NBA Playoffs: Red-hot Heat bury Trae, Hawks to take Game 1

Miami reserve Duncan Robinson scored a career playoff high 27 points and the Heat defensively dominated Atlanta for a 115-91 victory in an NBA playoff series opener on Sunday.

Robinson sparkled by making 9-of-10 shots, including 8-of-9 from 3-point range, while Jimmy Butler added 21 points and P.J. Tucker contributed 16 for the Heat, who seized a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series.

"We saw the confident Duncan," Butler said. "He doesn't care what anybody thinks. He saw some threes and he made them and that's what we need from him."

The Hawks and their star guard Trae Young suffered through a miserable night against Miami's defense.

Young went 1-of-12 from the floor, 0-of-7 from 3-point range, and had a season-low eight points.

"Just make it physical on him, challenge every shot, make him pass," Butler said of the Heat's strategy to shut down Young. "He can score in bunches and we don't want him to do that."

Atlanta opened with its worst-shooting quarter and worst-shooting half of the season. Although they started 3-of-17 from the floor, the Hawks trailed only 23-17 after the first.

Miami surged ahead in the second quarter to a 59-40 halftime lead. 

Young was only 1-of-9 in the first half as the Hawks went 11-for-38.

Asked if their defensive scheme had worked perfectly, Butler admitted, "We were really close. They missed a lot of shots."

The Hawks welcomed back forward John Collins, who missed the past 18 games with foot and finger sprains, but were without star big man Clint Capela, out with a right knee injury.

Later opening games Sunday found Brooklyn at Boston, Chicago at defending champion Milwaukee and New Orleans at Phoenix.

Agence France-Presse

Hawks, Pelicans book final NBA playoff berths

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half as the Atlanta Hawks rallied to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and book the final NBA Eastern Conference playoff berth.

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, grabbed the last spot in the West, thwarting a Clippers rally in a 105-101 victory in Los Angeles.

The Hawks erased a double-digit halftime deficit in the play-in contest to line up a first-round series with Eastern Conference top seeds Miami, with game one scheduled for Sunday.

The Pelicans will face the Western Conference top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round.

New Orleans booked their first playoff berth since 2018 in dramatic style.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and Larry Nance Jr. added 14 points with 16 rebounds for New Orleans, who jumped out to a 16-point lead in the second quarter against a Clippers team that learned Friday morning they would be without All-Star Paul George because of coronavirus concerns.

But the Clippers charged back in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 20-2 scoring run. Los Angeles led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Pelicans roared back.

"I knew what the stakes were, all of us wanted to be in the playoffs," said Ingram. "Whatever it took tonight, whether it was on the defensive end, offensive end, whatever it took I was going to do it."

In Cleveland, it was a heartbreaking finish to the season for a young Cavaliers squad, who fell one step shy of qualifying for the post-season for the first time since LeBron James departed the club in 2018.

The Cavs dominated early, but Young found his touch in the second half and five Hawks players scored in double figures to complete the turnaround.

"I felt like I was letting my team down in the first half," said Young, who had four turnovers along with six points before the interval.

"I was missing some shots. We were only down 10 in the halftime and I knew I needed to make some more shots for my teammates."

In fact, Young stepped up his game on all fronts. He scored or assisted on 43 of 56 second-half points for Atlanta, accounting for more than the 40 points that Cleveland scored after the break.

Young said it was just "more motivation" when center Clint Capela departed with a hyper-extended right knee moments before halftime.

Capela had grabbed Cavs rookie Evan Mobley from behind as Mobley was shooting, but Mobley fell back into Capela's legs and the veteran fell to the court holding his knee in pain.

After officials reviewed the play the call of a common foul stood, but Capela was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

- 'Show it' -

"We wanted to win for him," Young said. "We know how hard he's worked all year wanting to get in the playoffs. We hope he's going to be able to bounce back for us."

Cleveland had jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, boosted by the three-point shooting of Lauri Markkanen who scored 17 first-half points.

Markkanen led the Cavaliers with 26 points and Darius Garland added 21.

All-Star center Jarrett Allen returned to Cleveland's starting lineup after missing 19 games with a broken left finger, scoring 11 points with three rebounds.

But with Young leading the way the Hawks turned the tables in the third quarter, taking the lead for the first time on a three-pointer from Young with 1:42 left in the period.

"Nobody had to say anything to me," said Young, whose driving basket early in the fourth quarter put the Hawks up for good. "I know the work I put in, the confidence I have and I've got to go out and show it."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Heat acquire Victor Oladipo from Rockets

The Miami Heat acquired well-traveled Victor Oladipo on Thursday in a trade with the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets received Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk in the deal. Houston also received the right to swap 2022 draft picks with Miami.

Oladipo played in just 20 games for the Rockets after getting dealt to Houston in the mega deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January. He started the season with the Indiana Pacers.

The 28-year-old guard averaged 21.2 points per game to go with 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds with Houston. 

He owns a career average of 17.6 points per game with the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana and Houston.

Oladipo ruptured his quad, which ended his 2018-19 season and forced him to miss all but 19 games of the 2019-20 season.

He turned down a two-year, $45.2-million extension with the Rockets.

Bradley, 30, played in just 10 games (one start) for the Heat and averaged 8.5 points per game after signing a one-year deal with them in the offseason. He missed time due to injuries and COVID protocols.

A two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, Bradley won an NBA championship last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Olynyk, 29, spent the past three-plus seasons in Miami after a four-year stint in Boston. 

Olynyk averaged 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 265 games (105 starts) with the Heat. He is set to become a free agent after the season.

-reuters

Harden explodes for 58 points as Rockets rally to beat Heat

LOS ANGELES – James Harden delivered his seventh career 50-point, 10-assist performance Thursday (Friday Manila time) as the Houston Rockets edged the Miami Heat, 121-118.

With Harden in a 3-point shooting slump over the last few games, the Rockets have been depending on their reserves to help get the job done.

But Harden reasserted himself Thursday in front of a home crowd of 18,100 at the Toyota Center, finishing with 58 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on a night when the Rockets had to once again tinker with their roster because of injuries.


"I wanted to be aggressive and continue to attack the rim," Harden said. "I took my shots when I had the opportunities."

He got some help down the stretch from Austin Rivers (17 points) and Chris Paul, whose jumper with 46 seconds left followed a failed Harden 3-pointer and extended the lead to three. Coming into the game Harden was just three for 31 from beyond the arc in his previous three games.

