Miami

Polls show that frustration with Washington has never been higher — and who could argue? Most Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Most lawmakers openly concede that nothing will get done before the November elections. The leaders of both parties are already trading threats over the possibility of a national debt default next year. Barack Obama got elected by promising to change the tone in Washington, but clearly he's failed, as George W. Bush did before him. That should be a clue that the partisan animosity consuming the political system doesn't originate in the White House.

INDIANAPOLIS - There was nothing soft about Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Wade scored 41 points, LeBron James chipped in 28 and the Heat finished off the Indiana Pacers, locking up a return trip to the Eastern Conference finals with a 105-93 victory in Game 6 Thursday night. The Heat wrapped up the best-of-seven series and will face either the Celtics or the 76ers starting in Miami Monday. Of course, nothing less than an NBA title will make for a satisfying summer in South Beach.

On the plane ride home from Indiana, Miami guard Dwyane Wade was watching a LeBron James highlight tape. It was otherwise known as Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Heat were still marveling Monday at James' effort the previous day in Indiana, when the NBA's reigning MVP had 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists — "video game-like," was how Wade described it — to help his team knot its East series with the Pacers at two games apiece. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami, and the Heat know they probably can't expect James to fill the box score that way again anytime soon.

Miami's Big Two was more than enough to finish off the Indiana Pacers. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James turned around a season on the brink with perhaps the most remarkable week of their high-powered partnership, capped off by a 105-93 victory in Game 6 Thursday night that sent the Heat back to the Eastern Conference finals. Wade scored 41 points, James had 28 and Miami wrapped up the series 4-2, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia. But this was about more than one game.

Spectacular as it seemed, it was nothing we haven't seen from LeBron James before. Maybe that's the funny thing about all the hoopla over James' performance in Game 4 of the Pacers-Heat series. Because for once, it wasn't just his talent that deserved the spotlight, but his maturity. The question, after all, was never how good James was; he answered that long before his fateful decision to trade Cleveland for Miami turned James into the superstar everybody loves to hate. He won a scoring championship, back-to-back MVP awards and single-handedly dragged the Cavs into the playoffs each...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Larry Coker won nearly 80 percent of his games at Miami, got players to graduate, was revered for his classy manner and led the Hurricanes to a national championship. Despite all that, even he acknowledged Miami needed to make a change. Coker's tumultuous and disappointing season got its predictable ending yesterday, when he was fired after six years leading the Hurricanes. Miami finished the regular season 6-6 after beating Boston College and snapping a four-game skid to become bowl-eligible.

HOUSTON -- Tyrone Moss rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, Tavares Gooden recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a score, and Baraka Atkins scored on a 58-yard fumble return to lead No. 4 Miami to a sluggish 38-13 victory over Houston last night. Moss's best rushing performance of his short career and the Hurricanes' opportunistic defense and special teams offset a particularly erratic performance by quarterback Brock Berlin. Berlin was pretty much the only thing keeping Miami (3-0)

MIAMI -- Florida State didn't want this rematch. Now everyone knows why. Jarrett Payton ran for 131 yards, Jon Peattie kicked three field goals, and Miami shut out the Seminoles in the second half to give the Hurricanes a 16-14 win last night in the Orange Bowl. It was No. 10 Miami's fifth consecutive victory in the heated series -- its longest winning streak since 1957. No. 9 Florida State lost consecutive bowl games for the first time since the 1979 and 1980 seasons. Like several other memorable games in this storied rivalry, the outcome was decided by a kicker.

Damon Jones hit a 3-pointer with 23.4 seconds left, and Shaquille O'Neal blocked Mike Bibby's layup attempt in the closing seconds of the Miami Heat's 10th straight victory, a 109-107 win over the Kings last night in Sacramento, Calif. O'Neal, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds despite a bruised left calf, missed two free throws with 10.9 seconds left, but blocked Bibby's drive to the hoop with about two seconds to play. Chris Webber's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was well short, and Miami extended its longest winning streak since late in the 1997-98 season.

Gabrielle Union thrust both her arms up in celebration. Savannah Brinson hoisted her index finger skyward. On the street below, more than 10,000 Miami Heat fans screamed in delight as well. The Heat are going to the NBA finals — and the party in Miami started long before the game ended. The team threw a rally for its fans Thursday night, showing Game 5 from Chicago on a giant 3,400-square-foot video screen affixed to the side of its arena, and when Miami pulled off a stirring comeback to win 83-80, the crowd erupted in joyous bedlam.

