MIAMI (AP) — The word went out early Monday morning to Miami Heat fans. Show up at 8 a.m. and welcome Dwyane Wade back to South Florida, they were told.

So they did.

Right time. Wrong location.

Wade arrived back in Miami, but instead of flying on a private jet into a charter facility – as the Heat marketing department expected – he took a commercial flight from Charleston, S.C., into one of the airport’s main terminals. So about 50 Heat fans, as well as a handful of team employees, left without a glimpse of Wade, who is expected to decide his playing future in the coming days.

Later, Wade was seen walking into the Heat’s arena with owner Micky Arison.

“He’ll hear that we were here,” said 20-year-old fan David Figueroa. “That’s enough, right?”

Sure enough, Wade’s representatives confirmed that the six-time All-Star was aware of the gathering, albeit after he left Miami International Airport.

The Heat leaked his travel plans overnight, telling fans to greet Wade at the Signature Air terminal at the airport.

One of the triumvirate of marquee stars in this NBA free-agent megaclass, Wade could decide this week between the Heat, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks and his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh began getting formally wooed on Thursday by several clubs.

The Heat turned to social media, both Facebook and Twitter, around 12:50 a.m. Monday to rally fans. Even at the late hour, buzz grew quickly, and some fans were in place — the wrong place, unknowingly — by 7 a.m. An employee at the Signature Air facility said staff typically is told when a high-profile person like Wade is arriving, and that transportation for him is usually arranged ahead of time.

That wasn’t the case Monday. And by the time word arrived that Wade was back in Miami, he’d already left the airport.

“Bad information,” Heat executive vice president and chief marketing officer Michael McCullough told the sign-waving, T-shirt-donning group.

Wade’s next appearance seems a lot more certain.

He’s scheduled to appear at a youth basketball camp about 30 minutes north of Miami on Tuesday, plus take questions with Alonzo Mourning about their charity weekend later this month. Hundreds of well-wishers are expected there, including dozens of children who are working on a “special” presentation for the 2006 NBA finals MVP.

Many of those well-wishers will be Heat employees. The organization chartered four buses to take about 200 staffers to a surprise birthday party for free agent Udonis Haslem last month, and will take a similar approach with Wade’s event on Tuesday.

Before arriving Monday — in Miami-Wade County, officially, until July 8 by order of the county commissioners — Wade had been in Chicago for the first rounds of meetings in free-agent mania.

He had formal sit-downs with three clubs, plus an informal chat with the Heat. Now back in Miami, Wade will meet with Arison and Heat president Pat Riley this week.

Although Wade often has said he would like to remain in Miami, provided the team’s roster is upgraded to his liking, tension is clearly high around 601 Biscayne Blvd., the Heat’s home address.

Forget June 20, 2006, the day Miami won its NBA title, as the defining day for the franchise.

No, July 8, 2010 – the first day of this free-agent signing period – could be the day that shapes the Heat for years to come.

“We love him,” McCullough said. “We’re not the only ones, and we hope that he comes back. … It’s time for him to make a decision, and we want to help him make that decision by showing him all the support he has from fans in South Florida and around the world.”

Heat officials were asking fans to reach out to Wade on Facebook at 3:33 p.m. Monday, a nod to “3,” his jersey number.

“Got to do what we can,” Figueroa said. “I called in sick to work today for this. I guess I can just show up now.”

AKRON, Ohio — LeBron James took a break from his whirlwind courtship to get back on the basketball court.

The NBA’s most wanted man made a surprise appearance Monday at his Nike Skills Academy to work out as the sports world awaits his decision on where he’ll play next season.

James was not expected to attend the camp featuring some of the nation’s top college and high school players until Tuesday.

Wearing a New York Yankees cap and white T-shirt, James strolled into Rhodes Arena just before 3 p.m. He was accompanied by former Cavaliers teammate Damon Jones and others. James asked for the main locker room to be opened so he could dress.