Harden has three 50-point, 10-assist games this season. He had his streak of consecutive 30-point games snapped at 32 on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks.

"We get the stat sheet at the end of the game, and I saw he had 58," teammate Rivers said. "All of us were like, 'He had that many points?' We had no idea he had that many points. That's a lot of points. He was incredible."

Last month Harden scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a 114-110 win over the lowly New York Knicks.

Miami grabbed a 113-103 lead on a Goran Dragic 3-pointer with 6:18 remaining, but Houston answered with a 14-0 run to take the lead.

Miami had seven players scoring in double figures with Dragic and Kelly Olynyk scoring 21 points apiece.

The Heat shot 51.9 percent overall but went cold at the wrong time, posting only 20 points on six-for-17 shooting in the final period.

"We were lackadaisical on defence, especially in that second quarter," Harden said. "They gained confidence and knocked down shots. They were just too comfortable, so we had to pick the pressure up in the second half, create some turnovers and energy with our defence."

The Rockets were without regulars Eric Gordon (knee), Kenneth Faried (hip) and Iman Shumpert (calf).

Elsewhere, Aaron Gordon tallied 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Orlando Magic snapped an 11-game losing streak to beat the Golden State Warriors 103-96.

The two-time defending NBA champion Warriors blew an 11-point lead en route to losing their second game in as many nights, after they fell to the Miami Heat 126-125 when veteran Dwyane Wade nailed the game winner at the buzzer on Wednesday.

Terrence Ross scored 16 points, D.J. Augustin got 14, while Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 13 rebounds to help Orlando beat the Warriors for the first time since December 2012.

Stephen Curry scored 33 points, Klay Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins each had 21 for the Warriors, who rested Kevin Durant and ended up paying for it.

Curry goes cold

Curry sank only one basket in the fourth quarter.

"Considering the way we finished the third quarter, we were pretty much in control of the game," Curry said. "But we missed a lot of shots and didn't get any stops so it's a frustrating way to end. This is a tough one."

The Magic shot just five-of-23 from the field in the third quarter and trailed 81-70 going into the fourth. They led by eight points at halftime.

Ross nailed a 3-pointer in the fourth to spark a 15-4 run. His final 3-pointer of the game, with 4:16 left, made it 89-89.

Also, Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 35 points and the Indiana Pacers overcame Karl-Anthony Towns' dominating offensive performance for Minnesota to beat the Timberwolves 122-115.

Towns had 42 points and 17 rebounds, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the first quarter.

source: philstar.com

Pacquiao’s friend disputes Floyd-Manny confrontation during NBA meetup: ‘Sobrang bait ni Mayweather’

A close friend of Manny Pacquiao denied reports that the Filipino ring icon was confronted by pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather during their much talked-about meeting in an NBA game.

“‘Yung mga gumagawa dyan ng storya, that’s not true na inaway daw. That’s not true walang ganun,” Bernard Cloma, who was part of Pacquiao’s entourage when he visited Miami to judge Miss Universe this week, said in a radio interview.

Citing anonymous sources, Ben Thompson of fightyhpe.com earlier wrote that Mayweather told Pacquiao to “stop lying” as they met for the very first time at halftime of the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat last Wednesday.

Mayweather was reportedly referring to Pacquiao’s claims about having already signed contracts about their much-anticipated megafight and just waiting for the American’s signature to finalize the bout.

Cloma was with Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee watching the game and posted on Instagram the encounter of the two boxing rivals.




Cloma also said that after the game Mayweather even went to Pacquiao’s hotel where they had a long conversation.

“Pumunta si Mayweather dito sa hotel ni Manny. Nagkuwentuhan sila nang matagal,” Cloma said, adding that Mayweather was courteous all throughout his meeting with Pacquiao.

“Sobrang bait niya. Hanga ako kay Mayweather, ang bait niya,” Cloma said. “Bakit siya pupunta sa hotel diba after ng kaninang game?”

Pacquiao and Mayweather are expected to announce this week if their megafight projected to set record-setting revenues will push through.

source: interaksyon.com

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard named Finals MVP

Spurs third-year forward Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP after another big performance in the title-clinching 104-87 win over the Miami Heat in Game Five in San Antonio.

Leonard, who is only 22 years old, became the youngest Finals MVP since teammate Tim Duncan won the award in 1999, when he was the same age.

Aside from his defense on four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, Leonard stepped up in a big way on the other end, leading the Spurs with averages of 23.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in the last three games – all of them lopsided wins for San Antonio.

He finished with 22 point and 10 rebounds, both team-highs, as the Spurs clinched their fifth title in franchise history.

It was no surprise to the San Antonio fans, who serenaded Leonard with ‘MVP’ chants every time he was on the free throw line, even as early as the first quarter.

He was also the first Finals MVP that wasn’t an All-Star since Chauncey Billups in 2004.

source: interaksyon.com

LeBron James scores career-high 61 points against Bobcats as Heat win eighth straight

MIAMI – LeBron James scored a career-high 61 points to break the Miami Heat one-game scoring record on Monday, sparking the defending NBA champions over the Charlotte Bobcats 124-107.

The Heat’s season win streak stretched to eight games in a row with a 16th consecutive victory in meetings with Charlotte, whose win drought against Miami now spans four years.

James sank eight 3-pointers, hitting 22-of-33 shots from the field overall, and also grabbed seven rebounds and passed off five assists.

“It was a special performance,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was efficient. The rim certainly looked like an ocean to him.”

The former Heat single-game scoring record was 56 points by Glen Rice in April of 1995.

On a night when Miami star guard Dwyane Wade was rested, Chris Bosh contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.

Miami shot 55.4 percent from the floor, including 16-of-28 from 3-point range.

Charlotte’s Al Jefferson scored 38 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.

The Heat improved to 43-14, trailing only Eastern Conference rival Indiana (46-13) for the best record in the NBA and a home-court edge throughout the playoffs.

Charlotte fell to 27-33 as the Bobcats and Atlanta fight for the final two playoff positions in the East.

Miami led 60-54 at half-time before James went wild in the third quarter, going 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc on his way to 25 points in the quarter, matching the Bobcats’ total team output.

James scored Miami’s first eight points of the second half, then added back-to-back three-point plays late in the period for an 89-69 Heat lead.

James followed with his eighth 3-pointer for a 95-73 edge with 1:16 to play in the third and began the fourth quarter with four straight points to reach 53 for the night.

