2010–11 Miami Heat Season

The 2010–11 Miami Heat season was the 23rd season of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Heat finished first in the Southeast Division with 58–24 record, and made the NBA playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year as the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed (behind the Chicago Bulls).

Marked by the acquisition of perennial All-Stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh entering the 2010 NBA Free Agency period during the off-season, the Heat superteam opened the season with extraordinarily high expectations, with many observers expecting a championship in the first year of the new lineup. With Bosh, James, and Wade having been ranked among the NBA's top players for many seasons in addition to being frequently sought-after big names looking to be courted by multiple teams during the 2010 NBA Free Agency signing spree at the time, team stars and 2003 draftees Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were predicted to potentially win an NBA championship in their first season together. Though the 2010-11 Miami Heat advanced to the 2011 NBA Finals after beating the Philadelphia 76ers, defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, and the Chicago Bulls. The team fell short of their championship hopes by losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games in the NBA Finals, in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, which the Heat won in 6 games for their first championship.

Even though Miami's playoff run ended in disappointing fashion, the Heat nonetheless enjoyed a successful year, despite witnessing a sluggish 9–8 start to the regular season. They finished the regular season with 58 wins, won the Southeast Division, and entered the 2011 playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second seed. Pat Riley was named NBA Executive of the Year. Wade, James, and Bosh were all selected to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, the most Heat players sent to an NBA All-Star game in franchise history. James earned All-NBA First Team honors, while Wade was bestowed with All-NBA Second Team honors.

Key dates

* June 24 – The 2010 NBA draft was held in New York City.
* July 1 – The free agency negotiation period began.
* July 9 – Dwyane Wade was re-signed, while Chris Bosh and LeBron James were signed to the Heat.
* October 26 – The Heat started the regular season on the road with an 88–80 loss to the Boston Celtics.
* October 29 – The Heat defeated the Orlando Magic 96–70 in the home opener.
* February 24 – Trade deadline.
* March 10 – The Heat clinched a playoff berth for the 2011 NBA Playoffs with a 94–88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
* March 18 – The Heat matched their victory total of the previous season with a 106–85 win against the Atlanta Hawks.
* April 3 – The Heat clinched the Southeast Division with a 108–94 win over the New Jersey Nets and an Orlando Magic loss.
* April 10 – The Heat defeated the Boston Celtics for the first time all season, 100–77, in their last regular-season home game.
* April 11 – The Heat clinched the 2nd seed for the Eastern Conference with a 98–90 win against the Atlanta Hawks and a Boston Celtics loss.
* April 13 – The Heat regular season concluded with a 97–79 victory against the Toronto Raptors.
* April 27 – The Heat advanced to the 2011 NBA Playoffs#(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference Semi-finals with a win in Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs#Bracket, First round against the Philadelphia 76ers with the final score 97–91.
* May 11 – The Heat advanced to the NBA Conference finals, Eastern Conference finals with a win in Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs#Bracket, Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Boston Celtics with the final score 97–87.
* May 26 – The Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006 NBA Finals, 2006 with a win in Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs#Bracket, Eastern Conference finals against the Chicago Bulls with the final score 83–80.
* June 12 – The Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and failed to capture their 2nd NBA Championship.

Summary

Offseason

The Miami Heat entered the 2010 NBA Free Agency period with nearly $46 million of NBA salary cap, salary cap space to spare, allowing the team to allocate enough financial resources to gain the ability to retain free agent and franchise player Dwyane Wade, as well as being able to pair him with two other perennial All-Stars and top-ranked NBA players at the time, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. According to Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith, speaking on his show just days after the NBA draft, the Heat were "highly likely" to sign all three players. As James became an unrestricted NBA_salary_cap#Free_agency, free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010, his name circulated heavily during the List_of_2010–11_NBA_season_transactions#Signed_from_free_agency, 2010 Free Agency signing spree as he was courted by the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat; all of whom in negotiations looking to potentially sign him. On July 7, 2010, Wade and Bosh both agreed to their finalized contractual terms with the Miami Heat. Then next day on July 8, 2010, James held an The Decision (TV special), hour-long special to announce his decision on ESPN to commit to playing with the Heat. Later that evening, the Heat announced the trade of Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pair of second round picks and cash considerations.
/ref> The three are called the SuperFriends by many sportswriters and commentators, most notably those for ESPN, because all three were taken in the top five of the 2003 NBA Draft and because they have become good friends over the years.

On July 8, 2010, it became official that NBA superstars and gold medal-winning United States national men's basketball team, Beijing Olympic teammates LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would be joining Miami. The Heat completed sign-and-trade deals, sending a total of four future first-round and two-second-round picks to the Cavaliers and Raptors for James and Bosh (both signing 6 years and $110.1 million contracts). Dwyane Wade re-signed with the Heat for $107.59 million for six years. All three stars have early termination clauses in their contracts, allowing them to become free agents again in the summer of 2014. The final year on all three deals, for 2015–16, is a player option. The three made their debut at the 2010 Summer Heat Welcome Party at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, where they were introduced as ''The Three Kings'' by Heat play-by-play announcer and event co-host Eric Reid (television announcer), Eric Reid.
/ref> James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships: "Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven". Howard Beck of ''The New York Times'' described the national fan reaction to the party: "Everyone saw something: greatness, arrogance, self-indulgence, boldness, cowardice, pride, friendship, collusion, joy, cynicism, heroes, mercenaries."

