Tim Tebow is expected to sign with the New England Patriots and join their minicamp on Tuesday, according to ESPN sources. (Photo by The Associated Press)

We thought we had possibly seen the last of Tim Tebow. There’s no doubt some in the New York Jets organization believed the same thing.

It turns out the Jets may be seeing him twice a year.

That’s because their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots, are expected to sign Tebow and see him at minicamp on Tuesday, according to ESPN sources. The network’s Ed Werder couldn’t release details of Tebow’s contract, but he said the Patriots did bring Tebow aboard as a quarterback. Tebow is currently in line to compete for the No. 3 quarterback position after the team released their third-stringer Mike Kafka on Monday.

Kafka being let go by a team is the type of news you’d expect on a Monday during this time of year. Instead, the sports world got huge news, and the kind that’s drenched in irony:

Just when we thought no one wanted Tebow, he goes to the Patriots, arguably the best franchise in the NFL.

Just when we thought the Jets had ruined his career by not being creative enough to use his skillset, he can get redemption with a team that’s proven it is. Jets coach Rex Ryan made fans believe they’d use Tebow, but there’s little doubt that the man who drafted him — former Denver Broncos coach and current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — has an actual package in mind, and maybe in place, in time for a Sept. 12 game against the Jets.

Then there’s the possibility that we get to see Tebow start anew in Foxborough Mass., the last time we saw him as a starting quarterback.

Irony aside, Tebow obviously won’t be a starting quarterback in New England. In fact, even a roster spot isn’t assured as the Patriots only kept two QBs on their 53-man roster last year. Plus, Tom Brady signed a three-year extension with the team back in February that takes him through 2017. He’s already achieved rockstar status with a Hall of Fame career that includes three Super Bowl titles, two Super Bowl MVPs and two NFL MVPs. But the Patriots know Brady is precisely the reason why Tebow fits there.

Let’s be real. More than anything, Mark Sanchez’s poor play at quarterback was the reason why fans chanted Tebow’s name and why the team did — and still does — seem divided. If the circus came and left with Tebow, why do we still see it every Friday morning on “SportsCenter” as the “Butt-fumble” continues its half-year reign as the worst play in sports?

Why did Ryan stop making bold Super Bowl guarantees? It’s in permanent ink on his right arm.

Tebow doesn’t have to worry about joining a circus in New England or the Canadian Football League or the Arena Football League. Instead, he’s joining fellow Gators Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez and Jermaine Cunningham. The only thing he has to worry about is whether former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will be willing to give up the No. 15.

Heat forward Udonis Haslem shoots as Pacers center Ian Mahinmi defends during the second half of Game 5 in the East finals on Thursday in Miami. Haslem went 8-for-9 shooting for 16 points, 10 in the third quarter, in the 90-79 win. (Photo by The Associated Press)

It was halftime, and the Heat needed an igniter.

The defending champs didn’t need to sweat their 44-40 deficit as much as their lackluster sense of urgency in an Eastern Conference final that was tied 2-2 and headed back to Indiana for Game 6.

LeBron James, likely feeling like he was back in his days as a Cavalier, needed serious help. Luckily, Miami has loads of options in times like these. Obvious ones like Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. Less obvious ones like Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Chris “Birdman” Andersen or Ray Allen.

Instead, it was the only player other than Wade with two rings on the roster, Udonis Haslem, who sparked the team in a crucial 90-79 win in Game 5 after doing the same in Game 3 on Sunday.

Haslem went 8-of-9 from the field and scored 16 points, 10 of them in a third quarter that saw the Heat outscore the Pacers 30-13. Haslem credited another veteran for the wake-up call at the break.

“It all started with Juwan Howard,” Haslem told the cast of “Inside the NBA” following the game. “He pretty much started getting into us at halftime. Coach really didn’t have to say much, and then LeBron just took over and kind of echoed what Juwan said. We just weren’t playing with enough energy, enough effort, lookin’ around expecting plays to be made without going out and making them. Second half, we just talked about going out and making plays and taking the game over on both ends of the floor.”

After a layup early in the third quarter, Haslem brought the fans in AmericanAirlines Arena to their feet 38 seconds later by driving and throwing down an emphatic one-handed dunk that gave Miami a 47-46 lead, its first since a Haslem layup made it 4-2 in the first quarter. That forced a Pacers timeout, but nothing coach Frank Vogel drew up was going to change the script Haslem was helping to write.

From that point, Haslem set up shop at his favorite spot along the baseline and nailed 3-of-3 jumpers from about 18-21 feet away as the Heat took an insurmountable 70-57 lead into the fourth quarter.

