NBA DRAFT 2012

The stage is set. The NBA draft is ready to go. Some picks remain mysteries, others are pretty certain.

The crowd booed Commissioner David Stern. They booed the Miami Heat. But hey, it's Newark, N.J., and it's the NBA draft. Get ready for more of it.

Stay here and follow the draft as we provide instant analysis and grades for each pick.

The draft starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, but that first pick will almost certainly be Anthony Davis of Kentucky. Who else gets picked? Check out our latest mock draft and review team needs while you wait.


Here's the draft order:

======FIRST ROUND======

1. New Orleans Hornets: Kentucky forward Anthony Davis

The crowd gave him a warm but anticipated reaction, as you might expect, and no one looked particularly surprised when Stern made his announcement. We've known about this pick since the lottery last month, but in that time, there have been no reasons to doubt it. Davis should be a franchise player as he continues to improve his offense. Defensively, he's a once-in-a-lifetime player. The Hornets could use the help in the paint, too. And Davis can dress for success. Grade: A

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

In an NBA draft first, college teammates go first and second. Kidd-Gilchrist was a bit of a surprise with this pick, but he may be the safest pick in the draft other than Davis. Kidd-Gilchrist will provide the Bobcats with stability on the wing. But he may not be the scorer the Bobcats lack. Grade: B+

3. Washington Wizards: Florida guard Bradley Beal

This pick was inevitable when Kidd-Gilchrist went second, as the Wizards need a shooting guard to pair with point guard John Wall and had been rumored to want Beal enough that teams were considering trading up to No. 2 to get the former Gator. Beal should be a good fit, but he may have been a bit of a reach if he can't improve on his college production. He draws comparisons to Ray Allen, but he shot 34% on three-pointers in his one season at Florida. Grade: B

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Syracuse guard Dion Waiters

This pick fills a need, clearly. Waiters will be a nice partner for last year's rookie of the year, point guard Kyrie Irving. He rose up the board after spending the season as the Orange's sixth man. Waiters has a lot of talent, but the pick seems to be a reach with Thomas Robinson and Harrison Barnes on the board. He dealt with maturity issues in his freshman year before stepping up as a sophomore. But he's a plug-and-play guard who should score well. Grade: C-

5. Sacramento Kings:

6. Portland Trail Blazers:

7. Golden State Warriors:

8. Toronto Raptors:

9. Detroit Pistons:

10. New Orleans Hornets:

11. Portland Trail Blazers:

12. Houston Rockets:

13. Phoenix Suns:

14. Milwaukee Bucks:

15. Philadelphia 76ers:

16. Houston Rockets:

17. Dallas Mavericks:

18. Houston Rockets:

19. Orlando Magic:

20. Denver Nuggets:

21. Boston Celtics:

22. Boston Celtics:

23. Atlanta Hawks:

24. Cleveland Cavaliers:

25. Memphis Grizzlies:

26. Indiana Pacers:

27. Miami Heat:

28. Oklahoma City Thunder:

29. Chicago Bulls:

30. Golden State Warriors:

======SECOND ROUND======

31. Charlotte Bobcats:

32. Washington Wizards:

33. Cleveland Cavaliers:

34. Cleveland Cavaliers:

35. Golden State Warriors:

36. Sacramento Kings:

37. Toronto Raptors:

38. Denver Nuggets:

39. Detroit Pistons:

40. Portland Trail Blazers:

41. Portland Trail Blazers:

42. Milwaukee Bucks:

43. Atlanta Hawks:

44. Detroit Pistons:

45. Philadelphia 76ers:

46. New Orleans Hornets:

47. Utah Jazz:

48. New York Knicks:

49. Orlando Magic:

50. Denver Nuggets:

51. Boston Celtics:

52. Golden State Warriors:

53. Los Angeles Clippers:

54. Philadelphia 76ers:

55. Dallas Mavericks:

56. Toronto Raptors:

57. Brooklyn Nets:

58. Minnesota Timberwolves:

59. San Antonio Spurs:

60. Los Angeles Lakers:

source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/06/live-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-analysis-as-it-happens/1#.T-zwRRfCCkw

Donaire has to look good against Mathebula if he wants to stay ahead of Rigondeaux in popularity

By Chris Williams: I don’t know if WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (28-1, 18 kO’s) has been taking any notice, but WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KO’s) is quickly turning into a star in the United States after only 10 fights.


 With recent knockout wins over Teon Kennedy and Rico Ramos, Rigondeaux is closing in on Hayward, California star.
Just when Rigondeaux is blowing out one fighter after another with superb body shots, Donaire is struggling in his last two fights against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Omar Narvaez. The timing of Donaire’s mediocrity and Rigondeaux’s excellent performances re doing a good job of raising Rigondeaux’s stock and sinking Donaire’s standing with the boxing public. Donaire doesn’t seem to be willing to take responsibility for his poor performances, and instead has blamed it on his opponents Narvaez and Vazquez Jr. not wanting to come to fight. Oh, they came to fight already, but they didn’t come to just stand in front of Donaire as stationary targets like many of the guys that Donaire’s promoter Bob Arum has matched him up against during his career.

