Durant, Thunder frustrate Heat
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Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (left) is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) as Daequan Cook (14) looks on in the fourth quarter of their NBA game in Miami on Wednesday. The Thunder won 96-85. Associated Press |
Oklahoma City had one of its worst shooting nights of the season. The way the Thunder played defense, hardly anyone noticed.
Except the Miami Heat, that is.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points on 12 for 21 shooting, Russell Westbrook added 18 and the Thunder gave Miami's offense fits on the way to a 96-85 victory over the Heat on Wednesday night.
"Our defense was as good as it could possibly play," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.
James Harden scored 12 points for the Thunder, who have won five straight. Oklahoma City shot just 40 percent, and had been 7-13 when connecting on less than 43 percent of its chances this season.
It didn't matter on Wednesday after holding the Heat to 38 percent shooting, plus having a dominating 24-10 edge in second-chance points. Miami shot a season-low 29 percent after halftime.
"One thing we've gotten better at is closing games out," Durant said.
Chris Bosh had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21 points and LeBron James finished with 19 for the Heat, who had won three straight and were averaging 114 points in their past two games.
"We missed some pretty good chances," Bosh said.
And the Heat were hopping mad as this slipped away.
Miami had a chance with 3 1/2 minutes left, Wade getting the ball in transition and the Heat down by seven. He missed a layup and contended he got fouled - replays showed he clearly had a case, with Serge Ibaka grabbing him from behind - but nothing was called.
That is, until Wade overreacted.
He slammed his hand into the padding around the basket support, an unusual display for him, and Greg Willard responded with a technical after Harden made a 3-pointer. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra earned a technical as well, Durant made one of the two free throws, and the Thunder lead was 11 with 3:11 left.
Ibaka finished with 12 rebounds and three blocks, and the Thunder outrebounded Miami 51-40.
"We have some of the best attackers in the game. They usually go over the top," Spoelstra said. "They were being met at the rim. They forced us into some tough opportunities. Regardless of whether we feel there was contact or not, you have to give them credit with their defense."
The loss reduced the almost-nonexistent margin for error Miami has in the Eastern Conference, where the No 3 seed looks like it will be reality entering the playoffs.
The Heat (46-22) are now three games behind Chicago and Boston in the race for the No 1 seed, but in actuality, the gap is wider than that. Chicago and Boston both are four games ahead in the loss column, plus hold tiebreakers over Miami.
"You know they are going to find ways to win games," Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said. "Come playoff time, they are still scary. Coming into this arena, knowing that you have to play those guys, is still scary."
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