Chris Bosh has become the emotional force of Miami's Big 3 as the Heat have taken a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder./AP Photo.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are oh so cool.

Anyone still wearing the flip-up glasses like D-Wade did after Game 4 or glasses without lenses as he and James have done in these playoffs are “smoothed out on the R&B tip with a pop feel appeal” like Bell Biv Devoe back in the 1990s.

However, Bosh has become that fire breathing dragon who lights the Heat’s emotional fuse.

He will always be the third wheel of Miami’s Big 3, but Bosh, who was the man in Toronto, is doing all the dirty work stars rarely do to help the Heat win a title: Dive on the floor for loose balls.  Get offensive boards. Block shots. Defend.

And when asked to score, Bosh can still knock down the jumper and finish pick-and-roll plays at the rim.

However, Bosh has become that emotional leader for Miami. He’s the one you see getting the crowd going by flexing and pumping his fist.

He’s the one barking at teammates and getting them pumped up right before play resumes.

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Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (w/headband) are eying an NBA title, but Indiana is doing the same./AP Photo.

It’s just a formality.

The Indiana Pacers will be just a footnote in their storybook championship journey. Just another team the Miami Heat had to beat because they’re going to win it all right?

Right?

They’ve got the game’s best player in LeBron James, who won his third NBA MVP today.

They’ve got the league’s second and third best option in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, respectively.

And they don’t have to contend with the Chicago Bulls, who lost Derrick Rose to a season-ending injury and their first-round series to the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The road is paved for Miami to take it all. Indiana is just a speed bump in the road right?

Right?

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Up next for Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics? An familiar rival. The Philadelphia 76ers./AP Photo.

Whenever these two teams met in the 1980s, it was classic.

Bird vs. Dr. J. McHale vs. Barkley. Moses vs. Parish.

Go back even further to the 1960s. Legends emerged.

Wilt vs. Russell. Havlicek vs. Greer. Jones vs. Walker.

On Saturday, the Sixers and Celtics will renew their rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals as the two teams haven’t faced each in the postseason since 2002 when the first round was still a best-of-5 series.

Boston won 3-2.

Who will take this series and likely face Miami in the conference finals?

Go Green.

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OK. OK.

LeBron James showed for his appreciation day in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, on Saturday – late. Spoke for no more than 30 seconds and bounced.

Don’t know what to make of it.

We’ve all tried to interpret the guy’s every move since the Boston Celtics eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in stunning fashion in the Eastern Conference semifinals this season.

So I’m not going to determine anything based on a short speech.

Wait a minute. Who am I kidding? Here’s what I got out that.

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If Dwight Howard can't play with fouls in Game 3 tonight, the Orlando Magic can kiss their championship aspirations goodbye.

We’re about 90 minutes before the start of Game 3  in Boston where the Orlando Magic will try avoid going down 3-0 to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

Here are three keys for the Magic to win this game and stay in the series because if they lose tonight, it’s over.

1. Get Rashard Lewis going. After averaging 17 points in Orlando’s sweep of the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals, Lewis has scored 11 points total in the first two games of this series against the Celtics. At the same time, he can’t be standstill jump shooter. Got to mix his offensive game up.

2. Howard must keep cool. He’s been called for 42 fouls in 10 playoff games. His lowest foul total has been three and that was in Game 1 against the Hawks. Calls are going to go against him tonight, but he can’t let that frustrate him. Defense will win this game and the Magic need the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the game.

3. Contain Rondo. While the Big Three – Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce – are key components to the Celtics, point guard Rajon Rondo is the one who makes the team go. Jameer Nelson has to put pressure on him to play the defense and get Rondo in foul trouble. That is a sure-fire way to keep him from dictating the game.

The Magic are more talented than the Celtics, but Boston has had the edge in terms of point-guard play and bench play in this series and have the edge in championship experience.

Although Orlando made it to the NBA Finals last season, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Magic in five games. The Celtics beat that same Laker team in six games to win it all in 2008.

Was this LeBron James' last game Tuesday night in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena wearing a Cavalier uniform?

  The two-time MVP’s body language wasn’t good.

  And since LeBron James is their leader, the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers were just as lifeless.

  Now they’re a loss away from seeing championship aspirations expire after losing Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, 120-88, to the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena.

  If the Celtics close out the Cavaliers in Thursday’s Game 6 in Boston, the sellout crowd of 20,562 may have watched James play his last game for Cleveland in Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night.

   They didn’t see his best effort.

   In fact, it may have been the worst playoff performance of his splendid 7-year NBA career.

    James had just 15 points, shooting a woeful 3-of-14 from the field. He only attempted four shots in the first half, missed them all and the electric energy that typically radiates off him was barely pulsating.

   By the fourth quarter when James missed a free throw with 10:31 in the game, sprinkle of boos came from the stands.

   James wasn’t the only who didn’t bring it Tuesday night.

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Rajon Rondo has had his way with Cleveland's guards so far in this Eastern Conference semifinals series.

This is guy is not Derrick Rose or Chris Paul.

He’s not Deron Williams or Steve Nash, either.

What Rajon Rondo is, though, is a guy the Cleveland Cavaliers better figure out or else the Boston Celtics are going to make them sweat this series to the brinking point.

Rondo had 29 points, 18 rebounds (he’s 6-foot-1 folks) and 13 assists in Boston’s 97-87 home win to even this Eastern Conference semifinals series at 2-2.  Game 5 is Tuesday in Cleveland, Game 6 is Thursday in Boston and if there is a Game 7, it will be Sunday in Cleveland.

Honestly, Cleveland doesn’t have any guards who can check Rondo. So the Cavaliers have to either one, figure Rondo can’t continue playing that way or two, make him score 40 and shut everyone else down.

Well, Cleveland does have a third option.

Push the pace. Get it in the 100s. Make the older Celtics keep up with them.

The Orlando Magic are the only team that hasn't lost a game in this year's NBA playoffs.

Well, let me rephrase that.

The Orlando Magic are looking very strong.

They’re 7-0 in the playoffs and just taking Atlanta to the cleaners. Hard to gauge their wins against Atlanta because the Hawks are so disoriented, but Orlando has something to do with that.

After winning Game 3 by 30 points on Saturday, Orlando will close out its Eastern Conference series against the Hawks on Monday in Game 4.

Dwight Howard seems to have adjusted to the fouls, but what’s great about the Magic is they’ve got five guys who can get 20 points at any time.

Hard to guard a team like that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have their hands full with the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

I know. I know.

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Here’s LeBron James talking about  his injured elbow after Thursday’s practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

With the Eastern Conference semifinals series tied 1-1, James will try to lead the Cavaliers to a Game 3 win in Boston on Friday night.

His elbow may be hurting, but it didn’t stop LeBron James from scoring 35 points Saturday night in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 101-93 win past the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena.

That’s a nice way to go into receiving the MVP award later today at the University of Akron. James won’t need help hoisting the trophy, but he got some much needed help Saturday night.

Mo Williams dropped in 20 points that included a one-handed flush on Paul Pierce to turn the game around. The Cavaliers were down 11 before Williams dunked on Pierce and they wound up taking a 79-78 lead at the end of third quarter.

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