Wake-up call blares for Miami Heat

— -- NEW YORK -- The Miami Heat finally joined the rest of their peers in the playoffs.

Of the other seven teams still alive in the postseason, all have trailed in a series at one time or another. Five of them have already survived a Game 7. All have endured a few doses of self-doubt, at least a few days of criticism and, in some cases, even some booing by the home crowd.

The Heat have lived three weeks outside that reality, happily aware of, but still enjoying, their bubble, going along without a loss or even a hint of adversity.