Miami Heat trying to close out Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA Finals
One more victory by the Heat would give LeBron James his first title in three trips to the Finals. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images / June 19, 2012)
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MIAMI--The banner headline in the Miami Herald read, "PROMISED LAND," in huge capital letters.
There was no question mark at the end of the words, as if the Miami Heat's beating the Oklahoma City Thunder to close out the NBA Finals was a fait accompli.
The Thunder will presumably show up anyway for Game 5 on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, intent on sending the series back to the deafening confines of its home arena in Oklahoma City.
A victory by the Heat, which leads the best-of-seven series, three games to one, would give LeBron James his first title in three trips to the Finals and quiet a legion of critics who have basked in his failure to win basketball's biggest prize since he uttered the infamous line about "taking my talents to South Beach."
"I have a job to do," James said Wednesday, "and my job is not done."
Job No. 1 on Thursday may be properly hydrating to stave off the cramps that twice forced James off the court in the fourth quarter of Game 4. James said he was still sore a day later but expected to be fine by game time Thursday, when the Heat will try to win its first championship since the team led byDwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal beat Dallas in 2006.
Oklahoma City has yet to put together anything close to 48 minutes of its best basketball. The Thunder rallied furiously after slow starts in the first two games, then melted down in the final minutes of Games 3 and 4.
If the scenario repeats itself Thursday, the Thunder will have the rest of the summer to ponder its regrets.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat LIVE: NBA Finals Game 4 At American Airlines Arena
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots against Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh (1) and shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 17, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
NBA Finals Game 3
Miami Heat
Miami Heat
vs.
Oklahoma City Thunder
American Airlines Arena Miami, Fla.
8 p.m. ET
American Airlines Arena Miami, Fla.
8 p.m. ET
The Miami Heat know very well how little a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals guarantees. Even if the team to hold such an advantage historically fares quite well, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat remember holding such an edge last year against the Dallas Mavericks. We all know how that turned out.
With Game 4 in South Beach and James putting up numbers that only a trio of Hall of Fame centers have put up in the playoffs, the Heat are looking to take one step closer to the title.
Having already trailed the No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, 2-0, Kevin Durant and the Thunder are no strangers to playing with their backs to the wall. After dropping the first two games to the Spurs, the Thunder reeled off four straight wins to clinch a Finals berth.
Will Oklahoma City manage to take home court advantage back with a crucial road win tonight? Or will LeBron dominate once again to help Miami put OKC on the brink of elimination?