After stretching out with a trainer, James shot jumpers as New Orleans star guard Chris Paul, his closest friend in the league, looked on. Paul was dressed in street clothes and did not join James on the floor of the arena, where the two-time MVP played many of his high school games for St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Moments later, Cleveland teammate Jawad Williams and high school buddy Romeo Travis showed up and took part in shooting and driving drills with James, who was dressed in a black, body-hugging top, black shorts and his signature Nikes.

As James fine-tuned his game, camera crews filmed his every move from the other side of Rhodes, hoping to catch some sign that he has come to a decision.

James is not expected to say which team he’ll choose until the camp ends Wednesday. Last week, James heard presentations from the Cavs, Nets, Knicks, Heat, Clippers and Bulls.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Graeme McDowell doesn’t have the golfing pedigree of a U.S. Open champion at Pebble Beach.

All he had Sunday was the game it takes to win.

Even as the biggest stars — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els — were lined up behind him on the leaderboard and poised to contribute to the lineage of champions on this majestic course, McDowell never felt out of place.

Despite making only one birdie in the final round, the 30-year-old from Northern Ireland was steady amid the stars of his generation and closed with a 3-over 74 to become the first European in 40 years to capture America’s national championship.

He seized control after a shocking collapse by Dustin Johnson, then failed to get flustered by the three stars behind him, who have combined for 184 victories and 21 majors. All he had to do on the final hole was two-putt for par from 20 feet to join a distinguished list.

“To win at Pebble Beach, to join the names — Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Tiger Woods, me — wow!” McDowell said. “I’m not quite sure if I belong in that list, but hey, I’m there now. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”

Almost as surprising was the guy who gave McDowell the most trouble. Gregory Havret, a Frenchman who is No. 391 in the world, played with heart until he failed to convert putts over the final holes. He shot 72 and finished one shot behind.

“When you have Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els there, you’re not expecting Gregory Havret to be the guy you’ve got to fend off,” McDowell said.

Indeed, it was a final round no one expected.

Johnson took a triple bogey on the second hole to lose all of his three-shot lead, and a double bogey on the next hole ended his hopes. Not only was McDowell handed the lead, but Woods, Mickelson and Els were given new life.

What a wasted opportunity that turned out to be.

McDowell’s lone birdie was an eight-foot putt on the fifth hole, and his final round was the highest score by a U.S. Open champion since Andy North in 1985.

“I can’t believe I’m standing with this right now,” McDowell said, posing with silver trophy. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming it all my life. Two putts to win the U.S. Open. Can’t believe it happened.”

Woods couldn’t believe it, either.

Poised to end six months of bad publicity over a shattered personal life, he bogeyed five of his first 10 holes and took himself out of contention with a 75.

“I made three mental mistakes,” Woods said sourly. “The only thing it cost us was a chance to win the U.S. Open.”

Els and Mickelson hung around a little longer, and both had opportunities, but neither could capitalize.

Els had a brief share of the lead on the front nine but came undone along the coastal holes — including one stretch of bogey-double bogey-bogey — and never quite recovered. His hopes ended when he missed his target with a sand wedge on the par-5 14th and took bogey, then missed a four-foot birdie putt on the 15th.

He closed with a 73 to finish alone in third.

Mickelson, with another great chance to end a career of disappointment at the U.S. Open, holed a birdie putt from just off the green on the first hole, then didn’t made another birdie the rest of the day. He also shot a 73 and tied for fourth with Woods, missing a chance to supplant Woods at No. 1 in the world.

“It was anybody’s ball game,” Mickelson said. “I had a number of opportunities to get well under par, and I didn’t do it.”

Even so, nothing compares with what happened to Johnson. The 25-year-old American looked so unflappable all week, and came apart so quickly. On the final hole of a round he won’t forget, Johnson missed a two-foot birdie putt and wound up with an 82, the highest closing round by a 54-hole leader in the U.S. Open since Fred McLeod shot 83 in 1911.

McDowell finished at even-par 284 and ended 40 years of questions about when a European would be U.S. Open champion again. Tony Jacklin of England was the last one, in 1970 at Hazeltine.

