LeBron: We Need to Come out with a Sense of Urgency, It's Been an Uphill Battle

Following the loss Sunday night in Boston, the defending Eastern Conference Champions find themselves in a dead-lock at two games apiece headed back to Miami for Game 5 on Tuesday at 8:30/7:30CT.

James, fresh off the loss that put a blemish on the sterling 6-0 overtime record the franchise held in the playoffs, sat in the locker room in disbelief and annoyance but had the following to say in this video clip.

Muttering on about the 'lack of urgency on the team which has caused an uphill battle,' the verdict on why the Heat have started slow in Games 2, 3, and 4 is still out. Yes, having a simple psychological 'lack of urgency' could be the culprit, but for a team that made it to the NBA Finals last season and is loaded with Hall of Fame talent/leadership, the answer does not seem to be a satisfying one.

Having learned (or so we thought) from their mistakes of taking the Indiana Pacers lightly, along with a man that said the MVP award does not matter to him—at his own ceremony—but rather the only one that does is the NBA Championship, we should not be sitting here and pondering why Miami has failed time and again in the past two rounds. The same killer instinct that was on full regal display in the first round against the New York Knicks has all but vanished, leaving in its wake a Heat team that routinely has to scratch and claw their way back into games from seemingly insurmountable deficits.

Maybe their talent is also a curse. Reason being since they are fully aware that they are capable of making large comebacks, they tend to ease up on the gas pedal. But in doing so, they fail to show the desire for the 'mission' the team has been harping about.

Moreover, they should be quite aware that these are the Boston Celtics and they are playing with a fire because the writing is on the wall for the last dance. For the Miami Heat, it is almost as if although there has been much spew and venom in regards to the dismal performance from the referees in this series, they have come to the grim realization that the golden road paved to the NBA Finals will not have a red carpet rolled to South Beach—laced with whistles in tow.

No, there is no almighty elaborate scheme orchestrated by David Stern or the referees (in fact, it seems as if for every unscrupulous call on one end, they seem to in their own mind rectify it with a misguided call on the opposite side) but one has to wonder what has made Miami transform from the King of the Jungle ready to pounce out of the gate into a slumbering lion that awakens too late. 

True, Chris Bosh seems to be sorely missed, and while Udonis Haslem has admirably picked up the slack, he does not command the respect and attention like the All-Star forward does. There are reports that the Big 3 will be reunited for Game 5, but that is no excuse for the seemingly 'uphill battles' which have been avoidable. Miami, a team that is light years ahead of their opponents in raw athleticism, found themselves in the same formula they have been fiddling with since their Game 1 triumph—lackadaisical defense and poor shot selection. But whereas the Heat role players came through at home, playing on the road will show the true might of a bench.

But before any lambasting of reserves can be made, within five minutes into the first quarter of Game 4, Rajon Rondo had made a couple of layups and the Celtics had built a double-digit lead with multiple baskets from beyond the arc. Yes, this was on the starters.

Needless to say, even though Dwayne Wade has been hitting his regular season numbers, his level of intensity in the series has been sub-par for a player of his caliber. It was his time to shine in overtime, to show the world why Bosh and James had come to his team to play.

Mystifying calls aside, Miami is also making only 64.9 percent of their free throws compared to Boston's respectable rate of 74 percent. Both sides have missed big shots from the charity stripe (raise your hand if you held your breath after Rondo missed his first with 21.4 seconds left in the overtime) but one has to wonder: If James hit more than 50 percent of his free throws in Game 4, would it have enabled his team to a commanding 3-1 lead headed back home?

Miami Heat, it's once again time to put up or shut up. Not one person can be singled out but after holding serve up 2-0, Game 5 could be your last home game of the year. You've proven you can bring it in the latter stages of a game but let's see what you can do for the full 48. You know the Boston Celtics will be ready with the belief and momentum on their side.

Will you?