LeBron and Heat must avoid hole...

In only two weeks the Miami Heat's season has swung from adversity to opportunity. They're no longer missing a key player because of injury and they no longer have the threat of elimination pointing in their face like the tip of a bayonet. Their opponent is formidable, but their scenario is simple: win three home games to become NBA champions. They're serving for the match.

And that could be the their biggest issue.

The Heat used to have a reputation as front-runners, but that's gone the way of Udonis Haslem's braids. This Heat squad seems to be at its best when the conditions are the worst. When it held an 11-point lead in the third quarter and a chance to sweep the New York Knicks in the first round, the Heat let it slip away and bought themselves an extra day of work. But when they fell behind to the Indiana Pacers 2-1 in the second round, they didn't lose a game the rest of the series. When they couldn't lose either of the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, they didn't. The most recent example: their bounce back in Game 2 of the NBA Finals after dropping the opener to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"We're at our best when we play like a desperate team," Haslem said. "Why is that? It's a tough question. What I will say is, as a group, we understand that now. So there's no reason not to play desperate every game. There's no excuse. ... We play desperate, I think we have our best chance of winning."

In this case, "we" and "the Miami Heat" can be considered euphemisms for "LeBron James." While the team as a whole has had great performances sprinkled throughout the playoffs, clearly James' two superlative games -- the only two times he has reached the 40-point level -- came when the consequences were greatest: Game 4 in Indiana and Game 6 in Boston.

In that case, the question of why they're at their best when behind in the series is best posed to LeBron.

"I don't know," he replied. "I guess when we're behind and when we're down, that's the best time people like to see us at. People like to see us when we're behind and see how we're going to react or make adjustments going into the next game."

A curious response. He's right in that interest spikes when polarizing teams such as the Heat and the Lakers are on the verge of losing a series. But does it really take the prospect of people tuning in with the hope that they fail to force the Heat to prove them wrong?

There never has been a star as self-conscious as LeBron. It's as if he would rather convene a focus group than a huddle during timeouts. Sometimes I'm convinced he can hear the keyboards clacking away on press row when he steps to the free throw line at the end of games and he wonders what's being written about him. Saturday, he referenced the high TV viewership of these Finals, saying, "I've seen some of the ratings, so that shows the excitement around the game of basketball, shows the excitement around the two teams, and what these two teams have to offer."

Wasn't he supposed to be shutting off the outside world and entering a mental bunker for these playoffs? Who pays attention to the TV ratings in the middle of a series?

Only LeBron. 

But who can uncork a 40-point, 18-rebound, nine-assist game against the Pacers with Chris Bosh out, the Heat wobbling and opposing benchwarmers disrespecting him? Or score 45 points on a masterful 19-for-26 shooting night (and grab 15 rebounds to boot) with the season on the brink in a hostile TD Garden?

Only LeBron (now that Wilt Chamberlain is no longer with us).

No one -- not even video game characters -- can sustain that invincible-mode level of play. Maybe that's why he saves it for emergencies.

But how's this for a crisis scenario? Give the Thunder a game and the Heat would have to win another game as a visitor in Oklahoma City -- something that just happened for the first time in the playoffs. Give the Thunder a chance and the Heat could give them the series. Give them that championship experience -- thus removing the one thing the Thunder's star players lack -- and LeBron's Heat could be condemned to spend the next few years playing the role of Jerry West's Lakers to Bill Russell's Celtics.

"We don't want to be behind," James said. "We're not trying to get down in the series, we can tell you that. But it's good to see that we can come back after a little adversity, a little down."

Maybe they can feel desperate to avoid losses just because of everything a loss brings about. Heat losses aren't merely judged on their effect on their series; they are dissected for what they mean for LeBron's legacy, Erik Spoelstra's future and the worth of this super-team concept.

There were moments in the aftermath of Game 1 and the practice day that followed that the Heat players seemed tired of the burden (albeit self-imposed) of being THE HEAT. A victory in Game 2, a day's break from the media and a return home did wonders for their attitudes.

They're even speaking with a more unified voice. Players are echoing Spoelstra, like in this Dwyane Wade comment: "Each game is going to come down to, as coach continues to tell us, come down to four or five plays."

The Thunder have a similar attitude, recognizing that their effort might be the only obstacle to victory. They can use their turnaround in the Western Conference finals as a reference. They found their edge in Game 3 and didn't lose it. But now they face a team with a one-two punch that can match Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, so it's more a matter of details.