By taking less than maximum salaries, Wade, James and Bosh opened the door for the Heat to further continue its roster makeover with the resigning of Udonis Haslem and signing of veteran swingman and teammate of Haslem at the University of Florida, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller for dual 5-year deals worth a combined $45 million. In order to fill the voids at forward and center, the Heat signed James's former teammate in Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a two-year deal for the veterans minimum at $2.8 million, resigning Joel Anthony, and signing power forward Juwan Howard. In the guard department, the Miami Heat resigned guard Carlos Arroyo and signed former Celtics player Eddie House to a two-year contract for the veteran minimum of $2.8 million. Rookies Dexter Pittman and Da'Sean Butler, along with NBA Summer League standouts Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck, also signed contracts.

The Miami Heat began the regular season with much hype going into their first game against the Eastern Conference Champs, the Boston Celtics. Many considered the Miami Heat as the team to break the single season record of 72 regular season victories set by the Chicago Bulls.

Season

On the opening game of the season, broadcast on the TNT (American TV network), TNT Network and featuring the debut of reigning two-time NBA MVP James in a Miami uniform alongside Chris Bosh, the game was the most-watched NBA contest ever on cable television. The game earned a 4.6 rating, delivering 7.4 million total viewers and 5.3 million households, beating the Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 1996.

The Heat lost the opening game 88–80 and got off to a 9–8 start due in large part to inconsistent play and injuries to key role players Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (thumb) and Udonis Haslem (foot). After losing four out of five games, including a Saturday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 27, the team called a players-only meeting with the intent to get players to communicate with each other. Much of the speculation was that Spoelstra could lose his job and that Heat president Pat Riley would return as coach, especially after a well-publicized incident when James "bumped" into Spoelstra during a timeout.

After the players-only meeting, the team pulled together a 12-game win streak (10 of them by double digits) and limited the opposition under 100 points in all those games. During the winning streak, James led the Heat to defeat his former team by scoring 38 points (tying a Heat record for points in a quarter with 24 in the third) in a game that drew nearly 7.1 million viewers and earned a 25.4 rating in Miami. ESPN 3D aired its first NBA game in the 3D television, third dimension on December 17, 2010, when the Heat defeated the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden., The Heat set a franchise record for wins in December with 15 and set an NBA record for consecutive road victories in a calendar month with 10 (including the Christmas Day match-up with the reigning two-time champs, Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers which the team won 96–80).

During a postgame chat with Sun Sports' Jason Jackson (reporter), Jason Jackson on January 3, 2011, LeBron James joked "I see we sell out 99.1 percent on the road, so we call ourselves the Heatles off the The Beatles, Beatles, so every time we take our show on the road we bring a great crowd", giving the Heat's famed trio the unofficial nickname.

On January 27, 2011, via fan voting, LeBron James (forward) and Dwyane Wade (guard) were selected to be starters for the Eastern Conference at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, becoming the second pair of teammates to be selected as All-Star starters in franchise history (Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade; 2006 NBA All-Star Game, 2006 and 2007 NBA All-Star Game, 2007). A few days later, forward Chris Bosh was selected as a reserve, marking the first time in Heat history the team had sent three players to the All-Star game in a single season.

Like the 2005–06 championship season, the Heat were criticized for being unable to beat the top-caliber teams of the NBA. This criticism though would just grow more and more as the regular season was beginning to wind down. Despite being tied 2–2 with their division rival, the Orlando Magic, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers 2–0, and beating both the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder once, they lost the season series to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 3–1, were swept by the Chicago Bulls 3–0 and lost both times to the Dallas Mavericks, who continued their regular season dominance against Miami for their 16th straight victory dating back to the 2004–05 season.

In order to improve for the playoffs, the Heat signed guard Mike Bibby, who agreed to forfeit the $6.2 million he was owed by the Washington Wizards for the next season so that he could become a free agent and sign a league minimum contract with a contender. In the process, the Heat released Carlos Arroyo. In Bibby's first game on March 3, the Heat were leading the Magic by 24 points in the third quarter before the Heat were outscored 40–9 and lost 99–96. The following night against the Spurs, who held the NBA's best record (51–11), the Heat lost 125–95, their most lopsided loss of the year and their fourth loss in five games. In their next game against the Bulls, the Heat had a 12-point lead in the first half, but ended up losing 87–86 after two failed shots by James and Wade in the last 6 seconds of the game. It was the Heat's 12th and 13th consecutive missed shots with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. James had missed four in the four-game losing streak. It was the Heat's fourth straight loss, and the fourth time since February 24 they had lost after a double-digit lead. The Heat were 2–5 since the All-Star break, 5–13 in games decided by five or fewer points and 14–18 against teams with winning records. After the game, there were reports of players crying in the locker room afterwards. On March 10, the Heat beat the Lakers, 94–88, and ended their five-game losing streak while also ending the Lakers' eight-game winning streak.

On March 27, Wade, James, and Bosh became the second trio in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same non-overtime game (a home win against the Houston Rockets), matching Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors on February 2, 1961. Additionally, it was the first time that a team's trio recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games since Sidney Wicks, Lloyd Neal and John Johnson (basketball, born 1947), John Johnson accomplished the feat with the Portland Trail Blazers in March 1975. It was also the first time in Heat franchise history that three players scored 30 points in the same game.

