Das Feller-Forum » the second period when the Rangers had a 22-5

MIAMI -- LeBron James drove to the rim as time was winding down, got clobbered by Josh McRoberts and sat on the hardwood gathering himself for a few seconds afterward. It was fitting. Miami took Charlottes best shot, and survived. James scored 32 points and added eight assists, Chris Bosh scored 20 points and the Heat wasted two big leads before hanging on to beat the Bobcats 101-97 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Dwyane Wade scored 15 points, and had a steal in the final seconds to seal the win for Miami. He stripped the ball from Chris Douglas-Roberts with the Heat protecting a three-point lead with about 3 seconds left, and the Bobcats never got another shot off. "A very instinctual, high-risk play," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The balls there and you know you have an opportunity to get it when most people cant get that, and that saved the game." Game 3 is Saturday in Charlotte. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 22 points for Charlotte, which got 18 points and 13 rebounds from Al Jefferson, who played through a left plantar fascia strain and shot 9 for 23 from the floor. "Hes not anywhere close to 100 per cent," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. "But we can play through him. ... Youve got to respect the fact hes out there battling. He has no mobility, basically. Limited mobility and yet he had 18 and 13, and he fought hard." So was McRoberts -- maybe too hard for Miamis liking. Miamis lead was 97-94 with 50 seconds left when James drove and was met at the rim by McRoberts, whose right elbow struck the four-time NBA MVP around his chin. James immediately began grabbing at his throat and needed much longer than he usually does to get up after a hard foul, which was not called flagrant. Said McRoberts, who insisted it wasnt intentional: "It looked a lot worse than what it was." James hit the second of his two free throws, making it a two-possession game -- and that was critical. Kemba Walker made a 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds left to get Charlotte within one, but the Bobcats didnt score again. "I think were still really confident," Walker said. "We just have to learn from our mistakes. ... Were going to dissect these guys as well as we can and get ready for the next one. I think we have a chance, man." Walker finished with 16 and Gerald Henderson scored 15 for the Bobcats. Mario Chalmers scored 11 for Miami. So while the Heat were saying that all they have done was hold serve at home, its hard to find a real silver lining for Charlotte. Not only have the Bobcats now lost 18 consecutive games against Miami, but the Heat have never dropped any of the previous 11 post-season series in which theyve grabbed a 2-0 series lead. James, between his time in Cleveland and Miami, is 11-0 in such situations. Wade has been part of nine previous 2-0 leads with the Heat, and six of those series ended in no more than five games. Miamis lead was 91-77 midway through the fourth, and after blowing a big first-half lead, it appeared as though the Heat finally had some breathing room. A few minutes later, it looked a whole lot different. Walker, Kidd-Gilchrist and Douglas-Roberts combined on a 10-0 run, getting the Bobcats within 91-87. But Bosh scored on consecutive possessions, pushing the Heat lead to eight with 3:36 remaining. "We got out of our here with the win, but were going to have to tighten up a little bit," Bosh said. "We had a little bit of slippage today." Miami led 57-47 at the half, and the Bobcats -- who missed 17 of their first 22 shots -- were fortunate, after facing a 16-point deficit at one point in the early going. And while Charlotte kept coming back, it never led in the final 41 minutes. NOTES: Jefferson has not shot a free throw in the series. ... James has signed with William Morris, which will represent him in entertainment-related projects. ... Game 3 will be Charlottes first playoff home game since April 26, 2010, against Orlando. No current Bobcats appeared in that game -- but Heat F Rashard Lewis did, for Orlando. Ben Simmons Jersey . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line. Amir Johnson Jersey . Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft, set numerous rookie records and was picked AP Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Washington Redskins. http://www.cheap76ersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-darryl-dawkins-jersey .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. Richaun Holmes Jersey . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. Allen Iverson Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers escaped with two points they believed they deserved even though they gave up a goal they felt the Toronto Maple Leafs didnt earn. Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. The game was forced into overtime because of Nazem Kadris goal with 1:24 left in regulation -- one the Rangers thought shouldnt have counted. After a wraparound attempt, David Clarkson took two whacks at the puck at the right post, and Talbot appeared to cover it, but Kadri came in and poked it in under Talbots pad. The NHL reviewed it in Toronto and said the goal should stand. "In my opinion, that was the wrong call," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "The referee told Brad (Richards) on the ice that if they didnt score on the wraparound, then it wasnt a goal. They didnt score on the wraparound. "The puck was underneath Cams pad. How (the reviewers) saw it differently, Im not quite sure. Youve just got to play through those things, and thats what we did." The Rangers held off the Maple Leafs in a spirited overtime that produced several scoring chances and then outlasted them in the shootout. Zuccarello and Stepan scored in the first two rounds, and Talbot stopped Kadri in the third to end it. Joffrey Lupul was the only Toronto player to score in the tiebreaker. Talbot was relieved the Rangers pulled out the victory. "I would have been pretty devastated, especially with the game we played," he said. "We deserved to win the game, and to get a goal like that against us could have really hurt us, but we kind of let it go, pushed forward and got the eventual game-winner." Jonathan Bernier was exceptional for Toronto, making 42 saves through overtime and allowing only J.T. Millers goal 7:04 into the third period. The Maple Leafs played their third straight shootout and lost for the second consecutive time. They are 2-5-2 in their last nine. "We played a very solid road game," Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf said. "It was very good to get a point." Talbot, starting over slumping No. 1 netminder Henrik Lundqvist for the second sttraight game, bounced back from the late goal and improved to 8-2 in his first NHL season.dddddddddddd He made 24 saves Sunday in a 4-1 win over Minnesota and helped New York finish its team-record, nine-game homestand 3-4-2. He nearly earned his third shutout in 12 career NHL games, all this season. The Rangers next play on Friday at Washington. Who will start in goal then for New York remains to be seen. "It is safe to say that were leaving for the holidays on a much happier note," Vigneault said. "Its going to be a pleasant three days. "My parents are 81 and 79. I havent been home for Christmas with my girls for eight years, so I am looking forward to that." Miller, recalled from Hartford (AHL) on Thursday, scored his second of the season when he came off the bench, streaked down the slot, and took a crisp pass from Chris Kreider from behind the net. Toronto nearly grabbed the lead just over four minutes into the third when Nikolai Kulemin was stopped in front and then had another drive hit the right post, slide along the goal line, and stay out. The no-goal call was confirmed by video review. Bernier kept the Maple Leafs in it, especially during the second period when the Rangers had a 22-5 edge in shots. New York was dominant again in the middle frame one night after a 17-5 advantage against Minnesota when the Rangers scored twice. "I dont think we played our best game, but we hung in there," Bernier said. "We stole a point probably." Bernier got the starting nod from coach Randy Carlyle two nights after he replaced James Reimer, who was pulled against Detroit after giving up three goals on 12 shots in the first period. Bernier made 25 saves in relief, but Toronto was beaten in a shootout. "Our goaltender stood on his head. Thats all you can ask in a game like this one," Carlyle said. NOTES: Talbot made back-to-back starts two other times this season but not on consecutive days. ... Rangers D Marc Staal took a hard skate Monday morning, while recovering from a concussion, and could be nearing a return. Staal missed his eighth game since he was struck in the head by the arm of New Jerseys Reid Boucher on Dec. 7. ... Reimer had started three straight games for the first time this season before Monday. ' ' '