Pressure falls on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh after LeBron James left Miami for Cleveland. (GETTY IMAGES)

The decision 2.0 was widely anticipated this summer and LeBron James decided to go home to Cleveland.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley wasted no time adding players, he was signing players in an effort to convince James to stay after they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Josh McRoberts was added before James left and while he is certainly no superstar, he is a serviceable role player who can start at power forward, allowing Bosh to play center. Last season, he averaged 8.3 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for the Charlotte Bobcats who made the playoffs. McRoberts wasn’t the sole reason, but he was part of the reason with his ability to pass to the open man and step outside and hit the outside shot (36% on 3-pointers, and 47.1% in four postseason games). Signing McRoberts means Udonis Haslem will be a backup and given his age, that’s not a bad thing. At 34, Haslem is best suited to playing no more than 18 minutes per game.

They also brought in Luol Deng and while he’s no LeBron, he’s certainly not a bad replacement at all. He’s a solid defender and a capable offensive player who can score enough (15-16 points) to be a nice third option behind Bosh and Wade. He struggled in Cleveland last season after the Bulls traded him there, but he’s still just 29 and should be able to bounce back strong with a better supporting cast than he had with the Cavs. Danny Granger was brought in to add depth and back up Deng. At 31 and having battled injuries the last several seasons, Granger may be just a shadow of the player he used to be — 2011-12 was the last time he showed much, playing in 62 games and averaging 18.7 points. Bringing him off the bench is the best possible situation for him.

If either one of them experience injuries and that’s a definite possibility given their recent history, second round draft pick (50th overall) James Ennis (Long Beach State) will get an opportunity to play. He showed some ability in preseason, scoring 17 points twice in their first six games in limited minutes.

So, now it’s clearly on Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade’s shoulders to carry the burden of a LeBron-less Heat team. Bosh was the main offensive option when he was in Toronto and the Heat will look to him to once again be the man. Bosh, 30, was given a huge contract to stay in South Beach and now expectations will be even bigger after the deal he signed.

In his last season in Toronto, he averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds. It was all the way back in 2009-10, but what is undeniable is Bosh is a better offensive player now than he was back then. He has improved his outside shooting (he made 33.9% of his 3-pointers last season) and while he probably won’t come close to 24 points, he should be able to average 20 points and 8 rebounds. His rebounds should increase (career-low 6.6 last season) without James around to help clean the backboard. Chris Andersen was brought back to be a reserve and provide about 14-15 minutes of energy off the bench to keep Bosh rested. Justin Hamilton played in just eight games last season with the Heat and Bobcats and is a long-term project, if he makes the final cuts.

Wade will be the second option on offense and with James gone, he may also take over more of the ball-handling duties, just like he had before James came to Miami. Wade averaged 6.5 assists the season before James arrived and his assist numbers should go back up. The question is, can Wade stay healthy?

And it’s a fair question since he’s averaged just 54 games over the last three seasons. IF healthy, Wade should be back close to the old Wade, say maybe 18 points, 6 assists and 4-5 rebounds. Shannon Brown had a lost season playing in just 29 games with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, but he gives the Heat a veteran backup for Wade.

Mario Chalmers returns and will start, but his tenure will be challenged by rookie Shabazz Napier and Norris Cole. Cole has teased Miami for three seasons, but Chalmers struggled in the playoffs last season and Cole may be finally ready to take his job. Napier is the Johnny-come-lately who will try and show he can make the jump from college to the pros.

Outlook

The Heat clearly won’t be the same team they were with Lebron, but they aren’t exactly devoid of talent either. Losing the best player on the planet won’t send this team into a tailspin, I think they’ll win about 45-48 games and be a top 5 team in the East. It’s on Bosh and Wade to step up and lead the way. And we’ll see what head coach Erik Spoelstra has learned from Riles.

Darren Jacks is a contributing writer for OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

LeBron James and Blake Griffin could meet in the 2014 NBA Finals. (GETTY IMAGES)

It’s not hard to figure out who the NBA is pulling for in the 2014 playoffs. All you need is take one look at the TV schedule and you’ll find the answer.

