy and McGrady still hurting, Houston reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2008-09, snapping a streak of seven consecutive first-round exits for the franchise.

Yao broke his left foot in the playoffs and underwent surgery that would keep him out the entire 2009-10 season. The Rockets went 42-40 without him and missed the post-season after winning at least 50 games in each of the previous three years.

The Rockets traded McGrady to New York in February 2010, and Yao played only five games in 2010-11 before he was sidelined again, this time with a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Houston went 17-8 after the all-star break and fell short of the playoffs again, despite a 43-39 record.

The Rockets made a flurry of roster moves in Adelman's tenure and consistently ranked among the league's highest-scoring teams. Kevin Martin emerged as the leading scorer, and the surrounding starters were Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger.

Although the Rockets were always competitive, Adelman couldn't help but think about what could have been.

"I look at the team today," Adelman said in late February. "In 3 ½ years since I came here, we have only two guys left, Luis and Chuck. That's not a lot of stability. I came to coach Yao and Tracy and ended up with Luis and Chuck.

"It is kind of amazing those are the only two guys left," Adelman said. "I told them, 'This is the group we have. What are you going to make of it?' That is the same approach I have to take."

The Rockets will search for their third coach since 2003, when Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down for health reasons. Jeff Van Gundy coached the team from 2003-07, guiding it to three playoff appearances.

Houston's current players uniformly raved about Adelman in their exit meetings with team management and lobbied for the Rockets to bring him back.

Adelman came to the Rockets after guiding Portland to two NBA finals in the early 1990s, missing the playoffs in two disappointing seasons in Golden State, then transforming Sacramento into a perennial contender in the Western Conference in the early 2000s.

His contract was not renewed after the 2005-06, and Adelman sat out a season. He mulled several options in 2007 and decided the Rockets job was the most appealing — under the assumption that Yao and McGrady would stay healthy.

"At the time, I was talking to two or three teams, and this was obviously, the best situation," he said. "Those guys were here. They had won 50-plus games.

"I had three experiences [before Houston]," he said. "At two, I had a lot of talent and at one, I didn't. I won at two places and didn't win at the other. I figured it out that talent is pretty important, especially if you have a unique blend of a big guy who's one of the best in the league and a perimeter player who's one of the best in the league."

Now, Adelman will take time to ponder his next move. He said in the last week of the Rockets' season that he still has a passion for the job.

"I don't think I've lost the desire to coach; I think I still can do it," Adelman said. "This team has been a lot of fun. It's been tough during the season. I tell people that, when you go through it, it's not so easy. But when you work with a group of guys who just won't quit, and play above and beyond what people expect them to do, that's a lot of fun when you look back on it."

Lakers, and Pau Gasol, are knocked flat by Hornets in Game 1, 109-100

Long after the Lakers finished fumbling their playoff opener, Pau Gasol stayed on a table in the trainer's room, flat on his back, eyes closed.

There was plenty to ponder.

He picked a bad time to be more white swan than black swan, to steal Kobe Bryant's comparison earlier this season.

Gasol was outscored by Aaron Gray, outhustled Cheap NFL Jerseys by Carl Landry and reminded to take better care of his on-court business after the Lakers' stunning 109-100 loss Sunday to New Orleans.

"It's one and two, it's me and him," Bryant said. "We get all the praise when things go our way and you get all the blame when things don't. It's part of the seats we sit in."

Gasol's Game 1 seat was the equivalent of a rickety, weather-beaten rattan.

He finished with eight points, six rebounds, a bloody cut under his left eye and some even nastier comments from incredulous Lakers fans as the clock wound down at Staples Center.

"Way to go Gasol. Nice game buddy," yelled one.

"Six points? Come on Gasol. Seriously," yelled another before Gasol scored a late basket to finish two for nine from the field.

And that was without David West, the Hornets' two-time All-Star power forward, done for the season because of a torn knee ligament.

The Lakers had been dreadful in afternoon games at Staples Center, 0-4 before Sunday, which is why Coach Phil Jackson told players to show up to the arena an hour earlier than usual.

Gasol, however, arrived 25 minutes after the designated time. That's a no-no.

It's been a rough few weeks for Gasol, who was called soft by Oklahoma City's Kendrick Perkins in a magazine interview and then felt Amare Stoudemire piling on with similar comments at a promotional appearance.

Much will be expected of him when the best-of-seven series resumes Wednesday at Staples Center.

"I'm disappointed, stunned, surprised, but we were the ones responsible for that to happen," Gasol said. "I've just got to make myself available whether the ball is coming or not. I've just got to be there and get myself active and don't get discouraged whatsoever if the ball is not coming."