"Whatever team is going to play harder and dive for the loose balls, those 50-50 plays and take charges, small things are going to win the game," the Thunder's James Harden said.

The Heat's Bosh had what almost sounded like a request.

"I'd like to stay ahead from now on," Bosh said. "I don't think it's a question of talent with this team, it's a question of effort. As long as we bring the effort and the determination and we play in that desperate form, we're really tough to beat. We can't let our guard down because we're at home. We've got to turn it up another notch. We have to keep getting better as we get deeper into this series."

The Heat realize they have their hands full with the Thunder. And their habits might be just as big a challenge. It's that tendency to play cool, to act as if victories should be ceded to them that keeps popping up whenever they have the option of losing. On its surface, Sunday's Game 3, with as many as four remaining afterward, doesn't feel like a moment of truth. But it will reveal the veracity of the Heat's words, and whether they've really learned to avoid their perils of prosperity. 

Rafa stands alone..

History was always going to be made in the red dust of Roland Garros this week, but that inevitability didn't make the moment any less dramatic or draining when it finally arrived.

In fighting through the exhaustion, emotion and cold drizzle  to win the French Open 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5, Rafa Nadal ensured that this time it was he, not his electric adversary Novak Djokovic, who required the record books to be erased and re-written.

Seven French Open titles, by the still remarkably tender age of 26, puts Nadal alone in the Parisian pantheon, clear of a record of Bjorn Borg's that once looked impossible to surpass. Djokovic, stoic in damp defeat, must wait another year at least to join those elite players who have held all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. 

If it rained on Rafa's parade in Paris, it was an equally unexpected coronation for those watching rapt court-side or glued to the battle via their televisions in the UK.

A French Open final hasn't been delayed until the Monday since Ilie Nastase's stroll to the title in 1973, which may explain the empty seats around Court Philippe Chatrier at the resumption.

Neither was the match quite - quite - the eyeballs-out, all-time classic most had hoped for. Those frequent rain delays made it feel like watching a great film interrupted by breaks for TV adverts and prime time news, the narrative disrupted and the tension dissipated just as the plot was threatening to sweep us away as it had during the Australian Open final five months ago.

Maybe we have been spoiled by that near six-hour Melbourne marvel. The peaks, as we have come to expect of these two remarkable men, were as lofty as ever. But that the match was lost on a double fault was perhaps fitting when the unforced error count was the key statistic that separated the two.

Djokovic almost matched Nadal in clean winners (34 to 39), first serve percentage (59% to 62%) and total points won (116 to 125). He was more ruthless on break points. But in shipping 53 errors to the Spaniard's 29 he created the openings that a competitor like Nadal does not give up.

Free points, when facing a player with Rafa's armoury, equate to suicide. His forehand alone is enough to trigger surrender.

On days like Monday, when it cut and chopped Djokovic to pieces, the gasps of astonishment in the crowd were mixed with shrugs of Serbian sympathy.

It is a frightening weapon, a horror to scare children to sleep and give grown men nightmares. At the same time it is a thing of beauty, admired and cherished by everyone except the poor unfortunate facing it down across the net.

That it was the result most wise men expected, despite Djokovic's top seeding, should not detract from the magnitude of Nadal's achievement.

His magnificent seven at Roland Garros means he now has 11 Grand Slam titles overall, just one behind Roy Emerson, three behind Pete Sampras and five away from the record of 16 held by Roger Federer.

How many more French Opens can he win? Time and form remain on his side. Three years ago only tendonitis looked like stopping him, but even that debilitating knee condition looks to be in check, if not beaten.

He dropped just one set en route to this latest triumph, and that on Sunday as the heavy rain tethered his topspin forehands temporarily to the wet clay. Since he first set foot on these famous courts he has amassed 52 wins and only one loss, a half-century that neatly accompanies his 50 career singles titles and $50m in career prize money.

Borg, his predecessor as the king of clay, was a fitting icon of his era - long hair, tiny shorts, a laconic rock star pin-up for playboy times.

Nadal is equally symbolic of our own age: a player at hyper speed in a non-stop world, physique carved by obsession, a dominance built on power and ruthless application of superior strength.

As he celebrated on Monday by climbing up into the crowd in search of his uncle Toni, his vanquished opponent sat upright in his chair, staring intently at the plasters on his fingers rather than the cavorting up above.

Djokovic will see these as crumbs, but in extending Nadal to almost four hours he had given him his toughest French final yet. To win eight games in a row against the best player ever to step foot on clay, at his peak, is a little miracle all of its own.