The 2011 Heat finished with a 58–24 record, third best in team history and a second overall seed, behind the Chicago Bulls, who had the NBA's best record. Additionally, the Heat finished 5th in the NBA in attendance with 810,930 behind Mavericks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Bulls in that order (100.9% capacity). The Heat faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and eliminated them in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Heat defeated their rival Boston Celtics in five games, winning a dramatic overtime Game 4 in Boston and a come-from-behind Game 5 victory at home to finish the series. In the NBA Conference finals, Eastern Conference finals, the Heat faced the Chicago Bulls. After being blown out by 21 points by the Bulls in Game 1, the Heat took home-court by defeating Chicago in Game 2, and winning their home Games 3 and 4, the latter of which came in overtime. In Game 5 in Chicago, the Heat made a historic comeback; after being down 77–65 with 3:14 left, the Heat went on an 18–3 run to win, 83–80, capped by a key four-point play from Dwyane Wade and clutch shooting from LeBron James. The Heat advanced to the 2011 NBA Finals to face the Dallas Mavericks, who had defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, in which Dallas won the first two games and then lost four straight to Miami. The Heat won Game 1 in Miami, 92–84, but in Game 2, the Heat were leading the Mavericks by 15 points with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter before the Heat were outscored 22–5 and lost, 95–93. The Heat won Game 3 in Dallas 88–86 with the game-winning basket scored by Chris Bosh. The Mavericks won Game 4, 86–83, holding LeBron James to a career playoff-low 8 points. The Mavericks won Game 5 and took a 3–2 series lead with a 112–103 victory. That was the first time since March 6 that the Heat had lost two consecutive games, including the regular season, playoffs, and the NBA Finals. In Game 6, Dallas defeated Miami, 105–95, to win the 2011 NBA Finals in six games, 4–2. James's 17.8 points per game in the Finals was the largest drop off in points from a regular season to an NBA Finals (down 8.9 points from 26.7) in NBA history.Hot Corner: With NBA title at stake, LeBron James was a big flop
al.com. As James only averaged three points in the fourth quarters in the series, and he received the brunt of the criticism for the team's loss to Dallas as a result of his lackluster performance.

Draft picks

Roster

2010–11 Salaries

* As of March 2011.
* Source: Hoops World.com

Pre-season

Game log

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 1
, October 5
, Detroit Pistons, Detroit
,
, Chris Bosh (20)
, Udonis Haslem (13)
, Mario Chalmers (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 1–0
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 2
, October 8
, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma City
,
, Chris Bosh (23)
, Udonis Haslem (9)
, LeBron James (8)
, Sprint Center
18,222
, 2–0
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 3
, October 9
, @ San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio
,
, James Jones (basketball, born 1980), James Jones,
LeBron James (12)
, Patrick Beverley (10)
, Patrick Beverley (5)
, AT&T Center
18,581
, 2–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 4
, October 12
, PBC CSKA Moscow, CSKA Moscow
,
, LeBron James (22)
, Chris Bosh (8)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
17,503
, 3–1
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 5
, October 13
, @ New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans
,
, Chris Bosh (24)
, Udonis Haslem (11)
, Kenny Hasbrouck (7)
, New Orleans Arena
12,043
, 3–2
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 6
, October 18
, Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte
,
, LeBron James (33)
, Chris Bosh,
Udonis Haslem (8)
, LeBron James (5)
, American Airlines Arena
18,557
, 3–3
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 7
, October 21
, @ Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta
,
, LeBron James (38)
, Chris Bosh (14)
, Mario Chalmers,
Eddie House (3)
, Philips Arena
15,197
, 3–4
, - style="background:#dfdfdf;"
, 8
, October 22
, Orlando Magic, Orlando
, colspan="4", Cancelled
, St. Pete Times Forum
, –
, -

Regular season

Standings

Game log

, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 1
, October 26
, @ Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, LeBron James (31)
, Udonis Haslem (11)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, TD Garden
18,624
, 0–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 2
, October 27
, @ Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Dwyane Wade (30)
, Dwyane Wade,
Chris Bosh (7)
, LeBron James (7)
, Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), Wells Fargo Center
20,389
, 1–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 3
, October 29
, Orlando Magic, Orlando
,
, Dwyane Wade (26)
, Udonis Haslem (11)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 2–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 4
, October 31
, @ New Jersey Nets, New Jersey
,
, LeBron James (20)
, LeBron James,
Udonis Haslem (7)
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (7)
, Prudential Center
17,086
, 3–1
, -