On July 7th, Donaire is fighting IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KO’s), a 33-year-old title holder from South Africa, who few boxing fans have ever seen before. In the brief clips that I’ve seen of Mathebula, he seems like a good stationary type fighter that Donaire should be able to beat in an impressive fashion on July 7th. Technically, Mathebula is a world champion. However, with all the world titles floating around in every division causing the talent to be watered down dramatically, I see Mathebula as more of a bottom 25 to bottom 30 fighter. I don’t see him as being talented enough to be a top 20 fighter, and definitely not top 10 or top 5. In other words, this is a fighter that Donaire should be able to beat impressively so that he can end his streak of poor performances.

It’s going to have to be an exceptional performance from Donaire, though, if he wants to keep a distance between him and Rigondeaux. I don’t think Donaire can, however, because Rigondeaux is clearly the much more superior fighter of the two. Talent has a way of floating to the top, and Donaire is about to be surpassed by the rising Cuban star.

It is interesting that Donaire has shown zero interest in wanting to fight Rigondeaux. Instead of taking on Rigondeaux, we’re seeing Donaire face little known Mathebula. Rigondeaux keeps calling Donaire out, but is ignored by him. It wouldn’t be an issue if Donaire was facing really quality fighters, but by taking on Mathebula, it just looks like Donaire is dodging Rigondeaux to avoid having his hype train stopped dead in it’s tracks.

source: http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/06/donaire-has-to-look-good-against-mathebula-if-he-wants-to-stay-ahead-of-rigondeaux-in-popularity/

LeBron James finally gets it

LeBron James got to hold his first NBA championship trophy after coming to grips with his own reality.

Miami's star has experienced quite the journey to earn his first NBA championship