“I just persevere,” said Haslem, who scored 17 points, also on 8-of-9 shooting, in a 114-96 Game 3 win on Sunday. “Whenever I have the opportunity to help my team win, I go out there and do my job. This team is based on depth. Tonight was my opportunity to step up, so I was ready.”

Haslem was ready to match up with 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert defensively, and he was prepared to be an enforcer against the big and physical Pacers. Halfway through that decisive period, Haslem came to the defense of Chalmers and went nose-to-nose with Indiana forward David West. All three players received technical fouls in a game that featured five technicals and one flagrant.

“Nobody wants to go home. Emotions are riding high. It’s very intense,” Haslem said. “There’s a lot of alpha males out there on the floor. Sometimes you’re going to bump heads.”

Haslem only averaged 18.9 minutes, 3.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a game this season, all career-lows for the 10-year veteran. But the player who’s spent that entire decade in his hometown of Miami has gained an unwavering trust from his teammates in dire situations.

“We’ve got great playmakers,” Haslem said. “Sometimes teams guard us differently. I’m not really a guy that’s going to be judged on points every night. Sometimes my job changes as a role player. The couple games I have been making shots, my guys have just been coming to me. I’m just stepping in with confidence, knocking it down.”

Spurs forward Matt Bonner was 4-of-6 from 3-point range in San Antonio's 105-83 win over Memphis in Game 1 of the West finals. Bonner is shooting 60 percent from downtown in the playoffs. (Photo by The Associated Press)

The San Antonio Spurs’ ability to make it rain from long range is the biggest X-factor in this year’s NBA playoffs, and Matt Bonner is their ace.

The Memphis Grizzlies got that memo in Sunday’s 105-83 Game 1 loss.

Bonner is on fire from beyond the arc in these playoffs (60 percent) and after going 4-of-6 from deep in Game 1, the Grizzlies know they need a defender attached to his right shoulder cannon at all times.

Only problem is, six different Spurs hit a trey in Game 1 to combine for a franchise postseason record 14 3-pointers. That was the most made 3-pointers given up by the Grizzlies this season, regular season or postseason.

“It was just one of those nights. Pretty much, everyone was shooting well,” said Bonner, who also helped defensively to limit Zach Randolph to 2 points on 1-for-8 shooting. “We won’t expect that to continue every game.”

Maybe not, but no team can ever sleep on the Spurs’ 3-point shooting. San Antonio — which set the all-time franchise record for 3-pointers in a game with 20 against the Dallas Mavericks back on December 23 — is shooting 37.2 percent during the playoffs, second only to the Golden State Warriors.

The Grizzlies, who are playing in their first conference final in franchise history, are nonetheless in familiar territory. Memphis lost both Game 1s against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the first two rounds of these playoffs before going a combined 8-1 to win those series.

Just as the Grizzlies won’t fret from a series deficit, the Spurs aren’t likely to get complacent with a series lead. San Antonio is motivated by its playoff exit last season in the West finals at the hands of Oklahoma City.

“I can promise you this: Nobody’s happy in our locker room, because we were up 2-0 last year and we lost,” point guard Tony Parker said. “It’s just one game. It means nothing. We still have a long way to go.”

Bonner, who had the attention of the Thunder during that entire series, was held to 1-for-7 shooting from deep in the first three games before only playing three total minutes over the next three. Bonner was a constant focus of the Thunder’s defense for a reason: He was the NBA’s most efficient 3-point shooter last year (45.7 percent). Plus, Oklahoma City had first-hand experience of what the 6-foot-10 long range sharpshooter was capable of when he nailed 7-of-7 3s in a 114-107 win over the Thunder in 2010.

The Grizzlies will have to open their eyes to the Spurs’ perimeter shooting much the same way if they want their unprecedented playoff run to continue. That principle shouldn’t be anything new to Memphis, which ranked second in the NBA at defending the 3-point line during the regular season, only allowing teams to shoot 33.8 percent from downtown.

Bonner, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Spurs’ role players will be relied on to make use of the team’s superb ball movement and hit shots consistently to keep the Grizzlies’ defense from keying on Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Outside of the Spurs’ big three, Bonner is the only player left from San Antonio’s last championship team in 2007. That was the year the Spurs swept the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.

The New York Jets released quarterback Tim Tebow on Monday morning after just one year with the team. (Photo by The Associated Press)

Tebow Time only lasted a New York minute.

Tim Tebow arrived at the Jets’ facility on Monday morning and was told he had been cut. As if it would fly under the radar, a three-paragraph news release was sent out at 8:18 a.m. That early exit from Florham Park, N.J., serves as a microcosm for the quarterback’s one-year stint in the Big Apple.