He will also know, once the immediate disappointment fades, that Paris was just another chapter in a rivalry which should illuminate the men's game for many Grand Slams yet to come.

Five times these two have now met in the big finals. Even after this defeat Djokovic leads the series. With his Wimbledon crown to defend in a fortnight's time he may not have to wait long for his revenge.

For those of us on the outside, watching spellbound as another layer is added to a rivalry that already has so much, there is delight in what has gone before and relish at what may follow.

These are momentous times for Nadal, but they are also remarkable for men's tennis - for its quality, its depth and its triumvirate of complementary heroes at the top of the rankings.

If all three of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer will leave the game among its all-time greats, on Monday it was another storied band whose ranks Nadal symbolically joined.

The trophy that he raised with tears in his eyes, the Coupe des Mousquetaires, pays tribute to the four Frenchmen who lit up world tennis 80 years ago.

Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste, 20 Grand Slam singles titles between them, were immortalised in sporting myth as the Four Muskeketeers. In Nadal, they have their D'Artagnan .

IT'S A CHESS MATCH...

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play in the finals of Roland Garros on Sunday in a match guaranteed to make history. A Djokovic win would be his fourth straight major title. While technically not a Grand Slam (which must occur in the same calendar year), it would nonetheless be an astonishing accomplishment. For Nadal, a victory on Sunday would give him a record seventh French Open title, eclipsing Bjorn Borg, and further cementing his reputation as the best clay-court player ever.

The two men have played in the last three Grand Slam finals, with Djokovic winning in four sets at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year. Djokovic defeated Nadal in six straight finals in 2011, on three different surfaces, and the normally imperturbable Nadal looked frustrated at being unable to solve the mystery of Djokovic’s game.

But in their marathon Australian Open final in January, Nadal came within a few points of toppling Djokovic, narrowly losing in five sets. Nadal drew confidence from the close loss, however, and has won their last two matches, in the finals at Monte Carlo and Rome.

Before last year, Nadal dominated the rivalry with Djokovic. He knew that Djokovic had three weaknesses: his serve, which had developed an awkward hitch that led to frequent double faults; his fitness, which was suspect; and his mental game, which led to some dramatic meltdowns in major tournaments. Djokovic’s upset of Roger Federer in the semifinals of the 2010 U.S. Open, in which he saved two match points with daring, aggressive play, signaled a possible breakthrough for Djokovic. Although he lost to Nadal in four sets in the final, Djokovic seemed to grow in confidence. His stirring, emotional play in leading Serbia to the Davis Cup infused him with a buoyant self-belief that he carried into 2011.

How did Djokovic solve the Nadal Problem? How did he turn their rivalry around? He began by returning to his old service motion. After weeks of work, the smooth delivery returned, and Djokovic began to get more free points on his serve. Next, he improved his fitness, getting leaner and improving his strength, speed, and stamina. And he grew more positive and focused on court.

Djokovic dominated Nadal in 2011 by exploiting Nadal’s weaker side — his backhand — and controlling court position to take time away from Nadal. Because Djokovic’s ground game is so balanced, he can transform a point with either a forehand or a backhand. By contrast, Nadal is a forehand-dominant player.

This is a major difference between the two: Djokovic can rip a winner off both sides, while Nadal can dominate with only his forehand. Last year Nadal’s backhand was almost always hit cross court. He seemed to lack faith in his ability to rip a backhand up the line. This made Nadal predictable.

But in the chess match that is their rivalry, Nadal has addressed the weakness of his backhand. He has expanded his repertoire of shots on the backhand side, with a noticeably improved backhand down the line, a heavier, more penetrating slice, and an accurate topspin angle that he places just past the service line to run his opponent wide of the sideline. All of these shots are designed to increase the chances that he can play a forehand, which has become the most lethal ground stroke in men’s tennis.

Another area where Nadal can fall into predictability is his serve placement. Look for him to use more body serves and serves to the forehand to keep Djokovic from getting dialed in with his formidable return of serve. In their Australian Open final, Djokovic kept Nadal under sustained pressure with his consistently deep returns.

For Djokovic, a key to the match will be his ability to win the battle of court positioning. If he can impose his game on Nadal, taking the ball early and pushing Rafa off the baseline with his penetrating ground strokes, then he will force Nadal to cover a lot of ground. Look for Djokovic to go wide to Nadal’s forehand, which will expose the Nadal backhand. Too, Nadal hits way fewer forehand winners when pulled wide than when he gets to run around his backhand and use his favorite winner, the inside-out forehand.

