Heating Up: Miami Wins Again, Takes NBA Finals Lead

NBA Finals: When In Doubt, Blame The Referees

Only a blind Thunder fan or someone who lives to troll LeBron James would think this NBA Finals series will be remembered for its officiating.

NBA Finals 2012 Game 3: Analyzing Miami's Win

The Miami Heat have rebounded from their opening series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning the last two games to take a 2-1 series lead. A big part of the shift in the series has been the play of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, as SB Nation's Ben Golliver explains in this latest recap of the game.

Oklahoma City struggled to score and picked up some costly fouls late in the game. There were also some questionable coaching decisions from Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, who decided to bench Russell Westbrook in favor of Derek Fisher late in the game.

The Miami defense has been giving Kevin Durant fits the past two games, forcing him into tough shots and limiting his fourth quarter opportunities.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

NBA Finals: Heat vs. Thunder Scores Monster TV Ratings In Game 3

The NBA Finals posted a 10.4 overnight rating for Game 3 between the Heat and the Thunder, and the current series is the highest rated matchup the league has seen since 2004.

The numbers come per Scott Issacs, who also reports that there were "monster" numbers in Oklahoma City. And while Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch adds that the numbers were down slightly from Game 3 in 2011, the series numbers remain up overall. For some perspective on Sunday's numbers, the NBA Finals was going head to head with the U.S. Open Sunday night, and beat the golf on NBC by four percentage points.

And for a league just six months removed from a lockout that threatened its popularity and almost sabotaged the season entirely, bouncing back with another outstanding postseason is a major coup.

As LeBron James told Chris Tomasson this week, "I've seen some of the ratings, so that shows the excitement around the game of basketball, shows the excitement around the two teams, and what these two teams have to offer. You have some great story lines and some individual plays. I think it's been great.'' Now, as the series gets tight and TV lineups get slow, "great" should only better.

Russell Westbrook On The Bench Bludgeoned Thunder's Third Quarter Effort

Russell Westbrook is criticized more than he probably should be, but the point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder is still one of the best in the game. It's not surprising, then, that Scott Brooks is receiving quite a bit of criticism for his rotation relating to Westbrook following the Game 3 loss.

The biggest issue came with about five minutes left in the third quarter when, shortly after removing Kevin Durant due to foul trouble, Westbrook was given the hook. Without their top two players on the court, Oklahoma City gave up a double-digit lead in just a few minutes and entered the fourth quarter once again in a deficit.

It was likely the turning point of the game, and as told by Daily Thunder's Royce Young, Brooks' decisions when it came to Westbrook played a key part.

"I took him out a couple minutes early just to settle him down, and put him right back in," said Scott Brooks. "That's coaching, and we moved on. It's nothing against ‑‑ he had a bad stretch. He turned it over, and he took a tough lay‑up."

You want to settle Westbrook down? Take a timeout. Don't bench him. Because he wasn't put "right back in," as Brooks says. He sat the final five minutes, as the Heat came from 10 down to lead by two heading to the fourth.

"It's coach's decision," Westbrook said of being sat. "Got to live with it."

Also: Got to live with a 2-1 series deficit.

The Thunder aren't likely to pick up too many more ten-point advantages in Miami during the NBA Finals, but even when they had one, Oklahoma City's coaching decisions didn't allow them to take advantage.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

James Harden's Struggles Stood Out In Thunder Loss To Heat

The Oklahoma City Thunder got huge contributions from sixth man extraordinaire James Harden during the regular season and, unsurprisingly, the bearded wonder is now expect to be a big-time performer every time he steps on the court.

Unfortunately Harden has wilted under the pressure of the NBA Finals, though, and people are taking notice of the NBA's best bench player. And, after Harden made just two of his 10 attempts from the field on Sunday night as his team dropped a winnable game to the Miami Heat.

Harden's game probably wouldn't have been all that noticeable, but Scott Brooks clearly was counting on his offensive output to keep Oklahoma City in the game during a third quarter stretch that saw Kevin Durant (due to foul trouble) and Russell Westbrook spend time on the bench. The NBA's sixth man of the year was unable to pick up the slack, though, and a double-digit lead evaporated as quick as it came.