With another season on the brink, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James took their two-man game to new heights. Just like that, the Miami Heat and a Big Three-Minus-One are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals. Wade scored 41 points, James added 28 and the Heat finished off the once-frisky Indiana Pacers 105-93 in Game 6 Thursday night, advancing to face either Boston or Philadelphia in the next round. The way Miami's dynamic duo is playing, it may not matter who's got next.

Here's how the schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals breaks down, regardless of whether the Celtics or Sixers make it out of Game 7 Saturday night: May 28: Game 1 - Philadephia/Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) May 30: Game 2 - Philadephia/Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m (ESPN) June 1: Game 3 - Miami at Philadephia/Boston, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) June 3: Game 4 - Miami at Philadephia/Boston, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) June 5: Game 5* - Philadephia/Boston at Miam, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Oscar Corral thought someone was yanking his chain the day the phone rang at The Miami Herald newsroom and a soft-spoken voice with just a hint of southern drawl said: "Oscar Corral, this is Tom Wolfe. " That would be master journalist-turned-novelist Tom Wolfe. For decades Wolfe had traversed the country in his trademark white suit and fedora, sending up the idiosyncrasies of rich and poor in novels like the New York City-based "The Bonfire of the Vanities," and "A Man in Full," set in Atlanta.

MIAMI - Miami took a big step forward. Indiana lost two forwards. Suddenly, the road back to the Eastern Conference finals no longer looks daunting for the Heat. LeBron James scored 30 points, Dwyane Wade added 28, and the Heat moved a win away from the NBA's final four with a 115-83 victory over the hurting Pacers Tuesday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven East semifinals, 3-2, with Game 6 in Indiana Thursday night. "This is our challenge right now, to leave it behind us," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Miami took a big step forward. Indiana lost two forwards. Suddenly, the road back to the Eastern Conference finals no longer looks daunting for the Heat. LeBron James scored 30 points, Dwyane Wade added 28, and the Heat moved a win away from the NBA's final four with a 115-83 victory over the hurting Pacers on Tuesday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven East semifinals 3-2, with Game 6 in Indiana on Thursday night. "This is our challenge right now, to leave it behind us," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Colorado Rockies began the night 14 ½ games out of first place in the NL West, the biggest deficit in the majors. Even so, Troy Tulowitzki rated their 8-4 victory Wednesday over the Miami Marlins as significant. "It's just a big win for us," he said. "It might sound stupid, but it was real big. " Tulowitzki homered and drove in four runs to help Alex White earn his first victory this year, and the Rockies snapped a six-game losing streak. White (1-3) had lost six consecutive starts since September.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Unable to ride the momentum from a rare win earlier in the week, Boston College fell to Miami, 77-56, yesterday to end the regular season. The Eagles (9-21, 4-12 Atlantic Coast Conference) had lost 10 of 11 before beating Georgia Tech in their home finale on Wednesday, but couldn't come up with the offense necessary to compete with the Hurricanes. BC shot 43 percent from the field and went 5 for 11 from the free throw line, while Miami shot 50 percent from the field and went 9 for 15 from the stripe.

LeBron James arrived at work a little earlier than usual Tuesday, warming up more than three hours before tip-off with hopes of finding his rhythm. With Dwyane Wade out, Miami needed some extra offense - and James delivered. James scored 14 straight Miami points in the fourth quarter and finished with a season-high 41, helping the Heat clinch a playoff spot with a 99-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Miami. "It was a grind," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "No question, it was a grind.

Tropical Depression Alberto is expected to stay well offshore as it moves up the Atlantic. Alberto's maximum sustained winds early Tuesday are near 35 mph (55 kph). Additional weakening is expected and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Alberto could dissipate Thursday. Alberto is centered about 340 miles (550 kilometers) south of Norfolk, Va., and is moving northeast near 15 mph (24 kph). Meanwhile in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Bud's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph (65 kph)

Spectacular as it seemed, it was nothing we haven't seen from LeBron James before. Maybe that's the funny thing about all the hoopla over James' performance in Game 4 of the Pacers-Heat series. Because for once, it wasn't just his talent that deserved the spotlight, but his maturity. The question, after all, was never how good James was; he answered that long before his fateful decision to trade Cleveland for Miami turned James into the superstar everybody loves to hate. He won a scoring championship, back-to-back MVP awards and single-handedly dragged the Cavs...