In Game 3, Miami out-vets Oklahoma City 91-85 behind 29 and 14 from LeBron
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Put up beast numbers, guarded Durant well in the 4th and is as professional as ever at the podium
LeBron had 29 and 14 and is just too much for OKC. They’re too young. Sheed reference later in that vital regard. I mention a lot of stuff to be looked at later in the series. TSF is ahead of the game. OKC last lead 77-76. Durant 5 fouls…again. Westbrook had just 19. Kevin Durant is doing everything he can and had 25, but LeBron is the Heat Mizer…he’s too much. Wade had 25, 7 and 7. Miami hit free throws again. Westbrook and Durant were 4-6 from the line. So was Kendrick Perkins. Wait. What? 91-85 Miami win. Lead series 2-1. Remember what Sheed used to say?
This from April 30th of 2008 after a win vs. Sixers that pretty much wrapped up the first round series: “We have business to handle, but we still do our little side jokes out there or whatever. We’ve been in situations like this before so it’s not a lot of pressure and our booty holes aren’t tight.”
Miami has been here before, OKC has not. IMO, it’s as simple as that. Still no adjustment on Shane Battier…who hit 2-2 from behind the arc. James Harden has been up and down. 5 points in Game 1, 21 in Game 2 and just 9 in a pivotal Game 3. The winner of Game 3 wins the chip about 85% of the time.
This is about everyone in the Miami organization that was here last year. They know what to expect. Losing in front of the world is just not cool. Stings a little bit more. Look at the players’ expressions in post game pressers. They dread answering questions. This is press from around the world…some barely speaking English. Even the victors are taken aback by the questions (but Miami looks much more comfortable…even in the loss). Yes, I’m talking about the press because covering a Finals is very unique. Everything is turned up a notch and yes, the Thunder are a talented team but they simply haven’t been here before. That is so major. At least on twitter and because of Heat disdain, I noticed seasoned writers focus on LeBron’s headband:
https://twitter.com/michaeltillery/status/214551127482576896
https://twitter.com/michaeltillery/status/214551738806579200
What that proves to me is this LeBron hate is so deep, it’s the only way to brace themselves from what appears to be inevitable. I wonder what the narrative will be if in fact the Heat do win the series regarding LBJ. Will it be this?
https://twitter.com/Ballertainment/status/214553893374394369
That is the truth that will be. There are still idiots defending Dan Gilbert as if he personally lines their pockets. Y’all gotta get over that man. It’s psychotic. Sorry. I understand the sting inside of Cleveland but anywhere else? Nah (Yeah I’m talking to you too Detroit and Boston).
Ok, back to the game. OKC missed a lot of free throws. 15-24 is not gonna get it. Before the series, Temple 3 shot me a question to ask Greg Anthony during the NBA TV Conference call. The question was regarding free throws. His response: “In a playoff series, you’re weaknesses will have an impact. If you’re not a good free throw shooting team, there’s probably a game you’re gonna lose. If you’re not a good rebounding team, there’s probably a game in the series you’re going to lose because of that. To me, I look at it the opposite way. Will they do enough of the other things that they do well to win four games.”
Anthony went on to say to me that the series is a pick ‘em because the teams would be feeling each other out: “It’s like watching what was supposed to be a fight between Pacquiao and Bradley. A lot of times this is like a boxing match. When you play a team 7 times, you try to get a feel of what you can do and where you can hurt them as the series progresses. Then the other question is can the other team make adjustments and shore up those areas. Free throw shooting is going to be an issue for them (Miami), but I don’t know if it’s going to be the determining factor whether or not they win or lose the series.”
Yes Miami was 5-30 outside the paint and had 9 turnovers in the 4th quarter but again, experience gives them that much of an edge to just get it done.
He was asked about the 2-3-2 format: “Basketball is a game of rhythm. The visiting team can get a better rhythm when they play you three straight times in your arena. That’s why it’s so important that you get one of those first two as a road team. You saw it last year with Dallas. Because remember, Miami came back and won in Dallas but Dallas had the ability to win a second time in Miami. So that’s how you’re mentally approaching this. You literally want to treat with a Game 7 mindset. You gotta figure out a way to get one. Winning the last two on the road is very difficult to do. ”
Sefalosha had a huge steal that put OKC in position to win the game, but Westbrook couldn’t connect on a wide open three to tie. Frustrating back breakers of emptiness. That empty feeling ain’t no joke. What about Westbrook on the bench for too long? That’s on Scott Brooks. I’ll say this…unless it is somehow by design…there should be absolutely no game where Russell Westbrook shoots more than Kevin Durant. He was 8-18. Durant was 11-19. Unacceptable. There was a play in the fourth where Westbrook was bottled up, inside the three point line, passed off and expected to get it back for a spot up three. Kevin Durant saw him, but really didn’t:
https://twitter.com/michaeltillery/status/214544864455565312
KD shouldn’t have passed him the ball. This is his team. He needs to take over. That will be difficult because LeBron, again, has a physical edge. There are far too many Westbrook apologists. Will Westbrook become a serious problem as the series moves on? Did anyone shoot more than Mike or Larry or Kareem or Wilt? Nah. Why is Russell Westbrook doing it?
