The Miami Heat were able to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-1 series lead. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led their team to the finish line tonight. James and Wade scored a combined 13 points in the fourth quarter. Those two really showed up tonight and really took it to the Thunder all game long. James scored 29 points and Wade scored 25 points for the game. Each proved that as a duo they can be the best if their aggressive. These last two games each has been more aggressive and that has resulted in two straight wins.
Chris Bosh played a very important role tonight that will likely be overlooked. Bosh didn’t fill the stat sheet, but played outstanding defense for his team. Bosh had huge blocks and really put all of his effort on the defensive end. He did score 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. This game tonight really showed that the Heat need a defensive game from him. His protection of the basket was much better tonight and that really made a difference. The rest of the series expect Bosh to continue playing well.
This postseason the Heat have overcome many things and right now are proving that they are a really good team when they play as a team. They are getting excellent contributions from the secondary guys such as Shane Battier, James Jones, and Udonis Haslem. All three combined to score 21 points tonight. Any time the Heat get scoring from the other players they are really tough to beat.
The Thunder gave this game away. At one point in the third quarter the Thunder led by 10 points and were well in control of the game, but two huge mistakes cost them the win. Two fouls on three pointers caused the Thunder to give up six points at the foul line. That can not happen. The NBA Finals have to be played mistake-free, otherwise the team will lose. Tonight the Thunder were unlucky in that area and that cost them the game.
Kevin Durant scored 25 points tonight, but foul trouble put him on the bench in a very crucial part of the third quarter. Durant has been in foul trouble the last two games and that has hampered his team in winning games. As the leader of the Thunder Durant has to play smart in not committing fouls. When he is on the court his play is amazing, he cannot hurt his team by getting into foul trouble. Expect a change defensively for Durant next game, he cannot guard LeBron James.
Russell Westbrook played a much better game tonight. His shots were much more efficient and he had a nice impact on the game. Westbrook scored 19 points and really tried to keep his team in the game. Overall Westbrook has shown that he can be great at times, but has also shown that he can have mental lapses. The Thunder went too long tonight in not playing him in a stretch of the third quarter that he could have taken over. This series has shown that Westbrook is the x-factor and without him the Thunder would be in real bad shape.
James Harden had a really tough night shooting the ball. Harden scored 9 points and really struggled to help his team. In two games this series Harden has really struggled to score. His abilities to score and distribute make him very important to the Thunder. Tonight he had six assists, but shot the ball poorly. In the next game expect him to be more of a factor and get better shot opportunities.
The Thunder had a chance to win this game, but nine missed free throws really took their chance away late in the game. This Thunder team has shot the ball well at the line all season long, but tonight they really struggled to make free shots. This series is not over by any stretch of the imagination. A few adjustments by the Thunder and they can regain control of this series.
Game four will take place on Tuesday night at 9:00 pm. Can the Heat keep control of the series or will the Thunder strike to tie the series again?
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