NBA Finals: Thunder drop third straight as Heat erase 17-point deficit
The Associated Press
Oklahoma City Thunder players Derek Fisher (left), Russell Westbrook (0), Kevin Durant (35) and James Harden (13) react during a break against the Miami Heat during the second half in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in Miami. The Heat won, 104-98.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost an absolute nailbiter 104-98 to the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
How the Thunder lost: Oklahoma City could not maintain a lead. After going up by as much as 17 points in the first quarter, the Thunder let Miami go on run after run until it was too late to recover.
Key stat: 24. The Thunder gave up 24 points to Heat guard Mario Chalmers. With guys like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade on the court, the Thunder can't give up that many points to a role player.
Key performer: Thunder guard Russel Westbrook. The Thunder point guard completely took the the game over in the fourth quarter, finishing with 43 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Key opponent: Heat guard Dwayne Wade scored 25 points in the game but his more impressive contribution was on defense late in the game. He made several clutch plays, including a block on a game-tying 3-point attempt by Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha.
What it means: The Thunder face elimination Thursday and since the Finals are in a 2-3-2 format, Oklahoma City will face its first elimination game in Miami.
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