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 5
, November 2
, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota
,
, Dwyane Wade (26)
, Udonis Haslem (9)
, LeBron James (12)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 4–1
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 6
, November 5
, @ New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans
,
, Dwyane Wade (28)
, Dwyane Wade (10)
, LeBron James (10)
, New Orleans Arena
17,988
, 4–2
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 7
, November 6
, New Jersey Nets, New Jersey
,
, Dwyane Wade (29)
, Dwyane Wade (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 5–2
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 8
, November 9
, Utah Jazz, Utah
,
, Dwyane Wade (39)
, LeBron James (11)
, LeBron James (14)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 5–3
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 9
, November 11
, Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, LeBron James (35)
, LeBron James,
Udonis Haslem (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,650
, 5–4
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 10
, November 13
, Toronto Raptors, Toronto
,
, Dwyane Wade (31)
, Udonis Haslem (10)
, LeBron James (11)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 6–4
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 11
, November 17
, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix
,
, Chris Bosh (35)
, Udonis Haslem (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 7–4
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 12
, November 19
, Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte
,
, LeBron James (32)
, Chris Bosh (14)
, LeBron James (5)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 8–4
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 13
, November 20
, @ Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis
,
, LeBron James (29)
, Chris Bosh,
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (10)
, LeBron James (11)
, FedExForum
18,119
, 8–5
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 14
, November 22
, Indiana Pacers, Indiana
,
, LeBron James (25)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (6)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 8–6
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 15
, November 24
, @ Orlando Magic, Orlando
,
, LeBron James (25)
, Dwyane Wade (7)
, Carlos Arroyo,
Dwyane Wade (5)
, Amway Center
18,936
, 8–7
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 16
, November 26
, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Dwyane Wade (23)
, Chris Bosh (9)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,800
, 9–7
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 17
, November 27
, @ Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, LeBron James (23)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, Dwyane Wade (5)
, American Airlines Center
20,536
, 9–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 18
, November 29
, Washington Wizards, Washington
,
, LeBron James (30)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 10–8
, -

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 19
, December 1
, Detroit Pistons, Detroit
,
, LeBron James (18)
, Chris Bosh,
James Jones (basketball, born 1980), James Jones (7)
, Mario Chalmers (6)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 11–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 20
, December 2
, @ Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland
,
, LeBron James (38)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, Quicken Loans Arena
20,562
, 12–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 21
, December 4
, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta
,
, Chris Bosh (27)
, Chris Bosh,
Dwyane Wade (10)
, Mario Chalmers,
LeBron James (4)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 13–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 22
, December 6
, @ Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee
,
, Dwyane Wade (25)
, Dwyane Wade (14)
, LeBron James (6)
, Bradley Center
17,167
, 14–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 23
, December 8
, @ Utah Jazz, Utah
,
, LeBron James (33)
, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, EnergySolutions Arena
19,911
, 15–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 24
, December 10
, @ Golden State Warriors, Golden State
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, LeBron James (9)
, Oracle Arena
20,036
, 16–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 25
, December 11
, @ Sacramento Kings, Sacramento
,
, Dwyane Wade (36)
, Chris Bosh (17)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, ARCO Arena
16,396
, 17–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 26
, December 13
, New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans
,
, Dwyane Wade (32)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 18–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 27
, December 15
, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland
,
, Dwyane Wade (28)
, LeBron James (13)
, LeBron James (5)
, American Airlines Arena
19,899
, 19–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 28
, December 17
, @ New York Knicks, New York
,
, LeBron James (32)
, LeBron James (11)
, LeBron James (10)
, Madison Square Garden
19,763
, 20–8
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 29
, December 18
, @ Washington Wizards, Washington
,
, LeBron James (32)
, Chris Bosh (9)
, LeBron James (6)
, Capital One Arena, Verizon Center
20,278
, 21–8
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 30
, December 20
, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, Dwyane Wade (22)
, LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (7)
, American Airlines Arena
20,178
, 21–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 31
, December 23
, @ Phoenix Suns, Phoenix
,
, LeBron James (36)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (4)
, US Airways Center
18,422
, 22–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 32
, December 25
, @ Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Lakers
,
, LeBron James (27)
, Chris Bosh (13)
, LeBron James (10)
, Staples Center
18,997
, 23–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 33
, December 28
, New York Knicks, New York
,
, Dwyane Wade (40)
, Chris Bosh,
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas,
LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
20,288
, 24–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 34
, December 29
, @ Houston Rockets, Houston
,
, Dwyane Wade (45)
, Joel Anthony,
Dwyane Wade (7)
, LeBron James (9)
, Toyota Center
18,409
, 25–9
, -

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 35
, January 1
, Golden State Warriors, Golden State
,
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (25)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (10)
, American Airlines Arena
20,254
, 26–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 36
, January 3
, @ Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte
,
, LeBron James (38)
, Joel Anthony,
Dwyane Wade (11)
, LeBron James (5)
, Time Warner Cable Arena
19,233
, 27–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 37
, January 4
, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
20,215
, 28–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 38
, January 7
, @ Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee
,
, LeBron James (26)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, LeBron James (5)
, Bradley Center
18,717
, 29–9
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 39
, January 9
, @ Portland Trail Blazers, Portland
,
, LeBron James (44)
, LeBron James (13)
, LeBron James (6)
, Rose Garden (arena), Rose Garden
20,636
, 30–9
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 40
, January 12
, @ Los Angeles Clippers, L.A. Clippers
,
, Dwyane Wade (31)
, Chris Bosh (13)
, LeBron James (6)
, Staples Center
19,803
, 30–10
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 41
, January 13
, @ Denver Nuggets, Denver
,
, Chris Bosh (24)
, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (8)
, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (8)
, Pepsi Center
19,155
, 30–11
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 42
, January 15
, @ Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, Dwyane Wade (33)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, Dwyane Wade (4)
, United Center
23,017
, 30–12
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 43
, January 18
, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta
,
, LeBron James (34)
, Joel Anthony (16)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 30–13
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 44
, January 22
, Toronto Raptors, Toronto
,
, LeBron James (38)
, LeBron James (11)
, Mario Chalmers (9)
, American Airlines Arena
20,025
, 31–13
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 45
, January 27
, @ New York Knicks, New York
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, Dwyane Wade (16)
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (5)
, Madison Square Garden
19,763
, 31–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 46
, January 28
, Detroit Pistons, Detroit
,
, LeBron James (39)
, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,805
, 32–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 47
, January 30
, @ Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma City
,
, Dwyane Wade (32)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, LeBron James (13)
, Oklahoma City Arena
18,203
, 33–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 48
, January 31
, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (14)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 34–14
, -