For a long time, LeBron James had it easy. And that's what made it so hard. The NBA hadn't really seen a player with such a mix of talent, size and a willingness to being the ultimate team player. So much of this was natural. Not just James' athleticism, either. James had a personality that made him want to be well-liked by his teammates, not just by the public. Those are the ingredients of a champion. And they were identified early and coveted by every team in the league. Now James has finally reached that pedestal after nine long years of trying. No one thought it would take this long, especially James himself. For years, James' career had been all about potential and the mostly stress-free rewards of acclaim, fame and cash. Then something changed -- potential gave way to expectation, and it was a blow to James' ego and a reputation he was both unprepared for and slow to accept. That burden and the relief from it was what made lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy on Thursday night so liberating. James didn't just have to learn the hard way, he had to be hurt the hard way: in front of everyone. He didn't just have to grow up as a player, he had to do it with millions breaking down his mistakes. It created one of the most fascinating and polarizing plots in history, an arc that finally reached a climax with the Miami Heat's NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I just think it's a normal process that, not just LeBron, but anybody has to do to learn to be a champion," said Mike Krzyzewski, James' coach for Team USA. "But in LeBron's case, because he's recognized as one of the great players, he had to learn out in the open. And so a great player will get criticized as he's learning." [+] Enlarge David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty ImagesLeBron's first trip to the Finals in 2007 ended in a Spurs sweep. When James first made the Finals, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, it was received with commendation, even though he'd played terribly by his standards as the Cavs were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. At age 22, he was ahead of the curve, and excitement surrounded future trips to the Finals. In one of the more memorable moments of James' early career, he was embraced by Tim Duncan in a hallway after Duncan had won his fourth title. Holding the O'Brien trophy in one arm and with the other around James, Duncan whispered into James' ear: "Some day the league is going to belong to you." As James walked away from the Finals that night, he did so with a smile at the thought of that. The warm blanket of potential serves as a shell that deflects criticism. This turned out to be fleeting. "A lot of people said we were the worst team to ever make the Finals and LeBron really used that as motivation," said Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone, who coached James as an assistant with the Cavs for five years. "He went out and made himself an MVP after that; he really worked on his game. But it still felt like a tease because he could see where he wanted to go, but we just couldn't get there." Twice in Cleveland, after he'd won MVP awards, James played on teams seeded No. 1 in the playoffs. These teams were different than the overmatched team of '07. The Cavs' payroll spiked to $100 million as they brought in teammates for him, players such as Mo Williamsand Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal. The Cavs were not loaded with All-Stars, but they didn't have to be -- the MVP was supposed to carry the group just as he'd done before, back when it was all about potential. Now there was demand. But he wouldn't reach the Finals again with the Cavaliers. When he went to the Heat, it was to join two of the best players of his day, the sort of stars he never had with him in Cleveland. But when he walked away from the Finals again in 2011 without a title, even with the help of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, no one dared think about potential. The last scraps of potential for James were buried in the two-day period in July 2010 when he announced his decision to sign with the Heat and then projected the number of championships he planned to win into a microphone the next night. Now, all was expectation. That embrace is much colder. It wasn't just the expectations of the basketball-viewing public and his sponsors and his new teammates. It was the expectations that James had placed on his own shoulders with his words and his actions. Even if James could take back the line that stays attached to him like a tattoo -- "Not one, not two ... " -- the expectations would be smothering to him. "When he went to Miami, I sent him a text and told him that this was going to be the hardest thing he's tried to do in his life," said Paul Silas, who coached James for two seasons in Cleveland. "I think he thought it might be easy. And they might have had it all as a team. But he was still going to have to put them on his shoulders, and it took him a while to understand that." James' understanding of how tough it was going to be was stunted by emotional bruises. After a poor playoff series against the Boston Celtics in 2010, he deflected its effects by saying, "I spoil a lot of people with my play." When it happened again last year on a higher-profile stage in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, James again snapped back at the consequences of living with expectations. “ I can finally say that I'm a champion. ”-- LeBron James "All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today," James said, angry in defeat. No smile this time. No hug from Duncan. No safety net of potential to rely on. Coming to grips with all of this has been one of the great challenges of James' life. Right up there with improving his jump shot, asking for the help of others like Hakeem Olajuwon, and understanding that being a leader is more than just scoring a lot of points and making a fiery speech before a big game. It took humility, self-evaluation and soul-searching. "I was very immature," James said this week, looking back on it all. "I played to prove people wrong instead of just playing my game, instead of just going out and having fun and playing a game that I grew up loving and why I fell in love with the game. One thing that I learned, and someone taught me this, the greatest teacher you can have in life is experience. I've experienced some things in my long but short career, and I'm able to make it better of myself throughout these playoffs and throughout this whole year, and that's on and off the court." James could've said things like that in the past and maybe even thought he meant them. But now, nine years into his career, there are actions to back them up. James' statistics in leading the Heat to this trophy were fantastic, but his statistics always were. His highlight plays were incredible, but that's been the case since he was 18. James realized that to manage expectation, to meet expectation, he had to remove himself from expectation. These entire playoffs -- in fact, most of the season -- have been one long exercise in doing so. And for the first time in years, he's been able to call it a success. Now, for a little while, he can forget expectation. And focus on celebration. "It was a journey," James said. "Everything that went along with me being a high school prodigy when I was 16 and on the cover of Sports Illustrated to being drafted and having to be the face of a franchise and everything that came with it. I had to deal with it and I had to learn through it. No one had gone through that journey and I had to learn on my own. I can finally say that I'm a champion."

source: http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8082762/nba-finals-lebron-james-lives-expectations

Live Updates: NBA Finals - game five

Kevin Durant of the Thunder (R) blocks LeBron James of the Heat - Source: Reuters

LeBron James and the Miami Heat look to take the opportunity to seal the NBA title at home. Pre-game When LeBron James was picked first straigh out of high school in the 2003 NBA draft, nobody thought it would be nine years before he would get his first championship ring. Two teams, three MVP titles and eight All-Star appearances later, James is closer than ever to gaining that elusive championship. Since losing the first game of the series to the Thunder in Oklahoma City, the Heat have looked comfortable throughout the Finals, with James and his supporting cast of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and even Mario Chalmers, combining brilliantly to claim three in a row. The Thunder are a young team in their first NBA finals and have to fight for their chance to take the series back to Oklahoma and do what no team has done in a seven game NBA Finals series - come back from 3-1 down. Russell Westbrook was huge in a losing effort in game four, but one feels that if the Thunder are going to win this game three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant is going to have to take more shots and own the game more.

Date Posted: June 22, 2012

source:http://tvnz.co.nz/basketball-news/live-updates-nba-finals-game-five-4942148

Global go top of UFL with Stallion win

Global FC claimed the lead in the United Football League on Tuesday evening after recording a 3-1 win over Stallion Gilligan's.

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Sudanese striker Izzeldin Elhabbib opened the scoring in the 28th minute when he converted a cross from the left by Yu Hoshide, before Global doubled their tally six minutes later through Alex Obiang.

Elhabbib then grabbed his second and his side's third nine minutes from time when he fired home a pass from Angel Guirado, before Ruben Doctora grabbed a consolation for Stallion four minutes later.