ABC showcased the Clippers-Warriors opening game on Saturday, and Game 1 of the Heat-Bobcats matchup on Sunday. It’s a clear indication the league considers the Clippers and Heat as the two sexiest teams in the postseason, and potential showdown in the NBA Finals could generate major buzz.

Who wouldn’t want to see the Heat and the Clippers? The Heat are the two-time NBA champs and they have the best player in the world in LeBron James. And If Dwyane Wade’s knees are right, Miami has two of the most dynamic players in the league.

The Clippers don’t have history on their side but, between Chris Paul’s State Farm commercials and Blake Griffin’s Kia Optima and GameFly ads, they lead the league in most air times off the court.

And that whole Lob City thing isn’t too bad to watch either.

The league won’t admit it but it would be a major blow to Commissioner Adam Silver’s gut if the Heat don’t make The Finals.

No disrespect to the Indiana Pacers, who are a good team but not box office, the Eastern Conference playoffs are far more interesting with the Heat in it. Let’s not even waste time talking about the early rounds of the East playoffs because Miami is booked for the conference finals.

It would be a shame if Miami and Indiana didn’t play each other in the conference finals, but LeBron and Co. could care less who they play. The goal is to reach The Finals for the fourth consecutive year. Ratings would take a nosedive if the Heat are not playing in June.

Silver would prefer not to explain the NHL-type ratings should The Finals include the Pacers and the Spurs, or Pacers and Clippers, or Pacers and Thunder.

Unfortunately for the new commish, the Spurs will have a major say in the whole playoff picture. San Antonio should get by Dallas in the first round and should beat the upstart Blazers in the semifinals. Tim Duncan and Co. will most likely avoid their playoff nemesis in Oklahoma City because the Clippers — assuming they take care of business against the Warriors, which won’t be easy — will knock off the Thunder, setting up a Spurs-Clippers Western Conference finals.

The playoffs are all about matchups and the Clippers do not match up well with the Spurs, who have owned the Clips going all the way back to their San Diego roots.

The Clippers under Doc Rivers are a far better team than they were last year, but they’re still not in the Spurs’ class in terms of defense and discipline.

The Spurs have proven during the course of the regular season that they’ve rebounded from last year’s stunning loss in The Finals and are ready to retake the throne from King James.

LeBron James and Paul George are the top vote-getters in the East. (GETTY IMAGES)

The voting process for NBA All-Star games is far from perfect, but usually fans get it right. This year, they struggled a bit.

If we’re handing out grades on how the fans did on voting for the starters in the 2014 All-Star Game on Feb. 16 in New Orleans, they should get a D for disappointing. Of the 10 starting spots the fans got six of them right: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul George, Kevin Love, Steph Curry and Dwyane Wade. The other five . . . meh. At least the fans have stopped voting for Yao Ming.

The NBA officially announced the starters on TNT. The reserves will be announced on Jan. 30.

James and George deserve to start in the frontcourt for the Eastern Conference, but Carmelo Anthony does not. The Knicks are a train wreck so far, and Melo looks like he has one foot out of the door. The Indiana Pacers own the best record in the NBA and deserve to have two players in the starting lineup. Roy Hibbert is the logical choice here. The big man anchors the best defense in the league, and he could very well be the defensive player of the year.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving joins Wade in the East starting backcourt. The next guy on the list is John Wall followed by Derrick Rose. Yes, the same Derrick Rose who has played in 10 games. To quote Sir Charles Barkley, “that’s just terrible!”

Irving is a spectacular player when he’s healthy, so this pick is not too bad. Is there someone deserving over Irving? Absolutely. The Washington Wizards are in the playoffs if the season ended today, and the biggest reason for the Wizards’ turnaround is Wall. He is averaging 20 points, and is fourth in the league in assists at 8.5.

If we could have a do-over, the starting lineup in the East should be: LeBron James, Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Dwyane Wade and John Wall.

The reserves should be: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, Joakim Noah and Lance Stephenson.