The truth is, we learned a lot more about the New York Jets than we did about Tebow last season.

As the Jets’ perplexing season progressed, it became obvious that the franchise wasn’t on the same page in regards to then-general manager Mike Tannenbaum’s high-profile acquisition of Tebow. In fact, there’s no way to tell what page anyone was on.

Owner Woody Johnson said he was surprised by the “enormity” of the Tebow coverage during the preseason although he allowed ESPN to carry on its Tebowmania coverage on the front lawn of the team’s practice facility in Cortland. Later, he’d say the move was “forced” on him.

Meanwhile, head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano barely utilized Tebow at all on the field. Ryan stated before the season that they’d have a package for Tebow that could see him on the field for up to 20 plays a game. Instead, Tebow only played 77 offensive snaps the entire year to account for just 7 percent of the Jets’ offense. Moreover, he lined up at a position other than QB in 25 percent of those offensive snaps.

Tebow doesn’t deserve blame for choosing the New York Jets over the Jacksonville Jaguars. At the time, Jacksonville was still invested in their presumed quarterback of the future, 10th overall pick Blaine Gabbert, who was only entering his second season. Plus, the Jags didn’t seem to have a clear-cut plan for Tebow like the Jets did.

And not in a million years did Tebow, or anyone, think a Jets team that made it to back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009 and 2010 had apparently become a distraction away from being 6-10 and failing to make the playoffs for a second straight year.

Being the ultimate optimist that he is, Tebow at least initially figured he could provide a spark the same way he did for the Florida Gators on the way to the 2006 national title. He’d move the chains with inspired runs, he’d catch the defense off guard with long passes and he’d bring Fireman Ed to his feet to lead the chants of “J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!” After all, the 2011 Jets needed that, ranking 25th in the NFL in total offense and 22nd in rushing offense. It turns out the 2012 Jets needed it even worse, finishing 30th in total offense.

The media, fans, haters, etc. don’t deserve blame either for the so-called “circus.” Tebow made us talk about Tebow. Taking the 1-4 Denver Broncos to the playoffs with multiple miracles, then beating the Pittsburgh Steelers with a game-winning overtime touchdown in the playoffs would get us talking about anybody from JaMarcus Russell to Colt McCoy. In an age where a rookie quarterback is expected to deliver before developing, Tebow delivered.

It also helps that he’s a Heisman winner and two-time national champion in college.

Regardless, it’s hard to imagine a professional football team wouldn’t consider picking up a player because he “brings too much publicity.” The Jets welcomed it and so would others. Nonetheless, the Jets reportedly tried to trade Tebow for a seventh-round pick prior to the draft and couldn’t find a taker. That could signal the end to Tebow’s NFL career.

Or it might make it that much more incredible if he picks up where he left off. Not in New York but a mile high in Denver.

While The Sun’s Kevin Brockway highlighted each player that will be in action starting today, I’ll go into each first-round matchup and what role each Gator can play to help their respective teams.

Whether Denver's Kenneth Faried is absent or less than 100 percent, Golden State forward David Lee must take advantage. (Photos by The Associated Press)

DAVID LEE: The All-Star forward/center always plays a pivotal role for sixth-seeded Golden State as the team’s second-leading scorer (18.5 ppg) and leading rebounder (11.2 rpg). However, he’ll play an even bigger role against third-seeded Denver due to the health concerns of the Nuggets’ leading rebounder, Kenneth Faried.

The Mile High City’s “Manimal” has been out for a week since spraining his left knee against Portland last Sunday and is listed as day-to-day. Faried’s energy on the glass is a big catalyst for the Nuggets’ transition game.

Faried didn’t sound optimistic that he’d play the series opener.

“I’m not saying I’m not. I’m not saying I am. The plan is just to come in and be with my teammates. And even if I’m not playing, I’m going to be on the bench cheering for them,” Faried said. “…I’m not in too much of a rush to get back. I want to be 100 percent.”

Whether Faried is absent or less than 100 percent, Lee and 7-foot center Andrew Bogut will need to exploit the Warriors’ size advantage in order to slow the Nuggets down. This series could be a track meet as both teams average more than 100 points a game and surrender more than 100 points a game. However, Lee could help Golden State pull off an upset over a Denver team that is considered a legit contender to come out of the Western Conference.

It would be extra helpful for the Warriors to take down the potentially short-handed Nuggets in Game 1 or 2 and steal homecourt advantage as Denver comes into the playoffs with an NBA-best 38-3 home record.

Game 1 is Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Denver Nuggets forward Corey Brewer will look to wreak havoc in transition like he always does against Golden State.