The result lifts Global two points clear of Kaya at the top of the table, although Loyola Meralco Sparks can pull level with them on Wednesday when they take on Philippine Air Force Phoenix at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Stallion are in action again on Thursday when they face Philippine Army Fritz & Macziol, while Kaya will be looking to keep alive their titles hopes in their game against Pasargard.

source: http://www.espnstar.com/football/asian-football/news/detail/item818009/Global-go-top-of-UFL-with-Stallion-win/

PBA LIVE STREAMING

Team		Win		Loss
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters		6		1
B-MEG Llamados		5		2
Powerade Tigers		4		2
Petron Blaze Boosters		4		3
Brgy Ginebra Kings		3		3
Barako Bull Energy		3		3
Talk N Text Tropang Texters		2		3
Meralco Bolts		3		4
Air21 Express		1		5
Alaska Aces		1		6

Live broadcasting by Ustream

Miami take 3-1 NBA finals lead

LeBron James and the Miami Heat are one win away from an NBA championship after defeating Oklahoma City Thunder 104-98 in game four of the finals.

James had 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds before dealing with leg cramps late, Dwyane Wade scored 25 and the Heat rallied from 17 points down on Tuesday night.

The Heat now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, and could win the title in Miami on Thursday.

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Mario Chalmers scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half for Miami, which got 13 from Chris Bosh.

Russell Westbrook had a career playoff-high 43 points and Kevin Durant added 28 for the Thunder.

source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/miami-take-31-nba-finals-lead-20120620-20nl2.html#ixzz1yJ3H9iwz

Bradley says he wants a rematch against Pacquiao

It's been 10 days since Tim Bradley upset Manny Pacquiao in the "Decision Heard 'Round the World." The 28-year-old fighter nicknamed "The Desert Storm" took Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title that June 9th evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and the Palm Springs, Calif., native has taken mostly flak ever since from people who blame him for winning the split decision.

• BLOG: Bradley talks about death threats

Two judges scored it 115-113 for Bradley and the third had the same score for Pacquiao.

Tuesday night, Bradley talked about the fight and its explosive and sometimes painful aftermath with The(Palm Springs) Desert Sun in a live video chat.

"The first couple days it was kind of hard on me. the bashing I was taking from fans and media, and I didn't have anything to do with it," Bradley told the Desert Sun's Leighton Ginn.

"The fight was close. It could've went either way. and a lot of people say it's my fault. I'm like, 'dude, I just fought a fight. I don't know those judges. Why discredit me? I did what I needed to do and everybody should just back off of me."

A hometown rally on Saturday, Bradley said, has helped turn things around. "I had a lot of fans embracing me and respecting what I did on June 9th," he said. "I'm in a better place now. My mind-set is great. I feel nobody can stop me now."

Bradley dealt with every aspect of the fight in his chat, from the possible rematch to his thoughts on Pacquiao's declining skills.

• A rematch: "If we're going to do it, I can't wait. . . . (Top Rank chairman) Bob Arum said it's going to be a hard sell. He said we have to get the confidence back in the fans. . . . I think the rematch should happen. The fight was very close and it could've gone either way, regardless of what happened. I'm all for it. November 10th — let's do it. . . . all this would be taken away if we just sat down and did the rematch and settled it once and for all."

• On his injured ankles, which doctors say will take another month to heal: "The fact is, I was injured in the fight and still fought to the best of my abilities. And nobody knew I was injured. That's says a lot about myself and how hard I work. Just imagine me with two good wheels. . . . I'll be back and I'll be back a lot stronger. I still have something to prove in this game.

• If the rematch doesn't happen: "I honestly don't care who I fight. I went 12 rounds with the best fighter in the world. Cameron Dunkin, my manager, and Top Rank they handle that. Whatever they say. . . . I'll take on anybody. Amir Khan, Canelo (Alvarez), Klitschko, it don't matter. I just want the big fights. If Khan is the big fight and we can make it happen, why not? let's do it."

• On fighting Floyd Mayweather: Boxing is a business and I'm well known now with all this controversy. But I think Mayweather is the best fighter in the world and he can pick and choose who he wants to face. If he doesn't want to face me, he doesn't have to. He's all about money: If you don't make dollars, it don't make sense. Me having a small fan base would jeopardize me fighting Mayweather.

"But I'd love to fight Mayweather. I feel he needs to learn, too. . . . I went a tough 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao, and I'll go a tough 12 rounds with Floyd, too, just to prove that I'm the best fighter in the world."

• On giving his belt back: "The fact that (Pacquiao's) an icon, one of the biggest names in boxing, and he lost to little old Timothy Bradley, people can't understand that. I'm not going to give back the title. I'm still the welterweight champion of the world, I'm still 29-0 and I feel I won the fight. There has never been a fighter in the history of boxing who ever gave his title back. . . . Let's (vacate) the belt and let's fight for it."

• On the judging controversy: "Boxing is definitely about money, and I feel a lot of people are upset because they lost a lot of money that night, including MGM, they lost a lot of money that night."