But with Charlotte still fighting to stay in the game, James remained in the lineup and added a pair of layups and a spinning bank shot for a 115-99 Miami edge with 2:23 to play.

After Jefferson hit a jumper for Charlotte, James was fouled and sank two free throws to cap his scoring as fans chanted “M-V-P” to the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player.

James set several other Heat team records, including 22 baskets in a game, most points in a quarter by a player with 25 and most second-half points with 37.

It was his 10th time in his career that James cracked the 50-point barrier.

Since James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami, the Heat have lost the NBA Finals to Dallas, then won the past two league playoff crowns.

source: interaksyon.com

Amid Durant vs LeBron hype, Thunder cruise to easy victory over Heat

MIAMI — The individual matchup between the NBA’s top two candidates for MVP did not disappoint.

But the battle between the reigning two-time NBA champion Miami Heat and the top team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, turned out to be a bit of a dud, especially in the final 42 minutes.

The Thunder overcame an 18-point first-quarter deficit to drill the Heat 112-95 on Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Over those final 42 minutes, the Thunder outscored the Heat 108-73.

“There’s no running away from it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Other than the first (six) minutes of the game, they outclassed us.

“Our guys were up and ready for this game. (The Thunder) were up and ready, and they played better than us.”

In the matchup of superstars, Heat forward LeBron James, a four-time league MVP, had 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting. But he did not play his usual stellar floor game — just three rebounds, three assists and three turnovers. He was 9 of 9 on the foul line but just 1 of 5 on 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, a three-time NBA scoring champ, had 33 points, seven rebounds and five assists with four turnovers. He was 5 of 5 from the foul line and 4 of 9 on 3-pointers.

“We were down 22-4, and we could have easily folded up, especially on the road,” Durant said. “It could be my last game any time I step on the floor, so I have to give it my all.”

Durant enjoyed his 12th consecutive game with 30 or more points. His streak is the third longest in the NBA in the past 30 years, trailing only runs by Kobe Bryant (16) and Tracy McGrady (14).

“(James and Durant) are going to go down as two of the greatest players ever to play the game,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “Defensively, they are solid. Offensively, they are amazing.

“They were challenging each other. It would’ve been fun to clear the court and watch them play one on one. But the thing I love is that they are both team guys.”

Forward Serge Ibaka scored 22 points to help Oklahoma City (37-10) extend its winning streak to nine games. The Thunder also got major contributions from reserve guards Jeremy Lamb (18 points) and Derek Fisher (15 points). Fisher made all five of his 3-point attempts.

“Our effort was great — it was a good team win,” Brooks said. “I thought Fisher did a great job inspiring us when we got down. He made a couple of big threes, and everyone chipped in.”

Miami (32-13) lost at home for just the fourth time in 23 games this season. Forward Chris Bosh added 18 points for the Heat, guard Dwyane Wade scored 15.

Oklahoma City won the game largely due to 3-point shooting. The Thunder made 16 of 27 from beyond the arc (59.3 percent), while the Heat made just 3 of 19 (15.8 percent).

After the Heat got off to their hot start, the Thunder got back in the game with a 12-0 run.

By the end of the first, the Heat led 30-21. Bosh had 11 of Miami’s first 22 points, and the Heat outshot the Thunder 55 percent to 36 percent in the period.

The Thunder won the second quarter 34-20 and led 55-50 at halftime. The Thunder outshot the Heat 52 percent to 42 percent in the quarter. Bosh cooled off in the second quarter — only one point — and Lamb heated up with 13 points.

“(The Heat) doubled off the pick and roll,” Lamb said. “We swung the ball to find the open shots.”

At the half, Durant (16 points) and James (15) virtually negated each other.

The Thunder outscored the Heat 36-25 in the third quarter and headed into the fourth leading 91-75. Fisher closed the quarter by banking in a 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was the second 3-pointer Fisher made off the glass in the game.

The Durant vs. James duel heated up in the third quarter as each scored 12 points. Durant made 4 of 7 shots, including two 3-pointers, and James made 5 of 7.

“He made some great shots,” Spoelstra said of Durant. “Those are the shots that everyone will remember. From our standpoint, we will remember some of the close-outs we didn’t make to give Lamb and Fisher some open threes.”

NOTES: After Sunday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs in which he came off the bench for the first time in eight years, Heat G Dwyane Wade returned to the starting lineup Wednesday. Wade was used as a reserve Sunday because he missed four games due to knee soreness and wanted to work his way back into fitness. … Since the Thunder clinched the best record in the West by the Feb. 2 cut-off date, Scott Brooks will coach the conference’s team at the All-Star Game. He also coached the West in 2012. … Thunder F Kevin Durant was averaging 28.2 points when G Russell Westbrook was healthy. In the first 17 games since Westbrook got hurt, Durant averaged 36.5 points. His shot total went up from 18 to 22 per game. … Next up for the Heat is a Saturday night game at the New York Knicks, where the teams will be part of the pre-Super Bowl hoopla. … The Thunder will also be in New York this weekend, playing the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

source: interaksyon.com

Chris Bosh has big game as Heat hold off Lakers

MIAMI — It was forward Chris Bosh to the rescue.

With guard Dwyane Wade out with knee soreness for the fourth straight game and forward LeBron James not quite as efficient as usual, Bosh — the most-criticized member of the Miami Heat’s Big Three — had a huge night.

Bosh made 15 of 22 shots, including eight straight in the second half, to lead the Heat to a 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

As a team, the Heat shot 71.4 percent in the fourth quarter, holding off the Lakers, who pulled to within four points with 2:41 remaining in the game. Bosh and James combined to score the Heat’s final eight points.

The Heat (31-12) now trail the Indiana Pacers by three games in the battle for the top record in the Eastern Conference.

For Bosh, it was his highest-scoring game since he had 37 on Dec. 28. During that span, he had two games in which he scored less than 10 points, and it is that inconsistency that frustrates some Heat fans — although not coach Erik Spoelstra.

“We’re not a your-turn play-call team,” Spoelstra said. “Chris has been critical to our execution since we put this team together because he has the great understanding of balance of when to be aggressive and when to facilitate.

“He has a great temperament. It’s not about one game if he only gets 10 points that he complains he didn’t get his touches. He’s not about that.”

Lakers guard Nick Young, who scored 19 points off the bench, said it was a vintage performance.

“It seemed like the old Bosh,” Young said. “We had hands up, but he was making tough shots.”

