NBA Finals Game Four Betting Preview: Thunder Must Battle Back
The Miami Heat have been here before. Last season, the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals and held a 2-1 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks. Miami was unable to finish off the Mavericks, and fell in six games, causing critics everywhere to question whether the Heat were mentally tough enough to win a title.
This year, Miami again reached the finals, and they are now in a position to erase the blown series last season. Miami holds a 2-1 series lead against Oklahoma City, only this time they will have the comfort of playing games four and five on their home court.
The Heat have outplayed the Thunder at crunch time in games two and three, leading to the 2-1 series lead. LeBron James, who has been ridiculed heavily for his play in clutch situations, has been the best player on the court the entire finals' series, and he can go a long way towards changing public perception if he can win two more games in this series.
James has never won a championship, and is in the same boat as Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. Widely considered to be the best two players in the league, it has been James who has gotten the best of Durant through three games. Durant has been in foul trouble in two of the three games, and that has given Miami the advantage late in the fourth quarter.
Role players have also had a big impact on the series. Shane Battier is shooting over 70 percent from the three-point line, and has played an average of 40 minutes per game.
On the other side, the sixth man of the year, James Harden, has had a series to forget so far. Harden, usually an offensive force, has been shut down by Miami's perimeter defense, and if he does not play well in game five, it could signal the beginning of the end for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City has had little trouble in their run to the finals this playoff season. The Thunder dismantled the Mavericks and Lakers, before defeating San Antonio 4-2 in the conference finals. Oklahoma City was behind 2-0 in the Spurs series, before rallying for four straight wins.
Miami had an easy time with the Knicks in the first round, and then played a six game series with Indiana and a seven game series with Boston.
If Miami wins the next two games, they will avoid having to go back to play in one of the toughest arenas in basketball in Oklahoma City. The Thunder will try to win at least one game in Miami over the next three days, and then will try to close the series out at home.
June 19, 2012
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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