The Oklahoma City Thunder showed nothing but class as they exited the NBA Finals Thursday night, losing Game 5 in Miami 121-106.

It was an embarrassing defeat for a team that worked so hard all season and just didn’t have it when it mattered most.

Head coach Scott Brooks with time still on the clock gave his team one last speech that summed up what this team and franchise is all about.

You can argue that Brooks should have saved the speech until later, when the game was actually over and not shown the white flag to his players before time had run out even though OKC was not coming back.

But what he said cannot be questioned. It was perfect. He told his players to treat the Heat like champions when the game ended. A real class act.

There has been some news surrounding Brooks and the situation with his contract which is up at the end of June. He and the Thunder still have not reached an agreement on a possible extension.

After seeing this and really even without seeing this speech, it is so clear that Brooks is everything this franchise is about and needs to stay. He may have been outcoached in these Finals but he is so important to what the Thunder organization is trying to build.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James has now won his first NBA championship. The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the series.

LeBron had a triple-double scoring 26 points to go with 13 assists and 11 rebounds and was without question named the Finals MVP. He helped orchestrate Miami’s barrage of threes as they set an NBA Finals record with 14 made 3-pointers.

LeBron joins Larry Bird in 1986 and James Worthy in 1988 as players who closed out an NBA Finals series with a triple-double. LeBron averaged 28.6 points, 7.4 assists and 10.2 rebounds per game in the series.

LeBron has finally accomplished the inevitable winning a title. A player of his stature was bound to get a ring eventually and it seemed like it took awhile, not coming until his ninth season, but he is still just 27 years old which is a year younger than Michael Jordan was when he won his first title in 1991.

Mike Miller, who didn’t make a 3-pointer in the series before Game 5, led Miami with seven threes and scored 23 points in 23 minutes.

The game had a feel from the start that Miami would win. Every 50-50 ball, every bounce just seemed to go in the Heat’s favor while OKC frantically searched for some kind of answer.

Kevin Durant scored 32 and had 11 rebounds for the Thunder but the night simply did not belong to OKC. It just isn’t their time yet.

Russell Westbrook coming off his epic 43-point performance in Game 4 was not the same assassin in Game 5. He attacked relentlessly shooting 13 free throws but was just 4-for-20 from the field and scored 19 points.

A key stretch came in the second quarter with the Thunder down by seven, Kendrick Perkins checked into the game and OKC quickly fell behind by 17.

Perkins was simply not made for this series as the Heat played small ball and destroyed any impact Perkins could have made. He wasn’t quick enough to defend Miami’s pick-and-rolls and only clogged up the Thunder’s offense on the other end.

James Harden, who came into this game averaging just 10.8 points per game in the series, once again did not have his best stuff. He finished with 19 points but some of those came in garbage time.

Harden’s job all season was bringing the Thunder back from their slow starts and that was a key ingredient that went missing in this series.

The Thunder are so young and you can easily point to inexperience as to why they did not beat the Heat in this series. But they were still talented enough to do so and that’s why it is so frustrating for Thunder fans.

The Thunder will be back though. This series was another learning lesson for them. They never really lose, they just learn how to win.

Coming into the NBA Finals, the Thunder were favored to win a rightfully so. They had home court and were playing the better basketball in the playoffs.

But things change in the NBA Finals. They always do. Some players rise to the occasion and some wilt.

Things changed for both the Thunder and the Heat in this series. Here’s a look at some of those changes:

Isolation plays

The Thunder were the best isolation team in the NBA this season and they carried that over into the playoffs. OKC’s isolation-heavy offense was always one of the knocks against them but it didn’t matter until now.

The Heat are the best defense the Thunder have faced so far in the playoffs and it is most evident in the isolation numbers. The Thunder are being forced into more isolation plays in this series and they have become less efficient.

The same can be said for Miami’s offense although their drop in efficiency isn’t as drastic.

Kevin Durant and James Harden have significantly become less efficient in isolation plays in this series.

Durant has been isolating more often which really isn’t a good idea and it has played right into Miami’s hands. Harden’s isolations are usually not planned and come after switches but he has been unable to take advantage of that in this series.

Dwyane Wade is the only player to have improved in this department in the Finals. Wade has come through with some big shots in the past few games in the fourth quarter on iso plays.

The pick-and-roll

The Thunder relied on their pick-and-roll game more than anything else and anyone else before this series. Miami’s defense has limited these opportunities in the Finals.

The Thunder are getting much fewer scoring opportunities in the pick-and-roll in this series and reverting to more isolation. This has happened because Miami has focused on taking the ball out of the pick-and-roll ball handler’s hands and forcing the Thunder to their second and third options.

The Thunder are actually more efficient scoring in the pick-and-roll in this series. If we see OKC come out and get looks within the pick-and-roll, it will really improve their chances at extending this series.

Miami has been largely the same with their pick-and-roll game. Oklahoma City isn’t the best in the league at defending it and it has really cost them in this series.

