Mario Chalmers

Couper Moorhead

The Miami HEAT are 23-13, No. 4 in the Eastern Conference and 1.5 games back of first place. They are 3-0 in the past week, with wins over Orlando, Washington and Houston and one postponed game with San Antonio. Here’s what we’ve been noting and noticing.

The most under-appreciated player during Miami’s run of four-straight NBA Finals appearances was Chris Bosh. But since then Bosh has received plenty of flowers, some of them of the revisionist variety, and he has since entered the Hall of Fame. Mario Chalmers, on the other hand, was under-appreciated at the time and still is today, too often forgotten about as an integral piece of that run.

Chalmers never got a ton of press during those years, and somehow he became more well known for taking the brunt of his teammates’ ire when things weren’t going well on the court. That narrative never cast Chalmers in a fair light, and took positive attention away from a player who was often everything you could possibly ask for next to three big-name stars.

From a 2022 perspective, knowing everything we’ve learned about the game in the past decade, think about the type of player who would have been the perfect fit on those teams. You want someone who can shoot, no doubt. You want defense, preferably with a defender who has the length to help create turnovers in a defensive system that thrived on creating turnovers. And from the point guard spot you want someone who can run offense and give you a secondary pick-and-roll while not needing touches that would take away from what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were trying to do. Above all, you want someone who will show up in big games and add value during a deep postseason run.

That was Chalmers. The HEAT had that guy, all along. Yes, his passing could sometimes be an adventure and eventually role player additions like Shane Battier, Ray Allen and Chris Andersen would steal some of the shine available for those not bound for All-Star Weekend, but Chalmers was always there, filling the exact role the team needed with shooting and defense.

Everyone will have their own memories, but when we think about Chalmers two shots come to mind. The first might be obvious. In Game 7 of the 2013 Finals against the Spurs, Chalmers – after scoring 20 points on 11 shots in a fight-to-survive Game 6 – comes right down the middle of the floor with five seconds on the clock after a Manu Ginobili layup and hits a 30-foot three to give Miami a lead they would never relinquish.

The second was in a loss. Game 2 of the 2011 Finals against the Mavericks. The HEAT have blown their 15 points lead in the fourth quarter with seven minutes to go and Miami is down three after a Dirk Nowitzki triple. So, side out-of-bounds with James holding the ball, Chalmers cuts to the far corner, receives a perfect cross-court pass and drains a game-tying three right in front of Dallas’ bench. Nowitzki comes back down and wins it with a driving layup and all anyone remembers is the blown lead, but that always felt like Chalmers’ hero moment that was taken away from him. If the HEAT win that game, they go up 2-0 headed to Dallas for three games and the entire series might be different – not to mention that was the year Chalmers was playing well down the stretch of the regular season as a starter before missing six-straight games and losing that spot to Mike Bibby.

While he still holds the franchise record for threes in a game with 10, in a three-way tie with Brian Shaw and Duncan Robinson, Chalmers should be remembered for far more than that. We don’t know what the next week or so holds for him as far as playing time or a second contract after his current 10-day expires, but good to see a player get a moment like this – after an achilles tear knocked him out of the league – when he never really got the ones he deserved before.

Unlike the past two seasons, the HEAT have been a good fourth-quarter team this year, their plus-3.3 Net Rating in the period standing No. 8 in the league at the moment. So it’s not exactly a widespread issue when we say that there have been nights – twice against Utah, twice against Washington – when a big league shrunk to nearly nothing in the final minutes because the opposing side started to bomb away from three.

The thing about those stretches is Miami’s defense doesn’t really change or get worse when they happen, they happen almost specifically because Miami’s defense doesn’t change. When your defense is constructed to shut down driving lanes by bringing help off the perimeter, which leads you to surrender the highest three-point attempt rate in the lead, you’re always going to be susceptible to high-variance runs by the other side. And if you play like that with a big lead, you’re balancing on the edge of allowing a big run.

This is what Erik Spoelstra had to say after the Wizards closed to within six after trailing by 21 earlier in the fourth quarter this week.

“That’s a really good teaching point for our team. When you have a lead like that, our base coverage has to adjust. At that point, quick threes or overhelps that lead to threes, or turnovers going the other way can really change the momentum of a game pretty quickly. We are who we are, want to take away easy baskets, we want to protect the paint, but when you have a 15-point lead you do have to approach it a little differently. These are high-class things and teaching points that we can address from here.”

