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Mar 3 '18
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Even without another scoring outburst from Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder easily handled Miami. Calvin Pryor Jersey .Westbrook had just 14 points -- 19 below his season average entering the game -- but the Thunder still beat the Heat 97-85 on Monday night.Enes Kanter had 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 10 of 12 in 21 minutes off the bench. Victor OIadipo scored 17 and rookie Domantas Sabonis had a season-high 15 points to go with 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City.Westbrook finished with 11 assists, and his control of the action helped the Thunder build a 22-point lead after three quarters. He didnt play in the fourth.Hes always looking for his teammates, Kanter said. Hes looking to score, but he knows that hes going to get double-teamed, triple-teamed. They cannot guard him. Theres no one guy in the league that can guard him 1-on-1. Hes making himself better, and hes making everybody else better on the team.Oklahoma City improved to 6-1, the best seven-game start for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.Miamis Hassan Whiteside, who entered averaging 20 points and 14.2 rebounds, finished with five points on 1-for-9 shooting and 12 rebounds.Westbrook said Thunder center Steven Adams played well against Whiteside.Steven did a good job of buckling down, using his size, using his ability to be able to use his body and his strength to match, Westbrook said.James Johnson led the Heat with 18 points. Miami shot just 36.9 percent from the field.You have to give them credit defensively, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Theyve shown this year theyre long, theyre athletic, they make multiple efforts.The Thunder led 55-47 at halftime, despite Westbrooks 2-for-10 shooting.The Heat chopped their deficit down to four before Westbrook went off. He converted a three-point play, a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer to spark a 20-0 run that put the game out of reach.Hes a great player, so hes going to have his fingerprints on the game one way or another, Spoelstra said. Its a matter of time, and you have to find a way as competitors to overcome all of that, and we didnt.---TIP-INSHeat: Former Thunder player Dion Waiters was cheered loudly during pregame introductions. He scored two points on 1-for-9 shooting. ... Whiteside had no points or rebounds in the first quarter. ... Double technicals were called on Kanter and Miamis Josh Richardson in the third quarter after an altercation. Heat C Willie Reed was called for a flagrant foul on Kanter late in the third quarter.Thunder: Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said before the game that reserve point guard Cameron Payne is healing from his broken right foot, but there remains no timetable for his return. ... Adams banged his right thumb in the first quarter, but returned to play with it wrapped.HEAT UNIFORMSThe Heat wore patches bearing the names of deceased military members on the front of their uniforms for the first time, a tribute that will continue for four more games. The Home Strong uniforms -- which have been worn before, without the soldier-name patches -- feature military insignia and patriotic symbols. Heat President Pat Riley founded the program to honor returning soldiers in 2006, and the franchise has been active with several veterans programs since. Its just a very small part that we can play in this, to let them know that their lives did have significance, Spoelstra said.QUOTABLEWestbrook on Sabonis performance: I was very, very happy for Domas. He stayed aggressive all night long. He missed some shots early, but he stayed consistent.STAT LINESThe Thunder held Miami to 7-for-24 shooting in the third quarter to take an 83-61 lead at the end of the period.UP NEXTHeat: Miami hosts former teammate Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Wade won three NBA titles with Miami. That will be a special moment, Spoelstra said. It means a lot to all of us, including myself. We know how to compartmentalize.Thunder: Faces one of the best teams in the East on Wednesday night when they host the Toronto Raptors.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Randall Telfer Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Sammie Coates Jersey . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http:///...saiah-crowell-jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. SAN ANTONIO -- Miami Heat owner Micky Arison had a message as he walked to the winning locker room. "The death of the Big Three was overrated," he said. Sure was. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, his three prized players, are just fine. So are the Heats championship hopes. Riding big performances from their three All-Stars, the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 109-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night in Game 4. "It was on our shoulders," James said. "We had to figure out how to win the game for us and play at the highest level. When all three of us are clicking were very tough to beat." James had 33 points and 11 rebounds after failing to break 20 points in any of the first three games of the series, and Wade scored 32 points, 11 more than his previous high this post-season. Bosh matched his playoff high with 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, he and Wade supplying the baskets that finally put the Spurs away for good midway through the fourth quarter. Three players, 85 points. Just the way the Heat envisioned it when they signed