The Indiana Pacers gave the Miami Heat some trouble in last year’s playoffs, taking a 2-1 lead in the series and holding a double-digit lead in the third quarter of Game 4 before Miami rallied to win the game and then the series in six. Miami is a heavy favorite again this year and opened as a 7.5-point favorite for Wednesday’s Game 1 on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel stressed early this week that he meant no disrespect to the Miami Heat in his postgame comments Saturday night and took to South Florida radio to clear the air. In the wake of the Pacers eliminating the New York Knicks in Saturday’s Game 6 of that Eastern Conference semifinal series, Vogel said: “This is not about getting back at Miami. You’re in the final four, you’re competing for a championship, you’re competing for a championship. And they’re just the next team that’s in our way. And that’s how we’re approaching it.”

That comment stirred the emotions of LeBron James, who saw it as an insult to their champion status and 66-win season.

“We’re not just another team,” James said. “He said we’re just another team in their way. We’re a great team. If we’re just another team, you really don’t prepare for just another team. You have to prepare for us.”

Miami’s Chris Bosh got hurt after playing just 16 minutes of Game 1 of the Miami-Indiana second-round series in 2012, badly straining an abdominal muscle when he reached past Hibbert for a fierce dunk. He missed the remainder of the series.

“To be able to have a chance to compete against these guys, I didn’t get the chance last time,” Bosh said. “I felt last year that I could have really made an imprint on the series. And it’s funny how things come back around. I’m going to get another shot. So I’m just thankful to be healthy and be able to play and we’ll see what happens.”

Pacers forward David West is expected to play Game 1 despite an injured right leg. Team doctors held West out of Monday’s practice with what coach Frank Vogel described as a calf strain or lower leg strain. He did shoot around with his teammates after practice ended. Indiana is making its first conference finals appearance since 2004.

While the Pacers remain a young team around 23-year-old Paul George and 26-year-old center Roy Hibbert, the Heat are brimming with experienced champions and are deeper than last year thanks to the arrival of Ray Allen. On paper, the Heat look as if they’ve had a dominant playoff run. They swept the Milwaukee Bucks. They handed the Chicago Bulls their worst playoff loss in franchise history in Game 2 and held them to their lowest playoff points total ever in Game 4. On balance, the Heat’s average margin of victory this postseason has been 16.5 points.

The Heat will try to space the floor as much as they can in this series. After all, they’re 32-0 when they make at least 10 3-pointers this season, but they haven’t hit that mark in the playoffs at all. Miami and Indiana met three times this regular season, with Indiana winning the season-series, 2-1. James averaged just 21.0 points against the Pacers in the regular season — his lowest average against any Eastern Conference foe.

The Heat and Pacers are now facing each other for the third time in postseason history, splitting the series edge 1-1. Indiana won the team’s first postseason meeting, 4-2, in the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals and then Miami won the team’s most recent meeting, 4-2, in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Overall, during the regular season, the Heat are 38-53 all-time against the Pacers, and is 29-16 in games played in Miami. The Heat are 9-37 in games played in Indiana.

WagerWeb.com trends: Heat are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following a S.U. win. Heat are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Heat are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings. Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

And people thought the Miami Heat were in trouble after losing Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against Chicago at home? Yeah, not so much. Miami has won three straight by double digits and can head back to the East Finals with another win Wednesday night back in south Florida. The Heat opened as 14.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

Miami crushed a clearly exhausted Bulls team 88-65 on Monday. LeBron James scored 27 points and the Heat nearly matched a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game to take a 3-1 series lead. Miami led by 11 at the half and put this one away in the third quarter, outscoring Chicago 17-9 in the period. The Heat scored 29 transition points Monday, tied for their most in any playoff game in the last three seasons (also scored 29 in 2012 vs. Pacers). Miami outscored the Bulls by 21 transition points in Game 4, and the Heat are shooting over 60 percent in transition in the series.

The 65 points allowed were only two more than the all-time postseason low for a Miami opponent, and it was easily the worst offensive performance by a Chicago team in the playoffs. Never before had the Bulls scored fewer than 69 in a playoff game nor 10 or less in a quarter during the postseason. Chicago also shot just 25.7 percent, the worst shooting performance by any team in the playoffs since the Hornets shot 24.4 percent against the Heat in 2004.