• On his gameplan for the Pacquiao fight: "All I wanted to do was counterpunch this guy. I didn't want to fight (him). The original plan was to lay back and let Pacquiao come to me, the same gameplan (Juan Manuel) Marquez used each time. And every time he leaps in, just take a couple of steps back and counterpunch. But I had to abort that with the ankle injuries and I had to just stand there and fight him."

• On strategy for a second fight with Pacquiao: "Take nothing away, Pacquiao istough. He can explode at any moment. All I have to do is move. Just move. It's frustrating for Pacquiao to have to chase you around. He likes to sit and land his power shots. If he has to pick up his feet, he's vulnerable. All I gotta do is move. I don't care if they know the gameplan. All I'm going to do is outbox him. . . . He can't hang with me as far as my intensity level and what I bring. The second fight will be a lot more serious and a lot more dangerous for him."

• On Pacquiao's skills: "I think he's declining. He had me hurt in the ninth round and couldn't finish me. The old Manny could've done that. I think he's worn out. . . . This guy hits really hard, he's supposed to be the best fighter in the world and he couldn't hurt me. And I had two flat tires."

• On Pacquiao making the world wait before their fight: "I thought that was very disrespectful to make everyone wait an hour."

• On a proposed Federal Boxing Commission: "This is what I've been preaching. We need somebody looking out for the sport. If they can pull it off, I'm all for it because we need protection. There are a lot of fighters who are broke who used to have money. They need protection. . . . I think the judging is pretty good, though, especially in Nevada."

• On what's next: "Everybody's going up to 147 (pounds), so I'm going to stay at 147 and vacate my 140-pound belt."

• Biggest change in his life since the fight: "Just trying to go anywhere. It's tough. But that's the price you pay."

source: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/story/2012-06-19/Timothy-Bradley-live-chat/55699764/1

Heat try to tighten grip on Thunder

LeBron James arrived for practice Monday wearing lime-green sneakers, a highly fluorescent shade.

It was the fashion statement du jour for the NBA's three-time most valuable player, much like the eyeglass frames he's been sporting after games throughout this post-season. But those sneakers probably would have remained tucked away in the drawer beneath his locker during last year's NBA finals since very little about James' game would be considered glowing or luminous during those two weeks.

Different year, different story.

For the second straight season, the Miami Heat hold a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals. There's a glaring difference this time around — that being James is playing at the top of his game. And he'll try to help the Heat move within one win of a championship on Tuesday night, when Miami plays host to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of this title series.

"We're a totally different team than we was last year when we was up 2-1," James said. "We're a totally different team.

"We understand what it takes to win, we've used that motivation and we will continue to use that motivation. But last year is last year and we're not going into a Game 4 on someone else's floor.

"We're going into a Game 4 on our floor with a lot of experience in this type of situation. We'll be ready. We love the challenge."

Miami lost Game 4 in Dallas last year, the start of a three-game slide that ended with the Mavericks hoisting the title trophy.

So the Thunder know a 2-1 deficit in a series is hardly insurmountable, even though the home-court roles are reversed this time around. And if Oklahoma City needed more proof, all the Thunder need do is remember the Western Conference finals, when they lost the first two games to San Antonio, becoming the 19th and 20th entries on the Spurs' incredible winning streak. The Spurs didn't win another game the rest of the way.

"We were down 2-0 against San Antonio and everybody thought the series was over," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "But I know our guys.

"They're very competitive, they're very resilient. They've always showed that type of effort every game and we've always been a great bounce-back team.

"I thought [Game 3] was a great bounce-back. It's unfortunate we didn't make a couple plays — and uncharacteristic, also."

Uncharacteristic. That would also be a fine word to describe how James played in the finals last season.

He freely acknowledges that he "didn't make enough plays" against the Mavericks a year ago and the numbers — 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game — back that up as do his well-chronicled, fourth-quarter struggles in that series. So far in this year's finals, James is averaging 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and four assists and, in the final minutes of Miami's two wins in the series, he's done his part to slam the door on the Thunder.

"He's been aggressive, he's an aggressive player," Thunder guard James Harden said. "He's been aggressive all year, all post-season.

"He's tall, strong and physical, he's a tough matchup. It takes five guys to really lock down on their offence because they're a very offensive team, especially with LeBron and [Dwyane] Wade."

James is shooting 46 per cent in the series, not even close to the 57 per cent clip Kevin Durant is putting up for Oklahoma City. But here's maybe one piece of proof to support that aggression notion Harden was speaking of — James is 25 for 29 from the foul line in the three games, while Durant is just 14 for 19.

James has done much of his work near the rim in the finals. But while it wasn't his most memorable shot, perhaps the biggest one he hit all night in Miami's Game 3 victory was a three-pointer late in the third quarter — one of just five shots that the Heat made from outside the paint in that game. That shot put Miami up entering the fourth and seemed to extend the Thunder defence just enough to allow James, Wade and Chris Bosh to create more in the lane late.