COREY BREWER: One of the biggest obstacles to Lee slowing the Nuggets down will be this fast-break fox.

Denver’s transition specialist has only gotten better, and earned more minutes, as the season has wore on. Brewer has made a habit of taking off as soon as his team secures a defensive rebound and getting behind the defense for easy lay-ups and dunks.

Some have labeled Brewer as a “cherry-picker” by doing this, but that’s false and it undermines Brewer’s high basketball IQ and instincts. He’s not sitting at the opposite end under the basket waiting for the long pass. That’s cherry-picking. Brewer is starting at the same point as all other players, but he’s getting his hips pointed in the opposite direction and sprinting the split second he feels confident his team has, or is about to get, possession of the ball. He never leaves his team at a disadvantage defensively by going prematurely.

When he’s not doing that, Brewer’s spotting up for 3-pointers although he has been up and down from beyond the arc, shooting 29.6 percent for the season.

Brewer, who’s been considered for the Sixth Man of the Year award, is now a starter since Danilo Gallinari was lost for the season with a torn ACL a month ago. He enters the playoffs averaging a little more than 15 points a game in the month of April. On the defensive end, Brewer will be matched up with smooth-shooting Harrison Barnes, but he could also periodically get the call to defend one of the Warriors’ backcourt studs, Klay Thompson or Stephen Curry.

Brewer has also proven himself in crunch time for the Nuggets this season. With all that said, he could be a major factor for this dangerous Denver squad this postseason.

Chicago center Joakim Noah may be limited with a right foot injury, but he can lead the Derrick Rose-less Bulls to victory over the Nets if he can play significant minutes.

JOAKIM NOAH: Due to his injured right foot, the Bulls’ All-Star center is in jeopardy of missing the opener on Saturday against the Nets and possibly more. Coach Tom Thibodeau has listed him as day-to-day with the plantar fasciitis that has caused him to miss 15 games since the start of February.

The bad news continued for the Bulls on Saturday as Thibodeau said that star point guard Derrick Rose is “most likely out” for the postseason, seemingly ending the NBA’s 2011 MVP from making a return from his torn ACL.

However, Chicago has a lot of heart and don’t be surprised if the rest of the Bulls’ talented roster tries to beat the Nets and make it to the second round in order to buy their injured stars some time. If Noah can play enough minutes, the team will feed off of his energy as always, play great defense and take Brooklyn to the wire on more than one occasion.

Nonetheless, Chicago will be taking on an inspired Nets team that will have homecourt advantage in its first season in Brooklyn. They’ll also be facing Brook Lopez, a solid offensive center who averages 19.4 points per game. The Bulls are good enough to challenge the Nets without Rose, but with no Noah, no way.

Game 1 is Saturday at 8 p.m.

Atlanta's Al Horford will have a tough challenge on his hands being matched up with Indiana center Roy Hibbert. However, it's also a chance for Horford to prove himself at a position he was said to be too small for.

AL HORFORD: The Hawks’ forward/center has a tall task in his series against the Pacers, and that’s 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert.

In a way, this is a chance for Horford — not regarded as a center upon entering the NBA — to prove that he can match up against the taller players at the position that made people doubt whether the 6-foot-10 Horford could do it. Hibbert has had a good season, averaging 11.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game (fourth in the NBA).

However, Horford has had the best year of his six-year NBA career, averaging 17.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, both career-highs for him. And while he may be at a height disadvantage, he certainly has an athletic advantage over Hibbert.

Horford will need to win the battle in the paint and more specifically, grab offensive rebounds, because the Pacers’ defense — second-best in the NBA while only allowing 90.7 points per game — will be active. So Horford will need to find sharpshooters Kyle Korver, DeShawn Stephenson and emerging rookie John Jenkins to knock down open shots on the perimeter also.

Game 1 is Sunday at 1 p.m.

Houston forward Chandler Parsons will get the dreaded task of defending Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, but with all the attention on former Thunder James Harden, he has a chance to play a major role.

CHANDLER PARSONS: While shooting guard James Harden will be getting most of the attention from the media in this series as he faces his old team, Parsons can only hope Harden gets that same kind of attention on the floor. If so, Parsons will get opportunities to slash or spot up for 3-pointers, where he’s shooting a team-high 38.5 percent.

The Rockets’ small forward did his best to prevent Houston from falling to the No. 8 seed in the West. His line-drive 3-pointer at the end of regulation forced overtime in the season-finale against the Lakers, but the Rockets went on to lose and thus, they’ll play the Thunder.

Parsons will get the second-worst defensive assignment in the league after having to guard LeBron James, and that’s to guard Kevin Durant. Him and Harden will likely switch on the Durantula throughout the series as Harden is more than familiar with Durant.