As a result, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix prominently featured Harden in his post-game column ... and not in the good way, either.

Whither, James Harden? The NBA's reigning Sixth Man award winner struggled for the second time this series, scoring just nine points (on 2-of-10 shooting) while missing on all four of his three-point attempts. Derek Fisher (nine points) picked up some of the slack, chipping in with some intelligent defense. But Harden is a key cog in Oklahoma City's offensive system. When he is in the game, he is both playmaker and scorer, counted on to take some of the ball handling duties from Russell Westbrook as well as create space with his shooting.

Harden reportedly was not happy with how many minutes he played in Game 1; if there is any carryover from that issue, he must get past it, quickly, before Oklahoma City digs itself too deep a hole to climb out of.

Game 4 will be key and, if Harden really does have a gripe with his minutes in the Finals, that's a whole 'nother problem in and of itself.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

'An Ali-Frazier Fight' And Other Stuff: NBA Finals Notes From Game 3

The NBA Finals moved to South Beach on Sunday night, and the Heat won Game 3. Come for notes on the legendary Miami Heat fans, plus a few more quick thoughts from Sunday.

NBA Finals: Shane Battier's Shooting, Not Stellar Defense, Taking Center Stage

Shane Battier is best known as a plus-defender who doesn't typically make an impact in the box score, but the Miami Heat's glue guy has taken on a bit of a scoring role early on in the NBA Finals. He's not a go-to scorer by any means, but the veteran wing is taking advantage of every one of his shots.

Battier played in 65 games for the Heat during the regular season, starting 10 of them on his way to a pretty meager 4.8 points per game. He's really turned it on in the Finals though and is averaging nearly 15 points per game through Miami's first three games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nearly tripling his scoring average on the NBA's biggest stage is impressive enough, but the efficiency in which Battier is doing it is simply outstanding. The former Blue Devil has made 11 of his 15 three-point attempts on his way to a 73.7 shooting percentage from the field. His true-shooting percentage -- which takes into account that getting three points per shot is worth more than its two-point counterpart -- is an outstanding 101.4 percent.

There are enough weapons to deal with when it comes to Miami that Battier's offensive output is simply icing on the cake ... but it's a really sweet icing considering its timing.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

It's The Heat's Turn To Look Unstoppable

Remember when the Thunder looked unbeatable in the NBA Finals ... after one game? One more loss for Oklahoma City, and the Heat will be impossible to beat. That, and much more in the Monday Morning Jones.

Thunder Vs. Heat: Oklahoma City's Struggles From Free-Throw Line Help Miami Win

Free-throws should not decide any basketball game, especially in the NBA Finals, but they were a huge part of the Miami Heat's 91-85 victory Sunday over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Neither team was getting too many gift shots due to the officiating or anything else along those lines, but the rim just seemed to be bigger for Miami than it was for OKC.

That was unexpected, because Oklahoma City was the best team at shooting freebies during the regular season (80.6 percent). In Game 3, Oklahoma City made just 15 of its 24 attempts (62.5 percent) while Miami was able to close out the game by making 31-35 from the free-throw line. There's obviously a disparity in how many freebies each team shot, but the fact that Miami had quite a bit more success knocking its shots down was key the victory..

The worst part about the Thunder's struggles from the line is that it can't be blamed on any one player. Nobody was particularly awful: It was largely a group effort. That effort will need to change as the series goes on, because the Thunder could have been in a much better position to win if they simply converted a couple more of the gifts.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

NBA Finals 2012: Fourth Quarter Play Doomed Thunder

The best chance the Oklahoma City Thunder had at winning Sunday night's game against the Miami Heat was likely midway through the third quarter, when they held a 10-point lead before Kevin Durant was forced to endure a long stretch on the bench due to foul trouble. Everything was still pretty up in the air in the fourth quarter, though, giving both teams an equal chance to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Miami won the game and the advantage in the series, obviously, due to some costly errors on the part of the Thunder. It wasn't as though the Thunder played awful in the final stanza, but, as SB Nation's Welcome To Loud City pointed out, the difference in play between the two teams during the final 12 minutes of Sunday night's affair was noticeable.