Durant looked different at the podium:
https://twitter.com/michaeltillery/status/214559504010973184
How will he respond in Game 4? A game OKC must win.
I picked Miami to win 106-93. Obviously wrong with the score but I picked that because pressure busts pipes. The Heat won’t tell you they are, but they are beginning to smell it. OKC is still figuring out how to decipher the Wade/LBJ puzzle. Bosh had 10 and 11 boards. His contribution cannot be disputed. Speaking of Bosh…what if he was European?
https://twitter.com/michaeltillery/status/214639628123250688
I picked the Heat in six because of experience. I’m gonna write it until this is all over. IMO, it’s the determining factor. Paint me as a Heat apologist if you want to, but every other superstar had to get over a Finals hump vs. a more established and experienced player to eventually assume the throne. Those who will attempt to diminish LeBron’s playoff numbers because of whatever? Remember, numbers never lie. This series is far from over (I actually think it is). Game 4 Tuesday.
| Oklahoma City | |||||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FGM-FGA | FTM-FTA | 3PM-3PA | +/- | OR | Reb | A | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts | |
| K. Durant | F | 39:11 | 11-19 | 2-4 | 1-4 | -3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 25 | |
| S. Ibaka | F | 22:23 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | +8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| K. Perkins | C | 33:57 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 0-0 | +3 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | |
| R. Westbrook | G | 38:47 | 8-18 | 2-2 | 1-4 | +3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | |
| T. Sefolosha | G | 27:13 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 0-2 | -11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| J. Harden | 34:10 | 2-10 | 5-7 | 0-4 | -5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | ||
| D. Fisher | 28:15 | 3-8 | 1-1 | 2-3 | -9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | ||
| N. Collison | 13:13 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | -11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
| D. Cook | 2:51 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| C. Aldrich | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| L. Hayward | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| R. Ivey | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| N. Mohammed | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| R. Jackson | DNP — INACTIVE | ||||||||||||||
| E. Maynor | DNP — INACTIVE | ||||||||||||||
| Totals | 240 | 33-77 (.429) |
15-24 (.625) |
4-18 (.222) |
- | 11 | 38 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 25 | 85 | ||
| Miami | |||||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FGM-FGA | FTM-FTA | 3PM-3PA | +/- | OR | Reb | A | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts | |
| L. James | F | 43:50 | 11-23 | 6-8 | 1-4 | +8 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 29 | |
| S. Battier | F | 35:07 | 2-2 | 3-3 | 2-2 | +11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | |
| C. Bosh | C | 37:06 | 3-12 | 4-4 | 0-0 | -7 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |
| D. Wade | G | 44:55 | 8-22 | 9-11 | 0-0 | +2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 25 | |
| M. Chalmers | G | 39:48 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 0-3 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| U. Haslem | 14:18 | 1-1 | 4-4 | 0-0 | +10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| J. Jones | 12:14 | 1-2 | 3-3 | 1-2 | +5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| M. Miller | 6:33 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0-1 | +1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| N. Cole | 6:09 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| J. Anthony | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| T. Harris | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| J. Howard | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| R. Turiaf | DNP — COACH’S DECISION | ||||||||||||||
| E. Curry | DNP — INACTIVE | ||||||||||||||
| D. Pittman | DNP — INACTIVE | ||||||||||||||
| Totals | 240 | 28-74 (.378) |
31-35 (.886) |
4-13 (.308) |
- | 14 | 45 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 91 | ||
|
Officials: Joe Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer
Attendance: 20,003 Time of Game: 2:41 |
This sounds like a premature coronation.
So, just a few things:
1) Miami was in this position last year. Up 2-1 and sitting pretty — but in Dallas. Wade went for 32, Bosh for 24, and LeBron went for 8. I’m not suggesting that will happen again, but there are no “odds” on Miami winning Game 4. Past performance is no guarantee of future success.