Still, the Thunder have to prove that they’re a better team than they were last year with Harden, and many people have their doubts with that. If Harden — the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer with 25.9 points a game — plays like a man possessed, Parsons will benefit greatly, and Houston could put a scare in Oklahoma City.

Game 1 is Sunday at 9:30 p.m.

UDONIS HASLEM: Although the Heat forward hasn’t played a big role in the Heat’s NBA-best 66-16 record, it’s playoff time, and Haslem is sure to have some big efforts as he usually does around this time of year. All you have to do is recall two performances last year in the second-round series against the Pacers and two more against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

It wasn’t even clear if Haslem would be healthy enough to play Game 1 against the 8th-seeded Bucks, but he returned to the starting lineup for the team’s season-finale on Wednesday against the Magic after missing the team’s previous four games with an ankle injury. Haslem played 23 minutes in that game, scoring four points on 2 of 4 shooting, with three rebounds.

Despite his lack of production this season, finishing with career-lows in points (3.9 ppg) and rebounds (5.4 rpg), Haslem finish with 59 starts, his most since 2008-09. Haslem, who’s played his entire 10-year career in Miami and owns two championship rings with the Heat, will come up big at some point. Bank on it.

Game 1 is Sunday at 7 p.m.

MIKE MILLER: The biggest game of Miller’s career is still fresh in everyone’s mind. That’s because the last image everyone saw during the Heat’s championship run last season was a hobbled Miller raining 3s on the Thunder.

Miller scored 23 points in that Game 5, knocking down 7-of-8 3-pointers in 23 minutes off the bench. His seven made 3s became an NBA Finals record.

Miller still has the capability to do that. He’s finally healthy after missing time due to sinus and ear infections during a long stretch from the beginning of February to early March. He only played in one game in February and didn’t score a single point from Jan. 27 until March 24. But in the last 10 games, Miller has averaged 12.1 points per game and has started 10 times. In those 10 games, Miller is shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc. This season, he’s made 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers, just above his 40.6 percent career 3-point average.

Miller, lurking from long range, is to be accounted for along with Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Rashard Lewis and the bevy of 3-point shooters that a driving LeBron James will have at his disposal.

MATT BONNER: Bonner, who finished second in this year’s 3-point shootout, draws “uh oh’s” from commentators when left open from deep. That’s because the 6-foot-10 Spurs forward shot 44.2 percent from 3-point range this season off the bench, the second-highest percentage of his nine-year NBA career.

With San Antonio coming into its series with the Los Angeles Lakers a little banged up, Bonner could get more playing time. He could see plenty of open looks, too since the slow-to-rotate Lakers do a terrible job defensively against teams with great ball movement like the Spurs.

Game 1 is Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Former Bills receiver David Nelson celebrates his game-winning touchdown catch against the Raiders in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 2011. The Bills won 38-35. (Photo by The Associated Press)

The last time I saw David Nelson, it was in the visitors’ locker room of the Georgia Dome in 2009.

The far corner of the locker room.

The only thing you could hear was the sound of Gator players slowly taking off their equipment. All other media, and the hundreds that comprised it, were already gone. They had pooled at the podium not far away to lob the easy questions to Alabama coach Nick Saban, who had led the program to its first SEC championship in 10 years with a 32-13 win over Florida.

I was the only reporter left among a handful of distraught Gators who were probably trying to stay invisible until every last one of us was gone, but something compelled me to make the long walk across the room to sit down with Nelson.

I knew there weren’t any easy questions for him, and his answers were barely audible. But they didn’t need to be. Nelson, who lifted his head rarely and took deep breaths often, showed loud and clear the pain he felt. Ironically, that short time with the genuinely wounded senior left me confident that he’d make a career for himself in the NFL. Moreso than his performance in that game (four catches, 53 yards and a touchdown) or the big plays he made a season before on the way to an SEC title in the same building against Alabama, then for a national title against Oklahoma.

When I heard that the Cleveland Browns signed Nelson to a one-year contract on Monday, my first thought was the fact that he’s reuniting with his former teammate at Florida, cornerback Joe Haden, who was quick to greet Nelson via Twitter with a “welcome!!” However, I couldn’t help but think that he’s also joining former Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who contributed 80 yards on 11 carries in that crushing 2009 loss.

Four months after that game, Nelson went undrafted before being signed by the Buffalo Bills. In his three years there, the sure-handed Nelson had 94 receptions for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per catch.

