LeBron James says he’s frustrated by the hard fouls. (GETTY IMAGES)

Moments after the Miami Heat left the United Center court losers for the first time since Super Bowl Sunday, they reflected on the 27-game winning they had just accomplished then the mood turned sour when LeBron dished out his frustration over what he calls non-basketball plays against him.

The Bulls roughed up LeBron in a 101-97 win that ended the Heat’s historic streak, which fell six short of the 33-game record set by the 1971-72 Lakers. It was a game that had playoff intensity and the physical nature of the game brought back memories of the wrestling matches that were prevalent in the 1980s.

So, what is it about the Bulls who always seem to give the Heat a run for their money?

“I don’t know if I like that question,” James said. “We hear that a lot, the Miami Heat didn’t make it tough on other teams. It’s always the Bulls, or Pacers, or the Knicks or whatever the case may be. Teams make it tough on us, we make it tough on them.

“When you have two well-coached teams it’ll make it a competitive game. That’s what it is all about.”

James may downplay the Heat-Bulls rivalry, but the hatred is there. Bulls center Joakim Noah calls LeBron his “enemy” and LeBron admits he has a “history” with Noah, going back to his days in Cleveland. The Bulls’ calling card is defense and toughness, and they play to their strengths each and every night. On Wednesday night, the plan was to pound the Heat on the boards and don’t let them get out in transition.

James understands that teams will always try to pound the Heat inside because that is their perceived weakness. But what he doesn’t like is the borderline dirty plays that the Bulls and other teams employ to get an edge. James specifically pointed out two plays that infuriated him: the tackle by Kirk Hinrich in the first half to prevent his break-away layup and the WWE-style takedown by Taj Gibson in the second half that sent him to the floor hard.

“A lot of [the fouls on me] are not basketball plays. Kirk Hinrich basically grabbed me with two hands and brought me to the ground,” James said of the Bulls guard, who has a reputation for being a pest on defense.

By the letter of the NBA law, Hinrich made no effort to go for the ball on James’ drive. It was a flagrant foul deserves a fine. Hinrich would have been better off just staying stationary and take the charging call. Instead, he clearly pulled down LeBron and the Heat star had every right to be upset.

The final straw for LeBron came in the fourth quarter when Gibson smacked him above the shoulder (a flagrant foul if you go by the letter of the NBA law) to prevent a dunk.

“He was able to collar me on my shoulder and bring me to the ground. Those are not basketball plays,”LeBron said of Gibson’s hard foul, which was originally called a flagrant 1 but when officials reviewed the play it was downgraded to a regular foul which infuriated the Heat.

“I’ve been able to keep my cool and tell [Coach Erik Spoelstra] let’s not worry about it too much. But it is getting to me a little bit,” said James, whose frustration boiled over with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter when he lowered his shoulder and unloaded a blow to Carlos Boozer while trying to get over a screen. James was handed a flagrant 1, but he didn’t care. He had enough.

“Every time I try to defend myself I face the consequence of a flagrant on me or a technical foul. It’s tough,” James said. “I play the game with a lot of aggression, I understand the [hard fouls]. But it’s frustrating.”

All-Star center Dwight Howard is on his way to Hollywood to join forces with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Deron Williams returned to the Nets, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard are headed to Hollywood, and Jason Terry is moving from Dallas to Boston. The 2012 NBA offseason had plenty of franchise-altering moves — most of which benefited the major markets. So much for competitive balance. Some teams did better than others (ahem! Lakers), while most stayed above the fray and maintained status quo. OneManFastBreak.net highlights the winners and losers:

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Mitch Kupchak locked up executive of the year with his two monumental moves this summer. He pried Nash from the Phoenix Suns (a division rival) to give Kobe Bryant the best point guard he’s ever had. Then, he shocked the basketball world by acquiring the best center in the world without giving up all-star Pau Gasol. With Nash, Kobe, Ron Artest, Gasol, and Howard, the Lakers have easily the best starting five in the NBA and arguably the greatest starting five in basketball history. The Lakers’ Fab Five are armed with two league MVPs, two defensive players of the year, and the most skilled big man in the game. Even at age 38, Nash is still a terrific playmaker and he’ll make sure Gasol and Howard will get their touches on the offensive end. The Lakers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs mainly because their offense faltered and did not execute. Nash will step into the role of offensive coordinator and he’ll instantly make the Lakers a lethal offensive team. Howard adds to the Lakers’ great history of dominant centers, joining Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq.