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 49
, February 3
, @ Orlando Magic, Orlando
,
, LeBron James (51)
, LeBron James,
Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (11)
, LeBron James (8)
, Amway Center
18,945
, 35–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 50
, February 4
, @ Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte
,
, Dwyane Wade (22)
, Dwyane Wade (12)
, Dwyane Wade (10)
, Time Warner Cable Arena
19,592
, 36–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 51
, February 6
, Los Angeles Clippers, L.A. Clippers
,
, Dwyane Wade (28)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,702
, 37–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 52
, February 8
, Indiana Pacers, Indiana
,
, LeBron James (41)
, LeBron James (13)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 38–14
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 53
, February 11
, @ Detroit Pistons, Detroit
,
, Dwyane Wade (24)
, Chris Bosh (10)
, LeBron James (10)
, The Palace of Auburn Hills
22,076
, 39–14
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 54
, February 13
, @ Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, Chris Bosh (24)
, Chris Bosh (10)
, LeBron James (7)
, TD Garden
18,624
, 39–15
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 55
, February 15
, @ Indiana Pacers, Indiana
,
, Dwyane Wade (41)
, Dwyane Wade (12)
, LeBron James (5)
, Conseco Fieldhouse
18,165
, 40–15
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 56
, February 16
, @ Toronto Raptors, Toronto
,
, Dwyane Wade (28)
, LeBron James (13)
, LeBron James (8)
, Air Canada Centre
20,156
, 41–15
, - style="text-align:center;"
, colspan="9" style="background:#bbcaff;", 2011 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Break
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 57
, February 22
, Sacramento Kings, Sacramento
,
, LeBron James (31)
, Chris Bosh (9)
, Dwyane Wade (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,754
, 42–15
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 58
, February 24
, @ Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (5)
, United Center
23,024
, 42–16
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 59
, February 25
, Washington Wizards, Washington
,
, Dwyane Wade (41)
, LeBron James (9)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,825
, 43–16
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 60
, February 27
, New York Knicks, New York
,
, LeBron James (27)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,702
, 43–17
, -

, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 61
, March 3
, Orlando Magic, Orlando
,
, LeBron James (29)
, LeBron James,
Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (6)
, Dwyane Wade (5)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 43–18
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 62
, March 4
, @ San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio
,
, LeBron James (26)
, Chris Bosh (14)
, LeBron James (7)
, AT&T Center
18,581
, 43–19
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 63
, March 6
, Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, LeBron James (26)
, LeBron James (8)
, LeBron James (6)
, American Airlines Arena
19,763
, 43–20
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 64
, March 8
, Portland Trail Blazers, Portland
,
, Dwyane Wade (38)
, LeBron James (11)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,835
, 43–21
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 65
, March 10
, Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Lakers
,
, Chris Bosh (24)
, Chris Bosh (9)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,986
, 44–21
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 66
, March 12
, Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis
,
, Dwyane Wade (28)
, Chris Bosh (10)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 45–21
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 67
, March 14
, San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio
,
, Chris Bosh (30)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
20,021
, 46–21
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 68
, March 16
, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma City
,
, Chris Bosh,
Dwyane Wade (21)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, Mario Chalmers,
LeBron James (3)
, American Airlines Arena
20,083
, 46–22
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 69
, March 18
, @ Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta
,
, LeBron James (43)
, Chris Bosh (10)
, Mike Bibby (6)
, Philips Arena
20,024
, 47–22
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 70
, March 19
, Denver Nuggets, Denver
,
, LeBron James (33)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, Chris Bosh (6)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 48–22
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 71
, March 23
, @ Detroit Pistons, Detroit
,
, Dwyane Wade (24)
, LeBron James (8)
, LeBron James (7)
, The Palace of Auburn Hills
22,076
, 49–22
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 72
, March 25
, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Dwyane Wade (39)
, Dwyane Wade (11)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,840
, 50–22
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 73
, March 27
, Houston Rockets, Houston
,
, LeBron James (33)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Arena
19,825
, 51–22
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 74
, March 29
, @ Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland
,
, LeBron James (27)
, LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (12)
, Quicken Loans Arena
20,562
, 51–23
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 75
, March 30
, @ Washington Wizards, Washington
,
, LeBron James (35)
, Chris Bosh,
LeBron James (8)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, Capital One Arena, Verizon Center
18,916
, 52–23
, -