He had a promising rookie year when he recorded 31 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns, one in each of his last three games, including a game-winning score over none other than the Browns. He enjoyed his best season in 2011 when he became a favorite target of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. That year, Nelson reeled in 61 passes for 658 yards and five touchdowns.

However, Nelson is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in the Bills’ 48-28 season-opening loss to the Jets last season. Nelson, operated on by world-renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, has said that he should be fully ready for the Browns’ voluntary minicamp from April 16-18.

Nelson is the fourth receiver that Cleveland — coming off a 5-11 campaign — has added in the past calendar year as the Browns look to improve their passing game, which ranked 19th in the league last season under quarterback Brandon Weeden. A healthy Nelson should do that, considering second-year slot receivers Josh Cooper and Travis Benjamin combined for only 26 grabs, 404 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Regardless of what he could potentially bring to the Browns, Nelson’s signing doesn’t qualify as a blockbuster move. Nelson isn’t a star.

But he’s not invisible either.

Denver forward Corey Brewer reacts as time runs out in the fourth quarter of a 101-100 win over Philadelphia in Denver on Thursday. (Photos by The Associated Press)

Corey Brewer spiked the ball, then roared at midcourt.

Fitting that his primal scream came on top of a logo with pickaxes since it was Brewer who dug the Denver Nuggets out of an improbable hole in a streak-saving 101-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

With the victory, the Nuggets extended their franchise record with a 14th straight win, a mark that would’ve ended if it weren’t for Brewer’s heroics.

Denver trailed by five before the sixth-year small forward out of Florida fought his way open for a clutch 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left that made it 100-98. After nearly stealing the inbounds pass, Brewer then fouled Philadelphia’s Evan Turner, who missed both free throws to give the Nuggets a chance to force overtime or win the game.

“It’s crazy. To be honest, I didn’t think we had any chance of winning,” Brewer said. “Then he missed those free throws and I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got a little chance.’ He gave us life.”

After a timeout with only 6.8 seconds left, Anthony Miller inbounded to Danilo Gallinari. Brewer took the handoff from Gallinari and quickly shot a 3-pointer that missed. However, 76ers shooting guard Damien Wilkins made more than enough contact with Brewer’s left arm to draw a whistle with 2.1 seconds left.

That sent Brewer to the free-throw line for three pressure-filled shots from the line. He nailed the first as the crowd held its breath as much as it could in the Mile High City.

“I was just trying to be calm. I knew I needed to make two out of three, and once I made the first one, a little pressure’s off,” Brewer said.

The Nuggets' Corey Brewer sets to make his third free throw to give Denver a one-point lead with 2.7 seconds left.

He would sink the next two to put the Nuggets ahead to stay. Wilkins’ final attempt for Philadelphia was blocked by Anthony Randolph to secure the win.

Brewer finished with a career-best 29 points, 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter, to go with five steals and one block. The win clinched a playoff spot for a dialed-in Denver squad that holds the fifth seed in the West but is only 2.5 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second seed.

While the Miami Heat’s 24 straight wins have gotten just about all the attention in the NBA, the Nuggets’ 14-game tear is just now starting to show on the radar. Over the course of the two teams’ streaks, Miami is beating its opponents by 10.9 points per game. Denver is beating its opponents by 10.5 points per game.

The Nuggets got their latest victory without point guard Ty Lawson (bruised heel) and Wilson Chandler (dislocated shoulder). Brewer stepped up by going 5-of-6 from 3-point range, overcoming a slump in March that’s seen him go 6-for-26 (23.1 percent) from deep.

However, the transition specialist is still having his best month of the season, averaging 14.9 points a game in March despite the recent struggles from long range. He’s having his best season since his third year in the NBA with Minnesota, averaging 11.9 points and 1.4 steals in just about 24 minutes a game.

Brewer is one of the many reasons Denver will be a true contender in the West based on how the team has fared this season against the best in the conference. Here’s a breakdown of the Nuggets’ record against the best in the West:

No. 1 seed San Antonio – 1-1 (still play them twice)
No. 2 seed Oklahoma City – 3-1 (won the last three)
No. 3 seed Memphis – 3-1 (won the most recent meeting)
No. 4 seed L.A. Clippers – 2-1 (won the last two by 14 points and 15 points, respectively)

That’s a total record of 9-4, and all those series are done except for the one with the Spurs. Denver can win that one depending on how they do against the Spurs this Wednesday at San Antonio and on April 10 at Denver.

But every Nuggets game will get an extra eye as the “other streak” continues.

Thanks to Brewer.

The Minnesota Vikings agreed to trade receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple sources. (Photo by The Associated Press)

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has always had an eye on Percy Harvin, and now it looks like he’s finally got him.

