FORT WAYNE -- Four down. Twelve to go.
The Miami Heat's march toward a fourth straight NBA Finals appearance took a huge step forward Monday night when the two-time defending champions swept the Charlotte Bobcats, 4-0, in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
LeBron James scored 19 points in the third quarter and the Heat ran away with Game 4 of the best-of-7 series at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, 109-98. It was the Heat's 10th consecutive series win since losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals.
The 6-foot-9 James, the reigning league MVP injured his thigh in the third period, but in didn't stop the offensive juggernaut from clocking a game-high 31 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He drilled 10 of 19 field goals.
It was a concerted effort for the East's No.2 seed with Chris Bosh finishing with 17 and 8 boards and Dwyane Wade logging 15. Point guards Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers combined for 23.
The Bobcats, who have yet to win a playoffs game in franchise history, put up a gallant stand. They made 35 of their 69 field goals (50.7 percent) and converted 7 of 25 threes (28 percent). But without big man Al Jefferson, their inside scoring was extremely limited while defense suffered.
Kemba Walker paced the Bobcats with 29, hitting 11 of 15 field goals, including 4-for-7 from long distance. Gary Neal contributed 16 while Gerald Henderson struggled with 12, missing 7 of 11 shots. (AD)
Photo: Mario Chalmers had a quiet 10 points but the Miami Heat still swept the Charlotte Bobcats, 4-0, Monday night at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.
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