James wasn’t bad, either, making 9 of 15 shots for 27 points while adding 13 rebounds and six assists. But James also had a game-high five turnovers and was only 7 of 13 from the foul line.

As a team, the Heat made just 11 of 23 free throws and turned the ball over 18 times.

That, to some extent, negated the Heat’s routinely brilliant shooting — 57.7 percent — and a better-than-normal rebounding effort in which Miami beat the Lakers on the boards 48-35.

“A win in this league is hard to come by,” James said. “Nick Young made a tough shot that rattled around the rim. Jodie Meeks made a pull-up at the end of the shot clock. We can live with those shots.

“We played hard and won the game, and that’s all that matters.”

The Lakers (16-27), who lost 14 of their past 17 games, were led by center Pau Gasol, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and guard Jodie Meeks, who added 22 points, including four 3-pointers. Guard Kendall Marshall added 11 assists and just three turnovers.

Wade wasn’t the only star who missed the game. The Lakers were again without guards Kobe Bryant, who has been out since Dec. 17 due to left-knee surgery; and Steve Nash, who has a foot injury and has been unable to play since Nov. 10.

James, Wade and Bryant were named All-Star starters on Thursday.

Also Thursday, James, a three-time Olympian, was named to the pool of 28 players from which the 2016 USA Olympic team will be chosen. No other Heat or Lakers players were on the list, including two-time Olympian Wade, 2008 Olympic Bosh or two-time Olympian Bryant.

The Heat on Thursday improved their record without Wade to 7-6.

Miami, which shot 50 percent or better in every quarter, never trailed. They led 30-27 after the first quarter and 57-46 at halftime. Of their 25 first-half field goals, 17 were layups or dunks.

The Heat led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter and took an 85-75 advantage in the fourth.

Los Angeles challenged in the fourth quarter but couldn’t stop the Heat, especially Bosh and James.

“We hit some big shots down the stretch, but they hit some bigger shots,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We will find a way to score. That’s not our problem. Our problem is defense.”

NOTES: Four Heat players — SG Dwyane Wade and F LeBron James, F Shane Battier and F James Jones — were at the University of Miami on Wednesday night when Duke defeated the Hurricanes. Battier is a former Duke player and Jones went to Miami. … Lakers SG Kobe Bryant and F Ryan Kelly, who played for Duke last season, were also at the game. … Lakers PG Steve Blake, who is out two more weeks with an elbow injury, played his high school ball locally at Miami High, where he won a 1998 state title with Heat F Udonis Haslem. … Lakers PG Jordan Farmar (hamstring) is also out for two more weeks. … The Lakers end their seven-game road trip with stops on Friday at Orlando and on Sunday against the New York Knicks. … The Heat play the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and end their four-game homestand on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

source: interaksyon.com

Celtics beat Heat on Jeff Green’s buzzer-beating fadeaway three-pointer

MIAMI — It didn’t have all the same players involved, but the Heat-Celtics rivalry proved it can still make for quite a game.

Forward Jeff Green hit a buzzer-beating, fall-away 3-pointer over LeBron James as the Boston Celtics stunned the Miami Heat 111-110 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena.

“I was in the first row because I faded back so far,” Green said. “I ended up on some lady’s lap, but I saw it when it went through.”

While James said before the game that the matchup was no longer a rivalry without former Celtics coach Doc Rivers and forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Boston won its third in a row after starting the season 0-4.

Green, who scored 43 points in a loss to Miami last season, seems to have a knack for stepping up to the challenge when facing the Heat.

“They are the best team. They won back-to-back championships,” Green said. “You got to get up playing these guys.”

Green led the Celtics with 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field.

James hit two free throws with three seconds left to turn the Heat’s two-point lead into a two-possession game that appeared to ice the game against the young, scrappy Celtics.

But forward Gerald Wallace scored on a layup to cut the lead to 110-108 with 1.6 seconds left. Wallace fouled Dwyane Wade, who missed one free throw and then intentionally missed the second.

“Just 0.6 left, I was trying to hit the rim, but it didn’t go as planned,” Wade said.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “That clearly did not work.”

Rookie Celtics coach Brad Stevens benefited from an NBA rule that would not have worked in his favor last season at Butler — the opportunity to advance the ball to midcourt on a late timeout.

“In college basketball, that game would be over because you have to go the length of the court in .6 seconds; that is almost impossible,” he said. “In this, you have a chance to catch it facing the basket and shoot with .4 seconds or more.”

Wallace made the cross-court inbounds pass and rookie center Kelly Olynyk set the pick that freed Green.

Guards Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, and forward Jared Sullinger pitched in 12 for Boston.

James played through a sore back and finished two rebounds short of a triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. James scored 11 in the fourth quarter as the Heat constantly went to him late.

Forward/center Chris Bosh scored 20 points and Wade had 18.

Green ranked his buzzer-beater as the No. 2 moment in his career, with No. 1 being the driving layup he made as time expired against the Cleveland Cavaliers last March because his heart surgeon was able to witness it.

Miami was outrebounded 39-31 and beaten off the dribble and surrendered driving lanes to the basket and open shots.

“This game has always had … an energy and a karma about it, and we did too many things where we did not deserve to win that game,” Spoelstra said.

Forward Michael Beasley found ways to score against Celtics forward Kris Humphries early. The Heat forward had the Miami crowd frenzied in the second quarter when he scored all 10 of his points in just his second game since his return this season to the organization that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2008.

Beasley was one of three Heat players — along with James and Bosh — to score in double figures in the first half. He did not play in the second half.

“In the second half, I really just didn’t feel that we had to force a 10-man rotation,” Spoelstra said.

Like Beasley, point guard Mario Chalmers and center Chris Andersen each added 10 points.

Crawford scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Celtics up 60-59 at halftime.

NOTES: Despite being bedridden all day with soreness in his lower back, James started in his normal role. “I got out (of) bed twice today,” James said. … The Celtics came to Miami to play on the second night of a back-to-back after winning 91-89 in Orlando on Friday. … Miami PG Mario Chalmers was fined $15,000 by the NBA for his hit on Blake Griffin in Thursday’s 102-97 win against the Clippers … Olynyk got his first career start after Brazilian C Vitor Faverani started the Celtics’ first six games.

source: interaksyon.com

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett lead Brooklyn Nets over Miami Heat

BROOKLYN — Thirteen straight times, the Brooklyn Nets had fallen short to the Miami Heat.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were not around for any of those games but having battled the Heat in the postseason with the Boston Celtics, they were determined not to extend that losing streak for their new team.