If you think the fans blew it in the East, they did worse in the West.

Kobe Bryant will likely miss the All-Star Game. (GETTY IMAGES)

Kobe Bryant, who has played in a whopping six games, got 988,884 votes. That’s the second-best total in the West behind only KDtrey5. Bryant is obviously touched by the fan support, but even he felt a little embarrassed by the selection. He even begged fans not to vote for him.

“Even though there’s so much respect that comes from me to be able to play for the fans, I’d much rather see the young guys go out there and play in the game,” Bryant told USA Today. “They’ve obviously put the work in to be there that weekend, so I’d much rather see them go in there and participate.”

Did the fans listen? No.

Voting for a future Hall-of-Famer like Kobe could be argued. But how do you explain Omer Asik getting more than 130,000 votes? Could we please close the polls in Turkey?

The player who should start in place of Kobe is James Harden. The Houston Rockets guard is fifth in the league in scoring at 24.3 and has firmly established himself as one of the 10 best players in the NBA. Too bad the fans are not paying attention. Harden’s Rockets teammate Jeremy Lin got more votes than him (628,818 to 470,381). Talk about lack of respect.

Speaking of lack of respect, what does Blazers forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge have to do to get some love from the fans? The MVP candidate is having a career season, but he finished fifth among frontcourt players. Fifth!

Only two players in the Association are averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds this season: Aldridge and Kevin Love.

If we could have a do-over, the starting lineup for the West should be: Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, James Harden and Steph Curry.

And the reserves should be: Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Damian Lillard and Tim Duncan.

Sorry, DeMarcus Cousins, Zach Randolph, Anthony Davis, Ty Lawson, Al Jefferson and Goran Dragic. Better luck next year. And get well soon D-Rose, Kobe and Russell Westbrook.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

NBA ALL-STAR 2014 BALLOTING (from NBA.com)

Western Conference

Frontcourt
1. Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,396,294
2. Blake Griffin (LAC) 688,466
3. Kevin Love (Min) 661,246
4. Dwight Howard (Hou) 653,318
5. LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 609,172
6. Tim Duncan (SA) 492,657
7. Anthony Davis (NO) 286,247
8. Andre Iguodala (GS) 266,611
9. DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 255,005
10. Pau Gasol (LAL) 247,323
11. David Lee (GS) 232,210
12. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 201,873
13. Chandler Parsons (Hou) 174,512
14. Omer Asik (Hou) 130,344
15. Andrew Bogut (GS) 127,947

Backcourt
1. Stephen Curry (GS) 1,047,281
2. Kobe Bryant (LAL) 988,884
3. Chris Paul (LAC) 804,309
4. Jeremy Lin (Hou) 628,818
5. James Harden (Hou) 470,381
6. Russell Westbrook (OKC) 317,338
7. Damian Lillard (Por) 280,966
8. Tony Parker (SA) 258,751
9. Klay Thompson (GS) 162,984
10. Ricky Rubio (Min) 124,230

Eastern Conference

Frontcourt
1. LeBron James (Mia) 1,416,419
2. Paul George (Ind) 1,211,318
3. Carmelo Anthony (NYK) 935,702
4. Roy Hibbert (Ind) 524,809
5. Chris Bosh (Mia) 406,867
6. Kevin Garnett (Bkn) 209,398
7. Joakim Noah (Chi) 181,145
8. Andre Drummond (Det) 163,798
9. Tyson Chandler (NYK) 137,512
10. Luol Deng (Cle) 121,754
11. Jeff Green (Bos) 121,040
12. Carlos Boozer (Chi) 103,502
13. David West (Ind) 95,363
14. Paul Pierce (Bkn) 95,034
15. Josh Smith (Det) 75,433

Backcourt
1. Dwyane Wade (Mia) 929,542
2. Kyrie Irving (Cle) 860,221
3. John Wall (Was) 393,129
4. Derrick Rose (Chi) 359,546
5. Ray Allen (Mia) 250,909
6. Rajon Rondo (Bos) 174,654
7. Lance Stephenson (Ind) 148,382
8. DeMar DeRozan (Tor) 131,228
9. George Hill (Ind) 129,533
10. Deron Williams (Bkn) 126,423

You know you pulled off something amazing when Earvin “Magic” Johnson called it one of the greatest plays he has ever seen.

Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been serving up spectacular alley-oop dunks since they joined forces in 2010, but their latest collaboration had an extra twist to it. LeBron’s off-the-glass rim shaker on Christmas Day against the L.A. Lakers had Staples Center buzzing and the sports world shaking its head.

Check out Magic’s tweet:

Even though his dominant hand is his left, LeBron prefers to throw it down with his right hand. When Wade’s pass off the glass sailed a little bit to the left, LeBron had to adjust in midair and jammed it home with his non-shooting hand. James was up so high he had to duck his head to avoid the rim. On the way back up the court, cameras caught James smiling and admiring his handy work. Even the Staples Center crowd took time off from their steady stream of selfies and Instagrams to give LeBron some oohs and aahs.

ABC commentator Jeff Gundy was just as entertained as the rest of us, saying “We should stop the game and let everyone watch the replay. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Watch and marvel at the work of Wade and LeBron on what may be the best dunk of the season. If anything, it’s a candidate for dunk of the year:

Dwyane Wade’s free-throw gaffe costs the Heat a win over the Celtics. (GETTY IMAGES)

Living in Miami for a decade can soften anyone up, and Dwyane Wade is no exception.

Before he became the honorary mayor of Miami-Dade County — or Wade County — D-Wade was a hardnosed player who wore his Midwest hardhat to every game. Each time he got knocked down he got right back up. He played with a chip on his shoulder and seem to relish every contact.

Now, Wade plays with a very casual attitude and if he were allowed to play in sandals he would. He has lost that Chicago fire, and has become as carefree as those Miami Heat fans who come late to the game.

Wade’s casual approach cost the Heat a game Saturday night when he bounced a free throw off the backboard with 0.6 seconds left and didn’t hit rim, which is a violation. Wade has played enough basketball in his lifetime to know that you have to hit rim for any free throw attempt to count. Heck, 9-year-olds know that.

Wade’s gaffe gave the Boston Celtics another possession and Jeff Green made the most of it when he buried a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Celtics an unlikely 111-110 victory in Miami.

All Wade had to do was made two free throws and the game would have been over. If he made just one free throw the game and just hit rim on this second attempt the game would have been over. ”I was trying to hit the rim, down a little bit,” said Wade, who admitted deliberately missing the shot was his call. ”It didn’t go where it was supposed to go.”

This was not one of Wade’s finest moments. Watch:

The Miami Heat need Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to find their shooting touch to avoid playoff elimination against the Indiana Pacers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Dwyane Wade is sick and tired of talking about his balky right knee, so bringing it up won’t ease his pain.

“I’ve been talking about it for two months. I ain’t got nothing else to say,” the nine-time All-Star guard said about the bone bruise that has grounded him for much of the season.

The Miami Heat are in a dogfight with the Indiana Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals mainly because Wade hasn’t been himself. The explosion is simply not there. His jump shot has failed him time and time again; he’s seen his floaters sent back in his face, and he has very little lift on his forays to the basket.

Wade has hit the 20-point mark only once this postseason. He’s shooting 44 percent (34-for-77) from the field and averaging 14.5 points against the Pacers. That’s well below his season (21.2) and career scoring averages (24.7).

The 31-year-old two-time NBA champion, who used to be known as the Flash for his lightning-quick moves, has been reduced to a mere mortal and may be starting to see hot flashes.

“Right now he’s giving us what he’s got,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Wade, who re-aggravated his ailing knee when he bumped knees with Jimmy Butler during the Heat-Bulls series.

“Physically we know what he’s going through right now,” Spoelstra said, “and for him to be out there competing and giving us what he’s got I have incredible respect for him as a professional athlete, especially now that the spotlight is on him.”

But Wade is not the only Heat star in a major slump.