And you can't forget the significance of the fourth. There weren't any underlying themes, but the guile shown by both teams was unbelievable. After no player but Wade or James scoring points in the third, the Heat continued to exploit the Thunder's lax perimeter defense, and they gave two easy baskets to Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers. After that, the team rode on the talent of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.

Meanwhile, the Thunder were relying on fouls, not moving the ball, and forcing up bad threes. Only a strong Durant jumper out of a timeout sparked the offense again, bringing them all the way to within one. But the fact is, the Thunder blew two golden opportunities to seize the game by the throat, with Durant badly missing a runner and Westbrook bricking an open three.

As noted above, there weren't any wholesale differences in the play of Miami and OKC down the stretch -- the Heat stars just converted while the young Thunder players simply weren't able to execute when given glimmers of hope.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Lesson Learned: Maybe It's The Heat Who Are All Grown Up

The Heat topped the Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, and on an evening where Kevin Durant and OKC showed their youth, the Heat showed their growth.

Heat Fan Doesn't Like Jon Barry

Beautiful trolling, Heat fan. Way to get your “Jon Barry Sucks” sign on TV.

(via @bubbaprog).

LeBron James Has A Special Gift For A Special Fan

I can’t wait for the local news puff piece profiling the Miami Heat fan that had the guts to put on LeBron James’ really sweaty headband.

Heat Vs. Thunder, 2012 NBA Finals Game 3: Miami Holds On For 91-85 Victory

With 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Miami Heat carried the ball up the floor with a three-point lead. The Oklahoma City Thunder had a choice to make, whether to foul or play defense. They ended up taking the middle road, which is always the wrong decision, as James Harden fouled LeBron James with 10 seconds remaining on the shot clock. He made one of two free throws, effectively ending the game.

To add insult to injury, Thabo Sefalosha threw away the inbound pass on the Thunder's next possession. Oklahoma City was within two possessions for the entire fourth quarter and within one possession from 1:55 remaining in Game 3 until Harden's foul, but they failed to capitalize on their opportunity to grab an important road win as the Heat held on for a 91-85 win.

Kevin Durant's 11-19 shooting performance looks solid on the box score, but his fouls and missed shots down the stretch will be remembered more than his periods of excellent play. The Thunder had a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but things turned around when Durant picked up his fourth foul and had to sit down for nearly six minutes. That was followed by two more fouls on jump shooters by the Thunder, gifting the struggling Heat a way back into the game.

James had periods of the game where he went cold, but he came up big in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 29 points on 11-23 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds. James only finished with three assists, but he had a number of key passes that led to his teammates getting fouled and getting to the free throw line, the most important being one to Chris Bosh with 1:19 remaining, after which Bosh made both free throws to extend Miami's lead to three points.

Dwyane Wade was very poor, though his 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists line covers it up. He was 8-22 from the floor and turned the ball over five times, the most out of anyone on the Heat. In an incredible 30-second sequence in the fourth quarter, Wade almost threw the game away from his team, turning a seven-point lead into a one-point lead almost by himself. In that 30-second span, he fouled Kendrick Perkins, turned the ball over for a Sefolosha dunk, then missed a bad jump shot which led to a Russell Westbrook pull-up jumper in transition.

It was almost the second game in the finals in which the Heat lost because of Wade's struggles, but thanks to some big plays by James and some bad mental errors on the part of the Thunder, Miami have a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Erik Spoelstra Successfully Defends Russell Westbrook

Despite the Oklahoma City Thunder needing a three-pointer with under a minute left to tie Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat players on the court decided not to guard Russell Westbrook. Therefore, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had to take matters into his own hands.

Nice defense, coach.

James Harden Flops At A Really Bad Time

When the pressure is highest, people tend to revert to who they are, no matter how hard they are trying to eliminate their bad habits. James Harden is a fine young player that has a tendency to exaggerate contact. With the Thunder down three late in Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Harden exaggerated contact at a horrible time.

