It came down to the final minute in Oklahoma City, and after Kevin Durant did one of the things he does best, LeBron James answered by doing one of the things he does best: finding an open teammate.
Heat Vs. Thunder: Eddie House Hits Game-Winning Three Off LeBron James Assist
After Durant hit an 18-footer to tie the game at 103-103 with less than 30 seconds left, the Heat rebounded a Dwyane Wade miss and kicked it to an open James on the perimeter. James gave a head-fake to draw a defender, then passed to Eddie House on the wing; House caught nothing but net on the three, and Wade forced a turnover on the next Thunder possession to help seal Miami’s win.
Durant led all scorers with 33 points, and added 10 rebounds. Wade had 32 points and nine rebounds to lead the Heat in both categories. But it was James’ 13th assist that won this game for the Heat.
You will probably hear for hours or days that LeBron passing up that shot at the end was evidence of his inability or unwillingness to execute in the clutch. That’s fine, in the sense that that particular debate will likely never have a satisfactory answer, nor is it designed to.
But LeBron’s smart decision to pass in this game at that crucial moment won it, and his facilitation of the Heat throughout the game but them in position to do so. That matters, doesn’t it?
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