[VIDEO: DWIGHT HOWARD TRADED TO THE L.A. LAKERS]

BOSTON CELTICS

Boston reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2012 despite a gimpy Paul Pierce and a hobbling Ray Allen. Priority No. 1 in the offseason was to bring back Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket re-signed with the Celtics, assuring he’ll retire a Celtic, and then general manager Danny Ainge added more firepower on offense by signing shooting guard Jason Terry, a member of the Mavericks’ 2011 championship squad. Terry addresses a major issue for Boston: scoring. He’ll help the Celtics avoid long scoring droughts with his ability to create his own shot and not have to depend on point guard Rajon Rondo to feed him the ball off screens. Terry can also serve as a backup point guard, giving head coach Doc Rivers more flexibility on offense.

BROOKLYN NETS

Deron Williams was arguably the biggest catch of the summer, and he was the first to decide where he wanted to play. Williams re-signing with the Nets gives the Brooklyn franchise a centerpiece and a name on the billboard of the team’s brand new arena. But Williams won’t be alone on that billboard. All-Star guard Joe Johnson was acquired from Atlanta, giving the Nets a studly backcourt combo and plenty of firepower. The team also re-signed power forward Kris Humphries to bolster its frontline. Now, if the Mikhail Prokorov can convince Dwight Howard to join the Brooklyn party then the Nets will be the biggest winner of the summer.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

Daryl Morey caught a lot of flak for letting Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry, and Luis Scola leave town without compensation and then signed Jeremy Lin to a $25-million contract. On the outside, it looks like the Rockets are throwing in the towel. But if you look closely, Morey is fielding a team that is cap-friendly. Lin is going to be The Man in Houston, picking up the Asian fan votes vacated by Yao Ming. Lin should fit in nicely in Kevin McHale’s free-flowing, pick-and-roll heavy offense, and that’s likely the biggest reason why he chose Houston over New York (oh, the $14.8 million on the third year of the deal ain’t bad either).

Jeremy Lin signed a three-year, $25-million deal with the Rockets. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Rockets are cleaning house for the right reasons. First-round draft picks Jeremy Lamb and Terrence Jones are very good young players, and they should figure into McHale’s rotation from the start. The Rockets’ offseason is a perfect case of addition by subtraction.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Ever since Allen Iverson left town, Philly fans have been craving for star. Enter Andrew Bynum. Bynum gives the Sixers their first significant low-post threat since Moses Malone and he immediately turns the Sixers into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. He’s arguably the second-best center in the NBA and, at 24, his ceiling is so high he has only begun to scratch the surface of the roof. Bynum, who won two championships with the Lakers, will be The Man in Philadelphia and his big body (7 feet, 290 pounds) in the paint will alter the way the Sixers play on both ends. Joining Bynum in Philly are free agents Jason Richardson, Nick Young, and Dorell Wright.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

When Deron Williams announced his decision to stay with the Nets instead of joining the Mavericks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted this gem: “Russian 1, Cuban 0.” That, of course, is in reference to the Nets owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, getting over Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who was hoping to lure Williams to play in his home state of Texas. The Williams decision had a domino effect in the Mavs’ plan. Dallas’ all-out-effort to land Williams made Kidd a little leftout. Nobody likes to be second choice, so Kidd chose his own path by signing with the Knicks. But Kidd wasn’t the only Mavs guard to defect. Longtime Maverick Jason Terry, a member of the team’s 2011 championship team along with Kidd, is taking his talents to Beantown and join the Celtics. So, if you’re still keeping score, it’s now Free Agency 3, Cuban 0.

CHICAGO BULLS

The only good news this summer for Chicago are the improving health of Derrick Rose coming off knee surgery and the return of Kirk Hinrich, a big piece of the Bulls’ resurgence in 2008. But take away the Hinrich signing and the Bulls have had a nightmarish offseason. Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, John Lucas, C.J. Watson, and Omer Asik are all gone. All five were important cogs off the Bulls bench. Korver was arguably the Bulls’ best player in the fourth quarter, while Brewer and Asik are very good defenders. Lucas and Watson are not all-star players, but they both did an admirable job in Rose’s absence. Continuity is a big part of a championship team, and the Bulls are basically starting over with an entirely new bench unit (Marco Belinelli, Vladimir Radmanovic, and rookie point guard Marquis Teague) for the 2012-13 season. Belinelli is nowhere near the shooting Korver is, and Radmanovic is not someone you want guarding LeBron James — or any small forward for that matter — in the fourth quarter.