Both men are physically fit, and as we learned in their nearly six-hour contest in Melbourne, they are prepared to suffer. It will be fascinating to watch this match unfold, to see which player can will himself to an historic victory on the slow red clay of Paris.

HISTORY BECKONS EITHER WAY!!

At this late date, after all the sets and all the points and the hurdles, only one remains for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic each other. They are where they expected to be -- in the final of the French Open. Through different paths and contrasting degrees of difficulty, the main event following their epic 5-hour, 53-minute Australian Open final has arrived.

So much history-making rests on the performance of each, but Djokovic and Nadal have already made tennis history just surviving the French Open draw. No pair of rivals in the history of the Open era, not Borg and McEnroe, Connors and McEnroe, Sampras and Agassi or even Federer and Nadal has ever played in four straight finals of a Grand Slam. Djokovic has beaten Nadal at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open consecutively. Nadal is not only trying to win his seventh French Open, but he's attempting to break that agonizing losing streak as well..

Although the history is obvious -- Nadal is trying to break his tie of six French Open titles with Borg and Djokovic is chasing Laver to be first man since Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once -- the future will also be shaped by Sunday's events. A victory for Djokovic would cement his current status that over five sets, on any surface, he is the dominant player in the game without peer.

A Nadal victory would return the balance in his favor, a resurgence that began in the fourth set of the Australian Open, where Nadal saw his own tennis mortality in the face of Djokovic. For the first time in Nadal's career, a player stood on the other side of the net that he could not beat with his current game. From the fourth set forward, despite ultimately losing the match, Nadal began hitting deeper backhands, attacking the Djokovic forehand and concentrating on creating a bigger weapon out of his serve. After losing seven consecutive finals to Djokovic, Nadal righted himself this year by winning their last two meetings, both on clay, in the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters finals.

Djokovic destroyed a listless Roger Federer in the semifinals, yet Federer still referred to Djokovic as an underdog against Nadal. This, no doubt will fuel the fire that resides in Djokovic , one that helped him tame Andreas Seppi and Jo-Wlifred Tsonga here.

Nadal's heat-seeking focus during the fortnight has been evident both on the court and in the weeks leading up to Roland Garros, where he had been calibrating his game to play Djokovic. Through total destruction of excellent top-15-level players, he has arrived at his moment, and nothing, not the competition or the pressure of history or the fickle weather will stand in his way.

"What can I think? What can I think?" Nadal said Saturday about the ominous forecast that threatens to wipe out the final. "If it rains, it rains, then we play Monday. That is all."

But perhaps the potential break will give us more time to think about the personality of today's tennis dynamic, which has been on display for two weeks. From the French love of Federer to the doomed, demoralized faces of Nadal's opponents to the terrific struggles and triumphs of the great Djokovic in his quest for the career Grand Slam, this tournament has been nothing short of sensational. 

Djokovic is the best player in the game today. And that's saying something considering the giants whose followings are as big as their championship resumes. Federer is not only the most decorated player of his time, but he is also the most beloved. During his semifinal loss to Djokovic, it was clear who the public favored. With each Federer serve, each wild forehand forced by the wind, the Chatrier crowd groaned and tried to rebuild Federer with applause, and Djokovic could not help but notice. Of course, it did no good as Djokovic continued to smother Federer like a boa constrictor, and as his dominance grew, the crowd slowly responded to his excellence. It is not an easy balance. 

Djokovic is not Ivan Lendl, who gave off little personality and played with a driven, cold efficiency that did not connect him to the public, especially as the successor to Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg as the game's next great player. McEnroe was not universally beloved, but played with passion that fans could identify with. 

Djokovic is funny and personable and charismatic, but like Lendl, who once said to a post match audience that he wished one day the crowd would root for him, he has made his appeals to the public for a hug. The was most noticeable after The Shot Djokovic hit against Federer in that tremendous U.S. Open comeback. 

At times on the court, Djokovic moves in an uncomfortable acknowledgement that he is for now, and perhaps permanently, not exactly a villain, but certainly not a sentimental favorite.

It remains to be seen if a Djokovic victory will shorten the gap between love and admiration from the crowds, but during the tournament there is no questioning his ability to channel and focus against the most desperate of odds. It has become part of his legend. 

Meanwhile, Nadal, who has not dropped a set during this tournament seems too close to be stopped now.