NBA Basketball Matchup: Thunder vs Heat
The Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat continue a five-game homestand on Wednesday when they host Western Conference leaders, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Date/Time: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Venue: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Broadcast: ESPN2
Spread: Heat -3
Over/Under: 197 -110
Oklahoma City, who clinched playoff berth Sunday, are 2½ games ahead of San Antonio for the top spot, saw its six-game winning streak snapped by Memphis on Monday when O.J. Mayo scored 22 points and hit a key 3-pointer in the final seconds to lift the Grizzlies to a 94-88 win.
The Thunder, shot a miserable 30.7 percent in the first half, but luckily went into the break only down 44-42 thanks to an advantage on the offensive glass and 12 forced turnovers.
Once again star forward Kevin Durant scored 21 points and Russell Westbrook added 19 to lead Oklahoma City (40-13), but it wasn’t enough.
In the meantime the Heat (37-14) are cruising, dominating opponents, especially at home where coming into Tuesday’s contest against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, were outscoring opponents by an average of 11 points during its 15-game run. Its longest streak since winning a franchise-best 18 in a row at home Jan. 23-April 6, 2005. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
LeBron James still leads the team with 26.5 points per game, while the remainder of Miami’s trio of terror of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, also continue to inflict their will on the opposition.
The Heat will be aiming to avenge its loss at Oklahoma City back on March 25, when Kevin Durant collected 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to help blowout Miami 103-87.
The loss broke Miami’s four-game winning streak at the time, and was a quite possible a sneak preview to a possible 2011 NBA Finals showdown.
Wade scored 22 points to lead Miami in that game with James, and Bosh accounting for 15.
However, the Heat committed 21 turnovers, and despite a late charge could never fully recover.
That first meeting can only be described as a fast-paced, high-energy battle, and leads me to lean towards a younger Thunder’s “Big Four” who averages 22.5 years of age.
Free Pick: Oklahoma City — Besides having the younger legs, Oklahoma City also showed maturity in their last bout with the Heat, and showed they are a team while Miami is a group.
If that remains, the Heat will lose this one.