In other words, it’s OK to go conservative to protect a lead, to help less on two-pointers when it’s the home run shots that really threaten everything you’ve built. Just like how it’s OK for NFL teams to drop their defense back into prevent coverage, give up short five-yard gains on purpose just to prevent any deep passes. When the clock is on your side, accept the help.

So when Houston closed another big lead to five with 4:41 to play off a Jae’Sean Tate three, here’s how Spoelstra said he thought his team responded this time, when Miami didn’t allow another Rockets three the rest of the way.

“Defensively I thought we flattened them out a little bit. We defended the three-point line better. And that’s make or miss, they could make some of those shots but we were there, at least, it was different. It didn’t feel like those were wide-open threes in the last three minutes.”

End of the day it’s always a better thing to have a big lead than not, but the defense that got you there isn’t always the best defense to keep you there.

If we were to rank the improvements that Tyler Herro made this past offseason, with regard to how much attention they receive, it probably goes 1. Scoring 2. Playmaking 3. Strength Training (a heavy storyline earlier in the season). His improved handle deserves to be somewhere in there.

Tightening up a handle is not something that can easily be quantified. Sometimes it shows up in in a lower turnover percentage, but Herro’s role has expanded so much that the higher turnover totals that have come with it make sense. Usually, you just have to eyeball it and just about anyone who has watched Herro this season will probably notice a dribble combination or two that he simply wouldn’t have been able to pull off in his first two years. You notice it when he gets to shots like these…

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Tyler Herro Tight Handle

…with the I-go-this-way-you-go-that-way crossovers. Herro has always had good footwork, and his improved first-step burst has as much to do with a live dribble working in tandem with those light feet as it does not skipping leg day. But where Herro has most often found his advantages are in hesitations, in the moments between dribbles when he’s trying to mask his intentions. It’s the hang dribble, the pause between either a drive or a pull-up shot, that can be Herro’s greatest weapon.

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Tyler Herro Hang Dribbles

“It definitely helps a lot,” Herro said. “We spent almost the whole summer working on my handle. I feel like with my handle I can get to any spot on the floor at any time. It’s definitely tightened up and allowed me to be more efficient.”

At Herro’s size, you don’t reach a 29 percent usage rate without a confident and functional handle. We won’t be able to put clean-cut numbers to it, but his improvement with the ball in his hands has as much do with his success today and the success he’ll have tomorrow as anything else.

Much has been made of the fluctuating three-point percentage of Duncan Robinson this season, which hit a low point on December 1 when it dropped to 32 percent on nine deep attempts per game. In 13 games since that date, he’s back to 40 percent on eight attempts – right in line with where he was last year. All shooters go through slumps, and it appears Robinson is on the other side of his.

What hasn’t been discussed as much is Robinson’s actual impact on the floor. While his on-off court numbers are predictably down given the shooting slump, the same for his handoffs, there’s one area that sticks out. When Miami gets Robinson in a closeout situation, meaning a catch-and-shoot opportunity where a defender has to run at Robinson, the HEAT are generating 1.25 points-per-possession – a number that includes Robinson’s shots, his drives and scores off any passes he makes. Of the 58 players with at least 200 closeouts this season, with Jae Crowder leading the league with 299, Robinson is No. 6 with his efficiency – just below Seth Curry and right above Patty Mills.

Robinson has always taken some of, if not the, toughest threes in the league. That comes with the territory when a team can rely on you to fly off screens and encourages you to shoot even when contested, but good things have still been happening when Miami gets him an added-value look. Even with the slump factored in, Robinson is shooting 41 percent on his wide-open threes.

-Entering Friday’s game in Houston, Haywood Highsmith had hit one single three-pointer in 40 minutes of NBA action. In his first 15 minutes playing for Miami, he went a perfect 3-of-3.

-In his 23 minutes on Friday, Kyle Guy tied his career-highs in points (17) and made threes (4), approached his career highs rebounds and assists and set a new career-high with three steals. As they say, stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.

