[FUNKYBUNCHParticipant]

 Close out game for MIA, do or die for OKC. Hope this game is cometitive and fairly officiated both ways!

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 I like ABC pointing out that LeBron is averaging just about as many ppg in the paint in this series as he averaged overall in last year’s finals.

[geothermalParticipant]

yeah, Wade and chalmers, foul trouble early

[GrandmamaParticipant]

Kendrick Perkins is worthless

[HaleParticipant]

LeBron is doing well out of the gate.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Chalmers is playing awful passing up multiple open shots, creating bad TOs.  Where is that confidence from last game?

[geothermalParticipant]

chalmer with his 2 fouls is really distributing the ball, already have 5 assist in the first quarter

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Neither team is playing great.  The Heat would be up more if Chalmers didn’t make a half dozen awful plays, and they would be up more.  The Thunder, however, have missed some easy finishes, but look much better offensively.  Neither team has much of an answer for the opponent’s firepower.  

 

[ChewyParticipant]

1. The Heat Intro video for starting line ups was sick. I got goosebumps watching it.

2. I thought the main advantage that Boston had was KG and Bass hitting open jumpshots off the pick and roll. The Thunder don’t have a big that can do that and it’s making a difference. Even when KD is at the 4 he isn’t setting any screens in a pick and roll.

3. If Miller/Chalmers/Battier/Cole/Jones are hitting open 3’s the Heat are unbeatable.

[royk927Participant]

The thunder are attacking the paint but they need someone other than durant and westbrook. To fet involved

[geothermalParticipant]

lebron James, 13 points 5 rebs 5 assist, triple double at the end of the game?

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 How do you like the reffing?

[avavalisParticipant]

Nah he’ll be "injured" before the last reb.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Great 1st half for the Heat.  The Thunder need to get stops, simple as that.  If they get stops, they can push the tempo and really shine on offense.  The Heat have had much more success defending the Thunder’s half court offense, at least compared to the Spurs or most other teams.  They haven’t had so much success when the Thunder have been able to get out in transition.  Durant has made some plays, but he needs the ball even more.  Its as simple as that.  For the Thunder to come back and win these Finals, they need to get Durant scoring big, even more than he usually does.  It is clear that the Heat’s defense is too athletic and aggressive to allow Serge Ibaka to shoot 11-11 or to allow James Harden to go off.  

I think it is important that the Thunder get off to a good start to begin the 3rd.  They don’t want to get down too much, as they can’t afford to let the game slow down or let any pressure off of the Heat.  

Where is the Mario Chalmers of game 4?  He has committed 3 TOs and made several other bad passes leading to TOs that were really his fault.  He has also passed up open shots repeatedly.  His stats actually look ok, but they don’t really tell the story.  

[avavalisParticipant]

The thunder just need to make their OPEN 3point shots like the heat .it’s plain and simple.

 

[bad boysParticipant]

has done a really bad job. We saw last game that doulble teaming lebron 20 feet from the basket is not going to work. So he comes out and does it again. Stop letting the heat shoot wide open 3

[HaleParticipant]

I think the blame on the refs can end tonight.

[GrandmamaParticipant]

Flagrant foul??  That’s it….I’m so f*cking tired of these refs, I’m turning this off.

[What The DevilParticipant]

 I think the Thunder have given up…I really do

[B-ball fanParticipant]

The Heat just outscored the Thunder by twenty-two in a very short amount of time.  Less than ten minutes, I think.  

[Seamo15Participant]

I’m expecting a mad scramble of Lebron haters dissing him for not having a ring for the last time ever.

You’ve had a good run, but by the end of this game Lebron WILL have more rings than you. 

[Wahoo757Participant]

Mike Miller is going to retire a happy man tonight. Unbelievable performance.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 OKC didn’t come to play this 2nd half.  What the Devil is right.  How do you give up 36 points to a team in one quarter of the NBA finals, while coming out flat on offense?  I expected the Heat to win this game, but I expected it to be a fight.  With the Thunder’s shot selection, the end of that third quarter almost felt like the end of the 4th.  OKC needs to come out and finish the year strong.  I hate to see a game end with just a victory layup line.  

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Just realized I made a bad post.  The Heat outscored the Thunder by 19, not 22, in that stretch.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

This is the first game the Thunder were significantly outplayed in this series.

I don’t know why, but their defense broke down more and more every game. Blown assignments, missed rotations…

It’s LeBron’s time. He deserved it. It was hard to think he would lose 3/3 Finals appearances. Not even I thought he’d play this well though. I’ve been impressed with the work he’s done in the post and they way he’s attacked the rim. He’s also done work and been active moving without the ball. He’s made his teammates so much better. There’s a reason Miller, Battier, Chalmers, etc are seeing so many open shots and they’re not always coming from a LeBron assist.

Thunder will be back next season. Every young team has to take their lumps and bumps. The Thunder have taken them every season and came back stronger the next. I expect the same next year.

 

[KayjayParticipant]

Triple Double. 

[FUNKYBUNCHParticipant]

 "The Others" really showed up for the Heat this series. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I still can’t stand LeBron, but you have to be happy for him. I couldn’t stand Dirk either, but was happy he got the monkey off of his back considering all of his past let downs.

I’m sure now LeBron can just take a big ass exhale. That first one is finally accomplished. Complete 180 from last year’s Finals for him.  

I feel for KD. I think he stands for all of the right things. I hate to see him crying in the hall, but he’ll bounce back. I know he’s probably not thinking this, but he’s young and will get his soon. A lot sooner than LeBron got his. 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Also got to give LeBron props for being classy. I seriously think he hugged every single player on the Thunder and had something great to say to them.

I thought watching their celebration would be a pain, but it was actually pretty coo.

[GrandmamaParticipant]

2-3-2 format is garbage, absolute garbage

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Yeah, agreed on the  2-3-2 format being bad. No need for it either with the games as spread out as they are  and with it not necessarily being a Boston LA finals most years. Also these guys take private planes for travel so it is easy enough for one more trip to be thrown back in there. 

Lebron was a monster. But Miller is what made this game a blowout. If he has a bad shooting night, there goes 15 points or so for the Heat and this becomes a much tougher game. But it is shooting like this that they got him for. He earned his paycheck tonight in a big way. 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

The other players showed for the Heat because Lebron was in the post all the time.  It’s ridiculously easier to play and look good with a dominating post player who can pass.  That’s why I’ve always had Duncan well ahead of KG.  Post players make their teammates better by getting them stupidly open looks and finding them for easy cuts.  With those, confidence soars and guys start making more plays on both ends.  Jordan got that, especially after his first retirement. Lebron finally got that.

[Author]

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