Chris Bosh finished with 14 points after scoring 20 and grabbing 19 rebounds in Game 3, and the Heat won again despite another quiet night from Dwyane Wade (six points), whose right knee was bothering him again. Wade (knee) was to receive another round of treatment on Tuesday, and he’ll be reevaluated before Wednesday’s Game 5. Wade doesn’t need any additional MRI exams or his knee drained, but the multiple bone bruises are causing him issues. Wade says he will play Wednesday.

Carlos Boozer had 14 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in the postseason but was just 3-of-14 from the field. Jimmy Butler scored 12 and Joakim Noah grabbed nine rebounds, but it was a miserable night for Chicago — particularly Nate Robinson. He missed all 12 of his shots and did not score, plus he hurt his shoulder.

The Bulls again played without injured Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich and all three are expected out Wednesday.

WagerWeb.com trends: Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central. Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest. Heat are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 vs. Eastern Conference. Heat are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win. Over is 4-0 in Bulls last 4 Wednesday games. Under is 10-1 in Bulls last 11 games following a double-digit loss at home. Over is 5-1 in Bulls last 6 games playing on 1 days rest. Over is 4-1 in Bulls last 5 games following a ATS loss. Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Bulls are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Did anyone really think the NBA champion heavily favored Miami Heat were in trouble following their Game 1 home upset loss to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals? The Heat responded by destroying the Bulls in Game 2 in very physical affair, and now it moves to the Windy City for Game 3 on Friday night. The Heat opened as 7-point favorites on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

The Heat won 115-78, their biggest ever playoff win and the Bulls’ worst-ever postseason loss. Ray Allen scored 21 points in only 19 minutes, LeBron James finished with 19 points and nine assists, and the Heat led by as many as 46 points. Norris Cole scored 18 points for Miami, which got 15 from Dwyane Wade and 13 from Chris Bosh. The Heat led 42-38 with 3:42 left in the first half, before going on a 62-20 run. Miami shot 60 percent to Chicago’s 36, outrebounded the Bulls 41-28, and enjoyed huge edges in points off turnovers (28-7) and fast-break points (20-2).

After posting a -15 plus-minus in Game 1, his third-worst in the postseason since joining the Heat, James was +25 in Game 2. James was primarily defended by Jimmy Butler and went 7-of-10 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, resulting in 16 points. In 2 games, James has gone 12-of-18 and 3-of-6 from the free-throw line for 29 points with Butler defending him. The Heat scored 56 points in the paint Wednesday, their second most in any playoff game since the 1996-97 season. Miami outscored the Bulls by 38 points in the paint in Game 2, which is the largest paint differential in the playoffs in any game in the last 17 seasons. The Heat scored 32 points in the paint in Game 1, tied for their fewest in the 2013 playoffs.

Game 2 featured nine technical fouls. The Bulls were called for six player technicals, the most by any team in a playoff game since Boston had that many against Indiana in 2005. Chicago’s Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson were ejected in the fourth quarter. Noah, who already had picked up a technical foul in the first quarter for getting into it with James, was ejected with 10:12 left in regulation after yelling at referee Scott Foster from the bench. Gibson started jawing with Foster and quickly picked up two technicals in succession. Both players were walked off the floor by Bulls security chief Eric Buck and escorted back to the locker room. Both will face fines, and Gibson could face a suspension for lingering on the floor and angrily gesturing toward Foster.

Don’t rule the Bulls out of the series yet as 18 teams have lost a non-elimination postseason game by 37+ points. Those teams went 7-11 in their next game.

Chicago played again without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich in Game 2 and it’s unlikely any of them play Friday even though there has been chatter that Rose could make his season debut.

WagerWeb.com trends: Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest. Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Bulls are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games. Bulls are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Under is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings in Chicago. Heat are 7-15-2 ATS in the last 24 meetings in Chicago.

The Chicago Bulls pulled off the biggest upset of these playoffs with a stunning performance in Game 1 Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Expect a very angry and motivated Miami Heat group for Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Heat opened as 12-point favorites on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

Chicago stole Game 1 93-86 despite playing without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls ended Monday’s game on a 10-0 led by Nate Robinson, who scored 27 points overall. Jimmy Butler added 21 points and a career-high-tying 14 rebounds as the Bulls ended Miami’s 12-game winning streak. Butler has now played every minute of the past 12 quarters for the Bulls. Butler is the 4th player since the merger to play every single minute of 3 straight playoff games.