-Miami finished December shooting 40.2 percent from three (No. 2 behind Chicago) on 38 attempts per game, for an average of 15.3 made threes per game. Their 229 total made threes was not only a franchise record, it blew the previous record for a single month (199) out of the water and is the 22nd most made threes in a single month in league history.

-Jimmy Butler’s 15 assists against Washington earlier this week was a career-high. Eight of those assists were to Duncan Robinson, which prompted a double-take from Butler (who seemed to be doing the math in his head when given that information) during post-game media. Butler’s 37 points in Houston were also a season-high.

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Coup's Notebook Vol. 9: Memories Of Mario, Prevent Defense, Herro's Hang Dribble And Closing Out Duncan

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Christmas Day is kind of a big deal in the NBA.

Year after year, the league puts on a slate of marquee matchups for everyone to enjoy, and the HEAT are no stranger to that.

In fact, Miami has quite the history on the holiday, going 10-2 (.833) on Xmas, which is the best winning percentage in the league (minimum of 10 games).

The HEAT’s last appearance on Christmas Day was in 2015, a 94-88 overtime victory over the Pelicans, the team they’ll be facing this year at noon once again.

So, with Miami back in the fray, it seems like a good time to take a look at the five best Christmas Day games in HEAT history in no particular order.

Dunk Fest – 2013 HEAT at Lakers (Honorable Mention)

Ok, well, I lied. There are going to be six because it felt wrong to leave this one off.

Kobe Bryant missed this game due to a fractured left knee, but the Big 3 didn’t take L.A. lightly at all.

Who could forget these superb alley-oops from Dwyane Wade to LeBron James?

Despite that, the Lakers kept things close throughout, but 65 combined points from Chris Bosh (23, 10 straight at one point in the second quarter), Wade (23, a game-high eight in the fourth) and James (19) proved to be too much to overcome, as the HEAT won 101-95.

This one doesn’t really need an introduction.

It was Shaq and Kobe’s first time going up against each other after the duo created a dynasty with the Lakers in the early 2000s.

And they wasted little time to get going, as O’Neal blocked Bryant on the opening possession. Of course, Bryant wasn’t deterred and kept on coming, while O’Neal responded in kind with jams like this:

Even though O’Neal and a young Wade paced Miami in the first half, Eddie Jones and Udonis Haslem also made some big-time contributions.

Bryant kept the Lakers ahead thanks to 13 points in the third, but O’Neal dominated on both ends in the fourth before fouling out. And after Wade missed what would have been the game-winner at the end of regulation, he made amends with four points in overtime, including the bucket that put the HEAT ahead for good.

Wade ended up with a team-high 29 points, a game-high 10 assists, three boards, two steals and a block. O’Neal, on the other hand, amassed 24 points, a team-high 11 boards (tied with UD), three assists and a game-high three blocks.

Making A Statement – 2010 HEAT at Lakers

With this being the first year of the Big 3, the hoopla surrounding the team was unprecedented. After starting off the season 9-8, the HEAT had won 13 of 14 entering this tough matchup against Bryant, Pau Gasol and the defending champs.

From the start, James, Wade and Bosh made a statement and raced out to a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never looked back.

Wade and Bosh connected on this powerful slam in the first quarter…

…and James knocked down a couple treys in the third to put the finishing touches on a 96-80 blowout victory.

James recorded a triple-double with a game-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-6 from deep, 11 boards, a game-high 10 assists and a game-high four steals. Bosh tallied 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting, a game-high 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, and Wade totaled 18 points, six assists, five boards, one steal and one block.

A little over six months after losing to the Mavs in the 2011 NBA Finals, the HEAT opened the season in Dallas and exacted sweet revenge.

Miami capitalized on turnovers early and often, as it led 62-41 at the break and made plays in transition like this:

The onslaught just continued in the third quarter…

…and the HEAT cruised to a 105-94 victory.

Miami racked up nine steals and six blocks, scored 25 points off 17 Dallas turnovers and held the Mavs to a paltry 37.8 percent shooting.

James led all players with 37 points (the most he’s ever scored on Christmas Day) on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and 15-of-19 from the stripe, 10 boards, a game-high six assists (tied with Wade), two steals and a game-high two blocks. Wade had 26 points, eight rebounds, his aforementioned game-high six assists, one steal and one block, while UD grabbed a game-high 14 boards and scored nine points off the bench.

