Hoopin’ It Old-School

You want a classic NBA grudge match? We’re talking about Ali-versus-Frazier, O’Donnell-versus-Hasselbeck, Hamilton-versus-Burr type of stuff. Then look no further than the Chicago Bulls versus the Miami Heat. There’s no love lost between these two. Last season the Bulls smacked the Heat with a sock full of pennies in a first-round playoff sweep, thanks in large part to a rusty Dwyane Wade and a craptastic effort from the rest of the team. Then there was the NBA championship hangover.

Now it’s revenge time. But there’s a problem, and his name is Andres Nocioni. The guy’s a card-carrying member of the douchebag contingency who throws elbows and then lifts his hands in the air and gives the refs a wide-eyed, mystified look when they call a foul. Going to watch D-Wade dunk on that insufferable ass-hat alone is worth the price of admission tonight at 7 in the American Airlines Arena. Tickets range from $10 to $350. Visit www.nba.com/heat, or hit up
Wed., Jan. 16, 7 p.m., 2008