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 76
, April 1
, @ Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota
,
, Dwyane Wade (32)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (10)
, Target Center
19,096
, 53–23
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 77
, April 3
, @ New Jersey Nets, New Jersey
,
, LeBron James (31)
, Erick Dampier (14)
, LeBron James (7)
, Prudential Center
18,711
, 54–23
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 78
, April 6
, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee
,
, LeBron James (29)
, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (12)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
20,017
, 54–24
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 79
, April 8
, Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte
,
, Chris Bosh,
Dwyane Wade (27)
, Chris Bosh (10)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Arena
19,897
, 55–24
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 80
, April 10
, Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, LeBron James (27)
, Joel Anthony (10)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,766
, 56–24
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 81
, April 11
, @ Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta
,
, LeBron James (34)
, LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (7)
, Philips Arena
18,529
, 57–24
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 82
, April 13
, @ Toronto Raptors, Toronto
,
, Eddie House (35)
, Jamaal Magloire (19)
, Mario Chalmers (13)
, Air Canada Centre
20,108
, 58–24
, -

Playoffs

Game log

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 1
, April 16
, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Chris Bosh (25)
, LeBron James (14)
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (5)
, American Airlines Arena
19,600
, 1–0
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 2
, April 18
, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, LeBron James (29)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, LeBron James (6)
, American Airlines Arena
20,204
, 2–0
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 3
, April 21
, @ Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Dwyane Wade (32)
, LeBron James (15)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), Wells Fargo Center
20,404
, 3–0
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 4
, April 24
, @ Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, LeBron James (31)
, Dwyane Wade (8)
, LeBron James (6)
, Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), Wells Fargo Center
19,048
, 3–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 5
, April 27
, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia
,
, Dwyane Wade (26)
, Chris Bosh,
Dwyane Wade (11)
, LeBron James (8)
, American Airlines Arena
19,896
, 4–1

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 1
, May 1
, Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, Dwyane Wade (38)
, Chris Bosh (12)
, LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade (5)
, American Airlines Arena
20,021
, 1–0
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 2
, May 3
, Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, LeBron James (35)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, Chris Bosh (4)
, American Airlines Arena
20,104
, 2–0
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 3
, May 7
, @ Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, Dwyane Wade (23)
, Joel Anthony (11)
, Dwyane Wade (7)
, TD Garden
18,624
, 2–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 4
, May 9
, @ Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, LeBron James (35)
, LeBron James (14)
, Dwyane Wade (4)
, TD Garden
18,624
, 3–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 5
, May 11
, Boston Celtics, Boston
,
, Dwyane Wade (34)
, Chris Bosh (11)
, Dwyane Wade (5)
, American Airlines Arena
20,208
, 4–1

, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 1
, May 15
, @ Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, Chris Bosh (30)
, Chris Bosh (9)
, LeBron James (6)
, United Center
22,874
, 0–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 2
, May 18
, @ Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, LeBron James (29)
, LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (5)
, United Center
23,007
, 1–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 3
, May 22
, Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, Chris Bosh (34)
, Dwyane Wade (9)
, LeBron James (10)
, American Airlines Arena
20,123
, 2–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 4
, May 24
, Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, LeBron James (35)
, Udonis Haslem,
Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (9)
, LeBron James (6)
, American Airlines Arena
20,125
, 3–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 5
, May 26
, @ Chicago Bulls, Chicago
,
, LeBron James (28)
, LeBron James (11)
, LeBron James (6)
, United Center
23,057
, 4–1

, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 1
, May 31
, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, LeBron James (24)
, Dwyane Wade (10)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, American Airlines Arena
20,003
, 1–0
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 2
, June 2
, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, Dwyane Wade (36)
, Chris Bosh,
LeBron James (8)
, Dwyane Wade (6)
, American Airlines Arena
20,003
, 1–1
, - style="background:#cfc;"
, 3
, June 5
, @ Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, Dwyane Wade (29)
, Dwyane Wade (11)
, LeBron James (9)
, American Airlines Center
20,340
, 2–1
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 4
, June 7
, @ Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, Dwyane Wade (32)
, LeBron James (9)
, LeBron James (7)
, American Airlines Center
20,430
, 2–2
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 5
, June 9
, @ Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, Dwyane Wade (23)
, Chris Bosh,
LeBron James (10)
, LeBron James (10)
, American Airlines Center
20,433
, 2–3
, - style="background:#fcc;"
, 6
, June 12
, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
,
, LeBron James (21)
, Udonis Haslem (9)
, Mario Chalmers (7)
, American Airlines Arena
20,003
, 2–4
, -

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

Week/Month

* On December 13, 2010 Dwyane Wade was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (December 6 – 12).
* On December 27, 2010 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (December 20 – 26).
* On January 3, 2011 Dwyane Wade was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (December 27 – January 2).
* On January 3, 2011 LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were named Eastern Conference's Co-Players of the Month (December).
* On January 3, 2011 Erik Spoelstra was named Eastern Conference's Coach of the Month (December).
* On January 10, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (January 3 – 9).
* On January 31, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (January 24 – 30).
* On February 4, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Month (January).
* On February 7, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (January 31 – February 6).
* On March 14, 2011 Dwyane Wade was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (March 7 – 13).
* On March 21, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Week (March 14 – 20).
* On April 15, 2011 LeBron James was named Eastern Conference's Player of the Month (April).

