BOSTON (AP) ― Miami’s Big Three was assembled for just this purpose: To dominate the bullies from Boston who knocked them from the playoffs so many times before.
LeBron James scored 35 points, Dwyane Wade had 28 and Chris Bosh had 20 on Monday night to give the Heat a 98-90 overtime victory over the Celtics and move Miami within one game of the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat lead the best-of-seven East semifinals 3-1, with a chance to close out the series in Miami on Wednesday.
“Wednesday night will be our greatest challenge that we’ve had with this group so far,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ll get their best games on Wednesday. And we have to be better. If we’re real about what we want to do, we have to beat the Boston Celtics at their best.”
One game after their worst performance as a threesome, James, Wade and Bosh had 83 of Miami’s 98 points and 35 of its 45 rebounds. They scored all 12 of Miami’s points in overtime; Bosh and Wade had five apiece after James’ fallaway jumper on the Heat’s first possession of the extra period gave them the lead for good.
“We’re the guys. We’re the ones who get all the attention. We’re the ones that get all the praise,” Wade said. “This team is going to go as far as us three takes it.”
Thunder 131, Grizzlies 123
Kevin Durant scored six of his 35 points in the third overtime, and the Oklahoma City survived a thriller in holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 131-123 in a game that ended Tuesday morning.
With the victory, the Thunder grabbed back home-court advantage and tied this Western Conference semifinal at 2-2.
Game 5 is on Wednesday night back in Oklahoma City. The winner of this series will play the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals.