Harden was ostensibly called for a foul here, but really, he was called out for flopping. Thunder coach Scott Brooks had already instructed his team not to foul, and then Harden went out and did this. It pretty much removed any remote chance of the Thunder coming back to win.

Serves Harden right, too. Who tries flopping in a spot like this?

VIDEO: LeBron James' Layup Was Tough, Clutch

The book on LeBron James in crunch time is far more complicated than one would think. Sometimes, he seizes the moment. Sometimes, he doesn't. Sometimes, he makes clutch plays that don't get recognized. Sometimes, he makes easy plays difficult.

But no matter how you feel about him, you have to admit this was a clutch layup. The degree of difficulty on this one was unbelievable. How many players in the league can drive from the top of the key, take two hits from Kendrick Perkins and flip a layup attempt over his head? How many can do it in the fourth quarter of a huge NBA Finals game?

Respect, LeBron. That was a grown-man move.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Guarding LeBron James Is Wearing James Harden Out

James Harden has done a pretty good job fighting LeBron James for post position and making his shots difficult on defense. He is doing an incredibly horrible job with basic tasks like passing the ball to open teammates.

I think these two things are related. Guarding James is tough, even in the fourth quarter. He’s so physical, and he’s become much better at moving without the ball. For a smaller guard like Harden, that takes a physical toll, and that physical fatigue has led to mental fatigue offensively.

Dwyane Wade Is Not Playing Well, Again

Dwyane Wade’s current stat line: 20 points on 7-19 shooting with four turnovers. That’s not horrible, but it’s not very good. Here’s a brief reminder of Wade’s expectations from today’s feature prior to Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals.

Indeed, Wade is the barometer for the Heat during the postseason. When he has scored more than 1.1 points per shot attempt this playoffs, the Heat are 11-2. When he has not, they’re just 2-5.

Wade is currently at 1.05 points per shot, by the way.

There's No Analysis For Missed Free Throws

The Thunder have missed nine free throws in this game, which could very well cost them a win. I have no idea why this is happening.

VIDEO: Kevin Durant's Alley-Oop Dunk Proves He Is Tall

Kevin Durant is nearly seven feet tall and has arms so long that he he can touch his knees without bending. That means that, if you're trying to throw an alley-oop in his direction, you can throw it as high as the clouds and he'll probably catch it. James Harden didn't throw this pass quite that high, but it was pretty close.

This play gives Durant carte blanche to taunt everyone in the world for being short.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Derek Fisher, Not Modest

With Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook all in the game at the same time, three of the Thunder’s first four shots in the fourth quarter were taken by Derek Fisher. That probably shouldn’t happen.

Heat Vs. Thunder Score Update: Miami Leading 69-67 After Third Quarter

Kevin Durant started the third quarter hot while LeBron James started the quarter cold, but a series of fouls turned the period in Miami's favor. Oklahoma City jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first five minutes of the quarter, but Durant picked up his fourth personal foul with 5:41 remaining and sat the rest of the quarter. Serge Ibaka and Derek Fisher followed that up with a couple of bad fouls of their own, and that turned the momentum of the quarter. A nine-point Thunder lead evaporated, and the Heat lead 69-67 with one quarter to play.

Incredibly, the Heat still aren't making jump shots. James hit a big three-pointer to give the Heat the lead at the very end of the quarter, but their outside shooting has still been absolutely abysmal. The Heat are now 6-30 on the night, which represents an improvement. They made three of those jumpers in the third quarter.

The Heat are currently living at the free throw line, where they were 13-14 in the third quarter. They're 22-25 from the line at the night, with Dwyane Wade getting there more often than any of his teammates. He has 20 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. James already has a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

On the other end, Durant is having a stellar night with 21 points on 9-13 shooting, but he can't score if he isn't on the floor. His fourth foul caused a massive disruption for the Thunder and has Miami not only leading by two points, but currently looking like the team with the momentum.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Scott Brooks Relies On His Bench Too Much

With just over five minutes left in the third quarter, Scott Brooks took Russell Westbrook out for a rest. The Thunder were up by six points. Kevin Durant had previously been forced to the bench with his fourth foul, so Brooks elected to play without his team's two brightest stars.