All-Star

* LeBron James was voted to his 7th consecutive NBA All-Star Game as a starter (7th consecutive time as a starter).
* Dwyane Wade was voted to his 7th consecutive NBA All-Star Game as a starter (6th consecutive time as a starter).
* Chris Bosh was selected to his 6th consecutive NBA All-Star Game (4th consecutive time as a reserve).
* James Jones (basketball, born 1980), James Jones won the 2011 NBA All-Star Game#Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, 2011 NBA All-Star Three-point Shootout.

Season

* On May 9, 2011 LeBron James was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
* On May 10, 2011 Pat Riley was named NBA Executive of the Year Award, NBA Co-Executive of the Year.
* On May 12, 2011 LeBron James was named to the All-NBA First Team.
* On May 12, 2011 Dwyane Wade was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

Records

* On December 23, 2010 LeBron James became the youngest player to have reached 16,000 career points.
* On March 18, 2011 LeBron James became the youngest player to have reached 17,000 career points.
* On March 27, 2011 Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade became the first trio in franchise history to each score 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in a single game, against the Houston Rockets.

Milestones

* On December 18, 2010 Chris Bosh reached 5,000th career rebounds.
* On December 18, 2010 Juwan Howard reached his 16,000th career points.
* On December 23, 2010 LeBron James became the youngest player to have reached 16,000 career points.
* On January 7, 2011 LeBron James reached 500th career blocks.
* On January 13, 2011 Dwyane Wade reached 500th career blocks.
* On March 18, 2011 LeBron James became the youngest player to have reached 17,000 career points.
* On March 27, 2011 Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade became only the second trio in NBA history to each score 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in a single non-overtime game, against the Houston Rockets.

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Subtractions

Season in review

The Miami Heat entered NBA free agency in 2010 with nearly $46 million in salary cap space, with the ability to re-sign free agent Dwyane Wade, and add two of the National Basketball Association, NBA's top players, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. According to Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith, speaking on his show just days after the NBA draft, the Heat were "highly likely" to sign all three players. The New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat were in negotiations to sign LeBron James. On July 7, 2010, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh agreed to terms with the Miami Heat. Then on July 8, 2010, James held an hour-long special to announce his decision on ESPN to commit to playing with the Heat. Later that evening, the Heat announced the trade of Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pair of second-round picks and cash considerations.

On July 8, 2010, it became official that NBA players and gold medal-winning United States national men's basketball team, Beijing Olympic teammates James, Wade, and Bosh would be joining the Heat. The Heat completed sign-and-trade deals, sending a total of four future first-round and two-second-round picks to the Cavaliers and Raptors for James and Bosh (both signing six-year, $110.1 million contracts). Wade re-signed with the Heat for $107.59 million for six years. All three have early-termination clauses in their contracts, allowing them to become free agents again in four years, in the summer of 2014. The final year on all three deals, for 2015–16, is a player option. The three made their debut at the 2010 Summer Heat Welcome Party at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, where they were introduced as ''The Three Kings'' by Heat play-by-play announcer and event co-host Eric Reid (television announcer), Eric Reid. Howard Beck of ''The New York Times'' described the national fan reaction to the party: "Everyone saw something: greatness, arrogance, self-indulgence, boldness, cowardice, pride, friendship, collusion, joy, cynicism, heroes, mercenaries."

By taking less than maximum salaries, Wade, James and Bosh opened the door for the Heat to further continue its roster makeover with the re-signing of Udonis Haslem and signing of veteran swingman and teammate of Haslem at the University of Florida, Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller, for dual five-year deals worth a combined $45 million. In order to fill the voids at forward and center, the Heat signed James's former teammate in Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, to a two-year deal for the veteran's minimum at $2.8 million, re-signed Joel Anthony, and signed power forward Juwan Howard. In the guard department, the Miami Heat re-signed guard Carlos Arroyo and signed former Celtics player Eddie House to a two-year contract for the veteran's minimum of $2.8 million. Rookies Dexter Pittman and Da'Sean Butler, along with NBA Summer League standouts Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck, also signed contracts.

The Miami Heat began the regular season with much hype going into their first game against the Eastern Conference Champs, the Boston Celtics. Many considered the Miami Heat as the team to break the single-season record of 72 regular season victories set by the Chicago Bulls. The opening game of the season, broadcast on the TNT (American TV network), TNT Network and featuring the debut of reigning two-time NBA MVP James in a Miami uniform alongside Chris Bosh, was the most-watched NBA contest ever on cable television. The game earned a 4.6 rating, delivering 7.4 million total viewers and 5.3 million households, beating the Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 1996.

The Heat lost the opening game 88–80 and got off to a 9–8 start due in large part to inconsistent play and injuries of key role players Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980), Mike Miller (thumb) and Udonis Haslem (foot). After losing four out of five games, including a Saturday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 27, the team called a players-only meeting with the intent to get players to communicate with each other. Much of the speculation was that Spoelstra could lose his job and that Heat president Pat Riley would return as coach, especially after a well publicized incident when James "bumped" into Spoelstra during a timeout.