"The biggest evolution of great players is they always stay in constant state of being uncomfortable," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They don't stay satisfied and LeBron, every summer, has added something to his game.

"I've seen it when I've followed him from afar and, now that I've gotten to know him, he's added two, three, four different elements now to his game — the well-documented one the post-up game, which we needed — but he continues to try to improve and stay uncomfortable. I think that's a sign of greatness."

Another sign of greatness? Rings.

James' first is just two wins away, again. And yes, the memories of what went wrong in 2011 still drive Miami now.

"Experience don't guarantee you anything," Wade said. "It just lets you know I've been here before.

"That doesn't mean it's going to be successful for you so, for us, we've got to continue … to make the game that we're in, the moment that we're in the biggest moment and the biggest game and not look back and not look forward too much. Obviously, the team that was here that lost the championship last year, that burning sensation is going to be inside of us until we change that."

A year ago, the talk was how James shied away from the biggest moments, the brightest moments.

It's not happening now. Miami overcame a 10-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 3, becoming the first team in these playoffs to dig out of that large a second-half hole against the Thunder. James had eight points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter, while no Thunder player had more than four points or two rebounds in those last 12 minutes.

Not pretty, but more than good enough to put the Heat back in the spot where last year's finals went awry.

"I don't give a damn how we get four," James said. "We can win 32-31, it doesn't matter to me.

"We can win any type of game. We can win a gritty game, a high-paced game, but we take every game as its own.

"And at the end of the day, if we play to our identity like Spo always preaches to us, then we'll give ourselves a good chance to win. Yeah, I don't care how we get four."

source:http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/nba/story/2012/06/19/sp-nba-oklahoma-city-thunder-miami-heat-preview.html

Durant vows fight back in Miami

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and teammate guard Russell Westbrook react after they were defeated by the Miami Heat. - Source: Reuters

Miami Heat's ugly win just fine with LeBron James

MIAMI: The Miami Heat lineup might be dominated by three of the NBA's biggest stars, but not all of their victories in the NBA Finalsare going to be pretty to watch, says LeBron James.

"I don't give a damn how we get four (wins). We can win 32-31," James said on Monday. "We can win any type of game. We can win a gritty game, a high-paced game, but we take every game as its own."

The Heat took Sunday's game 91-85 overOklahoma City to grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

James led Miami with 29 points and 14 rebounds in a game dominated by defense, turnovers and mistakes. Dwayne Wade added 25 points and Chris Bosh had 10 for the Heat.

"We don't go into a game saying this is what type of a game it's going to be," James said. "We go into a game saying this is how we're going to play.

"We're going to be aggressive. We're going to try to control the rebounding, have low turnovers and we're going to try to get some good shots up and get to the free-throw line.

"And at the end of the day then we'll give ourselves a good chance to win."

Miami is only two wins shy of their first NBA title in six years, and the first since bringing together their marquee trio last season, and the Heat will have the luxury of hosting the next two games.

History is on their side because 29 of the 34 NBA Finals that were tied after the first two games have been won by the club that won game three as the Heat did.

Three-time league Most Valuable Player James is still chasing his first NBA title, but don't think he hasn't done his homework on how other teams got there.

"Listen, I know the history of the game," James said. "You've got to have superstars and stars to win a championship.

"You've got to have a great coaching staff and a great organization. But as many as (Michael) Jordan won, he had a great supporting cast around him. As many as (Larry) Bird won, he had a supporting cast. As many as Magic (Johnson) won, he had a supporting cast, same with (Tim) Duncan.

"I understand that you can't do it by yourself. You've got to have guys around you, great players around you, then you've got to have role players."

Unlike his first year in the league, James' can play any style. At times he makes the game looks easy, like he's floating across the floor. At other times he is at his menacing best -- elbows flying, head jerking from side-to-side as he muscles in another lay-up through heavy traffic in the paint.

James was at his grinding best on Sunday, powering through the Thunder defense for off balance lay-ups, tap-ins and dunks.

On one drive to the basket he resembled an American football running back, dropping his shoulder and plowing into the closest opponent, just enough to throw the defender off guard but not enough to be whistled for a foul.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday that James isn't one of those naturally-gifted athletes who thinks he can get by on great athletic skills alone. He has tried to improve his game every year he has been in the league.

"The biggest evolution of great players is they always stay in constant state of being uncomfortable," said Spoelstra, the first Filipino-American coach in the NBA.

"They don't stay satisfied. And LeBron every summer has added something to his game. I've seen it when I've followed him from afar and now that I've gotten to know him he's added two, three, four different elements to his game.

"He continues to try to improve and stay uncomfortable. That's a sign of greatness."

