NYKBocker wrote:OKC lost because they did not hit their FTs and some dubious calls.

And bad turnovers down the stretch, and a wide-open missed 3 by Westbrook, and Brooks resting Westbrook in the 3rd when Durant went to the bench with 4, and fouling 3 point shooters on consecutive plays. Seriously, this had little to do with the refs and more to do with OKC not executing....

RonRon wrote:

Uptown wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:OKC lost because they did not hit their FTs and some dubious calls.

And bad turnovers down the stretch, and a wide-open missed 3 by Westbrook, and Brooks resting Westbrook in the 3rd when Durant went to the bench with 4, and fouling 3 point shooters on consecutive plays. Seriously, this had little to do with the refs and more to do with OKC not executing....

how many times did Lebron push off on that one play alone, all of which are offensive fouls.
My point, is Lebron and Dwade get superstar treatment.

You do as much as breath on them and those 2 will get a foul call, while they can do many things like travel, push off, and while getting all the 50/50 calls.
For the play in which Sefelosha stripped Dwade and Dwade almost blocked him on the fastbreak, if it was Wade or Lebron, I have no doubt that they would get a And1....

At best you don't put Lebron on the line for that phantom call on the flop by Harden, but Lebron did push off a couple times in that 1 play alone.
This is not how you want to end a game, with a BS call like that.
This is the same arguement for the reason why Durant did not get the call on by Lebron in game 3.
Lebron made 3 fouls in these last seconds in game 2 and game 3 that went the Heat's way.
They both get calls that go there way in which are not consistent towards OKC.

Can you honestly tell me that Lebron and Wade are not getting "BS fouls" and "Star Treatment" throughout the series?
A few of those fouls Durant was called for weren't even fouls to get him in foul trouble.

Sure, OKC did mess up in much other areas that could have decided the game, but how can you defend Lebron and Wade with their strength/athleticism, mixed in with their ability to do offensive fouls with no calls, and them consistently getting the 50/50 calls?

Simple
its called MR David Sterns NBA
like him or not the HEAT get the MJ effect in calls, at least Jordan earned a few

But fact in matter is there is no way to win if you cant beat em' (refs) join em
Like OKC says they learn to beat SA by watching them and playing the same way

The heat play hard & maybe dirty but a great defensive team with their sour often boring offense
If OKC want to imitate they need to get aggressive like the heat go to hoop like Miami,
get some fouls drawn and stop the 3pt happy , 2pt happy jumpers or short pullups which is most of
their offensive game.

You're not gonna beat Miami until you figure out whom OR how to get others in foul trouble
this aint very difficult logic ya know?

I aint talking bout LBJ or WADe they get calls you start at the other guys, the Battier's, Haslem
Chalmers and rest of HEAT. You start to force miami to have less to rely on those guys where it
becomes D-Wade or LBJ or bust.

Skinny Durant is great and Thin Westbrook gonna be a star but if you're not doing the smart things
in basketball games and adjusting to what is happening with calls or on the floor then you're not
learning a thing.

Sure OKC got bad calls
SO WHAT!

They got more talent and havent done a thing to throw Heat a wrench in their comfort zone.
Ya know what too ? All these games are still close as poor as OKC is executing and relying on
their big 3 for hail mary shots and 1 and 1 play

Uptown wrote:This game had nothing to do the with the Ref's. OKC and Brooks blew it. Up 7-10pts, and Durant going to the bench with his 4th foul, why did Brooks take Westbrook out aswell? Harden was struggling and he needed another offensive player on the floor. The last 4 min stretch of the 3rd Q is why OKC lost. They fouled 2 three point shooters in a row (bonehead plays) and had trouble generating offense.

Also, why isn't anyone mentioning how the best freethrow shooting team in the league is choking at the line. OKC missed 9 from the line last night. Miami has been awful at the line all playoffs but they have been sinking everything from the line ion the finals. Also, Westbrook had a 3 point shot in the air with a chance to tie and clanked it. Thabo threw it away on the in bounds pass; game over. I know most everyone hates the Heat but at least look at the game a little objectively....

I agree, this game wasn't decided by the refs, more about OKC looking like a young team for a change. LeBron played better in the closing minutes. Nothing remarkable, but that wasn't needed anyway, the game was already decided.

I do have a problem with a defender fouling not one but two defenders in the the closing seconds of a game (gm 2) and getting a pass. At least in the earlier stages of a game there is time to overcome a bad call, either by the ref, or the team that was penalized, erasing the mistake.

ALL that makes it impossible to guard Lebron and a VERY TOUGH JOB to defend Wade.

I do agree that they both play much smarter, than OKC, utilizing their team much more with great ball movement for quality shots.
Lebron and Wade are also both very sneaky and are always looking to put refs in a spot to draw contact and take a foul.
They switch speeds and use many pump fakes to probe how the defense will defend them.

Where as Westbrook and Durant, especially Westbrook, look to go always beat his man off the dribble with 1speed and taking the shot that is much more predictable, avoiding contact.
However, it is also fair to say that Westbrook does not get the same treatment as Miami does, in terms of getting the calls.
My point, is if Wade and Lebron have been getting BS calls their entire career, of course they will continue to do this that they are rewarded for.

OKC, has to move off the ball and not resort to go 1v1 with isolations and forcing penetration.
They are much too predictable vs Miami's defense.
Miami is very quick on the feet with the ability to recover very fast.
I think they get away with many fouls playing that aggressive style though.
Much like how Carmelo Anthony prefers to play, using Iso's, except OKC is 10x more talented than Melo and the rest of our team.

I think they need to run real plays, in which all players on the court know who are the options in the play, what the decoys must draw their defender out of the play, and the rest can crash for the rebound at the appropriate time.They need to attack the defense and make them make a mistake with the element of surprise.
Miami's defense know's whenever Durant touches the ball, he will try to score, whenever Westbrook touches the ball, he will most likely try to penetrate, anyone else aside from Harden are not good handlers that can take much pressure from handling the ball.
They do not run plays, set screens away from the basketball, and move off the ball.
Sometimes cut in, let the guys in the baseline move back up, and use all players as threats.
They need to move the basketball and have players movement off the ball, so everyone gets to touch the ball before a basket attempt.
This way, all the players on OKC will get a feel on how they are being defended in different situations, reading how and what their defenders are giving them and how they can counter them with the correct move/play. Moving the basketball and moving off the ball is the key, making Miami's defense work much more harder and unable to predict how OKC will try to score. This series is far from over, but OKC has to reevaluate how they are playing, how the defense is guarding them, and how they will adjust and counter them back.
Winning this game today is very crucial, tieing the series at 2-2 or being down 1-3....