NEW YORK KNICKS

Phil Jackson calls the New York Knicks a “clumsy” team, and the Knicks tripped over themselves this offseason by not getting Nash. Then the Knicks made a bold move by signing veteran point guard Jason Kidd. The former Mavericks playmaker could turn out to be a better option because Kidd won’t mind running Mike Woodson’s isolation offense. Then the Knicks signed Raymond Felton, which was a little bit of a head-scratcher considering Felton was grossly out of shape last season and now he’s being rewarded for his unprofessionalism. The Felton signing basically forced fan favorite Jeremy Lin out of the rotation, and now New York enters the season the same way they left it — too many players playing the same positions. Lin was a cash cow for the MSG network and time will tell if Lin fans will keep following the Knicks.

ORLANDO MAGIC

In his letter to Magic season ticket holders, CEO Alex Martins wrote: “We look forward to this next chapter of Magic basketball and remain committed to our mission: To be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way.” Hmm. In order to win a championship, you must first qualify for the playoffs and, without Howard, Orlando will be far from being a playoff contender for the next few years. Martins and general manager Rob Hennigan were put in a tough spot. Howard made it clear that he wanted out of Orlando, but Martins and Hennigan failed to get the right deal. Sure they got some draft picks, but those won’t matter unless they’re lottery picks. It took Orlando nearly a decade to recover from the breakup with Shaquille O’Neal. When Howard came along, he made Orlando love basketball again. After eight years of basketball bliss, L.A. swoops in and breaks Orlando’s heart yet again. It’s like losing another girlfriend to the same guy 16 years later.

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

1-Trade Pau Gasol and a first-round pick to the Hawks for Kirk Hinrich and Josh Smith.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: They get a younger PG with Hinrich who is just 31 and hardly washed up. Hinrich isn’t the fastest PG in the league, but he is a solid veteran and a respected defender. He is the son of a coach and has a high basketball IQ and would be a good player for Mike Brown in his halfcourt system. Hinrich is also a pass-first player and Kobe Bryant wouldn’t have a problem playing with him. He is also a capable outside shooter, making 37.8% of his 3-pointer’s in his career, and last season he made 39.9% between Atlanta and Washington. His career assist-to-turnover ratio is 2.6, which is solid for a PG and an drastic upgrade over what L.A. has this season.

Josh Smith is a younger and more athletic PF than Gasol. He plays great defense and would be a solid third scorer behind Kobe and Andrew Bynum. He can post up, but he can also step outside and hit the three as well.

Pau Gasol has been the subject of trade talks the last four months. (GETTY IMAGES)

Why the Hawks should do the deal: Hinrich has fallen out of favor in Atlanta with Jeff Teague playing well. They are looking to move his contract. Smith needs a change of scenery and Gasol gives the Hawks a top-five PF who could team with Al Horford (when he returns from injury) and give them a better 1-2 punch in the frontcourt.

2-Trade Bynum to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: Jim Buss really likes Bynum and may not be willing to do it, but this gives the Lakers a lockdown defender in Iguodala. Iggy is also a very good player to run the offense through at the point forward position. He made the All-Star team in the East this season and is averaging 5.4 assists per game. His versatility has been compared to Bulls great Scottie Pippen. Iggy’s playmaking skills will mesh well with Kobe and Gasol, and he’s also a good third scoring option. He’s averaging 12.5 points, but making a career-high 38% on 3-pointers – a definite need for the Lakers because they’ve been awful shooting threes this season. Hawes is a slight downgrade from Bynum, but he is a solid rebounder and passer for a big man. Before getting hurt, he was having a solid season.

Why Philly should do the deal: They get rid of Iguodala and move Evan Turner to the starting lineup. Turner, the Sixers’ first-round pick in 2010, hasn’t been getting much playing time because he has Iguodala in front of him. Bynum is an improvement over Hawes and he’s from New Jersey so it’ll be a homecoming for him. With Elton Brand declining, it makes sense for Philly to upgrade the center position and become better in the low post.

3-Trade Gasol, Luke Walton, and Andrew Goudelock to Philadelphia for Elton Brand, Lou Williams, and Jodie Meeks.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: PG is L.A.’s biggest weakness and they get a fast young PG in Williams. Williams helps L.A. against the quick PGs in the West such as Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Russell Westbrook. Dealing Gasol opens up more shots for Bynum.Meeks is a solid outside shooter that can provide some depth. Getting rid of Walton’s contract would be a huge victory for the Lakers.

Why Philly should do the deal: Losing Williams would be a blow to the Sixers’  backcourt, but they still have starting PG Jrue Holiday and an up-and-coming in Turner. Gasol is a significant upgrade over Brand.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email to djroxalot@hotmail.com.

After winning his third consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has clearly established himself as the best stopper in basketball.