McDowell had to work harder than he imagined.

Even under overcast skies and a stiff breeze, the course was as firm and dangerous as ever. Davis Love III, with a 71, was the only player in the final five groups to match par.

“I can’t believe how difficult this golf course was,” McDowell said. “No matter how good you play … good golf got reward, and bad golf got punished really badly.”

McDowell got into the U.S. Open by narrowly getting into the top 50 in the world at the deadline to avoid qualifying. He wound up with his first victory in America to go along with five European Tour victories, most recently the Wales Open last month at the home course for the Ryder Cup in October. He is sure to be part of the European team now, moving up to No. 13 in the world.

“To play steady and to withstand some tough holes the way Graeme did and to come out on top, he played some great golf,” Mickelson said. “It was a wide-open tournament. Many guys had a chance. And it made for kind of an exciting U.S. Open, I thought.”

It didn’t sound like one.

The gentle waves lapping the shore almost made more noise than the gallery, with so few birdies to cheer on a day that was more about survival. McDowell had a three-shot lead as he walked down the 10th fairway, and from there it was a matter of hanging on.

“You go chasing and you’ll make bogeys,” McDowell said.

Mickelson gave it one last try when he fired at a dangerous pin on the right side of the 16th green. It came up just short and buried in the deep grass, and when the Masters champion heard the groan, he said to caddie Jim Mackay, “I took a chance, Bones. Didn’t pay off.”

Els played the par-3 17th in 5-over par for the week, including a bogey from the bunker on Sunday. Needing an eagle on the 18th to have any chance, he came up woefully short and right in a bunker.

None of this would have been mattered without Johnson’s collapse, which was simply spectacular.

He had a three-shot lead and was in the middle of the fairway at No. 2 with a wedge in his hand after a 343-yard drive. When he walked off the green at No. 4, he was three shots behind, a six-shot turnaround in three holes:

• From thick grass on the edge of a bunker, he chopped at it left-handed, then nearly whiffed right-handed, and, when he finally chipped it to three feet, he missed the putt and took triple bogey. His lead was gone.

• With a driver on the par-4 third, he pulled it so far left that it disappeared into a cluster of trees behind the 16th greens. Fans heard it, but didn’t see it. The five minutes allowed for the search ended, and seconds later, someone cried out, “Found it!” Too late. He went back to the tee, hit into a fairway bunker and made double bogey.

• Trying to drive the fourth green, it went right into the hazard along the ocean for a bogey.

Three holes into the final round, the U.S. Open was wide open, setting up perfectly for the three biggest names in golf — Woods, Mickelson and Els — to seize the moment.

To most everyone’s surprise, none of them did.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The Celtics’ Kendrick Perkins is out for Thursday’s Game 7 in the NBA Finals against the Lakers after suffering a “sprain” to both his medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the first quarter of Game 6, an injury that is likely to result in a worse diagnosis after they run him through an MRI machine. He was the starting center for both the 2008 champions and this season’s squad, so this might seem like a huge blow for Boston.

Pierce scored 27 points — his best performance of this year’s Finals — and the Celtics withstood 38 points from Kobe Bryant to beat the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 on Sunday night and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 6 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and a victory then or in Game 7 in L.A. on Thursday would give the Celtics a record 18th NBA title.

The Celtics have never blown a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

“It was our biggest game of the year,” Pierce said. “We’re in a good spot. We have two games in L.A.; now we have to get one.”

Bryant was the MVP of the Finals last year, when the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win their 15th championship. But Pierce earned the honor at his expense in ’08, when the new Big Three beat the Lakers to raise an NBA-record 17th banner to the rafters at Boston’s TD Garden.

Bryant outscored Pierce this time, but the Lakers’ guard got little help from his teammates. And the stretch where he was most dominant was also the time when the Celtics pulled away.

“I wasn’t in a personal duel,” Pierce said. “I didn’t notice that we were going back-and-forth scoring at the time. He’s a tough player. He makes shots.”

