MIAMI -- Dwyane Wades rookie season ended with a playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The next year, the Miami Heat were headed to the Eastern Conference finals and certain that an NBA championship was in their sights. Thats when Wade learned a valuable lesson: Never take playoff chances for granted. Wade hurt his rib cage on a simple crossover dribble during that 2005 East title series, and the Heat season ended with a Game 7 home loss to Detroit. Hes been to the East finals three times since, prevailing in them all, and on Wednesday will look to take a first step toward a fourth conference championship when the Heat play host to the Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff rematch from a year ago. "I know Im blessed to be going to the Eastern Conference finals for my fifth time," Wade said. "But I would like a lot more in my career. Its a good thing. Weve been very successful in my tenure here. But I want more." For Wade and Udonis Haslem, this marks five East finals appearances in nine years. For LeBron James, its a fifth trip to this round in the past seven years, now three straight with Miami after a pair of trips to the East finals with Cleveland. For Ray Allen, its a fourth East title-round trip in six years, the first three of those coming with Boston. Experience, it all favours Miami. For the Pacers, this is pretty much uncharted waters. Only one current Pacers player has ever appeared in a conference-final game, and that was backup big man Ian Mahinmi, who played exactly 71 seconds in one game of the 2011 West title series without so much as taking a shot. Nonetheless, the Pacers seem far from bothered by the fact that this stage is a new place for them. "Theres four teams left playing basketball in the NBA and this is something weve been looking forward to all year," Pacers forward David West said. "We lost to this team in the second round last year, so weve already gotten a step farther this season." Indiana took Miami to six games last season, leading the series 2-1 at one point, and left an impact on the Heat with words, actions and play. The series was always physical, at times bloody, and it took some superb efforts by Wade and James for Miami -- which was without Chris Bosh for 5 1/2 of those six games -- to put the Pacers away. Its not in the nature of either of these teams to back down from physicality, and tough play will almost certainly be a theme in this series. But if theres one thing the Pacers and Heat agree upon, its that this series will be decided by execution, not intimidation. "I think this will be about substance," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "This series has plenty to offer without hard fouls and trash-talking. Its going to be about basketball." The Heat are overwhelming favourites, at least according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers, who apparently arent putting much stock in that it was the Pacers who prevailed in two of the three meetings between the teams this season. In turn, the Heat arent putting much stock in expectations. Even though its starting to seem like an annual event, getting to the conference final round, Heat players insist that its still as big a deal now as it ever was. "Its an opportunity for me to continue my dream and thats to compete for a championship," said James, the leagues reigning MVP for the second straight year and fourth time overall. "Im happy that Im in the position Im in, with great teammates and a great organization. Ive just got to do my part." Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant on that team -- Shaquille ONeals initial season in Miami -- that fully expected to be Finals-bound in 2005. Then Wade got hurt, and everything changed. "I let myself get too far ahead," Wade said. "I was thinking, Championship, were on our way. I was riding the wave. It was awesome. Then it smacked me -- Pow! -- and it just takes one moment to change. Stupid. All I did was crossover. Did a stupid crossover pullup, I dont know what happened and it changed everything for us. Thats when you learn, you dont know whats going to happen." Wade isnt 100 per cent this time around either, though has said in recent days that his bruised right knee is good enough for him to play. He doesnt even plan on missing any more practice time this season. The Pacers have some mild injury concerns as well, with West dealing with an injury to his lower right leg and 7-foot-2 centre Roy Hibbert needing a tape job on his right thumb after a hit in practice earlier this week. Theyre both expected to play Wednesday. "I think it will be a good series," Pacers forward Paul George said. "Obviously, we remember what happened last year and it will be on our mind when we face this team. Were not just happy to get to this stage, we want to get past this one, too." George has deservedly earned high marks this season for his offensive growth. The Pacers hopes in this series might hinge upon his defence. He went from guarding Carmelo Anthony in the second round to knowing that hell be facing off plenty in this series against James -- who Vogel called "the best player, the best offensive player in the world." "He has to do the same kind of thing he did on Carmelo," Vogel said of George. "He has to come out and compete the best he can and do it without fouling." James told teammates on Tuesday that hes raring to go, especially so since the Heat havent played in about a week. He was working after practice on his floating jumpers, something he employed against the massiveness of Hibbert last season and a trick he wont be afraid to pull out and use again in this series. "Its been go time," James said. "Since the playoffs started, its been go time. And I love the way weve been playing so far." Elie Okobo Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jersey . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. http://www.cheapjerseysauthenticnba.com/lonnie-walker-jersey/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Kevin Huerter Jersey . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Swingman Basketball Draft Jerseys . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. Former wicketkeeper MSK Prasad has been chosen to succeed Sandeep Patil as the chairman of Indias selection panel. The decision was taken at the BCCIs 87th annual general meeting in Mumbai, after the board had invited applicants for the selection job for the first time.Prasad had been part of the previous selection panel headed by Patil since November last year. Former offspinner Sarandeep Singh, and former batsmen Gagan Khoda, Devang Gandhi and Jatin Paranjpe were the other four selectors named in the five-member panel. Last week the BCCI had announced it would choose national selectors for the mens, womens and junior selection panels via an interview process for the first time, discarding the previously used zonal method. On Wednesday, a top BCCI official said that despite the three new selectors in the panel - Sarandeep, Gandhi and Paranjpe - belonging to different zones, the appointments had been made on the basis of interviews conducted over the last two days.However, by picking a five-member selection panel, the BCCI went against one of the Lodha Committee recommendations that was approved by the Supreme Court in its July 18 order: to trim the selection panel to three members. The Lodha Committee also said only former India Test players should be eligible to be appointed to the mens and womens selection committees, provided they had been retired from the game for at least five years. Khoda and Paranjpe have not played Test cricket.The BCCIs eligibility criteria, however, stated: He/She should have represented the Indian team either in a Test match or a one-day international or more than 50 first-class matches in India, in a team selected by the BCCI to be considered for the senior national selection committee.BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said the selection process involved only himself, BCCI president Anurag Thakur and chief executive Rahul Johri, and that they had not sought input from either the Cricket Advisory Committee or other former cricketers.A lot of applicants came and we also got a first-hand insight into what their ideas are, what they wish to do and their vision, Shirke said after the AGM. We have got an insight into the kind of maanpower that is available to take up different positions in different places within the BCCI.dddddddddddd We were very impressed by the inputs given by almost all the candidates.When asked about Prasads relative lack of experience as international cricketer, Shirke said: Two selectors had finished their four-year terms, the maximum that is granted to anybody. We have filled it up and the senior most person has been elevated to the chairmans post.Prasad said his appointment was a great honour. I have a clear-cut vision about how we are heading to the 2019 World Cup. I always have kept notes about what I want to do for the 2017 Champions Trophy, for the 2019 World Cup. There is a lot of planning. The best thing is we have watched as many domestic matches as possible. We have done tours to Zimbabwe, Australia only at the end of the season. Because we have watched so much domestic cricket last year we have a succession chart and jotted down names for three different formats. Sandy bhais team has done a fantastic job. It makes more sense for us to continue with it and move ahead.Prasad made his international debut in 1998, in an ODI against Bangladesh. He played the first of his six Tests in 1999 against New Zealand at Mohali. In 2000, however, he was dropped from Indias Test squad and did not play international cricket again.He played 96 first-class matches, scored 4021 runs at an average of 27.73 and effected 266 dismissals. He also hit 1719 runs in 88 List A games. Prasad was appointed Andhras captain for the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season, but announced his retirement in 2008. He also served as Andhra Cricket Associations director of cricket for six years.Shirke also said the tenure of the current ombudsman Justice (retired) AP Shah had come to an end, but the BCCI had not decided on a new appointment. 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