Chris Bosh has been missing in action, too. His much anticipated battle with Pacers center Roy Hibbert has been a complete mismatch, with Bosh getting whipped like Chael Sonnen against Jon Jones in UFC 159. In his last three games, Bosh is 4-for-21 from the field and outscored by Hibbert 137-68.

“This is the part when you have to be mentally tough. Things haven’t been going my way this series. I want to play better, and I have to play better in Game 7. It’s as simple as that,” said Bosh, who scored a career playoff low five points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field in Game 6 in Indiana.

“We missed a lot of point-blank shots. We missed three layups by ourselves. I missed 18-footers,” Bosh continued. “It’s just a part of the game. We’re gonna have to find a way. It all comes down to one game. It’s great that it’s on our home court. As much as this sucks we just have to put it behind us and move on to Game 7. We have to make shots, we have to play better. There’s not much I can say. I’m just really disappointed in myself.”

So what can Wade and Bosh do differently to help the Heat from avoiding elimination? The answer falls on the shoulders of Spoelstra and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James.

“If anything it’s on me. I gotta find ways to get those guys comfortable in areas where they can be aggressive. And that’ll be my focus in the next 48 hours,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously they are a major part of what we do and I need to find ways and get them in places where they can be really aggressive. Now in Game 7s and games when your backs are against the wall, I know those two men’s characters and this is when they come up big in these moments.”

As for James, the ball will be in his hands for Game 7 so it is up to him to make sure Wade and Bosh get their touches and find them easy shots to get them going.

“They’re two great players. When they don’t shoot well or play well it is more on them,” James said. “Not taking any credit away from Indiana’s defense, but Dwyane and Chris has seen every defense that’s been applied to them in 10 years and they’ve been able to figure it out. This one is just taking a little bit longer.”

Expect Wade to be more aggressive in Game 7, as he’s known to rise to the occasion when the stakes are high. Wade has been doubted all his career, from the moment he got drafted to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 2006 playoffs. He has been picking his spots during these playoffs and all it takes in one brilliant game to erase a forgettable series. Sometimes all it takes is one jumper to fall for Wade to find his rhythm, but he has to be more aggressive. He needs more movement and activity.

The same goes for Bosh.

The best way to bust out of a slump is to keep shooting. Bosh can’t turn down open looks. The Pacers are daring him to shoot threes because they are banking on the fact he won’t make more than two a game. If Bosh makes more than two in Game 7, the Heat could roll to a comfortable victory.

“Chris is struggling with his shot and him hurting his ankle didn’t help him a lot as well. But I think he will find it,” James said. “It’s my job as a leader to keep him motivated to let him know how important he is to our movement to our chances of returning to The Finals.”

LeBron James is shooting a career-best 56% from the field this season. (GETTY IMAGES)

LeBron James is making everything look easy right now. The reigning NBA most valuable player is on a torrid pace , making 49 of his last 65 shots and his shooting percentage has only dipped below 50% twice in the past two months. That’s a remarkable 80% clip! When it comes to ESPN’s player rankings, courtesy of the great John Hollinger, only Kevin Durant (29.0) comes within an earshot of James (30.9). Chris Paul (26), Brook Lopez (25) and Tim Duncan (25) round out the top five.

During Sunday’s showcase game between the Heat and the Lakers, James scored 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting in a record-setting show, as the Heat rolled to a 107-97 victory for their fifth straight win. It was James’ fifth straight game with at least 30 points, a franchise record. He also joined Adrian Dantley (1979) and Moses Malone (1982) as the only NBA players to score at least 30 and shoot at least 60 percent in five straight outings, the team said.

”Don’t take it for granted,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told the Associated Press. ”He’s making greatness look easy.”

James’ game might be better than ever right now, if that’s even possible.

For the season, he’s shooting a career-best 56 percent so far, easily on pace for the sixth straight season of improvement in that department. His 3-point shooting, at 42 percent this season, is much improved. His scoring average is just a shade under what it was a year ago when he won MVP (27.0), but his rebounds (8.1) and assists (6.9) are up.

