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 |
"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
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