The first four games of the NBA Finals were excruciatingly tight. A bounce here, a call there, and either team could have won.
Game Five? Not so much.
The Miami Heat dominated every phase of the game on their way to a 121-106 blowout win and the second championship in franchise history.
LeBron James showed no after-effects from the leg injury that sidelined him in the fourth quarter of Game Four, leading the way with a triple-double (26 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists). James was named MVP of the series, elected unanimously and rightfully so.
Fellow "Heatles" Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade added 24 and 26 points respectively.
Miami also got a huge boost from Mike Miller. The little-used sub came off the bench to hit seven of eight three-point attempts - the most three pointers by a bench player in NBA Finals history. He finished with 23 points.
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 32 points in the loss, but both Russell Westbrook (4-20) and James Harden (5-11) struggled to hit shots all game.
Oklahoma City's size advantage turned into a major weakness, as Bosh routinely drove past Kendrick Perkins on his way to the basket. That frontcourt mismatch will be the subject of much second-guessing. OKC coach Scott Brooks opted to play his regular lineup, with Perkins at center and Serge Ibaka at power forward, for much of the series, despite the fact that the Thunder seemed to play better with the more mobile Ibaka or Nick Collison at center and Kevin Durant sliding to the four.
- Box Score
- Series Recap
- NBA Champions and Finals MVPs
No comments:
Post a Comment