On Monday, the eve of NFL free agency, Minnesota agreed to trade the receiver to Seattle, according to multiple media outlets.

The Seahawks are expected to surrender their 2013 first-round draft pick (No. 25 overall) and possibly other picks to the Vikings in exchange for Harvin. The deal is pending his agreement to a new contract with the Seahawks and also pending a physical.

Harvin, coming off a sprained ankle from last season, is scheduled to fly to Seattle on Monday night and take his physical in the next 24 hours. He’s expected to sign a new deal with the team in the next 48 hours.

The trade cannot be made official until Tuesday at 4 p.m. when NFL free agency begins.

Carroll was coaching in the college ranks at Southern California back in October 2005 when he got the phenom from Virginia Beach Landstown High School to visit USC. That was the only visit that Harvin made other than the one he took to his eventual destination at Florida.

However, Harvin has even stronger relations with the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, who held the same job with the Vikings when Harvin was drafted by Minnesota in 2009. Harvin will also be playing alongside former teammate Sidney Rice, a receiver for the Vikings during Harvin’s first two years as a pro.

Harvin has another connection to Seattle, albeit a bad one. Harvin, who was leading the NFL in total yards (receiving, rushing and returning) and was a candidate for MVP through nine games last season, sprained his left ankle on Nov. 4 at Seattle and was sidelined for the rest of the year.

Still, Harvin is expected to pass his upcoming physical and add a dynamic, playmaking receiver to a franchise that’s been looking for one the last several years. The Seahawks unsuccessfully tried to lure Brandon Marshall in 2010 and failed to bring Vincent Jackson to Seattle before last season, but the Emerald City may have finally found its gem.

Harvin should boost a Seattle passing game that ranked 27th in the NFL last season. Although promising rookie quarterback Russell Wilson was fourth in the league in QB rating (100.0) with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, the team’s top receiver last season was Sidney Rice, who only had 50 receptions for 748 yards. By comparison, Harvin had 62 catches for 677 yards while playing half the season for a team that finished 31st in passing.

There’s also a strong possibility that the Seahawks will use Harvin’s talents out of the backfield to run read-option handoffs with the nimble Wilson among other things to allow Carroll to get tricky offensively. Harvin also brings a game-changer to the team’s return game, where he’s had an NFL-best five kickoffs returned for touchdowns since his rookie season in 2009.

The Seahawks were 31 seconds away from reaching the NFC Championship Game last year, holding a late lead over the Falcons before losing a heartbreaker, 30-28 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.

Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons scored a career-high 32 points in Sunday's 136-103 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Parsons fell just short of the single-game franchise record for field goals without a miss. (Photo by The Associated Press)

Chandler Parsons was too busy having the best game of his young NBA career to realize he was closing in on one of the best games in his franchise’s history.

Parsons, who scored a career-high 32 points in the Houston Rockets’ 136-103 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, was 11-for-11 from the field with 3:57 left in the third quarter after draining his fifth 3-pointer. At that point, Parsons admitted he got carried away the next time down the floor as he jacked up an ill-advised shot from beyond the arc that missed.

That heat check gone wrong was significant because had he made his next shot, Parsons would’ve tied Yao Ming’s single-game franchise record for field goals without a miss (12 for 12), set in 2009 against the Miami Heat. Parsons didn’t know about the record until he was regretfully informed after the game.

“Now I really feel like an idiot,” Parsons said.

Nonetheless, Parsons — who finished 12-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 from 3-point range — was still able to put himself in the same sentence as another legend, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to get 30-plus points while shooting 92 percent and attempting at least five 3-pointers.

Houston is in a precarious position as the 8th seed in the West with the Lakers nipping at their heels for the final spot in the playoffs. The Lakers are only 2 1/2 games back as they’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 games. However, Los Angeles may have to hope the 7th-seeded Utah Jazz or 6th-seeded Golden State Warriors slip out of playoff contention in order to get in. While the Jazz have lost three of their last four and the Warriors have lost 10 of their last 13, the Rockets have won four of their last six and have gotten steady propulsion all season from James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Parsons.

The second-year small forward out of Florida has scored at least 20-plus points in each of the team’s past four games after only putting together back-to-back games of 20-plus points just one other time this season (Jan. 30 vs. Denver, Feb. 2 vs. Charlotte).

“I could care less about the Lakers,” Parsons told the Houston Chronicle following last Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. “If we win our games, maybe the Jazz will lose and help the Lakers get in if everybody wants them in (the playoffs). We control our own destiny right now. I don’t really care what they’re doing or who they play as long as we focus on who we’re playing.”