We see that Durant and Westbrook have been great when they get looks in the pick-and-roll, mainly Durant. The Thunder need to go to their Durant-Westbrook pick-and-roll more in Game 5 instead of simply isolating Durant so much.

Harden has really struggled in this department. He isn’t creating as many assists in the pick-and-roll or scoring. This was a huge weapon for the Thunder all season and suddenly not having it in this series has made it extremely difficult for them to win.

Once again, we see Wade has improved in this series in the pick-and-roll game. Wade hasn’t been extremely effective in this series but taking a closer look it is clear that he is coming through in some important situations for Miami.

In the post

Both teams have posted up slightly more in this series. The Thunder still rarely do it and haven’t been too effective when they have.

The Heat were scoring in the post before this series but the Thunder have actually contained them pretty well in this series.

The Heat have scored a lot from offensive rebounds and cuts in the paint in this series which isn’t represented in this chart.

There has been a lot of attention surrounding LeBron James’ improved post game in the Finals and in this season in general but as you can see, he’s still not dominant there.

In Game 4, the Thunder went to double LeBron a lot while he was in the post and he made them pay by finding open shooters for threes. The Thunder really don’t need to do that as much however much they feel the need to.

One thing that changed as this series went on is Durant guarding LeBron less. Scott Brooks took Durant off LeBron at the start of Game 4 to avoid foul trouble and LeBron responded by taking the smaller defenders into the post.

Durant may need to guard LeBron more in Game 5 for the Thunder to extend this series. A lot of the fouls Durant picked up came in transition and on bad decisions to reach. In one-on-one situations in the post, Durant has been fine defending LeBron.

Amazingly, Wade has not scored on a post-up all series.

Spot-up shooting

You guessed it, the Heat have been better than OKC in this department. The Heat really improved in this series at hitting spot-up shots while the Thunder got worse.

This has certainly been one of the X-factors and if the Thunder are to come back, having an advantage here will be crucial.

Shane Battier is literally off the charts this series as a spot-up shooter and it’s no surprise to anyone. He scored 17 points in each of the first two games and helped change this series in Miami’s favor.

Durant has also been fantastic as a spot-up shooter and always is. But Harden’s drop off from “off the charts” to completely ineffective has also hurt the Thunder.

Harden who makes a living from being an efficient player, has been so inefficient in this series in every way. If there’s one thing that needs to change in Game 5, it’s him having a big game for the Thunder.

Conclusion

The Heat are up 3-1 in this series but every game has been very close. The consensus is that the Heat have shown more poise down the stretch and come up big when they have needed to.

The Heat have effectively taken the Thunder out of their comfort zones on offense and exploited their weaknesses on defense.

Give Erik Spoelstra a ton of credit this series. Using Battier in the starting lineup and attacking Durant as a helper on defense has really been big for the Heat.

The Thunder can still win this series though and at least take it back to OKC. If they can find offense earlier in the shot clock and on their first options, they will be in good shape.

But if Game 5 looks like the last few with a little too much isolation for OKC and them not getting the looks they want, we could be talking about LeBron winning his first title tomorrow.

Durant received some other news today that he is being sued by 1980s hair metal guitarist Mark Durante. Durante played with The Aliens, Public Enemy, The Next Big Thing and Slammin Watusis.

Durante is suing Durant over the nickname “Durantula” that Durante says he trademarked in 1993.

According to the suit, filed Wednesday in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois, Durante has repeatedly demanded that the Oklahoma City Thunder three-time NBA All Star stop using the nickname. He’s also suing Nike, which he says has begun using superhero version of Durant named “Durantula” as part of a shoe campaign, and Panini Authentic, which is selling photographs and basketballs with the Durantula inscription.

In letters, Durant’s representatives repeatedly told the 80s rocker that “Kevin does not use the term as a nickname and has no intention of doing so,” according to the suit.

But Durante, of McHenry, says Durant’s merchandise and Twitter account — where a screenshot shows Durant using the name as a hashtag — say otherwise.

via Chicago Tribune

Durant is not a player that is bothered by things that aren’t happening on the basketball court and in the long run, this probably won’t be too big of a deal for him.

Durant is only worried about one thing today and that is getting this series back to Oklahoma City for a Game 6.

Durant has struggled in the past two games of this series in Miami and is due for a big game. The Thunder certainly need it from him tonight.

“Good job, good effort!”

Jack Meyer, 9, was heard loud and clear on the ESPN telecast yelling those words of encouragement to the Heat players as they sulked off the court.

“I said ‘Good job, good effort’ and Terrel (Harris) noticed me and gave me a thumbs up,” Meyer told NBC Miami. “LeBron James was fighting so hard, Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem. Chris Bosh only played 14 minutes, yet one of his best games. You can’t give up this easily. You know there’s always got to be a second chance for you. You always have the power to win.”

No one is more optimistic than Meyer apparently.

The video went viral and even a Twitter account was quickly created in honor of the words Meyer shouted.