James said he has been forced to adapt on the fly in these playoffs because of injuries to key players like Bosh, who missed nine playoff games with an abdominal injury.

"I had to change my mindset," James said. "When he got hurt I understood I had to change my approach both offensively and defensively.

"I had to rebound more, I had to attack more, get into the paint more to make up the difference until he got back. I just had to change and it's kind of stayed that way since he got back."


source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/nba/top-stories/Miami-Heats-ugly-win-just-fine-with-LeBron-James/articleshow/14255957.cms

James turns up the Heat as Miami take NBA Finals lead over Oklahoma Thunder

LeBron James played like a man on a mission on Sunday, barreling his way to the rim, fighting for rebounds and getting to the foul line as the Miami Heat seized the lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The victory gave the Heat a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven championship series with two more games in Miami and a chance to claim the title in front of their home fans.

'I'm just trying to make plays,' said James, who led all scorers with 29 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.

Leader: LeBron James shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins

National Basketball Association MVP James said he was determined to make up for last year's six-game loss in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks.

'Last year, I didn't make enough game-changing plays, and that's what I kind of pride myself on," he said. "I didn't do that last year in the Finals.

'I'm just trying to make game-changing plays, and whatever it takes for our team to win, just trying to step up in key moments and be there for my teammates.'

Tussle: Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (centre) battles for a loose ball against Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook

Chris Bosh, who combined with James and Dwyane Wade to propel the Heat to victory in the last quarter of the gruelling battle, said the team was using last season's failure to drive them.

'Every day we remind ourselves, we think of that pain that we experienced last year,' said Bosh.

Wade, who had 25 points, said the Heat approached each game as a do-or-die encounter.

'Nothing is promised. You can't always say we have next year, because you never know what can happen,' Wade said. 'Last year, we experienced enough as a unit to deal with what came at us, and it showed.

Man in the middle: Kendrick Perkins goes for a rebound against Chris Bosh (left) and LeBron James (right)

'I feel like we're a more experienced team, and it's not saying that we want it more, I just feel like we understand the situations more, we can deal with it better. So that's the biggest thing.

'Last year, we had leads in most games, and we let the leads go. Tonight we were down 10 (in the third quarter), and we kept grinding and kept grinding until eventually we took the lead and was able to control the game.'

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2160918/NBA-Finals-LeBron-James-helps-Miami-Heat-beat-Oklahoma-City-Thunder.html#ixzz1y8Yj2ihh

LeBron James leads way with 29 points, 14 boards as Heat go up 2-1

MIAMI -- It's there every day for LeBron James and the Heat -- the sting of last year's NBA Finals loss.

Two more wins and it will be a distant memory.

James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn't win again against the Dallas Mavericks.

A Fine Line

With his performance Sunday, LeBron James became just the fifth player in the last 10 seasons with at least 29 points and 14 rebounds in an NBA Finals game. Here's a look at that list:

		Team	Line
Sun.	LeBron James	MIA	29-14
'06	Dirk Nowitzki	Mavs	29-15
'04	Shaquille O'Neal	LAL	36-20
'03	Tim Duncan	SA	32-20
'03	Tim Duncan	SA	29-17

  -- ESPN Stats & Information

"We carry that pain with us," the Heat's Chris Bosh said. "We think about it every day and that really helps us to succeed in this series."

James' poor performance was part of the problem then, but he seems on top of his game this time. His 3-pointer sent the Heat to the fourth quarter with the lead, and he scored five straight Miami points when the Heat were building just enough cushion to hold off another late flurry by the Thunder.
"Just trying to make plays," James said. "I told you guys, last year I didn't make enough game-changing plays, and that's what I kind of pride myself on. I didn't do that last year in the Finals. I'm just trying to make game-changing plays, and whatever it takes for our team to win, just trying to step up in key moments and be there for my teammates."
Game 4 is Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant had 25 points for the Thunder, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and had to go to the bench when they had seemed to have control of the game.

"It was frustrating," Durant said. "Of course we had a good lead and they came back and made some shots. We fouled shooters on the 3-point line twice. It's a tough break for us, man. You know, I hate sitting on the bench, especially with fouls."
The Heat survived their own fourth-quarter sloppiness -- nine turnovers -- by getting enough big plays from their Big Three.
James scored 30 and 32 points in the first two games, his two best Finals performances. He fell just shy of another 30-point effort but reached his 20 points for the 20th time this postseason, two shy of Wade's franchise record set in 2006.


Gone is the player who seemed so tentative down the stretch last year in his second Finals failure. He's constantly on the attack now, all while defending Durant in key situations.

"He was great. He's been great for us all playoffs," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "I don't know if he looks up at the clock or score sheet, but he knows when we need him to make big plays and come through for us, and he comes through."