OTHER NOTABLE GATORS
Brad Beal
The Wizards’ rookie shooting guard went down with 2:08 left in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle in Washington’s 90-87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Beal was attended to by a trainer, then carried off the court and through the tunnel by two teammates while keeping weight off both of his legs. However, Beal later said he didn’t consider the injury serious.

“I honestly thought it was more serious than what it was, because at first, I really couldn’t move my foot,” Beal said. “I couldn’t really feel it. I guess that’s just what happens when you’re in shock, and your mind’s just going all over the place.”

Before leaving the floor, Beal scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Beal had taken his game to a new level since missing five games with a sprained right wrist that he suffered at the end of January. Over an eight-game stretch prior to Sunday’s game, he was averaging 20.8 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 44.7 percent (17-of-38) from 3-point range.

Al Horford
Horford had 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in Sunday’s 99-98 loss to the Lakers. Despite a productive game, Horford got the unenviable task of defending Kobe Bryant in the closing seconds, and Bryant drove past him for the go-ahead layup.

“There’s a reason why he’s the best player in the game,” Horford said of Bryant. “He did what he usually does, and we didn’t do a good enough job on him. It’s disappointing. We thought we worked hard and put ourselves in a position to win. We just had too many mistakes down the stretch.”

Joakim Noah
Noah had 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one block in the Chicago Bulls’ 97-92 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Noah and his former Gator teammate Horford are tied for 6th in the NBA with 30 double-doubles this season.

Bulls center Joakim Noah became one of just six players in NBA history to record a 20-20-10 triple-double with blocks. (Photo by The Associated Press)

Back in December, Joakim Noah said he’d haunt the City of Brotherly Love “for the rest of my career.”

No one thought he’d channel the ghosts of Shaquille O’Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon.

Noah recorded 23 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocks for a monstrous triple-double in leading the Bulls to a 93-82 win over the 76ers in Chicago on Thursday night, numbers duplicated only by those aforementioned legends since 1985.

“That’s legendary stuff,” Carlos Boozer told the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve never seen a center do what he did. And we needed every one of them.”

It was the third career triple-double for Noah, but this one put the Bulls center in rarefied company, making him one of just six players in NBA history to have a 20-20-10 triple-double with blocks. Only O’Neal, Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Shawn Bradley, and now Noah have had such a game.

Noah has made it known that the fans in Philadelphia fed him with lots of motivation in last year’s playoffs. The crowd cheered after Noah went down with an ankle injury in Game 3, and the Bulls were eventually ousted by the 76ers. However, Chicago has officially swept its regular season series with Philadelphia 3-0 following last night’s win, and Noah was a big reason why. He averaged 18.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game in those three victories.

Noah’s performance on Thursday also made a statement to a team that had supposedly acquired one of the two best centers in the NBA, Andrew Bynum, over the offseason. Last season, there was plenty of talk about who the best big man was, Bynum or Dwight Howard. After the Lakers made a trade that sent Bynum to the 76ers and Howard to L.A., the two anointed “best bigs in the game” exchanged jabs and voiced who they felt was No. 1 and No. 2.

Noah, selected to his first All-Star Game this season and the lead candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is making a strong case to hold that title now.

Here’s how Noah stacks up against the other top centers in the NBA:

Joakim Noah – 11.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 4.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 46.2 FG%, 74.5 FT%
Dwight Howard – 16.2 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 58.3 FG%, 48.3 FT%
Tyson Chandler – 11.4 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 1.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 65.8 FG%, 68.9 FT%
Brook Lopez – 18.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 1.0 apg, 0.5 spg, 51.4 FG%, 75.8 FT%
Marc Gasol – 13.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 3.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 47.6 FG%, 86.9 FT%

Out of those players, Noah is proving himself to be the most versatile. Noah is quick enough to keep pace with the trending, perimeter-oriented centers that can force bigs to defend the 3-point line, and he’s strong enough to hold his ground in the paint against the traditional ones that play with their back to the basket. He’s also one of the best pick-and-roll defenders in the NBA.

Aside from his versatility, his motor runs non stop. Noah is one of only 11 players in the league averaging at least 38 minutes per game and is the only center in that bunch. He’s fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game (11.4) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.9).

“He’s an energy, effort player,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “When you get an effort like that, that unites and inspires your team.”

And the Bulls continue to feed off of Noah with Chicago still not sure when it’ll get star point guard Derrick Rose back from his torn ACL. Noah himself is still battling plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which forced him to miss the first three games of February.

With Chicago (33-25) holding onto the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, Noah’s historic numbers pale in comparison to the one his team added to the win column.

“I wanted to get (the triple-double), but I wanted to win more,” Noah said.