Another Finals Rematch – 2012 Thunder at HEAT

Thanks to some stout defense early on and a quick start from Mario Chalmers, Miami got out to an early 15-3 advantage and led 27-24 after one.

James kept the pedal to the metal with 13 points in the second quarter, including this monster put-back jam over Serge Ibaka…

…but Kevin Durant answered with 25 points in the second half after missing much of the first half due to foul trouble.

And as things got chippy in the fourth, Miami maintained its composure and executed this perfect play to go up 98-95 with 25.5 seconds remaining…

…and got stops on the other end to seal the deal.

When it was all said and done, James, Wade, Chalmers and Bosh combined for 86 points in a thrilling 103-97 dub.

With Bosh out due to blood clots on one of his lungs, this was one of those old-fashioned duels between D. Wade and LBJ.

Naturally, the two friends went back and forth throughout, but Wade had the upper hand early on with 24 points in the first half.

As a result, Miami led by as many as 17 points, but James and company stormed back to take a brief lead in the fourth.

From there, Chris Andersen, Luol Deng and Danny Granger made some clutch plays to put the Cavs away for good and earn a 101-91 victory.

Wade finished with a game-high 31 points, five boards and five assists. Deng had 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, a team-high eight rebounds (tied with Andersen) and a game-high eight assists (tied with James).

These are all tough acts to follow, but we’ll see what transpires this time around.

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The 5 Best Christmas Games In HEAT History

Of all the rivals the HEAT had during the Big 3 era, perhaps none were as pesky as the Pacers.

For three straight years, Miami and Indiana went to battle in some fierce playoff games that featured scuffles, altercations and everything in between. But of course, the HEAT would go on to win all three series.

Among them, the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals was particularly intriguing. After overcoming injuries to defeat the Pacers in six games in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the HEAT were in for another arduous task against an Indiana team seeking revenge.

Let’s take a look at how Miami opened and closed the 2013 ECF below.

In what turned out to be a microcosm of the entire back-and-forth series, there were a whopping 18 ties and 17 lead changes. (Some games weren’t that close, but each team alternated wins.)

Game 1 wasn’t always pretty, though, as turnovers plagued both teams from the start. Per usual, LeBron James took advantage in the first quarter, but the frontcourt duo of David West and Roy Hibbert feasted inside and helped the Pacers take a 42-37 lead at the break.

Then James and Bosh went to work in the third to go up a couple times before entering the fourth down a point.

And early in that fourth quarter, Chris Andersen provided a spark with six quick points, including this finish at the rim after swatting Lance Stephenson:

The fan favorite ended up with a playoff career-high 16 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting, five boards, three blocks and a steal.

But again, Indiana stayed neck and neck with Miami, and Paul George eventually hit a deep three with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to force OT.

As you’d expect, that overtime period was an absolute slugfest reserved for competitors only.

Shortly after Bosh converted this important put-back and ensuing free throw to swing momentum…

…James made the last two buckets for the HEAT and finally finished off the Pacers with this blow-by drive and layup to win it 103-102:

Erik Spoelstra deserves some credit for that ATO play, too.

“Coach drew up a good play, and I told myself I was going to attack,” James said after the game. “I had two-plus seconds to get to the rim, and I was able to convert the last one.”

James recorded a triple-double with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting, a team-high 10 rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and three blocks.

Bosh, meanwhile, had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, two boards, two blocks and an assist, and Wade tallied 19 points (10 in the fourth quarter and overtime period combined) on 9-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, five assists, a team-high three steals and a block.

Before we get into Game 7, how about we quickly summarize Games 2-6?

Indiana bounced back in Game 2 behind PG and Hibbert, then Miami blew out the Pacers in Game 3 thanks to five double-figure scorers, including Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers. And once Indiana evened up the series in Game 4, Haslem came through again in Game 5 before the Pacers took Game 6.

Told you the series went back and forth until the very end.

Indiana got off to a quick start in the opening period, but they didn’t know what hit ‘em in the second quarter.

The HEAT outscored the Pacers 33-16 in the frame to take a 52-37 advantage at halftime, as James did his usual damage and Ray Allen caught fire from deep.

From there, Miami continued to put the clamps on Indiana (the Pacers shot just 40.6 percent from the field), and Wade and James remained the aggressors on offense.