2) For the record, the list of guys who missed 2 free throws last night: Durant, Harden, James, Wade, Perkins, Collison. OKC has to knock down their FTs. The game was lost on the line — and in the 3rd quarter.
3) Just as in the Spurs series, there will probably come a moment when Scott Brooks says, “You know what, our best lineup is when Thabo and Serge are out there at the same time. I can roll with KD and Harden and Russ or Fish…but I’ve gotta optimize Thabo and Serge.” For whatever reason, Brooks is on some other !#!$, but if he wakes up…
4) Miami scored over a third of their points at the FT line. Amazing. Great? Not really, but definitely amazing.
Still a long way to go. I wonder if the Heat think they have this thing over with, too.
Just to amplify a very simple point: check out the minutes played.
James – 44
Wade – 45
(with rounding).
Durant – 39
Westbrook – 39
Harden – 34.
I’m not sure what Brooks is doing, but he needs to stop doing it so that his young guns can do what they do. His rotations (timing/mix of players) are killing the flow of his team right now — IMO. I think he’ll snap out of it sooner than later because if they lose on Tuesday, the epic will come undone. I doubt that it will though.
It is a coronation. Dallas had the experience edge. OKC does not. I think the Heat will step on their throat Tuesday. They won’t let up. Not the time to. They’ve been here before and don’t want that pain.
Wade and James in particular have played an absurd amount of minutes the entire playoffs. What pained them seems to be inspiring them. The trophy is close to be had. I think that’s all they care about. We might see an affect in London though.
So, you’re popping the bubbly now? Aiiight.
LOL.
As for winning chips, inexperienced teams have won more than their fair share…and many of them never had to knock off an established champion.
The Rockets had less playoff experience than the battle-tested Knicks, but they won in ’93 and were often led by Cassell and Horry in crunch time. The Bulls w/o MJ didn’t even make the Finals (thanks to Hugh and Hubert).
In 1999, the Spurs won with a team that had made only 1 deep run since 1982…they beat the more experienced Knicks. Sure, Ewing was injured, but the lesser experienced team won — and the Bulls had been dismantled. No top dog to knock off.
Even when the Lakers began their 3-peat — they didn’t beat the Spurs…Phoenix did that in the first round. Sure, they had Phil, but they didn’t beat the top dog — and they overcame a battle-tested Indiana Pacers team which had beaten the Knicks.
The Spurs won 3 of the next 5 titles, but we still don’t think of them as a dynasty — and in the years that they didn’t win, they never lost in the Finals. So, while Detroit and Miami and Boston were climbing the hill, none of them ever had to beat San Antonio. Sure, they had their battles in the East: Detroit over New Jersey, Miami over Detroit, but the model doesn’t hold.
In other words, in beating Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Antonio this season (and in losing to LA in ’10 and Dallas in ’11), the Thunder have already paid as many dues as many of the previous NBA champions going all the way back to 1993. I would hope that hey don’t believe the hype and simply play ball.
Temple I’m speaking from experience. When you go through things, you’re seen as an asshole to those who just can’t relate until they do the same. Speaking generally of course.
I don’t dispute what you say of aforementioned teams but more of what the Heat had to go through to get to this point in their careers. I’m sure their families are at a point of leaving them alone when they see they are deep in thought. It might be an expression or something in their voice that basically says, leave me the hell alone. That’s what I speak of. It sounds cliche to say and isn’t tangible, but I cannot see the Heat losing this series because again, everything before last night has everything to do with the moment they are locked in.
And…
If Spolestra is out coaching you, you’re in big trouble.
Bubbly LOL
When Denzel Washington played that ridiculous caricature in the equally ridiculous “Training Day” movie that won him an Oscar, he nonetheless had some interesting words inserted into his mouth by whoever the ridiculous screenwriter was:
“This shit is chess, it ain’t checkers!” he said.
Well, the coaching “genius” of both Spoelstra and Brooks has placed that seminal statement into serious doubt because when it comes to their…um…coaching acumen, the reverse is clearly true: this coaching shit, for them, is checkers. Definitely checkers.
I agree with Temple (which is likely enough to get him to change his mind lol!) in that OKC has paid enough dues this post season already, having survived a gauntlet of past NBA champions. I also agree with him that there are enough flaws in Miami’s game (the lack of size for one; and for another, I mean, when your best outside shooter is Shane friggin Battier, c’mon…) and enough statistical anomalies currently going in their favor (the outstanding, unprecendented free throw shooting, etc) that it is a bit too early to begin the “not one, not two, not three…” celebration.
