The Fundamentals Are Not So Fun

Last night was the perfect description of what Pat Riley and the Heat organization envisioned when they put together their team of all-stars in 2010.  Fluid ball movement and precision passing for easy baskets inside the paint is the only way Miami can succeed and they did it nearly flawlessly last night in their 91-85 victory.  Led by 29 points and 14 rebounds from James, Miami found different ways to hurt the Thunder throughout game 3 of the NBA Finals last night.   Wade, although he had a poor shooting performance, finished the game with 25 points and 7 boards and 7 assists, which was without question his best game of the Finals thus far.  Chris Bosh also provided his second straight double-double since being reinserted into the starting lineup that seems to have the Thunder flustered.

So where did the Thunder go wrong last night?  Durant finished with a respectable 25 points with over 50% shooting, while Russel Westbrook added a hard-fought 19 points.  The key missing piece to the puzzle was James Harden.  The sixth man of the year shot a pathetic 2-10 from the floor and finished with a dismal 9 points.  The Thunder can not beat the Heat in Miami without the spark off the bench that has made them such a formidable team throughout the year.

The loss might also be attributed to the fact that Shane Battier, Miami’s former sixth man but now starter, is having one of the best 3-point shooting Finals of all time.  Through the first three games of the series Battier has made at least four 3-pointers.  No one in the NBA has done that in four straight finals games since Dennis “3D” Scott did it back in 1995 for Florida’s other team, the Orlando Magic.  It’s amazing because Battier is coming off career lows for field goal percentage as well as 3-point percentage, but he has absolutely been Miami’s x-factor this series.  I’m sure NYBobby is thrilled with my shout out for Shane based solely on the fact that I am a UNC Tar Heels supporter, while he goes for their rivals the Duke Blue Devils, Battier’s alma mater.

Maybe the reason that the Thunder lost isn’t because Miami’s “Big 3” got their shit together, or because James Harden was building a house with his bricks last night, or because Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has a striking resemblance to a Tarsier Monkey from his native lands of the Philippines (I don’t know why I feel the need to trash him, but I do).  Maybe the reason the Thunder lost is based solely upon their lack of execution when it comes to basketball fundamentals.  OKC shot an out-of-character 15-24 from the foul line and committed 6 fourth quarter turnovers.  They also finished the game with a minuscule 11 assists on 33 field goals made.  While the Thunder went most of the season lacking an assist man, they were also the best foul shooting team and they committed the second fewest turnovers, so these two stats are inexcusable.  If OKC has any hope of making it out of Miami alive then they better get their act together. And maybe Scott Brooks shouldn’t ever have his two best players, Westbrook and Durant, on the bench for the same time for 5 minutes like he did at the end of the third quarter where Miami made their comeback.

P.S.  NBA referees please know that it is acceptable to call fouls on Lebron James!