Howard was second in the league rebounds (14.1) and fourth in blocked shots (2.3), and his presence in the middle allowed the Magic to be the fourth-best defensive team in the league in points allowed (93.7 points). He made NBA history last season when he led the league in rebounding (13.2) and blocked shots (2.8) in consecutive seasons (2009 and 2010). The 6-foot-11, 275-pound All-Star center was a near unanimous choice as the league’s top defender, garnering 114 of a possible 120 first-place votes.

Howard becomes the first player in NBA history to win the award three straight years. Other multiple winners of the award are Ben Wallace, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Dennis Rodman and Sidney Moncrief.

OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best defenders in the NBA (regardless of position):

1) DWIGHT HOWARD, Orlando Magic, center
Howard stops and alters shots like a great goalie in hockey. Orlando’s entire philosophy on defense is to funnel all the scorers to Howard, and more often than not Howard ends up protecting the basket with his incredible jumping ability and intimidating raw power. No big man in the league defends the paint better than Superman II.

2) KEVIN GARNETT, Boston Celtics, forward
When KG joined the Boston Celtics in 2007, the Celtics instantly became the best defensive team in the league. Garnett is a unique talent who covers a lot of ground with his length, but he plays with tremendous passion and intensity that filters down to his teammates. Garnett plays the pick-and-roll better than anyone in the Association, and is also an incredible weakside or help defender. He rarely plays out of position on defense, and he never backs down from a challenge. When given the opportunity, he certainly can defend all five positions.

3) RON ARTEST, L.A. Lakers, forward
Age may have robbed Artest of his quickness but definitely not his power. Ron-Ron uses his hands very well, and he has extremely strong hands. At 250 pounds, he likes to put his body on opposing scorers to take away their air space and thrives on physical contact. But his biggest strength is probably his reputation, as most players are afraid to go at him.

4) TABO SEFOLOSHA, Oklahoma City Thunder, guard
If basketball fans can flashback to the 2006 NBA playoffs, that was the year we were introduced to Thabo and his defensive prowess. As a rookie with the Chicago Bulls, Sefolosha gave Dwyane Wade fits with his quickness and length. One team who was paying attention to Sefolosha’s defense was the Thunder, who picked him up in the 2008-09 season and he has become a regular starter with OKC. Because Sefolosha doesn’t “wow!” anyone with his stats, he tends to get overlook by the media. But you ask all the great scorers in the league, from Kobe Bryant to D-Wade, they’ll agree that Thabo is a first-team all-defender.

5) KIRK HINRICK, Chicago Bulls, guard
Suns coach Alvin Gentry says that Kirk Hinrich is the best on-ball defender in the league. That’s high praise for a guy who doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to make it extremely tough on perimeter players to score. Call it The Hinrich Maneuver. Just ask Wade, who always struggles against the former Bull and current Hawk. Atlanta became a much better defensive team when they acquired Hinrich.

6) GERALD WALLACE, Portland Trail Blazers, forward
Wallace finished 13th in the rebounds (10.0) in 2009-10, which is very impressive for a small forward. He also ranked 17th in steals (1.5) and 42nd in blocks (1.09) that season. He earned the nickname “Crash” for his penchant for crashing to the floor, the stands and the basket padding. Wallace is a solid one-on-one defender, but he is even better as a weak-side defender. His stats were down in 2010-11, but that was mainly because he moved to a new team and he is barely getting used to Nate McMillan’s system. Give him a full year and he should fill up the stat sheet.

7) KOBE BRYANT, L.A. Lakers, guard
Because of injuries and wear-and-tear on the body, Kobe has lost some of his aggressiveness on defense. But when Phil Jackson needs to apply the glove on an opposing team’s scorer, he often calls on No. 24. Bryant’s best attribute is his preparation and intelligence. He does his homework off the court and scouts his competition.

8) RUSSELL WESTBROOK, Oklahoma City Thunder, guard
During Team USA’s scrimmages in Las Vegas while they prepare for the FIBA World Championship, head coach Mike Krzyzewski teamed Westbrook and Rajon Rondo in the backcourt against a team comprised of college standouts. Westbrook and Rondo were so good defensively the collegians could barely get the ball past halfcourt. Westbrook is the point man of OKC’s defense. He sets the tone because of great ability to redirect an offensive player and his incredible skill to jump the passing lanes.

9) JOSH SMITH, Atlanta Hawks, forward
Smith has grown into a borderline All-Star player and his defense sets the tone for the Hawks. His former coach, Mike Woodson said, “You think back six years ago, Josh Smith has come a long way. I tip my hat to him because he’s worked over the years and has developed into a player.” Smith averages eight rebounds, nearly two steals a game and is one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA from the forward position.