Pierce scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, helping the Nets build a double-digit lead before they withstood a furious Miami charge in the final three minutes and pulled out a 101-100 victory Friday night in its much anticipated home opener.

“I think we wanted this a little more,” Garnett said. “No disrespect to the champs and what they are trying to accomplish this year, but we knew playing at home, coming from Cleveland that we would play better.

“We watched a lot of film and saw our mistakes, so we were locked into what we wanted to do and we played with that in mind through the whole game.”

Pierce played 31 minutes, made 5-of-10 shots and went 8-of-8 from the foul line. His biggest plays of the night were a 19-foot jump shot with 6:13 remaining that put the Nets up 90-78 and an emphatic block on LeBron James a minute later.

“Whenever you are trying to establish something against the champs it’s going to be like a playoff atmosphere,” Pierce said. “KG really talked about that coming into the game. Expect it to be like the playoffs, don’t expect anything to go our way because they are the team to beat. It’s good that we got a taste of this type of atmosphere to see where we are at. Miami is the measuring stick for everybody so it was good to come out and get the win.”

“I think it was (a statement game),” Nets center Brook Lopez said. “It’s the defending world champs, you don’t want to come out and be soft and give this one away. So we wanted to show we could come out and compete with them.”

Joe Johnson, who also had 19 points, added a pair of 3-pointers to expand the lead to 96-84 with 2:47 left but then the Heat made their charge. They were within 96-94 on a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers with 18 seconds left but could not complete the comeback

James led all scorers with 26 points and Dwyane Wade added 21 for Miami, which is under .500 for the second time since James and Chris Bosh joined the team in 2010.

“A little bit of unmotivated basketball I thought at the start,” James said.

James scored his final points on a left corner 3-pointer that made it 99-98 with four seconds remaining but Johnson hit two free throws to push the edge to 101-98. Bosh made the free throw and when he sank the second, the Heat had no chance for the comeback and the Nets simply ran out the clock.

“We tried to make it a game at the end,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s pretty clear tonight we didn’t play well. We didn’t play consistently or how we need to play.”

The game had a lot of hype for the budding rivalry with two preseason meetings that featured a few hard fouls, criticism from James about Garnett and Pierce going from Boston to the Nets. Garnett responded to James by telling him to mind his business and the MVP seemed to follow declining to discuss the Nets before and after the game.

“I am not commenting on any other team, OK,” James said. “They won and they are 1-1 and we are 1-2.”

The Nets trailed for just 88 seconds and turned a 47-47 halftime tie into an impressive third quarter showing. Pierce scored 11 points and the Nets took a 78-67 lead into the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Garnett played 26 minutes in the victory, leaving him seven behind Wilt Chamberlain for fifth place in career minutes in NBA history. … Lopez’s eight rebounds give him 2,405 for his career, passing Keith Van Horn for eighth place on the Nets’ career rebounding list. … Andrei Kirilenko was a game-time decision with back spasms but played 12 minutes and scored eight points. … Wade remains seven blocks from breaking Dennis Johnson’s career record for blocked shots by a player 6 feet 4 or shorter at 675. … The Nets travel to take on Orlando on Sunday, and Miami returns home to face Washington. … Joe Prunty coached the Nets as head coach Jason Kidd served the final game of a two-game suspension for a DWI last summer in the Hamptons.

source: interaksyon.com

With second straight title, Miami Heat set to start latest NBA dynasty

MIAMI – LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have faced plenty of adversity together and Thursday’s title-deciding seventh game of the NBA Finals was their biggest test yet.

“It’s the ultimate. I am at a loss for words,” James said of the Heat’s 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs Thursday in the last game of the best-of-seven series.

“I am LeBron James from Akron, Ohio — from the inner city. I am not even supposed to be here.”

The Miami Heat dynasty is now officially off and running while the San Antonio Spurs let one slip away.

And in the end, James grabbed another championship ring and added his second NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award in a row to go with it, securing his place as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

James capped his season with a game-high 37 points and 12 rebounds as he became only the ninth player to win multiple NBA Finals MVP awards, joining Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Willis Reed.

He averaged 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and seven assists in the finals and had the highest-scoring NBA Finals seventh game since 1969 when Jerry West scored 42 points against the Boston Celtics.

Wade, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds Thursday, earned his third championship ring and is one of just two Heat players, along with Udonis Haslem, to be on all three Miami championship teams.

“We go through life so fast,” Wade said. “The championships I’ve won seem like they went past me so fast.

“Tonight I wanted to take a minute, take a moment and just soak it in. This is a special moment for me.”

James struggled to find his form early in the series but his overall performance was brilliant and even Jordan-like, especially the way he had to step outside his comfort zone on offense and take whatever the Spurs’ defenders would give him.

“I watched film, and my mind started to work and I said, ‘OK, this is how they’re going to play me for the whole series.’

“I looked at all my regular-season stats, all my playoff stats, and I was one of the best mid-range shooters in the game. I shot a career high from the 3-point line.

“I just told myself, ‘Don’t abandon what you’ve done all year. Don’t abandon now because they’re going under. Don’t force the paint. If it’s there, take it. If not, take the jumper.’

“I did a good job in game four. I didn’t make as many shots as I would like to from the outside in game five, but I kept on getting into the rhythm of it, just telling myself that everything you’ve worked on, the repetition, the practices, the off-season training, no matter how big the stakes are, no matter what’s on the line, just go with it. And I was able to do that.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in Game Seven it came down to James’ mid- and long-range jump shot.

“As the series went on, he realized that was the shot that was going to be open and in the biggest game, the biggest moment, those are the shots that he hit,” Spoelstra said. “And those were the difference tonight.”

The Heat needed a miraculous comeback to win Game Six in overtime against the Spurs to earn the title, which takes its place alongside Miami’s 2012 and 2006 championships over Oklahoma City and Dallas respectively.

“We are just getting started,” Heat guard Mario Chalmers said.

James said winning feels great but doesn’t get any easier.

“Last year when I was sitting up here, with my first championship, I said it was the toughest thing I had ever done,” James said.

“This year I’ll tell last year I was absolutely wrong. This was the toughest championship right here, between the two.

“I mean, everything that we’ve been through this post-season, especially in these finals. We were down every odd game.

