There were all sorts of signs and sentiments in the stands making the case.

One fan held up a life-sized cutout of LeBron James wearing a Miami Heat uniform. Another dangled a large photo of a tanned, bikini-clad South Beach party-goer next to a blow-up of a pasty-skinned, calorically overburdened lovely supposedly from the shores of Lake Erie and asked James to consider the difference.

The cajoling, the wheedling, the begging and the pleading are, of course, all part of the fun with James and Dwyane Wade preparing to hit the free-agent market this summer and fans in their respective cities fantasizing about the possibility of them teaming up.

But Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena was the real fun and showcased a better reason why King James and D-Wade -- for the good of the game -- should stay apart. For the drama that hung in the air like south Florida humidity. For the competitive instincts that dripped like sweat from their pores. For the sheer intensity of it all.

Would Bird and Magic have been nearly as compelling if the two superstars had both worn green or purple? Would the names of Wilt and Russell been able to conjure up such classic memories if the pair of giants had played side-by-side rather than head-to-head?

"This was two really good friends and two great competitors not wanting to lose to each other," said James. "But at the same time we knew that we were putting on a show for not only each other, but for the fans here and everyone watching the game."

It was a game that ended with James and Wade each scoring 32 points and the Cavaliers winning 92-91. But it was an experience that was about so much more than numbers.

When Wade and James were teammates at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 -- along with Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and the rest of USA Basketball's NBA royalty -- it was a regal procession all the way to the gold medal.

But when James and Wade go toe-to-toe, it's like a pair of brothers wrestling in the backyard mud and maybe even spilling some of the same blood, neither willing to give an inch.

If Wade and James were to pull on the same jerseys next season, maybe it would deliver a sure string of championships. But it would deprive everyone of nights such as Monday night, when a pair of warriors delivered an Ali-Frazier Thrilla in Manila above the rim. They traded dunks and determination, attitude and acrobatics.

There was James barreling down the court like a runaway locomotive in the second quarter and Wade coming from somewhere out of the ether to catch up at the last second. Wade went for the block and got a good piece of the ball along with a piece of James' head. Yet LeBron never flinched and slammed the ball home with only a headband knocked askew as evidence that he'd even noticed.

While many teammates on the Cavaliers bench erupted in applause and laughter, Wade turned and glared and said, "Don't mess with me!"

Game on.

Wade responded with a smooth jumper. Then he nailed a deep 3-pointer despite getting fouled by Jamario Moon. James then came right back with a three of his own.

Wade ratcheted it up to the next level with a step-back jumper over Moon as the crowd roared. James nailed an even longer step-backer over the outstretched arms of Quentin Richardson that had the Miami crowd roaring louder.

"It's a little bit of 'Anything you can do, I can do better' kind of competition for a little while and it's fun for the fans," said Wade. "The competition is great. At the end of the day, we understand it's a team game. But there are definitely moments within the game that you take on the competition."

Wade took on the challenge at one point by breaking up an attempted lob pass by Cleveland, then racing all the way to the other end, through a cluster of three Cavs' defenders, to bank in a bucket off the glass as he was fouled.

Wade missed the free throw that would have completed his three-point play, but chased down the rebound in the corner, slammed the ball off the leg of one of the Cavs to make it go out of bounds and kept possession for the Heat. Then he took the inbounds pass and drained another 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left in the half.

In the second quarter alone, Wade had 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting, only to be topped by James with 20 points on 7-for-10.

It was perhaps the best game of H-O-R-S-E since Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were bouncing shots "over the expressway, through the window, off the wall, nothing but net," in those McDonald's commercials back in the '90s.

They both knew it. As the horn sounded and they walked off the court at halftime with the hardwood floor practically on fire, LeBron and D-Wade turned, looked at each and broke out into a pair of wide grins.

And when the game came down to the last furious seconds of the fourth quarter, both insisted on guarding the other on the final possessions.

"At that point in the game, it's what I want to do," said Wade.

"In that position, I feel like it's my responsibility to guard him," said James. "Anything else would have been uncivilized."

James stole a wraparound pass by Wade, drove the length of the floor and was sent sprawling when Wade clobbered him from behind. He shook off the cobwebs and made the two free throws that made the difference.

At the other end, Wade got off a 19-footer over the long, outstretched arm of James that kicked off the back rim as the horn sounded.

"The competitive nature comes out when you play against your good friend," said James.

"I don't let this go too easy," said Wade.

If they were to play together next season in the same colored jerseys, they could be a fantasy team. But if it's a fantasy game you want, the continuing real-life battles of King James and D-Wade are the stuff of real hoop dreams.

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