Heat vs. Spurs preview: Unselfish play in 2 different ways

The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs have ownership of each of their respective conferences. As for which team is the best in the league, regular season records separated by two full games will make the two teams' meeting Sunday in San Antonio a chance for either to flex their muscle in one of the NBA's most gripping power struggles.

Where teams jostle around while hoping to bring superstars to their squads in the Heat's image, none can replicate LeBron James' unselfishness that routinely subsides only at the perfect moment, when he takes over in every which way to assure a Miam win. James' ability to turn in five to 10 minutes of pure domination -- from scoring, to passing, to defensive stops -- every night was a reason for that 27-game winning streak.

He's coming off a loss-fueled, 36-point performance against the New Orleans Hornets. Behind a 7-of-10 shooting performance from three-point range, James led Miami to a 108-89 win on Friday, one game after the Heat's streak came to an abrupt end in Chicago.

Meanwhile, the Spurs haven't followed the same blueprint toward success, but it's still a mighty good one. Tony Parker will play in only his fifth game after recovering from an ankle injury, yet without their darkhorse MVP candidate, San Antonio hardly skipped a beat.

With Parker, the Spurs come into Sunday on a two-game winning streak against Western Conference playoff teams in the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

And unlike that Spurs-Heat game earlier this season that netted Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a stern message from the commissioner regarding his decision to sit Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green, it's expected that all will be available aside from Ginobili, who is out with a hamstring injury.