Since then, the Heat have outscored the Thunder by eight points to take a two-point lead after three quarters.

I realize the Thunder have often played bench-heavy units quarterbacked by James Harden in key spots this year, but this is Game 3 of the NBA Finals. You have to roll with your best guys as often as possible.

Thunder Commit 2 Of Dumbest Fouls You'll Ever See

Let me throw something at you guys here: the fouls Serge Ibaka and Derek Fisher committed on Shane Battier and James Jones were two of the worst fouls in NBA history.

Why?

1. The Heat are 3-23 on shots outside the paint in this game.

2. Battier and Jones were shooting three-pointers.

3. The Thunder were up nine and threatening to run away with the game.

Considering all that context, I think it’s hard to disagree.

VIDEO: Russell Westbrook Gets Possessed By Rajon Rondo

In the eyes of many, Russell Westbrook, no matter what he does, will never be a point guard. To those, Westbrook sent a message: if that's what people think now, let's see what they think after he copied the signature move of one of the NBAs ultimate pure point guards: Rajon Rondo.

As Chris Bosh jumped out to cut off Westbrook's path to the basket, Westbrook put the ball behind his back and faked the pass, giving him the lane he needed to get to the hoop. By now, most people don't get fooled by Rondo because he does it so often. Westbrook, on the other hand, has never done it, so Bosh ended up looking silly.

Scott Brooks Wears Hipster Glasses

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks normally doesn't wear glasses. This means one of two things.

• He had to adjust his contacts in the 15 minutes he was in the Thunder locker room during halftime.
• He wore them as an accessory.

Hard to believe it's the former, which means ... this hipster glasses trend has got to stop.

Thunder's Defense Has Made A Great Adjustment

In the first half, the Thunder did a poor job shutting off the paint, even though the Heat couldn’t hit a jump shot. That has changed, though, in the second half. On a early possession in the second half, all five Thunder defenders were below the free-throw line, forcing the Heat to shoot from the perimeter.

That adjustment is the key to the Thunder’s lead.

The Heat's Shot Chart Is Stunning

Crazy visual here from NBA.com’s John Schuhmann.

For those who aren’t visually inclined: the Heat are 3-22 outside the paint.

Heat Vs. Thunder Halftime Score: Somehow, Miami Up 47-46 Sans Jump Shooting

The Miami Heat have shot 3-22 from outside of the paint in the first half. Two of those three makes came from Shane Battier three-pointers in the final three minutes of the quarter. And yet, despite the fact that they haven't gotten anything going outside of layups and free throws, the Heat have created enough offense to have a 47-46 lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder at halftime of Game 3.

It's been a solid night so far for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who have 13 points apiece. It's been a considerably less effective night for James Harden, who has struggled with three points on 1-6 shooting. Kendrick Perkins has picked up a few easy buckets on offensive rebounds en route to eight points, but he's the only offense other than Durant and Westbrook to speak of. Not that this is irregular in any way.

LeBron James has been downright dominant on the night with 16 points, eight rebounds -- four of them offensive -- and two assists. Dwyane Wade's jump shot has been very poor, but he's still getting to the rack often enough that he has 11 points. Battier's been an unsung hero so far in his 16 minutes on the floor, playing great defense and making the only two shots that he's attempted.

The Thunder are in decent shape at the moment, down by just one point on the road with the best likely yet to come from Kevin Durant, but they're going to need to get some offense out of Harden and they're going to need to improve defensively in the second half. Sooner or later, the Miami Heat are going to hit some open jump shots. When they do, they're probably going to open up a lead.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Chris Bosh Can't Do Low Fives Either

Chris Bosh’s inability to complete high fives has been well documented on this site. You’d think a low five would be easier for him, a lay up of an assignment if you will. You’d be wrong.

If Mario Chalmers wanted to give Bosh a wrist-five, he probably would have said so beforehand.

Heat Will Need To Hit A Jumper At Some Point

Please note the bolded section on the right side of this screenshot.

That's from midway through the first quarter. That's also the only jump shot the Heat have made in the entire game. There are less than three minutes left in the first half.