Bosh had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who can win a second title by winning the next two games at home. That's what they did in 2006, one of just two home teams to sweep the middle three games in the 2-3-2 format.

They seemed out of it when Oklahoma City opened a 10-point lead midway through the third. But then Durant picked up his fourth foul with 5:41 left on Wade's baseline drive, though there appeared to be little or no contact. Thunder coach Scott Brooks decided to sit Russell Westbrook with him, and the Heat charged into the lead by the end of the period.

Westbrook looked angry going to the bench, but denied any frustration afterward.
"Nah, man. I mean, coach's decision," Westbrook said. "Got to live with it."

The Thunder grabbed their last lead at 77-76 on James Harden's basket with 7:32 left. James answered with two free throws about 20 seconds later, and the teams would trade turnovers and stops over the next couple of tense minutes.

Wade then converted a three-point play, and another minute went by before James powered to the basket, Durant trying to get in position to draw a charge but watching helplessly as he picked up his fifth foul. James made the free throw for an 84-77 advantage with 3:47 to play.
After another basket by James, the Thunder had one last burst -- haven't they always in this series? -- ripping off six straight points to get within one before Bosh made a pair of free throws with 1:19 to play. Durant missed badly on a wild shot attempt, and the Thunder missed another chance when Westbrook was off from behind the arc. James hit a free throw for a four-point lead with 16 seconds to go and Wade added two to close it out.
"Last year I don't know if we was experienced enough as a unit to deal with what came at us," Wade said. "I just feel like we understand the situations more and we can deal with it better."
The Thunder were just 4 of 18 on 3-pointers and hit only 15 of 24 free throws, unusually awful numbers for one of the league's best offensive teams. Harden, the Sixth Man of the Year, shot 2 of 10 for his nine points. Westbrook finished with 19 points.
After a split of the first two games, the series made its way from Oklahoma City, where fans in blue shirts filled every seat, to Miami, where white shirts hung on empty chairs just minutes before the tip. The late arrivals in Oklahoma City had been the Thunder players, who fell into big early deficits and acknowledged some first-time Finals jitters in Game 1. Brooks said he heard the cries to change his starting lineup but said it never crossed his mind.
The Thunder quickly fell behind 10-4 in this one after spotting the Heat a 13-point lead in Game 1 and getting clubbed into an 18-2 hole in the opening minutes of Game 2. They didn't let things get any worse this time, playing the Heat even from there and trailing 26-20 after one. James, Wade and Bosh combined for Miami's first 18 points.

James and Wade had some dazzling drives in the second and Shane Battier got free for a pair of 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes, but the Thunder stayed with them the entire way, briefly holding a three-point lead. Westbrook's 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left cut Miami's lead to 47-46.

Oklahoma City started to take control with a 14-2 run early in the third. Durant had the first four points, Westbrook fooled the Heat with a fake behind the back pass before in for a layup, then Durant leaped over James for a follow dunk before nailing a jumper for a 60-51 lead with 6:55 left in the period.

But it was barely a minute later when he drew his fourth foul. The Thunder pushed the lead to 10 on Derek Fisher's four-point play, but the Heat got right back in it when Battier and then Jones made all six free throws after being fouled behind the arc.

Brooks also pulled Westbrook with 5 minutes left and left him out the remainder of the period, leaving the Thunder without their two best players as they tried to hang onto the lead.
They couldn't.
The Heat scored the final seven of the period, Wade making a turnaround jumper and two free throws before setting up James for a 3-pointer that made it 69-67 headed to the final quarter.

Game notes

Battier had made at least four 3-pointers in three straight games. The last player to make four in four consecutive postseason games was Orlando's Dennis Scott in 1995. ... Brooks, joking Sunday morning about all the calls to change his lineup: "It's hard to take all the advice," he said. "I'm only allowed three bench assistant coaches."

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

source: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320617014

Postseason MVP Rankings: No. 1

Russell versus Chamberlain. Alcindor versus Hayes. Magic versus Bird. All legendary matchups. We are seeing another one this June: Durant versus LeBron. Kevin Durant has owned the fourth quarters in these Finals so far, but LeBron James has owned the better part of the first two games.
While each has carried his team to a win, only one man can top our rankings. LeBron has earned a slight edge in this race because he was so clutch in Game 2 and helped his team do what no team had done in these playoffs (beat the Thunder in OKC).

RANK: 3&4 RUSSELL WESTBROOK, THUNDER

                       

RANK: 5&6 DWYANE WADE, HEAT

RANK: 7&8 TONY PARKER, SPURS

RANK: 9&10  TIM DUNCAN, SPURS

source: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story?page=PostseasonMVPs-120616-1&_slug_=nba-playoffs-mvp-rankings&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fplayoffs%2f2012%2fstory%3fpage%3dPostseasonMVPs-120616-1%26_slug_%3dnba-playoffs-mvp-rankings