Lakers coach Phil Jackson defended Bryant’s attempts to take over the offense.

“He’s the kind of guy [where] you ride the hot hand, that’s for sure,” Jackson said. “We were waiting for him to do that. … He went out there and found a rhythm.”

With the “Beat L.A!” chant reverberating at the Garden, Kevin Garnett scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds to help Boston become the first team in the series to win two games in a row. If Los Angeles can’t do the same at home, the Celtics will improve to 10-2 against them in the Finals, from a 4-0 sweep over the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 through the Bird-and-Magic era of the ’80s and Boston’s win in ’08.

But Bryant said neither the rivalry nor revenge that should be motivating his teammates when they try to stave off elimination at home.

“Just man up and play. What the hell is the big deal?” he said. “If I have to say something to them, then we don’t deserve to be champions. We’re down 3-2: Go home, win one game, go into the next one. Simple as that.”

Bryant did everything he could to send the Lakers home with the edge.

He scored 23 straight Lakers points between the 4:23 mark of the second quarter until there was 2:16 left in the third. But over that span, the Celtics expanded the lead from one point to 13.

“I just tried to keep telling them, it’s only 2 points each time he scores. It’s not 10,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s just like if someone else was scoring. … I love that our guys for the most part, they understood what he was doing. But we defended everyone else. And I thought it was big.”

And Pierce was having his best game of the series, too.

The Celtics’ captain scored seven points in the last 3½ minutes of the second quarter and added nine more in the first 5 minutes of the third. Ray Allen, who hasn’t hit a 3-pointer since making an NBA-record eight in Game 2, made a pair of baskets that gave Boston a 71-58 lead with 3:08 left in the third.

Jackson, wearing a microphone for the TV broadcast, told his players during a late timeout, “This team loses more games in the fourth quarter than any team in the league. They know how to lose games, and they’re showing us that now.”

The Lakers got within six points several times, but never within five until Bryant made three free throws to make it 87-82 with 90 seconds left.

The Celtics got a break from a review when replays showed Allen’s 3-pointer barely nicked the rim, giving them the ball with a fresh 24 seconds and 1:05 left. Rasheed Wallace missed a 3-pointer, but the rebound wound up tied up between the 6-foot-11 Garnett and 6-foot-1 Derek Fisher.

Fisher won the jump ball, tipping the ball ahead to Ron Artest for a breakaway; Pierce fouled him to keep him from scoring an easy layup, and he missed both free throws. Bryant grabbed the rebound, but Pierce ripped it out of his arms and dribbled off to the side to call timeout.

A desperate inbound pass went to Pierce, who fed Rondo under the basket before falling out of bounds, and Rondo made an over-the-head layup to make it 89-82 with 36 seconds left.

“I was just showing off my Randy Moss and my [Tom] Brady the whole play,” Pierce said. “I was Randy when I caught it; then Brady on my pass to Rondo.”

Bryant missed a series of desperation 3-pointers down the stretch, and when Allen made two free throws with 19 seconds left and Garnett one of two with 8.9 to play, it was over.

“He’s the best shot-maker in the game. There’s probably better athletes and all that, but there’s no better shot-maker than Kobe Bryant,” Rivers said. “You’ve just got to live with it and play through it.”

Pau Gasol scored 12 points with 12 rebounds and Fisher, the Game 3 star, scored all nine of his points in the first quarter as no other Laker reached double figures in scoring until Gasol hit a free throw with 2:25 left. Andrew Bynum played on his sore right knee for 31 minutes, but he scored all six of his points and his only rebound in the first quarter.

Game notes
Of the 25 Finals that have been tied at 2-all, the winner of Game 5 has won 19 of them. … Rondo was called for a technical foul in the second quarter when he pushed Artest in retaliation for a hard foul on Garnett. Artest embellished the shove, but got the call. … Celebrities in the crowd: sprinter Usain Bolt, actress Eliza Dushku, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and singers Glen Frey and Jimmy Buffett, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.