Thunder vs. Heat: Game 3 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

After the 2012 NBA Finals left Oklahoma City tied at one game apiece, Game 3 would inevitably play a central role in determining the tone of this series.

That tone is certainly in the Miami Heat's favor after Sunday night.

The Thunder kept the game close through the first half, especially when compared to the sizable leads head coach Scott Brooks' club spotted Miami in the first two games of the series.

OKC even managed to build a lead in the third quarter until Kevin Durant was whistled for his fourth foul and sat out the last five minutes of the period. From there, the Heat claimed the lead and the momentum along with it.

Despite maintaining a seven-point lead in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, Miami's lead was cut to one point on a pull-up jumper from Russell Westbrook with 1:30 remaining in the game. After Chris Bosh hit two free throws to push the lead back to three points, the Thunder missed a couple of late-game opportunities, including misses from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Meanwhile, the combination of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored the final 15 points of the game. They've struggled at times to collectively fire on all cylinders, but those struggles have disappeared during the crucial junctures of Games 2 and 3.

The Thunder's own "Big Three" will look to put together a masterpiece of their own in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Video Highlights

LeBron James may not be the only guy using a hop-step these days, but he sure knows how to make it look good.

Kevin Durant didn't have his best game of the postseason, but he still found time to have some fun. He's not just a shooter.

Bosh is better off when he's not taking three-pointers, especially when he's doing this instead.

How is the rest of the world reacting?

Twitter Reaction 

Well, we all knew Kevin Durant was due to look like something short of a superstar, and ESPN's Marc Stein will be the first to note his all-too-human performance:

"

Durant was due for a fourth quarter where he did NOT make you think he'll own NBA for next 10 years. The foul trouble didn't help but ...

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 17, 2012"

But, while Kevin Durant may not have had one of his patented clutch fourth quarters, the mark he's left on this series is telling when you hear reactions like this from ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

"

Frankly, I'm surprised when Durant misses at this point

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 17, 2012"

Other than James Harden's subpar performance, it's hard to pin the blame on any particular member of OKC's roster. But, Derek Fisher did pull a head-scratcher after what has otherwise been a solid postseason from the veteran (via Tom Haberstroh):

"

That pull-up jumper in transition from Derek Fisher might be a fireable offense here in the Finals.

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) June 17, 2012"

Meanwhile, the Heat played yet another solid all-around game, but ESPN's John Hollinger isn't liking Dwyane Wade's attitude and effort:

"

Bosh was on Harden because Wade jogged back after he didn't get call. Uh-gain.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) June 17, 2012"

There were a number of reasons Miami won this game. If the low score wasn't already a give-away, ESPN's Ric Bucher notes how the Heat slowed the pace of the game:

"

That handbrake the Heat were looking for? Found it at the FT line. Slowed pace, allowed rest and to get their D set. OKC spun out.

— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) June 17, 2012"

And, if there's still any doubt that LeBron James is overcoming his image as a supposed choker, HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy presents this factoid:

"

Entering this series, LeBron James had never scored more than 25 points in a Finals game. He has scored 30, 32 and 29 in this series.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 17, 2012"

Grades for Key Heat Players 

LeBron James: A-

Once again, LeBron's numbers would lead you to believe he's one of the best power forwards ever. That's pretty impressive given that's never qualified as a prototypical 4 by any stretch. The ever-versatile king scored 29 points and 14 rebounds to lead Miami to its second consecutive victory. It may not have been his most historic performance, but it was good enough for the win. 

Dwyane Wade: B

Wade got his points tonight—25 to be exact—but he didn't do so very efficiently, making eight of his 22 shots and turning the ball over five times. He helped make up for it with seven rebounds and seven assists, reminding everyone that he remains a pretty unheralded passer. 

Chris Bosh: C+

After having an outstanding Game 2, Bosh shot just 3-of-12 from the floor and scored only 10 points. His 11 rebounds were a plus, but Bosh didn't look nearly as aggressive as he did on Thursday night. On the other hand, he wasn't taking any three-pointers, so he's still a ways ahead of his Game 1 performance.

Grades for Key Thunder Players

 

Kevin Durant: B+

By Kevin Durant's standards, his 25 points and quiet fourth quarter may appear to be a massive failure. But, he still led his team in scoring and did so with an efficient 11-of-19 shooting night. It's pretty hard to blame him for the fourth foul that sent him to the bench in the third quarter. 

 

Russell Westbrook: B+

The good news for Westbrook is that he played a pretty efficient game, especially when compared to Game 2. The bad news is that his 19 points and four assists hardly qualify as an All-Star performance. His failure to create plays for his teammates was viral—OKC chalked up just 11 assists as a team. 

 

James Harden: C

After a fantastic 7-of-11 shooting performance in Game 2, Harden struggled mightily on Sunday night. He made just two of his 10 field-goal attempts, but his biggest mistake may have been fouling LeBron James unnecessarily with 16.2 seconds left to go in the game.