“I want to continue to push the button, continue to get better, maximize my potential and not waste an opportunity,” James told AP.

Since the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana, James has been nothing short of spectacular. When Chris Bosh went down, James decided he needed to become more of an inside threat and punish teams inside instead of settling for 3-pointers. He started driving the ball to the basket with more ferocity and added a low-post game. Wade also retooled his game, taking less threes and and relying more on his midrange game.

The formula resulted in a championship for the Heat, and James finally shed the weight of the world off his broad shoulders.

If James continues this incredible pace, he’ll run away with his fourth MVP trophy — matching Wilt Chamberlain and one short of Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six MVPs.

“I mean, come on. We try to come up with new superlatives every single game,” Spoelstra said. “He’s the best player in the game and he’s continuing to reinvent himself. This guy isn’t trying to shy away from work ethic or preparation. He’s getting after it. Our film sessions, he treats them like he’s a coach. He sees something, he’ll point it out to the guys. He’s continuing to improve. And quite frankly, we need it.”

James said he’s done nothing out of the ordinary to raise his shooting numbers. Hard work, he said, has been the difference. He hits the practice court to take game-situation jumpers when his legs are fresh. He does it again when his legs are tired.

“When I’m able to go out there on the floor, I just try to make things happen,” James said. “But I want to continue to get better. I’m not satisfied and I work on my game each and every day, trying to figure out ways I can get better, both offensively and defensively, from the interior to the exterior, whatever the case may be.”

Western Conference All-Stars Kobe Bryant (22 points) and LeBron James (39 points) put on a show for NBA fans at Staples Center. (GETTY IMAGES)

On a night when the All-Star game starters for the Eastern and Western conferences were announced, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat showed why they deserved all the fan votes they received.

James had 39 points and eight assists, Wade added 27 points on his 31st birthday and the Heat held off the Lakers, 99-90, Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“He’s just a phenomenal player. But he does it consistently. He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen,” Bryant said of James, whose fadeaway jumper from about 10 feet essentially clinched the game as it put Miami up 96-90 with less than a minute to play. James added a dunk and a free throw at the end to put an exclamation point on his dominant game, propelling the Heat to finish 3-3 on their six-game West Coast trip.

Ray Allen scored seven of his nine points in the final 5 minutes as the defending NBA champions repelled a late charge by the Lakers, who lost for the seventh time in nine games.

“They made some big shots,” said Steve Nash. “LeBron made a couple and Ray Allen made a tough shot over Dwight in the lane. And we looked a little bit like a team that was new to the situation. We weren’t smooth and we couldn’t get into a rhythm.”

Nash added: “They played with speed. They try to speed you up a little bit. I thought we were thinking [too much] instead of just playing. I thought we grew a little bit, but we have a lot of growing to do.”

Kobe Bryant scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for Los Angeles, which rallied for a brief lead midway through the final period before James and Allen secured the Heat’s second win in their last eight road games against the Lakers.

“We just didn’t execute very well and they did,” Bryant said. “They did a good job with their speed, and really shocking our pick-and-roll. As a result we turned the ball over quite a bit.”

Bryant shot just 8-for-25 for the game, and his struggles offensively may have been the directly result of having to guard Wade for most of the game and LeBron for parts of the fourth quarter. Playing both ends has to be taxing for the 34-year-old Bryant, who still relishes these marquee showdowns.

“I take responsibility [for the poor shooting night]. I allowed myself to be too much of a decoy,” Bryant said. “I should have been more aggressive from the start, using screens, catching and shooting. Things like that.”

Dwight Howard had 13 points and 16 rebounds, but missed two key free throws with 1:51 left while Miami pulled away, capping the All-Star starting center’s 5-for-13 effort at the line. Metta World Peace scored 16 points for the Lakers, who committed 20 turnovers and didn’t score in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Pau Gasol had 12 points and four rebounds in his return from a five-game absence with a concussion for the Lakers, who had hoped to build on consecutive victories following a six-game losing streak that knocked them well out of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Instead, James and Wade demonstrated why they’re the champions and the Lakers are in 11th place in the West.

