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A long, painful night for LeBron and Heat

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James had a pained expression on his face during warmups and left the court twice in the early going, once to get his ankle re-taped and another time for a bathroom break.

He was clearly not feeling his best.

His teammates didn’t seem to be making him feel any better, either.

James’ final numbers from Game 4 of the NBA Finals looked stellar on paper: 28 points, 10-for-17 shooting, 4 for 8 from 3-point range, and eight rebounds. That alone just wasn’t anywhere near enough, and the Miami Heat are now in a colossal amount of trouble — the sort from which no team has ever successfully emerged before.

The Heat trail this title series 3-1 now, having been embarrassed at home once again by the San Antonio Spurs, who took command from the outset and beat Miami 107-86 on Thursday night. Game 5 is in San Antonio on Sunday night, when the reign of James and the Heat atop the NBA could end by being denied a third straight championship.

“The series is not over,” James said. “We’ve got guys with too much pride to even start thinking about that.”

No team in NBA Finals history has ever blown a 3-1 lead and James, an astute historian of the game, knows that stat all too well.

“We put ourselves in position where it is about making history,” James said.

The Spurs took control with balance, eight players scoring in the first quarter alone.

The Heat? They didn’t have anyone besides James reach double-figures in scoring until 7:37 remained, and by then there were streams of Miami fans filing out of the arena, quite possibly for the final time this season, maybe even for the final time in what’s been known as the “Big 3” era. Unless the Heat win on Sunday, the season will end and an offseason that will bring answers to many questions shall arrive.

“They’re going to play for their lives,” the Spurs’ Boris Diaw said.

James came to Miami four years ago seeking help to win titles, and that decision got him four finals trips and two rings so far.

But the help was nowhere to be found in Game 4.

–Dwyane Wade missed nine of his first 10 shots, finishing 3 for 13 from the field for 10 points. He has played in 151 playoff games. He has shot worse than 3 for 13 in only three of them.

–Chris Bosh was 5 for 11, good for 12 points.

–Mario Chalmers’ epic struggles continued with a four-point night, which gave him 14 for the four-game series. For comparison’s sake, Spurs backup point guard Patty Mills had 14 points in his first 14 minutes of action in Game 4.

“Right now, they’re playing better than us,” Wade said. “No question about it.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he will spend much of the next 48 hours mulling changes.

“I’ve got to find a way to do a better job for my group,” Spoelstra said.

The numbers were awful all around for Miami. The Heat shot 35 percent in the first half, their worst showing on that front in 101 games this season. The Spurs led by nine after the first quarter, by as many as 22 in the second quarter and wound up taking a 55-36 lead into the locker room at intermission. That marked the first time in NBA history that a road team led by as many as 19 points twice in the same finals.

The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak in games that immediately followed a Heat playoff loss, and marked just the second time in the last four seasons — the “Big 3” era — that Miami dropped two straight playoff contests at home.

The other instance of that was in 2011, the second of those losses being the one where Dallas won the NBA Finals.

That’s how that season ended.

It’s now anyone’s guess if this ushers in the start of another ending — to this era.

James, Bosh and Wade can all become free agents this summer. All three have said many times that they love the organization, but when this series ends, all will have decisions to make.

And those decisions could be one game away now. But Spoelstra was conceding absolutely nothing after Game 4, and Wade insisted that Miami would put forward a better effort in Game 5.

“Our group has been through everything you can possibly be through except for this circumstance,” Spoelstra said. “So why not? Why not test ourselves right now collectively, our championship resolve that we’ve proven, time and time again?”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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