“We were scratching for our lives in Game Six, down five with 28 seconds to go. To be able to win that game and force a Game Seven is a true testament of our perseverance and us being able to handle adversity throughout everything.”

source: interaksyon.com

For hobbled Dwyane Wade, third Miami Heat championship is sweetest

A giddy Dwyane Wade walked into the press room of the American Airlines Arena and playfully demanded reporters call him by his new name, Three.

The Miami Heat guard who wore jersey No. 3, after all, just won his third NBA title.

“This is the sweetest one by far because of everything we’ve been through,” said Wade.

“Because of everything I’ve been through, individually.”



He went through a roller coaster ride, suffering through some of the worst stretches of his playoff career while visibly hobbled by injuries to both knees.

After winning finals Most Valuable Player honors in 2006 and playing a co-starring role during the Heat’s finals run last year, Wade struggled in the first three games of this year’s title round against the Spurs. He averaged just 14.3 points over that stretch, showing little of the explosiveness that made him a killer threat over most of his career.

That led to plenty of doubt from observers about whether he still had anything left in the tank.

“Without doubt, maybe I’m not here today. My belief is stronger than any doubt,” said Wade.

That all changed in Game Four, when he scored 32 points in a breakthrough performance that saw him regain his lethal form for six steals. And despite aching knees, he managed to give LeBron James valuable support in the series clincher with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

“I’m about gutting it out. I talked to my knees today, we had a conversation. I said listen, both of you guys, give me a great game, then we could have a great summer,” said Wade.

Miami forward Shane Battier, who stepped up with 18 points in the clincher, wasn’t suprised by Wade’s heroic performance.

“He’s Dwyane Wade, you can’t define him by stats,” said Battier.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich credited the dynamic duo for the Heat victory.

“They played Hall of Fame basketball tonight,” said Popovich. “That’s tough to match. If you’re gonna match that, you’ve got to play pretty perfect.”

Wade said his priority for the summer is to get his knees healthy, hoping that they wouldn’t need to undergo surgery.

“We are excited about the future of the organization,” said Wade. “We’ll be back next year again, looking to do it again.”

source: interaksyon.com

He Got Game: Ray Allen saves Heat’s season from — where else? — the three-point line

MIAMI — Ray Allen has made more three pointers than any player in the NBA but with five seconds left and his team three points down on Tuesday, he had not made a single one in the crucial Game Six of the NBA Finals.

Miami’s only hope of keeping their series with San Antonio, and their season, alive was to make a basket from beyond the three point line and LeBron James tried his luck.

The ball bounced out off the backboard, Chris Bosh grabbed it and zipped it to Allen, who with his trademark nonchalance effortlessly made the shot and forced the game into overtime.

“When I saw CB get the ball, I just back pedaled right to the three-point line and I was hoping I was where I needed to be. But I wasn’t quite sure,” said the 37-year-old Allen.

“But just from years of shooting, I got to my spot. It is going to be a shot that I am going to remember for a long time.

“There are a lot of shots that I have made in my career but this will go high up in the ranks because of that situation,” he added.

Allen’s modesty led him to acknowledge that the Heat had survived with their 103-100 overtime victory to force a Game Seven with some good fortune.

“I’ve known my whole career that sometimes you just get lucky. When you win championships, it involves a little luck. That right there was luck shining on our side,” he said.

After Bosh grabbed the rebound, James screamed at him for a second chance but not surprisingly was cool about the decision to pass to Allen.

“If it’s not me taking the shot, I have no problem with Ray taking that shot. He’s got ice water in his veins,” James said.

“Ray can be 0-99 in a game and if he gets an open look late in the game, it’s going down.

“That’s just the confidence he has in himself. It is the way he prepares for every game and the belief we have in him. We have seen it before.

“We are happy to have him on our side and this is the reason why we wanted him in games like this.”

The game will go down as one of the finest in the NBA Finals and James said it was certainly the greatest he had been involved in.

“It was by far the best game I’ve ever been a part of. The ups and downs, the roller coaster, the emotions, good and bad through the whole game.

“I’m happy about the way we dug down were able to get a win. It didn’t look like we could muster it up at some points in the game.

In the latter stages of the play-offs Miami have been unable to find the consistency that was the hallmark of their regular season, where they won 27 games in one stretch, but James was unperturbed by that criticism.

“I really don’t care how the hell we have played so far,” he said.

“We could have played the six worst games of our lives but now we have got Game Seven on our floor.

“Thursday is all for the marbles”.

source: interaksyon.com

Spurs going for the kill in Game Six in Miami

MIAMI – The San Antonio Spurs are making a habit of winning bounce back games in the 2013 National Basketball Association playoffs.

The Spurs have lost four games in the post-season and each time they have rebounded with an impressive victory.

In the NBA finals, they were blown out 103-84 by the Heat in game two, but bounced back to win by 36 in game three, 113-77. They lost 109-93 in Game Four, then jumped out to an early lead and never trailed in a 114-104 win Sunday in Game Five.

The series now shifts to Miami, where the Spurs can clinch their fifth title in franchise history with a win Tuesday at American Airlines arena.

“It is going to take everything we’ve got,” said Spurs Game Four hero Danny Green.

All five Spurs starters finished in double figures Sunday, including Manu Ginobili and Green, who had six three pointers to break Ray Allen’s all-time record for the most three pointers in the NBA finals.

“I hope he doesn’t wake up and keeps playing this way,” said Spurs Tim Duncan of Green, who scored 24 points and now has 25 three-pointers in the 2013 finals.

“We are asking him to defend LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and all these guys. He has got a lot on his shoulders and he has stepped up and answered the bell.”

Ginobili, who was starting his first game of the post-season, had a season-best 24 points and 10 assists.

“He has confidence in himself and he should just continue to compete,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Ginobili. “That’s what he has done his whole career.”

Ginobili finished with 20 points and 10 assists just once previously in the playoffs and that came in 2007 in the semi-finals against Utah.

The Heat’s marquee trio of James (25 points), Wade (25) and Chris Bosh (16) were effective but not enough to allow Miami to ever take the lead in Game Five.

Miami is at home and on the brink of elimination for the second time in three NBA finals.

“We are going to see if we are a better ballclub and if we are prepared for the moment,” Wade said.

source: interaksyon.com

Heat strike back against Spurs to tie NBA finals series

The Miami Heat showed championship pride, rebounding from a blowout loss with a 109-93 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio on Thursday (Friday morning Manila time).

With its Game Four win, Miami tied the NBA finals series at 2-all.