Bryant had 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting despite sustaining an injury of his own — a bruised neck after falling into the front row and banging into the metal underside of a seat cushion.

Gasol also had a minor injury thanks to ex-teammate DJ Mbenga's foul, but reporters didn't center on the bandage under his eye.

10 things to ponder about the Heat

1Heat superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who have combined for 70.9 points per game this season, were all top five picks in the 2003 draft. Wade was chosen fifth, but is the only one of the three to win an NBA championship. He finished this season as the league's fourth-highest scorer at 25.5 points per game.
2With the addition of James and Bosh in the offseason, the Heat's overall attendance is up 5.1 percent, which equals about 1,721 more fans at each game. James often refers to his team as "The Heatles" because of its ability to sell out games wherever it goes. His comparison to the legendary rock group comes with good reason as the Heat leads the NBA with a 100.9 road attendance percentage.

3Power forward Udonis Haslem has been Miami's fourth-leading scorer, averaging eight points. He was signed by the Heat as an undrafted rookie in 2003 after playing professionally in France for a season. Last April, Haslem drained a buzzer-beater in Philadelphia to give Miami a two-point win over the Sixers. He has averaged 7.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in his playoff career with the Heat.

4Point guard Mike Bibby was signed by Miami just last month and is expected to start throughout the playoffs. Bibby, who spent the majority of his career in Sacramento, is averaging 7.3 points in 22 games for Miami. The best game of his 13-year career came in 2006 with the Kings when he dropped 44 points on the Sixers in Philadelphia.

5Starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas could be a player to watch. He was a longtime teammate of James' in Cleveland but is having the least productive season of his career, averaging five points and four rebounds in his first season with Miami. Bosh leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game and backup center Joel Anthony averages a team-high 1.2 blocks.

6Erik Spoelstra is the first Filipino-American head coach in NBA history as well as in the history of all major American professional sports. At 40 years old, Spoelstra is currently the third-youngest NBA coach and also one of only a handful of coaches who did not play in the league. He succeeded Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley last season after serving as an assistant on Miami's staff since 1995.

7Riley, the team president, has been the head coach of five NBA championship teams, including the 2006 Heat. He also won a title while playing for the Lakers in 1972 and starred at the University of Kentucky. Riley's father, Leon, was a professional baseball player who appeared in four games for the 1944 Phillies.

8Miami assistant coach Bob McAdoo won two NBA championships while playing for Riley and the Lakers from 1981 to 1985. He is a five-time NBA All-Star and three-time scoring champion. McAdoo played the final season of his distinguished, 14-year career in Philadelphia with Sixers legends Julius Erving and Charles Barkley in the 1985-86 season. Now in his 16th season assisting the Heat, McAdoo works primarily with Miami's big men.

9Just four seasons ago, the Miami Heat was, by far, the worst team in the NBA. With Wade injured, the team finished the 2007-08 season 15-67 two seasons removed from winning the NBA title. The Heat then obtained Kansas State freshman phenom Michael Beasley with the second overall pick in the draft. However, Miami traded Beasley to clear salary-cap space for James and Bosh.

10More than 60 percent of the Heat's roster was not part of the team last season, and Wade is the only returning starter. In comparison, the Sixers have retained four of their top five leading scorers from last season with the exception of Allen Iverson. While the Sixers have six scorers averaging double digits this season, the Heat has just three. Guess which three? *

Nuggets 134, Warriors 111

J.R. Smith scored 22 points, leading nine players in double figures as the Denver Nuggets wrapped up the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 134-111 home win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Kosta Koufos, who along with Smith came off the bench, scored 18 points for Denver (50-31). Gary Forbes and Raymond Felton added 15, while Kenyon Martin, Chris Anderson and Ty Lawson all scored 14.

Golden State led 76-73 midway through the third quarter, but the Nuggets ended the period on a 25-16 run. The lead reached 20 points halfway through the fourth quarter and the Nuggets coasted.

Injuries played a major role. Monta Ellis, Golden State's leading scorer, missed the game with a concussion. Stephen Curry, who scored 27 points, sprained his ankle in the third quarter. He returned briefly, but left for good midway through the fourth.

Dorell Wright also netted 27 for the Warriors (35-46).

Denver's Arron Afflalo, who had missed 11 of the last 15 games, aggravated a hamstring injury in the third and didn't return after scoring 10 points. Nene, who scored 12, didn't play in the second half because of a groin injury.

Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari were out for Denver because of sprained ankles, while Al Harrington was rested.