James and Wade got little help until Allen’s late flurry, but they didn’t need it. Chris Bosh had just seven points and six rebounds in 35 minutes for Miami.

Bryant scored at least 20 points in his 23rd consecutive game, but the NBA’s leading scorer missed 14 of his first 17 shots.

The game featured four of the 10 starters in next month’s All-Star game, with Bryant edging James by roughly 7,800 votes as the top vote-getter in the final results announced earlier in the day. Wade and Howard also will start in Houston.

Bryant is headed to his 15th All-Star game in 17 NBA seasons, starting a record 15 consecutive times, while Howard will be a seven-time All-Star. While Bryant’s popularity and success are undeniable, even Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni was somewhat surprised Howard had been voted to a starting spot. Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, and Clippers Chris Paul and Blake Griffin round out the starting five for the West. Boston’s Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett, and New York’s Carmelo Anthony join LeBron and Wade as the East starters.

With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Heat up 83-79, Wade dribbled up the court and when he was body checked by Sessions he lifted his left leg a little too high and struck Sessions between the legs. It hurts just trying to describe the play. Wade drew loud boos from the Charlotte crowd and Sessions, who believed that Wade intentionally struck him, got in Wade’s face to let him know that was not cool. A day later, Wade earned a one-game suspension from the league office. Watch the play:

Wade’s actions may have been driven by the fact that the game got very chippy. The Bobcats didn’t play like a team on a long losing streak, sending a message to the Heat by committing some hard fouls. And game was close until the Heat went on a run late in the fourth quarter. The most egregious hard foul was committed by Gerald Henderson, who knocked down LeBron James on a breakaway layup. Henderson was confronted by Heat forward Udonis Haslem, setting the tone for the rest of the night and causing Wade to lose his cool and resort to some playground tactics.

Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade has been fighting all sorts of injuries this season. (GETTY IMAGES)

Something is not right with Dwyane Wade. His current scoring average of 19.8 points per game is his lowest since his rookie year in 2003-04 and six points below his career average. Also, his rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks are all down from last season.

Wade is now 30 years old, and playing in his 10th NBA season. Father Time may not be totally creeping up on him, but he’s within earshot. You can see Wade can no longer elevate like he used to and all those times he spent on the floor — drawing fouls and getting punished on drives — has taken its toll on his body.

TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who has known Wade for almost a decade and spent time with him on numerous commercials, suggested something on the air that the Miami Heat star should seriously consider.

“There are so many jumps in your knees,” Barkley said. “Just like the great Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, you have to learn to post-up more. You can’t go around people all the time.

“When you get older, you can’t fly through the air with the greatest of ease. You have to learn to play. Like I said, Michael did it and Kobe is doing it. Dwyane has to learn to post-up because you can’t be more athletic that everybody else once you start getting older.”

Wade missed 17 of 66 games last season and his left knee needed to be drained during the playoffs and eventually required surgery, forcing him to skip the Olympics. But his surgically repaired left knee isn’t the only thing that is bothering him this season. He sprained his left foot when he landed on Chris Bosh’s foot in a November game against Houston, and then he jammed his right thumb.

“When you get one thing it ends up being about three different things. You weather it. It will be all right,” Wade told Yahoo! sports writer Marc J. Spears.

You see flashes of the old Dwyane Wade this season — like his 34-point game against the Brooklyn Nets — but he has also suffered through some duds, like his 3-for-13 dismal shooting against the New York Knicks and his 3-for-15 outing against the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s obviously slowed by the injuries and he’s unable to outquick or outjump his opponents like he has done in the past.

Barkley is absolutely correct about Wade. He needs to play 15-feet or closer instead of 15-feet away from the basket. Wade can still regain his All-Star status, but his athletic ability is slowly eroding. He needs to develop a better low-post game, improve his midrange game, and make his game more economical.

If he doesn’t, then the Miami Heat’s chances of repeating as NBA champs could go out in a flash.