Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) passes around Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) from Republic of Congo during the first half at Game 4 of the NBA finals basketball series, Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)Don’t forget our mailbag Friday
From the “Talks Too Much” studios, here we go…
Heat on the brink
Much-maligned Miami star LeBron James was not on the floor at the end of the Heat’s 104-98 Game 4 win Wednesday. The cramps and pain in his legs had left him barely standing on the Miami bench in the final minute.
What he left on the court in his 44 minutes of play was every bit as noticeable and noteworthy as his absence in the end. James was a rebound shy of a triple-double (26 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists) and was the catalyst of a Miami team that rallied from a 17-point deficit to move within one win of the NBA title. Limping late in the fourth quarter before coming out of the game, James hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with less than three minutes to play that gave the Heat a 3-1 lead – a lead that has never been overcome in NBA Finals history.