In the third qtr, OKC had the game well in hand, then that checkers-playing coach of theirs sits Durant AND Westbrook for the remainder of the period. Suddenly a ten point lead evaporates and the game was effectively over before the 4th qtr ever began. If you need to find a way to protect Durant from foul trouble, then do it. But its the Finals. Play the guys who got you here and we’ve still got ourselves a series.
Because as much as you praise Lebron’s dominance – Bosh’s, too (and rightfully so!!! Lebron’s brick-shooting ass is nonetheless killin it with his clutch play, physicality, and will to win, ditto Bosh, but Wade? not so much), nobody on the Heat roster can do anything with KD, Russ, or the Beard, either. Nobody. Unless, that is, Mr. checkers leaves two of the three on the bench for long stretches, thus allowing the Heat to gang up on the lone remaining playmaker. You’d think checkers would understand what is going on, since he was doing the same thing to Wade when his checkers-playing counterpart had the audacity to leave Bosh on the bench! But whatever..
Like I’ve said before, I won’t mind if the Heat win the series. I understand the meta-narrative at stake and what it would mean for the advancement of kneegrowed professional athletes, free agency, black self-determination and controlling one’s destiny, etc. I get that better than most. Y’all know that.
But in watching these teams play, I’m struck by two thoughts: 1. The hate of Lebron and the Heat that we crusade against here – that we MUST crusade against – seems almost entirely media driven and controlled, doesn’t it? So to what extent has it actually penetrated the majority of the basketball-watching public? I mean, Black and brown kids the world over CLEARLY have not been affected by the media drivel. We LOVE Lebron, and Lebron mostly has Jay-Z to thank for that because jigga keeps the King’s image positively alive in his lyrics, etc. Further, last night at the end of the game, I saw Lebron hand his headband to some random white girl in the audience (is this the headband reference you were making above? If so, I’m unaware of any controversy surrounding his headband, then again, I watch the game with sound OFF and I don’t follow twitter, so…), and I saw the white girl IMMEDIATELY place said headband upon her own head with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon. Now I know they were in Miami where Lebron is loved, but this incident still suggests to me a level of acceptance for Lebron that the media is clearly trying to obfuscate, but that they may be failing in their all-out effort to do so?
Second thought – and this one I’ve spoken on at length so many times that y’all have begun shaking your heads lol, so this time I’ll keep it brief: I simply like how the Thunder play the game, KD in particular, moreso than I like the Heat and Lebron. Got nothing to do with the politics of race and/or media representation. Just that I’m a basketball player (or I was, anyway) and I like how KD an nem approach the game (and I know you all like this about these young brothers, too), same as I liked this year’s edition of the Spurs before them. I’d like to see them and their style of basketball succeed. Simple.
That’s it.
I hear you brotha and I understand your affinity for the OKC style of play but I have to disagree with you both on experience.
The Miami Heat became the most hated team of a generation when they chose to rock the sports world and form a NBA vultron of sorts. They are hated and debated constantly by fans and media. If one of us writes a LeBron James piece, it gets Kobe hits. It gets Tebow hits. Mike Vick hits. Durant and the Thunder? Nah, nothing like it. That attention is drawn from the media driven narrative and definitely seeps into the psyche of fans everywhere. I check for about 1400 folks on twitter and the same are following me and the headband bs is outrageous. We can talk about why that is all day long but OKC knows nothing of that media attention. Of course, the Heat have become jaded. They also have a player on their bench in Juwan Howard who went through something similar at Michigan. I know for a fact he talks to them about media and fan reaction. You honestly don’t think that has nothing to do with gunning for victory by any means?
Gotta do an interview. I’ll be back afterward.
I see it’s hot and heavy but enlightening as usual. IMO, this is one that OKC is gonna regret and you don’t usually get do overs in the Finals. Chalmers shot 1-8. Bosh 3-12, even Wade only went 8-22 and Miami as a team only shot 38% and OKC still lost.
If Miami stays the course of attacking the rim and the glass with abandon, especially LBJ, then they’re in good shape. Also, I would agree with LP about the size problem OKC poses for Miami in a normal situation but not this case. Size is a problem for Miami when you can pound them on the blocks with post-ups which is not OKC’s big men games.
I find this amusing on a certain level. The feelings behind the game change like the wind. Mizzo, to his credit, has held his ground from the beginning. No flip flopping here. But, the national media are a disaster. People bought low and are selling lower. OKC can be had at bargain basement prices. These guys are all buying Miami at the peak of their powers. Watch when the tables turn after Game 4. Hilarious.
Yeah T3, it’s the usual media frontrunning. You know how they do. First they were riding OKC and now Miami.
It simply proves errrrthang is nothing but a straw dog…