Kevin Durant Makes Dwyane Wade Feel Small

Dwyane Wade is 6’4’’. That’s tall in almost every walk of life, but it’s not when guarding Kevin Durant. In case Wade forgot, here’s Durant to remind him after hitting a floater over Wade’s outstretched arm.

“Too small” appears to be what Durant was shouting. Short jokes are mean, KD. Wade’s probably going to go cry in his room now.

Norris Cole Doesn't Need To Play This Much

Backup point guard Norris Cole has played six minutes, and in those six minutes, his presence has hurt the Heat’s offensive flow. The Thunder are not guarding him much, and because of that, none of the other Heat players have as much room to operate. It’s especially odd to play Cole with Mario Chalmers; if the idea is to get LeBron James more rest, it’s better to play big with no point guard.

I get the idea of playing more guys to rest the stars, but there’s a smarter way for Erik Spoelstra to manage this.

Thunder Aren't Playing Intelligent Defense

I’m not wild with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s defensive game-plan. The Miami Heat are just shredding them in the paint, and I suspect a lot of it is because the Thunder are guarding the Heat too tightly on the perimeter and in pick-and-roll coverage. They have to lay off a little bit instead of trying so hard to pressure and trap.

To a certain extent, the Thunder are overreacting a bit to Shane Battier’s success in Games 1 and 2. When Battier was in the game, the Thunder were very scared to help off him. That led to more drives to the basket. A better strategy would have been to defend Battier the same way, guard the rim and assume Battier wouldn’t keep shooting 75 percent from three-point range.

Heat Vs. Thunder Score Update: Miami Leads 26-20 After One Quarter

The Oklahoma City Thunder spent seven minutes in the first quarter with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka on the floor at the same time, but the Miami Heat are winning the rebounding battle, and their points off offensive rebounds are a big part of why they have the lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat have five offensive boards and the easy baskets they've been gifted off of those have helped them to a 26-20 lead.

LeBron James has been downright masterful thus far with 10 points and five rebounds, including three offensive boards. The Big Three have worked very well together, as Dwyane Wade has picked up four points and four assists, while Chris Bosh has tallied six points and three rebounds.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have six points each after getting off to a rough start. They started a combined 0-4 before Westbrook made a jumper at 10-6 to get going. Oklahoma City's small lineup has looked a bit better than the big lineup and Durant is beginning to find his rhythm, but the Thunder need to solve the problem of giving up easy offensive boards, especially to James.

For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.

Stat Of The First Quarter

The Miami Heat have scored 24 points thus far on 11-22 shooting.

The Miami Heat have scored 22 points on 10-13 shooting in the paint.

The Miami Heat have scored two points on 1-9 shooting outside the paint.

Dwyane Wade Is Active

As we noted before Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade is a much better player when he remembers to keep himself moving when he doesn’t have the ball. So far, so good. Call it fearlessness, call it a return to health, call it whatever you want; Wade is moving without the ball in Game 3 in much the same way he did in Game 2.

Heat Back To Switching Screens Defensively

If you’re pulling for the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals, you have to like the start defensively. The Thunder have only four early points, and while some of their shots have been decent looks, they’re being shot by the wrong players at the wrong time.

One reason: the Heat have gone back to switching off-ball screens. The strategy failed in Game 1, so they scrapped it for Game 2. Now, they’re back to doing it again, and the Thunder haven’t made them pay. Even with Chris Bosh switched onto Kevin Durant, the Thunder couldn’t score.

I’m a bit skeptical this will work for the rest of the game, but it is definitely working thus far.

Here Is Scott Brooks' Game Face

It looks like the face of someone who had one too many drinks last night.

NBA Finals 2012, Heat Vs. Thunder Game 3: Scott Brooks Not Changing Starting Lineup

On Saturday, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook told the media he wasn't going to make "no adjustments" after a dismal Game 2.

Sunday, while briefly addressing the media before Game 3 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks ostensibly said the same thing.

"It hasn't even crossed my mind to change the starting lineup," said Brooks when asked if he would shake up his team's starting lineup. "We're pretty good."

