MIAMI -- Its not as if they still have Bird, McHale and Parish.Its not as if -- going back even further -- they still have Russell and Cousy.No, the Boston Celtics dont have any of those superstars. Their leading scorer is Isaiah Thomas -- and hes not that Isaiah Thomas, the Hall of Famer from Chicago.This is the 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas, the one from Tacoma, Wash. Yet this particular Thomas, who is averaging 26.1 points and 6.3 assists, has continued a recent but substantial trend of Celtics domination over the Miami Heat.Since Thomas joined the Celtics last season, Boston is 3-0 against the Heat, and its an Eastern Conference rivalry that will be renewed on Monday night inside Miamis AmericanAirlines Arena.But going back before Thomas arrived, Boston has won at least one game per season in nine of the past 10 years. That overlaps the time span when the Heat had far superior talent with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.Now Miamis Big Three is effectively gone, and the Heat (5-11) is paying the price, falling to its current standing of 13th place out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.The Celtics (9-7), meanwhile, appear to be a team on the rise, sitting in fifth place in the East at the moment.Boston could be ready to get on a roll now that post player and four-time All-Star Al Horford has returned. He missed nine games due to a concussion, and he is just now rounding back into form after returning on Nov. 19.He makes a huge difference to our team, Thomas told the media. Even if he is not scoring, he is still defending and making plays for his teammates.Horford has two double-doubles in the four games since he came off the disabled list. He has averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds since returning, and both of those numbers are higher than his season averages.Miami already struggles to score but may get strangled on Monday by Avery Bradleys tight defense. Bradley, a 6-2 shooting guard, is a dynamo who is just entering his prime after years of battling injuries.Bradley, who made first-team All-Defense last season, leads Boston in rebounding (8.0) and is second in scoring (17.9).Jae Crowder, a 6-6, 235-pound small forward, is Bostons other double-figure scorer, averaging 12.5 points.Amir Johnson, a 6-9, 240-pound power forward, is Bostons fifth starter. He, Bradley and Horford are the key figures on Bostons defense. And remember, Boston was fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency last season without Horford.His defense has made the unit better.The Heat will try to crack that defense, but it will depend to a large extent on some health issues. Point guard Goran Dragic (elbow) and shooting guard Dion Waiters (groin) are listed as questionable.In addition, starting small forward Justise Winslow is out due to a wrist injury. It will be the eighth straight game he has missed.Has it been that long already? Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said painfully. Everything is day to day. He hasnt gone through a practice yet.Generally, Spoelstra prefers that a player get at least one full practice in before returning to the lineup. But with Miami potentially missing three of its top four starters -- Dragic, Waiters and Winslow -- Spoelstra may have to alter that plan.Miami will continue to rely on center Hassan Whiteside, who is averaging 16.8 points, 14.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.On the perimeter, Miami will look to scorers such as Josh Richardson (10.8) and sixth-man Tyler Johnson (12.4). Stitched Germany Jerseys . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Germany Toni Kroos World Cup Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.cheapworldcupgermanyjerseys.com/germany-antonio-rudiger-world-cup-jersey/ . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Cheap Youth Germany Jerseys . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Germany Marco Reus World Cup Jersey . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. TORONTO -- Patrick Kane looks at 2010 Vancouver Olympic final loss to Canada as the United States being one goal away from gold. Jonathan Quick looks at the 2014 Sochi Olympic semifinal loss as the U.S. being one goal away from playing for gold.This generation of U.S. players has always been one goal away and unable to finish the job. With Kane, Quick, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter and captain Joe Pavelski among those back for another crack, the realization is setting in that this World Cup of Hockey is the Americans best and perhaps last chance to win an international championship.Coach John Tortorella has told his team, Its time.Were probably in the prime and peak of our careers right now where we feel that its time to make something happen, Kane said. You can think about that pressure, you can do whatever you want with it, but it comes down to this tournament for us and this tournament only.The Americans open tournament play in Toronto on Saturday against Team Europe, and the showdown against Canada is Tuesday. With only three games in round-robin play, theres urgency for every team to start strong and no breathing room.Kane pointed out that previous American generations won at the 1960 and 1980 Olympics and 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Kane, Quick, Parise, Suter, Pavelski, David Backes and Ryan Kesler have been around for six years and through two Olympics and its not just time, its about time.Weve been there and weve had our chances and its time to break through, Pavelski said. Weve been close, but were looking for a little bit more out of each other and to really find that right ingredient and that big play at the right moment.Look no further than Kane, who won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP last season for the Chicago Blackhawks and led the league in scoring with 106 points. Hes the brightest of the U.S. stars and will have to do better than the zero goals and four points he produced in Sochi. Winger Max Pacioretty called Kane the best player in the game and the World Cup the perfect situation for him.Id go as far as to say our team has a good chaance because Patrick Kane is in his prime, Pacioretty said.ddddddddddddThis tournament sets up perfectly for him. ... A guy like that can change a game in one shift so I think for the rest of the team our identity is be hard to play against, make life difficult for them, but Kaner, let him do his thing.Some things to watch as the United States faces Europe:LINE SHUFFLETortorella has Kane with left winger James van Riemsdyk and center Derek Stepan, and Pavelski centering Parise and Blake Wheeler, but wont hesitate to shake things up. Already Pacioretty has been bounced around the lineup, and everyone is on a short leash.We cant wait and its not about feeling our way through, Tortorella said.LAST CHANCEEurope coach Ralph Krueger isnt professing its time for a team that has never played together before, but he does know the clock is running out on players like 39-year-old Zdeno Chara, 38-year-old Mark Streit, 37-year-old Marian Hossa and 35-year-old Dennis Seidenberg.For a lot of them it might be the last time on this big a stage to have an opportunity to do something special, and we can feel the hunger for that, Krueger said.QUICK VS. HALAKQuick starts in goal for the U.S. against Europes Jaroslav Halak, who was impressive in the exhibition finale against Sweden. Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik and Europes top offensive players could be a tougher test for Quick than anyone thinks.EARLY JITTERSThe teams are full of veteran players who are familiar with elite tournaments, but the first game of the entire World Cup could see some early butterflies. A first-period mistake could have a long-term impact, especially because goal differential is a tiebreaker.BRUTE STRENGTHIf theres anything U.S. has more than other teams in the tournament its size and strength. Europe cant match that and will have to use finesse and playmaking to counteract the Americans power.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2018 Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys 2019 NFL Jerseys China ' ' '