My 12 Most Defining Miami Heat Games Since The Big 3 Era Began (PART 1)

**ForeverHeat** · 03-03-2014, 04:19 PM

Seeing as the free agency plans of the Big 3, as well as the Miami Heat organisation are not currently clear, there is a real possibility that this may be the last season we see the Big 3 as presently constructed. While I personally believe they will stick together, I think it would be interesting to look back at the Big 3 era, and look at some of the defining games in the greatest period of Miami Heat history.

1. Lebrons Homecoming

Well, when it comes to Lebron and Cleveland I'm pretty sure we all know the history. After all the tears, tantrums, insults, burned merchandise and bad blood, it all came to the fore in this game. The Heatles rolled into Cleveland and Lebron faced his past dead in the eye, and throughout all the jeers and derogatory insults flung his way, Lebron managed to light up his old team to the tune of 38 points. The Heat won, and moved on knowing that the worst was behind them, and that they were starting to look more like a team than a group of individuals.

2. Christmas Day: Passing of the Torch

When the Miami Heat came together, there were arguably two teams that most people thought stood in the way of a Big 3 debut title. Firstly, there was the team closer to home in the form of Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics. There was also, however, the reigning and defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers. Most people expected these two teams to meet eventually in the finals, with a long overdue Lebron vs Kobe match up taking the headlines. This Christmas day game however, was set to provide a glimpse of the two franchises future, with one team seeming ascending to the mountain top and the other already booking a ticket for the ride down. The Heat who, lets not forget, had displayed problems gelling up to this point, and were still in chasing from behind in a three way fight for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference versus the young Chicago Bulls and the aforementioned Boston Celtics. Miami proceeded to take apart the NBA Champions on their home floor, with Lebron grabbing a triple double and outshining the NBA's number one star out West on Christmas Day.

3. Rock Bottom

After a very impressive Eastern Conference title run, during which they defeated their two main rivals (the Bulls and defending Eastern Conference Champions Boston Celtics), the Heat proceeded to blow out the underdog Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA finals. Unfortunately for the Heat what followed was a series of lacklustre performances, most notably from their main man Lebron James. This led to a win or go home game on their home floor, which they proceeded to lose and succumb to one of the biggest NBA finals upsets in recent history. The Mavericks hoisted the trophy, the Heat cried, and the curtain was closed on the final game of the 2010-11 NBA season. For the Heat, however, it was only the beginning. A summer of ridicule, hate, and embarrassment followed, which was only worsened by the fact that the NBA lockout may last for the whole season, leaving the Heat to relive Game 6 for nigh on a year.

4. New Beginning

The NBA lockout was finally solved, a new CBA agreement was signed, and the date was set. Miami vs Dallas on Christmas Day, the first day of the new NBA season. The Heat came in hungry, and desperate to avenge their finals failure in the stadium that started it all, the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks came out sluggishly after the ring ceremony, and the determined Heat raced out to a 40 point lead before the Mavericks even knew what hit them. The Mavericks eventually clawed it back to within 10 during garbage time, but the message was sent. This Miami Heat team was different. There was no more talk, no more premature celebrations or childish games. There was only one aim, and that was a championship.

5. R.I.P Linsanity

Im sure you are all familiar with the story of Jeremy Lin. In one dazzling 3 weeks in NBA history, the kid from San Francisco by way of Taiwan became the biggest basketball story of recent times, infact he was even on the cover of Time magazine (no pun intented). He was on a tear, hitting game winner after game winner, and leading the struggling Knicks to win after win. From the game winning 3 vs Toronto, to the 38 point masterpiece vs the Lakers, Lin had people believing that no matter the opposition, no matter the situation, he could somehow some way pull of the impossible and get the victory. Well that was about to be tested in a way it hadnt been test before. Linsanity and the Knicks came into South Beach to take on the resurgent Miami Heat, with intense media pressure on the game and the Heat under no illusions as to how big this game was, regardless of New Yorks record. The ball was tipped, and what followed was 48 minutes of relentless, soul crushing (if you were a Knick fan, or indeed Jeremy Lin himself) domination. Lin, who had so efficiently destroyed so many other top tier teams, was devoured by the Heats swarming defense. They wouldn't even let him dribble. Mario Chalmers harassed him all night, and when he went out Norris Cole came in, and harassed him some more. Throughout the night Lin went from looking like a super hero, to looking like a semi pro who stumbled onto the Heat floor and was left traumatized. Lin got injured soon after and then moved on to Houston, and to this day he hasnt recovered the magic he had before the spell was broken by the King and his men.

Part 2 -

6. Born From Adversity : A New Level
7. Turning Point
8. The Mountain Top
9. Cruel Blow
10. Good Luck Next Year, Kiddo
11. Shot Heard Around the World
12. Dagger

**Bibby4Three** · 03-03-2014, 04:21 PM

didnt read.

Who cares about the Heats stacked team wins?

**riseagainst** · 03-03-2014, 04:22 PM

cool.
[COLOR="White"]inb4 something negative about Kobe.[/COLOR]

**J Shuttlesworth** · 03-03-2014, 04:23 PM

Nice

**imdaman99** · 03-03-2014, 04:28 PM

didnt read.

Who cares about the Heats stacked team wins?

**moe94** · 03-03-2014, 04:32 PM

lol @ a lot of those titles

**HoopsFanNumero1** · 03-03-2014, 04:40 PM

Those are definitely some of my favorites too. I'd also include the 2011 ECF game 5.

And no. 2 doesn't really fit since the torch was passed in '09.

**imdaman99** · 03-03-2014, 04:45 PM

OK I guess, I'll skim. Which one is the Jesus saves Bran's legacy game? #12?

**Crafty** · 03-03-2014, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by imdaman99

OK I guess, I'll skim. Which one is the Jesus saves Bran's legacy game? #12?

"Shot heard around the world" I guess

**TylerOO** · 03-03-2014, 04:47 PM

Cool thread. Game 6 vs Boston better be in this. After that game I knew the championship was Miami's.

**LeGOAT** · 03-03-2014, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by TylerOO

Cool thread. Game 6 vs Boston better be in this. After that game I knew the championship was Miami's.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=304265

**red1** · 03-03-2014, 04:49 PM

good thread

**red1** · 03-03-2014, 04:50 PM

always great to see a team win when all of the odds are stacked against them. truly underdogs

**Bibby4Three** · 03-03-2014, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by red1

always great to see a team win when all of the odds are stacked against them. truly underdogs

**DMV2** · 03-03-2014, 04:53 PM

6. Born to Flop: A New Level

After losing his chances at a 3-peat as the league's MVP, LeBron decided to take his game to a whole new level. A level that no former 2-time MVP winners or superstars has ever done before. He want to be crown as the King of Flops. His first victim was none other than the man who stole his MVP that year, Derrick Rose, during Game 5 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Championship series. It was the start of the a new era, the birth of the LeBronning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwQoGsv_eFE

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