LeBron James got his MVP trophy from Commissioner David Stern before the game, then struggled to a two-point first half before finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Dwyane Wade added 14 for the Heat, who had no one else in double figures, finished shooting 40 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 46-32. The subpar performance of Miami’s non-LeBron and Wade players left a lot to be desired. They shot just 16-for-45 from the field combined, and Ray Allen was repeatedly roasted on defense down the stretch. Chris Bosh’s 3-for-10, six-rebound evening was a massive disappointment.

The Heat trailed by two points with a little more than a minute remaining Monday when Wade missed a 3-point field goal that would have given Miami the lead. Over the last three postseasons (Big 3 Era), Wade is now 1-of-10 on potential game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final two minutes of games. LeBron is shooting over 40 percent on such shots since joining the Heat.

Robinson scored seven of the Bulls final 10 points, while LeBron was 0-of-2 in the final two minutes. Robinson is the only player in the last 15 seasons with at least 11 points and 6 assists in the 4th quarter of an NBA playoff game. Including the postseason, the Bulls are now 3-2 against the Heat this season. The Knicks (3-1) and Pacers (2-1) are the only other teams with a winning record against the Heat this season.

The only times the Heat have been down 1-0 in a playoff series in the James/Wade/Bosh era they went on to sweep the next 4 games, including against the Bulls two years ago.

Chicago again will be without Rose, Deng and Hinrich for Game 2. Deng (illness) is out of the hospital and resting at home, but he’s not likely to travel to Miami for Game 2 vs. the Heat. Deng has spent parts of the last six days in a hospital dealing with aftereffects of a spinal tap that was conducted to test for spinal meningitis. Deng’s absence would mean Marco Belinelli starts at shooting guard once again and Jimmy Butler is a near lock to play all 48 minutes as the starting small forward. Hinrich (calf) said he expects to get another MRI on Thursday.

WagerWeb.com trends: Bulls are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games. Bulls are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win. Bulls are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. loss. Heat are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss. Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Miami. Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.

The Miami Heat are overwhelming favorites against the Milwaukee Bucks in their opening round series even though Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings predicted his team would win the series in six games. More likely, the Bucks will be swept. They look to avoid a 3-0 hole on Friday when the series moves to Brew Town. The Heat opened as 7.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

After a 23-point win in the opener the Heat won 98-86 in Game 2. Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, LeBron James finished with 19. It was 68-65 Miami entering the fourth. With James and four backups on the court, the Heat needed only 2 minutes, 22 seconds to outscore Milwaukee 12-0 and stretch the lead to 80-65. Ten 10 of the 12 points were scored by reserves Norris Cole and Chris Andersen. Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and Andersen all scored 10 points for the Heat. James’ postseason streaks of 22 straight games with at least 20 points, and 16 straight games of at least 25 points, both came to an end. The Heat are shooting 44-of-57 (77.2 percent) inside 5 feet in the series. They led the NBA in field goal percentage inside 5 feet during the regular season (67.2 percent).

Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which got 16 from Mike Dunleavy and 14 from Larry Sanders. The Bucks’ starting guards, Jennings and Monta Ellis, combined for only 15 points — after teaming up to score 48 in Game 1. Larry Sanders suffered an ankle sprain in the fourth quarter and didn’t leave the game, finishing with 14 points, six boards two assists and one block in 28 minutes. He will play in Game 3.

Despite struggles from Jennings and Ellis, the Bucks still shot 50 percent from the field, scored 23 points off Miami turnovers and outscored the Heat in transition. Yet the Heat still led by nearly 20 with two minutes left. It was Miami’s fourth game in five nights and second of a back-to-back.

The Bucks won their lone game this season at home against Milwaukee on Dec. 29, 104-85. Jennings scored 25 points and Mike Dunleavy had 13 of his 18 in the fourth quarter. Dunleavy also had nine rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Bucks, who outscored Miami 35-14 in the fourth.

WagerWeb.com trends: Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss. Heat are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. Bucks are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 vs. NBA Southeast. Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Bucks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win. Under is 4-0-1 in the last 5 meetings. Over is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings in Milwaukee.