Naturally, James led all players with 32 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 15-of-16 from the line, eight boards, four assists, two steals and a block, whereas Wade accumulated 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe, a game-high nine rebounds, two steals, one assist and a block in the series-clinching 99-76 victory.

Much of the second half was a celebration akin to the waning minutes of the 2012 Finals, as all the Pacers could do was watch the HEAT move on to yet another Finals and eventually their third championship.

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Looking Back On The 2013 ECF Between The HEAT & Pacers

It’s funny how two simple words can embody such a memorable time.

From Feb. 3, 2013 – March 25, 2013, the HEAT won 27 straight games and ranked first in both net rating (12.9) and true shooting percentage (59.9).

The Big 3 was at the peak of its powers, and a strong supporting cast of Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen made things even tougher for the opposition.

In other words, Miami essentially ran roughshod through the league for a month and a half.

Before catching every game of the run on FOX Sports Sun starting on Tuesday, let’s go through some of the best moments below.

Feb. 12, 2013 vs. Blazers – The King Of Efficiency

With the HEAT entering this one winners of five straight and LeBron James on the cusp of making history (more on that in just a bit), the Blazers came to town looking to play spoiler. And Portland, powered by LaMarcus Aldridge and rookie Damian Lillard, almost did just that.

After leading by as many as 14 in the second quarter and then relinquishing their lead, the Blazers continued to hang in there and actually took a 102-101 advantage with 4:38 left. But as usual, Miami answered with a 16-2 run to close out the game and earn their sixth-straight victory.

And while everyone contributed in the win (Chris Bosh led the HEAT with 32 points and 11 rebounds and Dwyane Wade finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists), the night belonged to James.

Thanks to his 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting, James became the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points and shoot at least 60 percent from the field in six-straight games.

“[I’m at a] loss for words,” James said after the game. “Like I say over and over, I know the history of the game. I know how many unbelievable players have come through the ranks and have paved the way for me and my teammates. And for me to be in the record books by myself with such a stat, any stat, it’s big time. And it’s a tribute to…my teammates allowing me to do that, my coaching staff putting me in positions to succeed, and I just try to go out and do it.”

Oh yeah, it was also Miami’s 1,000th regular season victory.

Feb. 26, 2013 vs. Kings – Whatever It Takes

Although the Kings came into the contest at 19-38, they played like anything but a sub-.500 team in this one. In particular, Marcus Thornton caught fire with 12 points in the second quarter and helped Sacramento take a narrow two-point lead into the break.

Luckily enough, Wade and James cooked the Kings with regulative ease and pretty much got whatever they wanted. And when Miami took a nine-point advantage with 4:01 left in the fourth, it seemed to be over.

Rather, Thornton and a young DeMarcus Cousins led the charge on a 16-7 run to force OT.

Wade missed what would have been the game-winner at the end of regulation and then Bosh followed in kind in the first OT.

The HEAT buckled down in the second OT and outscored the Kings 17-5 in the final frame to win it 141-129.

James amassed a game-high 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 from the line, a game and then career-high 16 assists, eight boards, two steals and a block, while Wade had 39 points on 19-of-28 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.

In large part due to the Big 3, Miami raced out to 55-40 halftime lead and seemed to be well on their way towards an easy win.

Nikola Vučević spearheaded a comeback in the third, and both he and Jameer Nelson helped Orlando take a 91-87 lead with 5:03 left in the fourth.

James wasn’t having any of it, though, as he scored seven of the HEAT’s final 10 points, including the game-winning layup…

…to finish with a game-high 26 points and escape with a 97-96 victory.

March 18, 2013 at Celtics – Making History

Alright, so, you likely remember this game for…

But this battle with the Celtics had more to offer.

Boston started off red hot from the field and were paced by Jeff Green’s 26 points at the half. And even though Green would continue his onslaught into the third quarter (he finished with a career-high 43 points), James, Chalmers and Wade kept the HEAT within striking distance.

And after a big three by Rio in the fourth was answered by Avery Bradley, James made Miami’s last two buckets…

LBJ tallied 37 points (a game-high 13 in the fourth) on 16-of-29 shooting, a game-high 12 assists, seven boards, two steals and two blocks. Chalmers, meanwhile, ended up with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

As a result, the HEAT surpassed the Rockets for the second longest single-season winning streak in NBA history.

