Vince Carter can put Miami's Heat on Ice

Dubbed as ''Wince'' back in Toronto, Vince Carter is making quite a name for himself in the NBA Playoffs.

They call him ''Vinsanity,'' another shoe company once called him ''Dr. Funk.'' Well, after a season of turmoil in Toronto, all of those accolades suddenly disappeared and all that was left was a man reduced to a shell of his former self.

Many questioned his heart and toughness, tossing aside the notion that he could be a legitimate elite player in this league. Whoever that guy was, he must have been another Vince Carter. The one who was traded to the Nets Dec. 17, 2004, has been nothing short of a franchise-saving superstar who completely transformed his game.

He's more than just a point-scoring, highlight-reel machine.

On any night, he can control the boards on both ends or pile up the assists. He's not just a one-on-one player and runs about half the Nets offense, taking the pressure off point guard Jason Kidd and turning him into the team's fourth option.

At 29, Carter's game is still evolving. If anyone has experienced his revamped attack first hand, it's the Miami Heat.

Carter has been somewhat a firefighter whenever his Nets take on the Heat this season. The fire extinguisher, if you will.

Vince Carter single-handedly ended a 10-game losing streak against Miami, averaging 38.5 points, 5.5 assists and 7.3 rebounds to lead the Nets to three victories in four meetings.

He also matched his career high, scoring 51 points to help lead the Nets to a 95-88 win Dec. 23, 2005, the Nets' first victory at American Airlines Arena since January 2003.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals between the New Jersey Nets and the Miami Heat, Vince Carter dropped a game-high 27 points to steal homecourt advantage away from Miami. If this is a trend of things to come in this best-of-seven series, VC will rekindle his career's fire and put out the flame of Miami's Heat.

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