Miami Heat's Biggest Remaining Battles of 2012 Season

Dennis Green would say that the Miami Heat are who we thought they were. After posting a 19-6 record through the first 25 games of this shortened NBA season, it is clear that the Heat have lived up to their own preseason expectations so far.

But the season is far from over.

The Heat still have big matchups littered throughout the rest of the regular season that will tell us a lot about where they stand in the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole.

Here are the 10 biggest matchups still awaiting the Heat.

March 1 at Portland

Despite years of nagging injuries and the loss of players and executives, the Portland Trailblazers have shown themselves to be one of the best teams in the West.

With LaMarcus Aldridge leading the team and Jamal Crawford providing an elite bench scorer, this team has what it takes to keep up with the Heat.

It will be an interesting matchup, even just for the play on the court.

March 4 at the Los Angeles Lakers

Not excited for this matchup? Kobe Bryant. LeBron James. Dwyane Wade.

What about now? Still not enough? Check your pulse.

The Miami Heat are one of the best teams in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the best teams in the NBA and one of the most storied franchises in NBA history.

Three of the five best basketball players in the world will be on the same court together. Few matchups can boast this kind of star power.

March 10 vs. Indiana

A few years ago, this would not have been a big matchup. Now, thanks to the 17-7 start of the Indiana Pacers, it is.

This has been a different team since they picked up David West in the offseason. They are now just a few games back of the Chicago Bulls in the Central Division and are poised to get home court in the first round of the playoffs.

As one of the up-and-coming young teams in the NBA, the Pacers will give the Heat their best shot, even if it is only as a measuring stick for their team.

March 13 at Orlando

The biggest NBA matchups are made by the superstars facing off in them. That's why this will be a big game.

Dwight Howard, the best center in the NBA, will face off against LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, arguably the best small forward and shooting guard in the NBA.

The fact that the two teams share a division does nothing but add fuel to the fiery matchup.

March 25 at Oklahoma City

The Miami Heat are generally considered to be one of the best—if not the best—teams in the Eastern Conference and the NBA. So, of course, it will be huge when they visit Oklahoma City to play the Western Conference-leading Thunder.

Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers in the league and has a championship-caliber supporting cast. If any team from the West looks like it has a chance to defeat the Heat in an NBA Finals, it is probably this one.

March 29 vs. Dallas

This late-season rematch of last year's NBA Finals will be played up by all the networks, especially as these teams prepare for the stretch heading into this year's playoffs.

The Mavericks will try to do what they did to the Heat in June again, but with a much different cast.

Dallas will need Dirk to be last year's Dirk and Jason Terry to be the best Jet he's ever been to have a chance to beat the Heat.

My guess is they will, and it will be a great game.

April 1 at Boston

There will be no fooling around on April Fools' Day when the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics face off in Boston.

The old Big Three against the new Big Three is always entertaining. These two teams have become huge rivals and any time they face off it is a must-see matchup.

Let's just hope that Boston's Big Three is still intact in April. Otherwise, this matchup's luster will be lacking.

April 12 at Chicago

Judging from the first part of this short season, the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat are clearly head and shoulders above everyone else in the Eastern Conference.

Their first matchup ended in a narrow victory for the Heat, and the Heat will have to earn a victory this time around, too. All three of the Big Three will need to play their best to defeat this Bulls team.

Derrick Rose has this team firing on all cylinders and will give the Heat as much trouble as anyone in the NBA.

April 15 at New York

The Heat will face the New York Knicks on April 15th in what will be a great individual matchup between Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. I'm just hoping that Anthony is healthy then.

However, if he isn't, we'll still get to see Amar'e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh face off in a matchup of two of the most offensively gifted power forwards in the game.

Madison Square Garden is a special place where special players perform special feats. Here's hoping that it happens again on the day taxes are due.

April 19 vs. Chicago

I know what you're thinking: "The Bulls again?" Yes, but it is warranted.

These are the two best teams in the East, and there is a very good chance that they will see each other in the Conference Finals just like last year.

With just a few games left at this point in the season, most contenders will be resting their stars as much as possible. However, you can bet that this game will be down to the wire and that the big stars will play from start to finish.

It will be epic.