James and Bosh to play with Wade in 2010. "When Bosh, Wade and James score the way they did tonight and shoot it the way they did tonight, a team is going to have a difficult time if you help them like we did," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "When those guys are playing like that, you better be playing a perfect game." The Spurs werent, committing 19 turnovers that led to 23 points. And just like they have for the last five months, the Heat bounced back from a loss with a victory. They are 12-0 after defeats since Jan. 10, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 20 points in the previous 11 victories. Tim Duncan scored 20 points for the Spurs, who have one more game here on Sunday. They fell to 10-3 at home all-time in the finals, failing to back up their 113-77 victory in Game 3 that was the third-most lopsided score in the history of the championship series. James insisted he would be better after shooting 7 of 21 from the field with no free throws in that game, saying he was the star and it was his job to lead his team. He was 15 of 25 on Thursday. But while James -- and millions of critics worldwide -- wanted to pile all the pressure on the leagues MVP, it was Wade on Wednesday who said it was the Heats three All-Stars who had to lead them together, or there would be no championship. He was right. And now those championship hopes are right back on track. "It was all about myself, Chris and LeBron coming out and leading this team to a victory," Wade said. "The thing we talked about is we all have to make an impact in this game, somehow, some way." Wade shot 14 of 25, adding six steals, six rebounds and four assists in a performance that James compared to when Wade was MVP of the 2006 finals. Tony Parker had 15 points and nine assists for the Spurs, who made a finals-record 16 3-pointers on Tuesday but got up only 16 attempts in this one. Gary Neal scored 13 points and Danny Green had 10, solid nights but nothing like when they combined for 13 3-pointers two nights earlier. "They play very aggressive defence," Parker said. "They gamble and they take a lot of chances, and tonight it worked." The Heat guaranteed they will get at least one more game on their home floorr. Kasen Williams Jersey. Game 6 will be Tuesday night, where they could have a chance to celebrate a second straight championship. The revelry in south Florida was marred Thursday by an accident in which the deck behind a popular sports bar collapsed during the game, spilling patrons into Biscayne Bay. Miami Dade Fire Chief David Downey said 24 people were transported to area hospitals, and that two people were in serious condition. "We share our concerns for all that was injured at Shuckers restaurant," Wade said as he started his postgame news conference. Wade, battling right knee pain throughout the spring, helped the Heat put it away in the fourth quarter. He followed a basket with a steal and dunk, pushing the lead to 90-81, and after he made another jumper, Bosh scored the next six Heat points, taking the load off of James. "Were not going to put him on an island," Bosh said. "Hes never alone. Were out there with him." The Heat switched their lineup, inserting Mike Miller, who made 10 of his 11 shots, going 9 of 10 on 3-pointers, in the first three games of the series. They changed uniforms, too, switching from their road reds to their blacks. The only change they really needed was in the performances of their Big Three. James called it a "must-win" and it probably was: No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. And the way their three stars played, they couldnt lose. The Heat blocked shots, made stops, and occasionally flopped, playing with renewed aggression after what coach Erik Spoelstra called a "miserable" day of watching and analyzing their passive performance from Tuesday. They still havent lost two in a row since Jan. 8 and 10. Parker played through a strained right hamstring, shooting 7 of 16, but the Spurs couldnt match the Heats speed. After the teams traded blowouts in the previous two games, momentum swung wildly in a first half that ended tied at 49. San Antonio raced to a quick 10-point lead, fell behind by 10 with 7 minutes left in the half, then finished with an 11-2 spurt sparked by reserve Boris Diaw. Bosh dove for a dunk that came just after the buzzer, Spurs owner Peter Holt waving it off from his seat along the sideline. James rocked back and forth during the national anthem, a bundle of energy ready to get going. It took a few minutes after the game started, but he began playing with the speed and power that can make him unguardable, grabbing rebounds on defence and rushing the ball up the floor himself to get the Heat into their offence. He and Wade combined to make 10 of 11 shots and score 21 points in the first quarter, helping the Heat erase their early 10-point deficit to go ahead 29-26. Popovich even lit into Duncan during an early second-quarter timeout with Miami on its way to a 41-31 advantage, but the Spurs had it back to even by the time the teams headed to the locker room. Notes: Sebastien De La Cruz, an 11-year-old mariachi singer, sang the national anthem again after his Game 3 performance set off a barrage of racist tweets by what Popovich called "idiots." Popovich and Spoelstra congratulated him at midcourt after his performance, which earned him a rousing ovation. ... James passed Hakeem Olajuwon (3,755 points) and John Havlicek (3,776) to move into ninth place in career playoff scoring. James has 3,777. James has 3,777. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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