While maybe not a real story -- instead simply someting conjured up my media members needing to file stories and fill air time for two off days -- some have wondered if now would be a good time to insert James Harden into the starting lineup and bring Kendrick Perkins off the bench.

On one hand, the Heat have outscored the Thunder by 18 points during the 2012 NBA Finals when Perkins is on the floor. On the other is the argument of team chemistry; Brooks has started the same five players during the entire 2012 NBA Playoffs and the Thunder have won 13 of 17 playoff games.

Regardless of who wins or loses Sunday's game, if the Thunder do get off to another slow start, the argument to sit an offensively challenged Perkins for a top scorer in Harden could be a bit easier to make.

Follow all the Game 3 action with our NBA Finals 2012: Thunder vs. Heat StoryStream. For the latest fan perspective, check out our Heat blog, Peninsula is Mightier.

PHOTO: Heat Have Curious Shirt Giveaway For NBA Finals Game 3

To reach the 2012 NBA Finals, the Thunder ran over the last three Western Conference champions, a trio of organizations which own 10 out of the last 13 NBA titles.

Meanwhile, the Heat reached the Finals only after allowing the Knicks to win their first postseason game since 2001, trying just hard enough against the Pacers, and escaping in seven games against the elderly Celtics.

What I'm saying is, it would make sense for the Thunder to celebrate their road to the Finals. Instead, we get this:

(via Instagram)

These are the shirts Miami is handing out for Game 3 on Sunday night. I wonder if it comes with a red sharpie so Heat fans can DIY at home if Miami wins the title.

Of course, this is only the second most puzzling Social Media x Heat story today. Someone please tell me why this is the cover photo on the Heat's official Facebook page. I can see the shirt now:

James
&Wade
&Bosh
&Curry
&Chalmers
&Harris
&Jones

Follow all the Game 3 action with our NBA Finals 2012: Thunder vs. Heat StoryStream. For the latest fan perspective, check out our Heat blog, Peninsula is Mightier.

Igniting Dwyane Wade: How The Heat Star Improved His Play In Game 2

Why did Dwyane Wade's production improve in Game 2 of the NBA Finals? Here are three things the Heat need to replicate in order to get another big performance from their second superstar.

Russell Westbrook: 'I'm Not Making No Adjustments'

The farther the Oklahoma City Thunder go in the NBA playoffs, it seems the more criticism Russell Westbrook draws for being a score-first point guard. Despite finishing with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and leading the Thunder's comeback in the third quarter, he shot just 10-26 and was a key player in his team falling down 18 points to the Miami Heat -- a deficit that apparently was just too large to overcome.

The same chorus was bandied about during last year's Western Conference Finals, when Westbrook dominated the ball for long stretches while Kevin Durant, the league's leading scorer, stood idly by. There was speculation the two weren't getting along off the court — luckily that has stopped, as the two seem closer than most teammates in the league — but it was clear something wasn't clicking again.

After dropping Game 2, Westbrook is hearing the same criticism as last year, but he's championing the #LetWestbrookBeWestbrook movement that has surfaced around the NBA blogosphere during Thunder playoff games. This is what he said during Saturday's media session in Miami (quoted from Boston.com):

"I'm not making no adjustments,'' Westbrook said. "Regardless of what anybody says or regardless of what you guys say about how I play. It doesn't matter. I'm going to play my game regardless of what happens. I'm going to go out and give 110 percent and try to find a way to help us win the game.''

And, despite all the criticism, that's the right attitude. Westbrook was an All-NBA player this year and is one of the few players in the league capable of averaging 23.8 points, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals a game. He routinely throws down devastating dunks that have enormous impact on crowds both home and away, and, without his scoring mentality, the Thunder would have just one scorer in their starting lineup, which simply isn't enough.

Keep doin' you, Russ. You'll be fine, and so will your team.

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.

NBA Finals 2012, Heat Vs. Thunder Game 3: Game TIme, TV Schedule And More

The Miami Heat tied the NBA Finals 1-1 with a Thursday night win and now the Oklahoma City Thunder head to South Beach to try to steal a road game in the series.