Miami Thrice: Heat Take 3-1 Finals Lead With 104-98 Win

Unfortunately, people are only going to remember Westbrook’s big mistake at the end of the game, not the fact that he was keeping Oklahoma City in the game almost single-handedly with a total of 43 points, seven rebounds, five assists and just three turnovers.

Considering Westbrook was also knocking down jump shots aplenty, it was more than anyone could reasonably expect from one of the biggest enigmas currently playing basketball. Except then he made a terrible mental mistake ... and that’ll be the thing that’s talked about when the pundits weigh in on Game 4.

Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals on Tuesday was chock full of highlights, from Russell Westbrook shooting down everything that moves to Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James all nailing critical three-pointers.

In this video, SB Nation’s Matt Ufford breaks down the highlights, stats and potential for the Thunder to come back and win three straight against the Heat.

From Jorge Sedano of CBS Miami:

Until more information is released, it’s impossible to know the severity of Harden’s apparent injury, when it was suffered and whether it’s affecting his game.

ESPN’s Ric Bucher, though, suggested that Brooks actually did tell his players not to foul if they lost the jump ball.

Then again, after the game, Brooks admitted it could have been a “communication thing” that caused the foul, implying there was some sort of breakdown in his message.

LeBron hit a crucial three-pointer when he came back for a brief time after he left the court to be worked on. The shot broke a 94-94 tie and helped continue a 12-4 run that ended the game in the Heat’s favor. LeBron fell one rebound short of a triple-double, scoring 26 points, dishing the ball out for 12 assists and grabbing nine rebounds.

The Heat can close out this series on Thursday at home when Game 5 takes place at AmericanAirlines Arena. ABC will have the game at 9 p.m. ET.

Chalmers hit the two free throws, and the Thunder never recovered, ultimately losing, 104-98. This was the moment Westbrook realized his error.

While Westbrook is ultimately the man responsible for the gaffe, it reflects just as poorly on Brooks.

This was his first field goal attempt after coming back into the game.

In any other circumstance, this is a horrible shot. With the game tied, James stood well beyond the three-point line, not running any offense and not attacking the defense. If he misses this shot, he gets crucified. Instead, it was nothing but net, and the Heat regained the lead.

LeBron experienced the cramps when he attempted a drive on the basket and fell to the ground, his left knee first hitting the floor. After a little bit he got back up, but eventually he had to motion to the bench and be taken out of the game. He went to the sidelines and had the trainers work on his quads and his knees.

Nothing is going to stop LeBron from winning this game, especially not cramps.

Here’s an interesting question: will the Heat adjust their pick-and-roll coverage to account for Russell Westbrook, even if it means devoting less attention to Kevin Durant? I would look for the Heat to trap Westbrook hard from now on, but that could very well free Durant, who has struggled to get open all game.

This is the value of Westbrook’s scoring.

I don’t know whether it’s fatigue from having to bang with LeBron James, but James Harden just doesn’t have the legs to shoot his shots well in Game 4, much like he didn’t in Game 3. He’s 2-9 in this one; he was 2-10 in Game 7. The Thunder aren’t winning unless he fights through his struggles.

Oklahoma City struggled early with some fouls and failed to match up in transition as the Heat continued to get their shots, eventually taking a four-point lead. Durant once again began to pick up silly fouls trying to chase his man off the screen.

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City or check out SB Nation Kansas City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.

If LeBron James remains committed to posting up on every possession, the Thunder have no answers. James Harden is too small. Thabo Sefolosha is too skinny. Their double teams will leave shooters open, particularly when Dwyane Wade continues to be fully committed to cutting to the basket when the double teams come.

There’s really only one possible answer: Kevin Durant must guard James. Given Durant’s foul problems and his own slight frame, I’m not even sure that’s going to work.

James’ play is especially impressive for two reasons. For one, with the relaxation of zone defense rules, it’s much harder to draw true double teams in 2012 than it was in 1991. For another, post play was supposed to be one of James’ weaknesses. It’s clearly not anymore.

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City or check out SB Nation Kansas City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.

Russell Westbrook can be an enigma, but as Andrew Sharp wrote earlier Tuesday, he’s also really good, despite his Finals struggles. So far in Game 4, he’s been brilliant, hitting 4-4 from the field and driving and dishing for an easy layup for Kendrick Perkins.

So far, Westbrook has certainly responded.

After dealing with foul trouble in Games 2 and 3, Kevin Durant will not begin Game 4 by guarding LeBron James. ESPN’s Mike Breen reports that Durant will instead guard Heat point guard Mario Chalmers. Ostensibly, this will shift Russell Westbrook to Dwyane Wade and Thabo Sefolosha to James.

The switch is understandable, but still feels like an overreaction to me. Durant is capable of guarding James — he did it well in the two games during the regular season. He’s just committed silly touch fouls, as well as some borderline calls that could have gone either way.

This choreographed sequence between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade isn’t anything new, but we do wonder what would happen if Wade slipped and punched James in the face, or vice versa.

If ever there were shots fired in this year’s NBA Finals, this is probably it. It probably wasn’t the wisest idea to call out James considering the Heat could close out the series at home if they’re able to emerge victorious in the next two games.

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City or check out SB Nation Kansas City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.