NBA Finals Game 3
Miami Heat
vs.
Oklahoma City Thunder
American Airlines Arena Miami, Fla.
8 p.m. ET
This situation must look awfully familiar to the Miami Heat. Just like the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat dropped Game 1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder only to bounce back to take Game 2. If LeBron and company win Game 3 then the first three contests of the 2012 NBA Finals will have gone just as they did last year: Loss, Win, Win.
While Miami doesn't want this series to have the same result as 2011 they would hardly argue against a similar start, especially considering the historical significance of winning Game 3. In NBA Finals series tied, 1-1-, the winner of Game 3 goes on to win 85 percent of the time. Of course, that was a different story last year.
Can Oklahoma City take back home court with a crucial Game 3 victory? Or will James have another stellar performance to help Miami take control of the series?
Follow our live blog for updates.
Sefolosha throws away the inbounds pass right to Wade. Westbrook started cutting. 13 seconds left. Wade got fouled and is going to the free throw line.
LeBron misses a pull-up jumper. Westbrook misses a wide open 3 on the other end. Heat have the ball with 18 seconds left.
Harden tries to draw the charge on LeBron and gets called for a block. TERRIBLE defensive play by Harden.
Durant drives to his right and misses the wild layup. Not a good shot. Heat have it with under a minute.
LeBron goes inside for Bosh who gets fouled on the shot. Bosh makes both to put the Heat up 88-85 with 1:19 remaining.
Sefolosha steals it from Wade dribbling up the court and makes the layup. Then Wade goes down and misses a long 2. Westbrook dribbles to the right elbow and makes the short jumper to cut the lead to 86-85. SIX STRAIGHT POINTS FOR OKC.
Durant posts up LeBron, tries to go up and under but misses it. LeBron takes it in the lane on the other end and makes the contested twisting layup. Perkins gets the ball down low and draws a shooting foul on Battier.
Perkins makes both. 86-81 MIAMI. 2:07 left.
Bosh tries to draw a foul on Perkins with 2.4 seconds left on the shot clock but no call is made. Ball goes out of bounds. OKC ball.
Thunder go right to Durant at the elbow and KD nails a jumper. 84-79 MIAMI. OKC needed that one.
Harden waves off Durant, drives and turns the ball over. Then LeBron drives to the hoop, makes the contested layup and draws the foul on Durant that's his FIFTH. He made the free throw. 84-77. Thunder call timeout.
LeBron posts up and misses a turnaround fadeaway. Durant tried to drive through the lane again but Bosh's help defense caused a turnover.
| @ IraHeatBeat : Wade has Derek Fisher posted up and Chalmers runs over and brings his defender over for a double-team leading to a turnover. Huh? |
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| @ IraHeatBeat : Hard to believe Wade only has three turnovers. Seems like a lot more. http://t.co/GwP61hTH |
Wade tries to post up Fisher but gets double-teamed by Westbrook and turns the ball over again.
Durant drives to his left past LeBron but gets his shot blocked by Bosh. Great help defense.
LeBron posts up, makes a move to get deeper into the paint and draws a foul on Collison. That's his fourth.
Wade tried to drive on Westbrook but turns the ball over to Fisher. Harden takes it into the lane on the other end and makes the layup. OKC takes a 77-76 lead.
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Posted: 06/17/2012 7:04 pm Updated: 06/18/2012 9:03 am