Game 3 Post Game NBA Finals 2-1

[Axel]

Bosh played excellent defense, and his rebounding has allowed Spo to play a smaller line up. His return has been huge. The offense needs to keep moving at the end of the games though. I heard a quote from LeBron the other day about 4th quarters and that he always gets a good shot and lets the game come to him. Holding the ball without a single pass until there is 8 on the shot clock and then taking contested jumpers is not getting a good shot. Even worse, he was doing this with 3 minutes to go. Meanwhile Wade is making boneheaded plays and turning the ball over, so I'm honestly not sure who should initiate offense. LeBron is best I suppose, but he needs to change his strategy

[Heat3]

Thunder have scored at least 95pts in every playoff game this year except 2. A 77-75 win vs the Lakers and game 3 85-91 loss to us.

Thunder scoring:

Game 1: 105
Game 2: 96
Game 3: 85

I hope it's a trend

Game 4: (77pts???)

They not used to the EC style grind it out games.

[Slot Machine]

We saw "Wario" Chalmers on Sunday. He struggled to do anything right in Game 3 and his futility hit rock-bottom when he gift-wrapped a four-point play to Derek Fisher in the third quarter. He is usually good for one terrible play a game, but that foul takes the cake. The Heat normally don't survive without getting something, anything, from Chalmers, but Game 3 was the exception. Grade: D

This pretty much sums up Rio yesterday. Absolutely terrible. He's gotta step up and start hitting his shots.

[RexBoyWonder]

Not to mention his rebounding has been stellar.

His game three D was better than any game he ever played as a Craptor, I'll tell you that. Good mobility, energy on the contest, hustle back from the offensive end...

And yeah, tapping the ball, grabbing boards. He was big, even though he wasn't mega-scoring.

He's almost as impactful as Avery Bradley.

[LeMVP]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qT0O0s_N0Q#[/youtube]

Look at LeBron at 0:15 repositioning Haslem. I saw it in game, but somehow nobody noticed it. Pretty funny that the turnover came exactly where he moved him.

After leading his team in everything but blocks he now needs to push them around the court. That's more work than in Cleveland if you ask me.

[Woolyy]

We're 5-0 now when I post the LeBron mix!!

They need to come out Game 4 and have a killer instinct from the tip off. We can't have a tied series.

[Heat fan06]

Good win, a close game too which we have done a great job of all playoffs.

[narmerguy]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qT0O0s_N0Q#[/youtube]

Look at LeBron at 0:15 repositioning Haslem. I saw it in game, but somehow nobody noticed it. Pretty funny that the turnover came exactly where he moved him.

After leading his team in everything but blocks he now needs to push them around the court. That's more work than in Cleveland if you ask me.

That's just good BBIQ from James.

[Heat3]

Was looking at some old box scores. Battier launched 16 three point attempts in the two regular season games vs OKC. He only made 6. Nothing really changed for him now. Still getting the open shots except they are falling now.

[FireRicBucher]

Was looking at some old box scores. Battier launched 16 three point attempts in the two regular season games vs OKC. He only made 6. Nothing really changed for him now. Still getting the open shots except they are falling now.

Battier has the Eye of the Tiger now.

[WD]

So far in the NBA Finals, Battier is 11-15 from 3-point land, or a staggering 73.3 percent. Battier is averaging 14.3 points per game in the Finals and has been the catalyst to many of the Heat’s runs in Games 2 and 3.

For perspective, the entire Oklahoma City Thunder team has made 18 3-pointers, but has taken 46 3-point shots to get there. OKC is shooting 39 percent from 3-point land, or roughly 24 percent less than Battier.

[LeMVP]

Was looking at some old box scores. Battier launched 16 three point attempts in the two regular season games vs OKC. He only made 6. Nothing really changed for him now. Still getting the open shots except they are falling now.

It was a trap. Spo & Battier mastermind co-production.

[WD]

MIAMI— The Heat still need two victories to vanquish the Thunder. And they're more than aware of what they're up against.

Because they also need two victories in these NBA Finals to vanquish the nightmares of last season's NBA Finals.

When they also led 2-1.

And now, for the first time, they are at least acknowledging what has grown into a yearlong hangover.

"Really, every day we remind ourselves, we think of that pain that we experienced last year,"
forward Chris Bosh said.

"But it hurts a lot worse when you're not successful as opposed to, I guess, your lungs burning and your muscles burning from giving that extra effort. We carry that pain with us. We think about it every day, and that really helps us to succeed in this series."

It has become a case of taking last June and making it better this June.

"I told you guys, last year I didn't make enough game¿changing plays, and that's what I kind of pride myself on," LeBron James said amid a series of making just those types of plays. "I didn't do that last year in The Finals. I'm just trying to make game¿changing plays, and whatever it takes for our team to win, just trying to step up in key moments and be there for my teammates."

"Our job now is protect our home floor as we've been doing all year. We were the best team all season with that. We're not going to think about how we had the same situation last year."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miam ... 3635.story

[Vertical Limit]

Well about Battier, I notice his mechanics are better. He's not just throwing up garbage like before. He's squaring up like he's suppose to. Sometimes he would throw something up just because a defender was running to him. But now he's taking smarter shots.

[Chosen01]

Well about Battier, I notice his mechanics are better. He's not just throwing up garbage like before. He's squaring up like he's suppose to. Sometimes he would throw something up just because a defender was running to him. But now he's taking smarter shots.

Yea he's done a better job but it still seems sometimes like he just heaves up shots,especially off a pass.

[LikeABosh]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo
Heat won despite having worst shooting percentage and fewest number of made field goals outside the paint in an NBA Finals game since 1997

I'm gonna guess the Jazz in game 2

[DWadeno3]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qT0O0s_N0Q#[/youtube]

Look at LeBron at 0:15 repositioning Haslem. I saw it in game, but somehow nobody noticed it. Pretty funny that the turnover came exactly where he moved him.

After leading his team in everything but blocks he now needs to push them around the court. That's more work than in Cleveland if you ask me.

You're getting a little carried away in your obsession with LeBron here. It's a normal basketball play, it's a smart move by LeBron, but one you'll see several times during a game. It's important to have good communication as a team because sometimes you'll just have a better angle at a situation or you'll anticipate something well and you can help your team out that way. You gotta think and analyze a game as much as a player as you do as a coach.

@Vertical Limit: It's easier to have better mechanics when you simply have better looks at the basket. Ibaka is simply not as mobile as Garnett or Bass for example, which is why they'll either have to keep them on the perimeter with Battier and leave the paint open or pack the paint and give Battier those looks. Boston was even able to put one of Garnett or Bass on LeBron, which allowed Pierce to guard Battier. Whereas Boston was pretty flexible defensively, it's a pick-your-poison-situation for OKC and I'd rather have Battier beat me then Wade and James drive to the basket all game long. As good as Ibaka and Perkins are in terms of shot-blocking, we've time and time again proven to be able to expose slower, taller bigs such as Hibbert for example.