“They kicked our butts the other night,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “We were horrible. There was a better response today.”

LeBron James led the way with 33 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Dwyane Wade’s vintage performance that turned things around for the Heat. The 2006 NBA finals MVP played his finest game of the postseason with 32 points, six rebounds, and six steals.

San Antonio committed 19 turnovers, which Miami turned into 23 points.

“Turnovers obviously hurt us. We can’t give them over 20 points on turnovers. They’re too good,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Chris Bosh added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat.

Miami looked nothing like the team that was humiliated 113-77 in Game Three as once again they displayed their ability to recover from defeats.

Miami is now a perfect 6-0 following a defeat in the post-season and all six wins have come by double digits. Miami hasn’t lost back-to-back games since January 8 and 10.

Tony Parker had 15 points and 11 assists and Tim Duncan finished with 20 points for the Spurs, who were looking to take a stranglehold on the series after their dominating victory in the last match.

Parker was playing with a sore hamstring he injured in the previous game.

Spoelstra decided to shake up his lineup Thursday by starting forward Mike Miller. James also made good on his guarantee to play better after a dismal performance in the game three loss.

Miami outscored the Spurs 28-17 in the fourth quarter after the teams were tied 49-49 at the half.

James drained a 25-foot three pointer for the last of his 33 points with 23 seconds left in regulation to help seal the win in front of a crowd of 18,581 at the AT&T Center.

James said going into Thursday’s game that he took “full responsibility” for the Heat’s ugly loss in game three and vowed to do better.

He got his first field goal halfway through the first quarter on a driving layup to cut the Spurs’ lead to six points, 15-9.

San Antonio did come out the stronger of the two teams Thursday as France’s Parker scored six points and the Spurs hit three from beyond the arc to jump out to a 15-5 lead in the first five minutes.

But Miami shot 60 percent from the field in the first quarter and Wade made a running eight foot jump shot to give the Heat a 29-26 lead heading going into the second quarter.

The Spurs closed the second period on an 11-2 surge which included seven points from Parker.

Boris Diaw’s driving layup allowed the Spurs to tied the score, 49-49, going into halftime.

Diaw completed a nice give-and-go with Danny Green who got the assist on the final basket of the first half.

Game Five of the series is set on Sunday (Monday Manila time) in San Antonio.

source: interaksyon.com

Miami Heat’s Big Three cruise to NBA title, sights set on more

MIAMI—For the Miami Heat, No. 1 is in the books. What’s got to be scary for the rest of the NBA is that, on Thursday night, the Heat showed just what they’re capable of accomplishing from here.

In Game 5, the Heat played a nearly flawless game on both ends of the floor, dismantling the pesky Oklahoma City Thunder with a 121-106 drubbing for their fourth straight win in this Finals series, and the Larry O’Brien trophy that comes along with it.

The numbers are jaw-dropping: Miami shot 51.9 percent from the floor, had 25 assists on 40 field goals, made 53.8 percent of their 3-pointers, held Oklahoma City to 41.4 percent shooting and led by as many as 27 points. That’s a far cry from the slog of the first four games, when, despite their series lead, the Heat outscored the Thunder by five total points.

In Game 5, we saw the Heat in full—blitzing the Thunder on the defensive end and picking them apart offensively. That started with series MVP LeBron James, who was as impressive mentally as he was physically, racking up a triple double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.

For the second game in a row, James was brilliant in reading the Thunder defense, and when opportunities to drive to the basket arose, James took advantage, scoring all of his points in the paint or at the free-throw line. When Oklahoma City overcommitted to stopping James, he ably swung the ball to his teammates, piling up assists.

Chris Bosh (24 points, seven rebounds) and Dwyane Wade (20 points, eight rebounds) filled their roles as James’ top support men. And James clearly did the one thing a star player is supposed to do—make those around him better. All the defensive attention paid to James allowed so many open looks for the Heat’s perimeter shooters, and Mike Miller wound up with 23 points on seven 3-pointers, with Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier adding multiple 3s, too.

They’re not going to develop into a 121-point-per-night team. But when the Heat were constructed, this was exactly the kind of performance that they seemed capable of producing regularly, even against the second-best team in the NBA.

“We never thought of it as the Big Three,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That was the theme outside. But we knew other guys would have to contribute. This was a perfect example tonight. Everybody stepped up, Shane (Battier), Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, the list goes on, Udonis Haslem. Everybody had to sacrifice something, but the guys who had an opportunity to choose to come here, they sacrificed something, either pay, minutes, shots, opportunities that they would get with some other team. That just doesn’t happen in today’s game very often. And that's why this is a special group.”

We didn’t see this in the conference semifinals against Indiana, at least not until the Heat adjusted to playing without Bosh after he injured his abdominal muscle in the opening game of the series. We didn’t see it against Boston, a series that went seven games and required back-against-the-wall wins in the final two games. In that series, not only did the Celtics have the veteran capability of mucking up the Heat’s works, but Miami had the added challenge of Bosh returning in Game 5, and figuring out how he could contribute off the bench. Even in the opening game of this series, the one game the Heat lost, Bosh was not in the starting lineup.

That leaves this reality, a stark one for other teams in the league: In games in which James, Wade and Bosh started in these playoffs, the Heat were 9-1.

It only figures to get easier for Miami, with the pressure of not having won a title being lifted, with the often irrational questioning of James’ ability to finish games falling by the wayside, with speculation about the job security of the youthful Spoelstra evaporating. When Michael Jordan’s Bulls first broke through with a championship in 1991, he went on to lead the team to six in a row (excluding his two retirement years).

As Lakers great Magic Johnson said before Game 5, “I think everything changes (after getting a first title). We saw that with Michael. ... We’re judged by championships, and I think LeBron will be bigger around the world with a championship. I think all the naysayers go away, and I think it's only going to make him better. Michael got better after his first championship, and I think the same thing happens for LeBron.”

There does not appear to be a team in the Eastern Conference that has a realistic chance to keep Miami from the Finals. The Thunder likely will be back in the championship round in the future, and they figure to see the Heat often. The knee injury suffered by the Bulls' Derrick Rose will keep him out for much of next season, and it could take him some time to get back to pre-injury form. The Celtics have been a worthy foe for the Heat over the last two years, but Boston will retool this summer. Indiana is a solid young team, but the Pacers are still at least a player away from being championship-caliber. Perhaps a new powerhouse can sprout up (a pairing of Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in Brooklyn, for example), but as the East stands now, Miami is clearly on its own tier.