After the players-only meeting, the team pulled together a 12-game win streak (10 of them by double digits) and limited the opposition under 100 points in all those games. During the winning streak, James led the Heat in defeating his former team by scoring 38 points (tying a Heat record for points in a quarter with 24 in the third) in a game that drew nearly 7.1 million viewers and earned a 25.4 rating in Miami. ESPN 3D aired its first NBA game in the 3D television, third dimension on December 17, 2010, when the Heat defeated the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden., The Heat set a franchise record for wins in December with 15 and set an NBA record for consecutive road victories in a calendar month with 10 (including the Christmas Day match-up with the reigning two-time champion Los Angeles Lakers, which the team won 96–80).

During a post-game chat with Sun Sports' Jason Jackson (reporter), Jason Jackson on January 3, 2011, LeBron James joked "I see we sell out 99.1 percent on the road, so we call ourselves the Heatles off the The Beatles, Beatles, so every time we take our show on the road we bring a great crowd", giving the Heat's trio the unofficial nickname.

On January 27, 2011, via fan voting, James (forward) and Wade (guard) were selected to be starters for the Eastern Conference at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, becoming the second pair of teammates to be selected as All-Star starters in franchise history (Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade; 2006 NBA All-Star Game, 2006 and 2007 NBA All-Star Game, 2007). A few days later, forward Chris Bosh was selected as a reserve, marking the first time in Heat history the team had sent three players to the All-Star game in a single season.

Like the 2005–06 championship season, the Heat were criticized, for being unable to beat the top-caliber teams of the NBA. This criticism though would just grow more and more as the regular season was beginning to wind down. Despite beating their division rival Orlando Magic two of three games, sweeping the Lakers 2–0, and beating both the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thunder once, they had lost to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics three times, swept by the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks who swept the season series and continued their regular season dominance against Miami for their 16th straight victory dating back to the 2004–05 season.

In order to improve for the playoffs, the Heat signed guard Mike Bibby, who agreed to forfeit the $6.2 million he was owed by the Washington Wizards for the next season so that he could become a free agent and sign a league-minimum contract with a contender. In the process, the Heat released Carlos Arroyo. In Bibby's first game on March 3, the Heat were leading the Magic by 24 points in the third quarter before the Heat were outscored 40–9 and lost 99–96. The following night against the Spurs, who held the NBA's best record (51–11), the Heat lost 125–95, their most lopsided loss of the year and their fourth loss in five games. In their next game against the Bulls, the Heat had a 12-point lead in the first half, but they ended up losing 87–86 after two failed shots by James and Wade in the last 6 seconds of the game. It was the Heat's 12th and 13th consecutive missed shots with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. James had missed four in the four-game losing streak. It was the Heat's fourth straight loss, and the fourth time since February 24 they had lost after a double-digit lead. The Heat were 2–5 since the All-Star break, 5–13 in games decided by five or fewer points and 14–18 against teams with winning records. After the game, there were reports of players crying in the locker room afterwards. On March 10, the Heat beat the Lakers, 94–88, and ended their five-game losing streak while also ending the Lakers' eight-game winning streak.

On March 27, Wade, James, and Bosh became the second trio in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same non-overtime game (a home win against the Houston Rockets), matching Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors on February 2, 1961. Additionally, it was the first time that a team's trio recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games since Sidney Wicks, Lloyd Neal and John Johnson (basketball, born 1947), John Johnson accomplished the feat with the Portland Trail Blazers in March 1975. It was also the first time in Heat franchise history that three players scored 30 points in the same game.

The 2011 Heat finished with a 58–24 record, third best in team history and a second overall seed, behind the Chicago Bulls, who had the NBA's best record. Additionally, the Heat finished 5th in the NBA in attendance with 810,930, behind the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Bulls in that order (100.9% capacity). The Heat faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and eliminated them in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Heat defeated their rival Boston Celtics in five games, winning a dramatic overtime Game 4 in Boston and a come-from-behind Game 5 victory at home to finish the series. In the NBA Conference finals, Eastern Conference finals, the Heat faced the Chicago Bulls. After being blown out by 21 points by the Bulls in Game 1, the Heat took home-court by defeating Chicago in Game 2, and winning their home Games 3 and 4, the latter of which came in overtime. In Game 5 in Chicago, the Miami Heat made a historic comeback; after being down 77–65 with 3:14 left, the Heat went on an 18–3 run to win, 83–80, capped by a key four-point play from Wade and clutch shooting from James.Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls – Play By Play – May 26, 2011 – ESPN
ESPN.go.com (May 26, 2011). The Heat advanced to the NBA Finals to face the Dallas Mavericks, who had defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. This series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, in which Dallas won the first two games and then lost four straight to Miami. The Heat won Game 1 in Miami, 92–84, but in Game 2, the Heat were leading the Mavericks by 15 points with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter before the Heat were outscored 22–5 and lost, 95–93. Miami won Game 3 in Dallas 88–86 with the game-winning basket scored by Chris Bosh. They would lose to the Mavericks in six games falling just short of capturing their 2nd NBA Championship. Dwyane Wade averaged 26.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, the highest scorer on the team, while LeBron James averaged 17.8 points, and 7.1 rebounds which was the largest drop off in points from a regular season to an NBA Finals in NBA history.

References

External links

2010–11 Miami Heat season at ESPN

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-11 Miami Heat Season
Miami Heat seasons
Eastern Conference (NBA) championship seasons
2010–11 NBA season by team, Miami
2010 in sports in Florida, Miami Heat
2011 in sports in Florida, Miami Heat