The Miami Heat looked in a different class than the Milwaukee Bucks in their Game 1 blowout, and few are giving the Bucks much of a chance in Tuesday’s Game 2 in south Florida, either. They opened as 14-point favorites on WagerWeb.com. Check our current lines.

The Heat won 110-87 in the opener. LeBron James scored 27 points on 9-for-11 shooting — finishing two assists shy of a triple-double — while Ray Allen scored 20 off the bench as the Heat never trailed. Dwyane Wade scored 16, Chris Bosh added 15 and Chris Andersen finished with 10 on 4-for-4 shooting for the Heat, who opened their title defense by holding Milwaukee to 42 percent shooting and outrebounding the Bucks 46-31.

James had at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in a playoff game for the 13th time in his career. That’s the most 25-10-8 playoff games in NBA history. Next on the list is Oscar Robertson with 10. James has currently scored at least 25 points in 16 straight postseason games, the longest active streak and tying the fifth-longest in NBA history. He previously accomplished the feat in 17 consecutive games during the 2009 postseason. James is shooting a baffling 70 percent over his past 10 games, including 57 percent from downtown.

Since Super Bowl Sunday the Heat have won 38 of 40 games, outscoring opponents by nearly 11 points per game, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 40 percent on 3-point attempts.

Brandon Jennings scored 26 points and Monta Ellis added 22 for the Bucks, who have not won the opening game of a playoff series since May 2001. Milwaukee came into the series with Jennings predicting his team would oust the reigning champions in six games. The Heat shot only 30 percent from 3-point range, plus turned the ball over 19 times — giving Milwaukee 22 points — and still won with ease. Miami only had 11 games with 19+ turnovers during the regular season.

Bucks center Larry Sanders, who has battled back pain in recent weeks and was marred by foul trouble that kept him from finding anything close to a rhythm in Game 1, said he felt as good Monday — 80 percent right was his estimation — as he has in a while

The Bucks and the Heat have never met in the playoffs before this year. The 2012-13 playoffs will mark the Heat’s 17th postseason appearance and their ninth in the last 10 seasons. The Heat led the league in field goal percentage (.496) and concluded the regular season ranked second in 3-point percentage (.396).

Miami won the season series 3-1. The Bucks averaged 96.8 ppg against the Heat, while Miami posted 99.8 ppg against Milwaukee. The Bucks ranked second in the league in blocked shots per game (6.71 bpg), while Miami allowed the fewest opponent blocks (3.20 opp. bpg) during the regular season.

WagerWeb.com trends: Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points. Bucks are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games. Bucks are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 vs. NBA Southeast. Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Central. Heat are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games. Under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings. Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in Miami.

Could the Miami Heat become the first team to run through the playoffs without a loss? Highly unlikely, although the Heat should have little trouble shoving aside Milwaukee in the first round of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Miami opened as a 13-point favorite for Sunday night’s Game 1, easily the biggest favorite of any team in the openers. Check our current lines here.

The Heat are on an NBA-high eight-game winning streak entering the postseason. LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat out Wednesday’s season-ending win over Orlando. Dwyane Wade used Wednesday’s game to maintain his rhythm, and get a running start into the playoffs with 21 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes.

The Bucks closed the season with a 95-89 win in Oklahoma City, but the Thunder didn’t play Kevin Durant and barely did Russell Westbrook. Although Brandon Jennings’ right foot was stepped on Wednesday night by 7-foot-3 Oklahoma City center Hasheem Thabeet, the Milwaukee Bucks point guard should be ready for Sunday. Jennings, who played less than 23 minutes in the regular-season finale against the Thunder, was able to go through the team’s walk-through Thursday.

Larry Sanders (back) said he’ll be good to go for the postseason. There was some concern about Sanders’ back after he missed the Bucks’ last four games. Sanders had a breakout year, averaging 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in just 27 minutes per game.

Since J.J. Redick joined the team in February, the Bucks have outscored opponents by 10.8 points per 100 possessions with Jennings on the bench. When Jennings is on the court? The Bucks trail by 7.9 points every 100 possessions. Perhaps more importantly, the Bucks are minus-36 with the shot-happy Jennings on the floor against the Heat in the Redick era and plus-10 with the chucking point guard on the bench.