10) JOAKIM NOAH, Chicago Bulls,
When Noah was sidelined with an injury, the Bulls struggled. When he returned, the Bulls became one of the beasts in the East. Noah plays with great energy and anchors the Bulls’ defense. He not only defends his position, but he also helps his teammates. He is among the league leaders in rebounds (10.4) and blocks (1.5) and loves to compete.

Guard Delonte West and forward Anderson Varejao play key roles in the Cavaliers' highly effective defensive scheme. (GETTY IMAGES)

Defense wins championships. At least that’s the prevailing thought among athletes in any sport. In basketball, stopping the opposition from scoring is ultimately the difference between winning and losing in April, May and June.

To win an NBA championship, you need that lockdown defender that can take away the opposition’s best option. It is equivalent to a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. A lot of times, great defenders are left to cover a prolific scorer all by himself, and a double team was not an option. Bruce Bowen played this role perfectly. Bowen, a member of championship teams in San Antonio, did not completely stop a great scorer, but he was able to at least make it difficult and uncomfortable to score the basketball.

Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets is cut from the same cloth. Like Bowen, Battier is not asked to score a lot of points for the Rockets because his job is mainly to shadow the opponent’s top gun.

Guys like Battier and Bowen, as well as Ron Artest, Tayshaun Prince and Devin Harris, initially made their marks on the defensive end of the court and have carved up a solid reputation around the league. But what about those players who don’t get the same notoriety but are just as good on defense – or even better.

OneManFastbreak.net uncovers the most underrated defenders in the NBA. Unlike the more celebrated first-team All-NBA defenders such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard, who claim the majority of the votes because of their reputation and inflated statistics, these following players go unnoticed because they don’t usually make the spectacular steal or block. They’re always assigned to the other team’s primary threat on offense and play straight-up defense the entire time they’re on the court.

DELONTE WEST, Cleveland Cavaliers – One word to describe this undersized guard: Tough. His celebrated teammate, LeBron James, gets a lot of the credit for Cleveland’s defense but, with all due respect to King James and his much-improved defense, West is the guy Coach Mike Brown calls on to defend the scorers.

KIRK HINRICH, Chicago Bulls – Hinrich makes up for his lack of foot speed and athleticism with grit and a lot of grabbing. He is the master of clinging to someone’s jersey (sometimes pulling it) and getting under a player’s skin. Just ask Dwyane Wade. We like to call it the Hinrich Manuever.

KENYON MARTIN, Denver Nuggets – Despite all the knee surgeries, K-Mart still creates matchup problems for low-post scorers. He put a blanket on David West in the first round and, even though Dirk Nowitzki posted great numbers in the second round, K-Mart made Dirk work for every point.

ANDERSON VAREJAO, Cleveland Cavaliers – He may not be the best on-ball defender, but his value to the Cavaliers cannot be measured with rebounds, blocks and steals. The man they call “Andy” takes a lot of charges, and irritates a lot of opponents with his boundless energy and his Sideshow Bob haircut.

KENDRICK PERKINS, Boston Celtics – Kevin Garnett gets most of the ink and the pub, but this burly 280-pound force in the low block is tough to uproot and plays with great force. He rebounds, blocks shots and defends the pick-and-roll better than most than half the centers in the league.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK, Oklahoma City Thunder  – The former Pac-10 defensive player of the year made an easy transition from college to pro. He has extremely long arms for a guard and his quick feet allows him to beat an offensive player to a spot. Give him another year and he should make the All-Defense team.

PAUL PIERCE, Boston Celtics – Pierce is mostly known for his offense. The truth is, at this stage of his career, his defense might be better than his offense. During the Celtics’ great playoff in 2008, Pierce guarded Joe Johnson, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. And more often than not, Pierce won his one-one-one battles.

TREVOR ARIZA, L.A. Lakers – The former UCLA Bruin is the real reason for the Lakers’ upgrade on defense. Kobe Bryant only plays defense against the elite guys. When you are a nobody, Kobe will leave you open. Ariza, on the other hand, plays defense 24/7. His length allows him to get a lot of deflections and steals.

UDONIS HASLEM, Miami Heat – Despite being undersized and overmatched more often than not, Haslem – who is generously listed at 6-8 – wins a lot of his one-on-one battles mostly with heart and determination. The Heat co-caption embodies everything Pat Riley likes in a player.

CHUCK HAYES, Houston Rockets – Another undersized frontcourt player who plays with great leverage. Former Houston Coach Jeff Van Gundy calls Hayes a great low-post defender despite his lack of size (he is listed at 6-6). He has a very strong lower body, which keeps bigger centers from backing him down.