March 20, 2013 at Cavaliers – The Comeback

Two nights later, Miami found itself in yet another dogfight.

This time around, though, they had to climb out of a huge deficit against the Cavs.

In fact, the HEAT fell behind by 27 points with 7:44 left in the third. But after Bosh and Battier closed the gap and ended the period on a high note, James took over the reins and went off for a game-high 14 points in the fourth.

As part of that explosion, James scored 11 straight points for Miami to give his team a lead it would never relinquish.

Of course, Allen and Chalmers also hit some vital treys to keep the HEAT ahead and extend their winning streak.

That sharpshooting duo combined for 27 points on 6-of-12 shooting from downtown, whereas James recorded a triple-double with 25 points, 12 boards and 10 assists (all of which were game-highs).

“We had to dig deep for this one,” James said after the game. “…every team is going to give us a good shot. No matter their record, no matter who’s out on the floor, we’re going to get their best. And we should enjoy [and] embrace that because it picks up our level of intensity as well.”

By responding to every team’s best shot during the streak, the HEAT forged the mental toughness required to eventually become back-to-back NBA champions.

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5 Best Contests From The HEAT’s 27-Game Winning Streak

Coming off the disappointment of the 2011 NBA Finals, the HEAT entered the 2012 season determined to make amends.

And even though the team would have to wait a little longer to get going due to the lockout, they kicked off the season with a 105-94 win over the Mavs on Christmas Day and never looked back. In particular, LeBron James had one of the most efficient years of his career and eventually won his third MVP award.

After going through some grueling playoff battles with the Pacers and Celtics (mostly without Chris Bosh), Miami got back to the Finals and matched up with the young and supremely talented Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite the wealth of experience on the HEAT’s roster, the Thunder were the favorites to take the title. And OKC showed why with a 105-94 victory in Game 1 behind Kevin Durant’s 36 points.

The Thunder’s success would be short lived, though.

Before catching Games 2–5 on FOX Sports Sun starting on Tuesday at 6PM,  let’s take a look at how the HEAT rose from the ashes to win four straight games and the 2012 NBA championship.

Not wanting to go down 2-0, Miami came out with a sense of urgency and raced out to an 18-2 lead. Naturally, James rallied the troops, but Dwyane Wade, Bosh and Shane Battier also made their presence felt and helped the HEAT take a 55-43 advantage at the break thanks to stout defense and buckets in transition.

And while that quartet continued to make noise in the third, Durant and Russell Westbrook answered nearly every time.

Then things got really crazy in the fourth, as Durant and Russell kept the pedal to the metal and cut the HEAT’s lead to 94-91 with 1:47 left.

After a dunk by Bosh shortly thereafter, KD then came back to get OKC within two and had a chance to tie it with 9.9 seconds left.

However, James forced Durant into a miss and then sank a pair of free throws to hold on and escape with a wire-to-wire 100-96 victory.

James led Miami with 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field and a perfect 12-of-12 from the line, eight boards, five assists and a steal, while Wade had 24 points (seven in the fourth) on 10-of-20 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and a block.

Bosh notched a huge double-double with 16 points and 15 boards (seven offensive), and Battier finished with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep.

It took a lot to hand the Thunder their first home loss of the 2012 Playoffs, but the HEAT got the job done.

Although Miami led for most of this game, things were much closer than Game 2.

In fact, there were 10 lead changes and eight ties in this one, as both teams went back and forth all evening.

Once James Harden converted a difficult layup to put OKC up 77-76 with 7:32 left, the HEAT went on a 10-2 run to give them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Of course, two tough and-ones by Wade and James, respectively, were part of the flurry.

Later, Westbrook hit a pull-up jumper to get the Thunder within one, but each member of the Big 3 drilled free throws to keep Miami ahead and eventually win it 91-85.

Once again, James led the way with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from the line, a game-high 14 rebounds and three assists.

Wade also played well and ended up with 25 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the floor and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe, a game-high seven assists, seven boards and two steals.

“It was good to see us execute down the stretch,” James said after the game. “But more importantly, it’s great to see that we were able to get stops. That’s where the game is won, and we did that.”