The Bucks, who snapped a five-game losing streak with their win over Oklahoma City, were led by rookie John Henson who recorded a career-high 28 points to go with his 16 rebounds. It marked his sixth double-double of the season. Henson is averaging 15.0 rebounds per game since April 10 – good for first in the NBA during that date range.

The Bucks beat Miami, 104-85, on Dec. 29, but that was the Bucks’ only win in four tries against Miami. The Bucks and the Heat have never met in the playoffs. The 2012-13 playoffs will mark the Heat’s 17th postseason appearance and their ninth in the last 10 seasons. The Heat lead the league in field goal percentage (.496) and are second in three-point percentage (.396).

Miami’s 66-16 record was their best in franchise history, surpassing their 61-21 record during the 1996-97 season. The Heat were 32-1 this season when their bench outscored the opponents bench. Miami won its last 40 consecutive games when out-rebounding their opponents by double-figures, including 7-0 this season

WagerWeb.com trends: Bucks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games. Bucks are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 vs. NBA Southeast. Bucks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Sunday games. Heat are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Miami. Bucks are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Miami. Under is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.

Fans in Charlotte who bought a ticket to Friday night’s game against the NBA’s best team, the Miami Heat, are going to be vastly disappointed as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says he does not anticipate that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen will play against the Bobcats.

James has a hamstring strain and Wade, Chalmers and Allen are dealing with ankle issues. According to Spoelstra, James tweaked his leg in the first quarter against New Orleans last Friday. He then drilled six three-pointers in the first half and finished with 36 points after three quarters of work. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter and has not played since. Wade has been bothered by a sore right knee for a month and sprained his right ankle during the March 27 loss in Chicago, which ended the Heat’s 27-game winning streak.

James, Wade and Chalmers were held out of Miami’s past two games. Allen was injured when he tripped over a courtside cameraman in Tuesday’s loss to the New York Knicks. The 37-year-old veteran shooting guard has played through some discomfort in the ankle throughout the season, and said earlier this week that it was about 80 percent healthy.

The Heat’s starting lineup against the Knicks remained the same for Sunday’s game at San Antonio, when James, Wade and Chalmers sat: Chris Bosh at power forward with Norris Cole, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem rounding out the starting lineup. The Heat defeated the Spurs 88-86 on a three-pointer by Bosh with 1.1 seconds left but lost to New York.

Bosh scored 23 points to lead Miami in the 102-90 loss to the Knicks. Mike Miller scored 18, Allen finished with 16 and Norris Cole had 14 for the Heat, whose 17-game home winning streak was snapped.

Miami has the NBA’s best record, 58-16. Charlotte, at 18-57, owns the league’s worst mark this season. Miami’s magic number for clinching home-court throughout the NBA playoffs is four, and the Heat already have the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference wrapped up. The Heat next play Saturday at home against Philadelphia. At some point, Spoelstra will also give Bosh some rest. Spoelstra said the Heat still have time over the final two weeks of the regular season to get into a playoff rhythm. But he also said the team’s priority is to get as healthy as possible.

The Bobcats enter off an 88-83 win over the 76ers, just Charlotte’s second victory in the past seven games. Gerald Henderson scored 24 points and Kemba Walker added 17 points, 10 assists and five steals to help Charlotte win for the fifth time in its past six home games. Henderson has now scored in double figures in 17 straight games for the Bobcats and has topped the 20-point plateau eight times in the past 14 games. The Bobcats entered the game short-handed with three centers — Brendan Haywood, Byron Mullens and Gana Diop — and guards Ramon Sessions and Jeffery Taylor out with injuries. Mullens is likely done for the year and probably Sessions too.

This is the final meeting of the season between these teams. he Heat defeated the Bobcats 105-92 on Dec. 26 in Charlotte, 99-94 on Feb. 4 in Miami and 109-77 on Mar. 24 in Miami. The Heat have won their last 11 consecutive games against the Bobcats and with a win tonight, will sweep the season-series for the third-straight season. The Heat are 24-10 all-time versus the Bobcats in the regular season and 9-7 in games played in Charlotte.

WagerWeb.com trends: Bobcats are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Charlotte. Heat are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.