Heat Look To Avoid Distractions
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – When the Miami Heat finally get back to playing basketball in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the team has two goals. One, win the series, but the other is to avoid the noise surrounding the Heat.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said that the team has to make sure that nothing is more important than Game 3.
"This is the absolute threat of the human condition," Spoelstra said. "The bandwagon will sway so flagrantly to each side after each game that it's hard to keep track of everything. And that's where our mental discipline must come in."
For the Heat, avoiding distraction is nothing new this season. Ever since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined with Dwyane Wade, the Heat has been the lightning rod of the NBA.
Every arena outside of Miami reviled the Heat when they came to town and took special joy in booing the Heat's Big Three at every occasion. It wasn't just the fans, the media from ESPN all the way down to the local levels in other cities, have lambasted the Heat from last summer on.
But, it's funny how taking a 2-0 lead over the reigning Eastern Conference champions can start to change the sounds coming from Bristol and across the country. It's something the Heat's Big Three find kind of amusing.
"We understand that as we win games, people will try to crown us. It's bizarre," LeBron said. "We've just got to go out there and continue to play our game and not care what too many people think about our game."
Dwyane Wade, who has already won an NBA championship, said he expects nothing less if the Heat continues its winning ways.
"You understand, that's how it is in the world," Wade said. "It's up and down. It's ebb and flow. What we've said all year is never get too low, never get too high. Our goal is to try to stay even-keeled as much as possible. In the playoffs, you have to do that, especially when you've done nothing but win two games at home."
But, Bosh said everyone needs to hold off on crowning the Heat just yet.
"You understand, that's how it is in the world," Wade said. "It's up and down. It's ebb and flow. What we've said all year is never get too low, never get too high. Our goal is to try to stay even-keeled as much as possible. In the playoffs, you have to do that, especially when you've done nothing but win two games at home."
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