That’s what the architect of this group, team president Pat Riley, had in mind as he was receiving the championship trophy. “We believe that we built a team that will be around for a while,” Riley said. "Our goal is to hopefully come back every year. It’s always started out as an upstart, you become a team, you become a winner, you become a contender, then one day you might be something special, and that’s what we’re shooting for.”

They were shooting for a championship, and they got one. There could well be more to follow.

article source: aol.sportingnews.com

NBA: Heat take 3-1 Finals lead

The Miami Heat moved within one win of claiming the NBA title after getting a rousing performance from unheralded guard Mario Chalmers to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-98 on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) for a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

The Heat, which lost last year's championship in six games to the Dallas Mavericks, closed in on the title by playing with a fierce determination that extended beyond their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

"We're focused. We're thinking about Game Five right now," said Bosh, all business after the exciting victory on their home court.

Stalwarts James and Wade made crucial plays down the stretch, but it was Chalmers who supplied the steady firepower that enabled the Heat to hold off the Thunder, who got a sensational effort from Russell Westbrook, who scored 43 points.

"I just try to step up," said Chalmers, who shot 9-of-15 from the floor including 4-of-5 in the fourth quarter. "I've always been a person to try to step up in big moments, and what bigger moment besides tonight and Thursday to step up."

James, after going to the bench late in the fourth quarter with cramping in his legs, returned to hit a key three-pointer that snapped a 94-94 tie and Wade followed with a bold drive to the hoop to put Miami five points ahead.

Lifting the Heat all through the fourth quarter was Chalmers, who scored 12 of his 25 points in the last period.

"Mario Chalmers is a winner, he's shown it his whole life," said Wade, who also had 25 points, one fewer than James, who watched the last minute from the bench nursing his aching legs.

"Coach said earlier, 'keep believing in Mario because he's due, he's due for a big game,' and he came through for us."

Costly error

Russell Westbrook single handedly kept the Thunder in the game and finished with 43 points, but made a costly error in the final seconds that denied the Thunder a chance to tie the game.

With 17.3 seconds left and the Heat leading 101-98 with the shot clock set at five seconds for Miami, there was a jump ball called between Udonis Haslem and James Harden.

The tip bounded toward the corner. Instead of allowing Chalmers to gather it and heave a desperation shot to beat the shot-clock, Westbrook fouled him thinking he had to put him on the line to give the Thunder a chance.

Chalmers sank two free throws that effectively clinched the victory for Miami, now one win away from the title with Game Five on their home court on Thursday.

"It was just a miscommunication on my part," said Westbrook, who early in the fourth quarter made all 13 Oklahoma City points during a stretch in which they rallied back from a seven-point deficit to tie the game 90-90.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks admitted there was confusion over the play at the end, but would not pin the loss on Westbrook's costly foul.

"It was a tough play. Could have been a communication thing," said Brooks, who did not huddle the team up to make sure the shot-clock situation was understood.

"I tell our guys, one play does not determine the outcome of a game. There's 200 plays involved in every basketball game, it doesn't come down to one play."

Oklahoma City raced out to a big first-quarter lead and then withstood a Heat comeback to hold a 49-46 lead at halftime.

The Thunder, who suffered from cold starts in the first three games of the series, claimed a 33-19 lead at the end of the first quarter, scoring from inside and out and taking advantage of some poor shooting by the Heat.

But Miami scored the first 13 points of the second quarter to get back into it at 33-32 less than four minutes into the period and waged a tug of war battle right up to intermission.

The Heat kept the pressure up on the Thunder in the third quarter and entered the pressure-packed final stanza with a 79-75 lead. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

NBA: Thunder roll late, snatch game one from the Heat

OKLAHOMA CITY - Kevin Durant won the opening round of his highly anticipated duel with LeBron James, scoring 36 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 105-94 victory over the Miami Heat in the opening game of the NBA Finals on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time).

The NBA scoring champion hit 12-of-20 shots and added eight rebounds to help the Western Conference champions outscore the Heat by 18 points in the second half to draw first blood in the best-of-seven series.

"You know, this is a tough series," said Durant, whose 17 fourth-quarter points slammed the door shut on Miami.

"This level of basketball is the hardest we play, and we just want to take it slow and take it a possession at a time.

"Guys got to just continue to believe in themselves. If we do that as a group, we'll be all right. It took us a couple minutes to get the nervousness out of us."

James, a three-time MVP, scored 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting, while adding nine rebounds, but it was Durant who triggered the Thunder's turnaround.

"They didn't make many mistakes in the fourth quarter," James said of the Thunder's 31-21 advantage in the final period. "I don't think we made many mistakes in the fourth quarter, it's just they made more plays, especially offensively.

"They made more shots. Russell [Westbrook] made some big-time shots, KD [Durant] made some big-time shots. So I think that's what it's about."

Durant's tussle with James is widely regarded as a barometer for determining the league's best player, with both also seeking a first championship.

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half, while adding eight rebounds and 11 assists overall. The only other player scoring in double figures for Oklahoma City was forward Serge Ibaka, who netted 10.

"He's a terrific player. We want him to score," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook. "When he gets to those spots that he can knock those shots down, those are great shots for him.

"Defensively he was solid. When you guard [Dwyane] Wade or LeBron, you have to really exert a lot of effort defensively, and he did that. And he also had enough to finish around the basket."

Miami led by as many as 13 in the opening half but fell apart in the third quarter, and when Westbrook made a three-point play late in the closing seconds to give the Thunder their first lead at 74-73, the Chesapeake Energy Arena erupted.

"They got out in transition and that's their bread and butter, especially here at home," said Heat forward Shane Battier, who scored 17 points but only four in the second half.

"They run so well. For a while we contained them. Second half we made too many careless turnovers."

Game Two is also in Oklahoma City on Thursday (Friday, PHL time) before the series shifts to Miami for the next two contests.

"This one is behind us now," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "About halfway through the fourth quarter, we were thinking we were putting ourselves in a position to win.

"And then they just went away. That's what they do, they keep on coming. They're relentless. They beat us at their game and beat us in a game that's very similar to us when we're playing well."

Wade conceded the Thunder "did a great job of turning up defensive pressure" in the second half.

"They just made more plays than us," said Wade, an eight-time All-Star who had 19 points. "They got a couple offensive rebounds that kind of hurt us. They got a couple open shots.

"And then from that point, we were kind of playing behind." - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com