With the HEAT ahead 2-1, it was time to put a stranglehold on the series.

But the Thunder would not go down lightly.

Thanks to the brilliance of Westbrook and Durant (who else?), OKC jumped out to a 33-19 advantage after one. Still, Miami climbed back as usual and tied it at 35 with 7:57 left in the second quarter. Overall, this was the closest game in the series, as there were 12 lead changes and eight ties before the night was done.

What’s more, Wade and James had to dig deep and respond to adversity to keep the pressure on the Thunder. Wade hit the deck hard after getting blocked in the second quarter, while James fought through leg cramps in the fourth.

Speaking of Wade and James, the duo connected on this awesome play early in the third:

Westbrook and Durant just kept on coming, though, and OKC went up 94-92 with 4:21 left to play.

Wade and Bosh then linked up on a pick-and-roll before James, limping from leg cramps, hit this clutch three from the top of the key to give Miami the lead for good:

That’s sheer will and determination right there.

And with Westbrook balling out in the fourth (he concluded with what was then a playoff career-high 43 points), Wade and Chalmers helped James keep the Thunder at bay. Wade came through with some key defensive plays and a couple buckets down the stretch, and Chalmers scored 12 points in the final period, including this remarkable drive:

As such, the HEAT came away with a 104-98 win.

In all, James flirted with a triple-double and racked up 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, a game-high 12 assists, nine boards and two steals. Wade and Chalmers, on the other hand, both scored 25 points apiece.

“Whatever it takes, man. No excuses,” Wade said after the game. “You don’t want to leave this arena saying, ‘You missed the opportunity.’ So, no matter what was going on in the game, we believed in ourselves, we believed in each other…and we got a win.”

On the cusp of their first title since 2006, the HEAT did not disappoint.

To get the party started, the Big 3 set the tone in the first quarter and took advantage in transition quite often.

Like Chalmers in Game 4, Mike Miller emerged from the depths and proved to be the X factor for Miami.

Well, he absolutely exploded for 23 points on 7-of-8 shooting from downtown, with four of those treys coming in the first half to help give the HEAT a 59-49 halftime lead.

As you’d expect, the Thunder showed moxie to cut the deficit to seven with 7:27 left in the third, but Miami countered with a 26-9 run to go up 95-71 and essentially seal the deal entering the fourth.

Each member of the Big 3 went for 20-plus points, as James recorded a triple-double with a team-high 26 points, a game-high 13 assists and a team-high 11 rebounds, Bosh accumulated 24 points (12 in the game-deciding third quarter), seven boards, two blocks and a steal and Wade tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a game-high three blocks and two steals.

Amidst all the hoopla that followed the victory, James was presented with the Finals MVP trophy and interviewed by the late, great Stuart Scott.

“It’s about damn time,” James said.

looking-back-on-the-heats-second-championship

Looking Back On The HEAT’s Second Championship

This time around, the network will air Games 4 and 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the HEAT and Nets on Thursday at 3PM and 4PM, respectively.

And while the games with Brooklyn may not hold the same gravitas as the previous battles we’ve highlighted in this space (Celtics and Mavs), they were still memorable and filled with star power.

You had Miami’s Big 3 along with vital complimentary pieces in Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier against Brooklyn’s Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett.

This is a classic LeBron James performance that kind of gets lost in the shuffle.

Coming off a disappointing Game 3 loss to the Nets, the HEAT couldn’t afford to drop another and cede momentum to Brooklyn.

As such, James answered the bell with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting in the first half, including this tomahawk jam in transition off a great block by James Jones on Johnson:

LBJ wasn’t done there, though, as he continued to score from everywhere on the floor thanks to aggressive takes to the rack, wise post-ups on mismatches and crafty jumpers.

Despite all that, the Nets kept fighting back and took a few brief leads in the fourth quarter. After Pierce completed a three-point play to give his team a 90-89 advantage with 4:25 left, Miami ramped up its defense, held Brooklyn without a field goal for a little over four minutes and closed out the game on a 13-6 run.

And even though James did much of the heavy lifting, we can’t forget about this clutch trey from Chris Bosh that finally put the HEAT ahead for good:

Bosh finished with 12 points (six in the fourth) on 5-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, a game-high three blocks and two steals.

Mario Chalmers

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