Despite the Lombardi-like gem from Meyer, the Heat will have a lot to overcome to beat the Celtics in this series. They have been outplayed ever since Game 1 and will have to go on the road in Game 6 in Boston and avoid elimination.

Teams that have been up 2-0 in a series have gone down 3-2 13 times. Seven of those times the team down 3-2 came back to win the series.

We have two of those exact scenarios this year in the conference finals.

The Thunder and Spurs will give us their Game 6 first tonight at 9 p.m. EST on TNT. Be sure to check out the preview for that game here.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

It’s easy to look at Russell Westbrook’s box scores against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals and say he has been struggling.

That is true to some extent. He is averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting .351 percent from the field.

But that’s not the whole story.

Westbrook and the Thunder as a team struggled against the Spurs at the start of this series. They lost the first two games while San Antonio was off looking like the best team in the league.

Westbrook averaged 22.0 points per game in those losses but was severely outplayed by Tony Parker on the other end especially in Game 2 when Parker scored 34 points.

The Thunder made adjustments when they went home. Scott Brooks slid Thabo Sefolosha over onto Parker on defense, allowing Westbrook to play more comfortably off the ball and roam the passing lanes.

This helped the Thunder team in general and was the most noticeable adjustment but Westbrook changed his offensive mindset as well.

Westbrook averaged 23.6 points per game this season for the Thunder, fifth best in the NBA. That’s a lot for a point guard as many will criticize but it was necessary for this Thunder team. Having him as a scorer who sometimes shoots more than Kevin Durant is what their formula was to win.

The best part about Westbrook’s improved offensive game became his deadly pull-up midrange jumper. When he was hitting that, he looked as good as any player in the league. When he wasn’t though, he morphed into a reckless rim attacker, out of control and ugly.

The jump shot was not falling for Westbrook to begin this series. So he did what Westbrook does. He started attacking and doing so in an uncalculated manner. It was not working for the Thunder.

The jump shot has never started falling but the Thunder have started winning. Westbrook started playing like more of a point guard.

His drives became directed at setting up teammates rather than looking to score. Westbrook has averaged 7.8 assists per game in this series after averaging just 5.6 per game in the regular season and just over four per game in the first two rounds.

Westbrook had maybe his best game in Game 5 scoring 23 points but also dishing out 12 assists.

A huge key to the Thunder winning Game 4 was the performances by the Thunder bigs. Serge Ibaka made all 11 of his shots and finished with 26 points. Thank Westbrook some for that.

All year we have talked about the growing up and maturation of this Thunder team. They do it at an incredible rate and we are seeing it again in this series.

Young teams don’t usually make adjustments like this in the middle of a series against a team with a 20-game winning streak and live to tell about it. The Thunder are within one win of an NBA Finals appearance.

They are proving that they are the most talented team in the NBA. Durant might be the most talented player in the league.

But its Westbrook too who is responsible for this run. His ability to change his game this series, sacrifice his role. He’s growing up right along with the rest of this team and it isn’t good news for the rest of the league.

Westbrook had 23 points to go with 12 assists in the game.

Then he didn’t disappoint after the game. Another gem from Westbrook with his wardrobe choice. After Game 4 it was teddy bears. Now it’s … well, I’m not even sure.

Enjoy.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

This is what it looks right before the start of a dynasty.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been growing and learning all year long. They’ve taken the next step and then they’ve taken the one after that.

This was yet another “next step” for them.

The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 108-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals Monday night to go up 3-2 in the series.

The Thunder lost the first two games of this series before winning the next two at home and then Game 5 on the road.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

James Harden hit the biggest shot of the night though draining a stepback 3-pointer over Kawhi Leonard with 32 seconds left to put the Thunder ahead 106-101.

Harden made a 3-pointer and was fouled for a 4-point play with 5:17 left that gave Oklahoma City a 101-88 lead.

The Spurs would score the next 11 points to cut their deficit to just two with 1:54 left in the game.

The Thunder did not execute perfectly down the stretch. They did not get many stops. They simply won because of their superior talent.

Russell Westbrook finally ended the Spurs’ run nailing a jumper with 1:40 left to put the Thunder up 103-99.

Westbrook finished with 23 points in the game but his 12 assists were by far the most impressive stat he had.

The Thunder had 22 assists as a team as they have continually improved with their ball movement in this series.

Manu Ginobili scored 34 points to lead the Spurs. He started the game for the first time in the series and was really the only player giving the Thunder fits.

The Thunder knew it was going to be tougher on the road. It was. Serge Ibaka picked up two quick fouls and only played 20 minutes in the game. The Spurs started making shots that they weren’t in Games 3 and 4.

But a soon-to-be champion wins a game like this. The best part about watching the Thunder is seeing them grow. This has been the best example of that yet.

The work for Oklahoma City is far from over though. The Spurs will not quit. The Thunder get a chance to close out this series at home Wednesday night in Game 6.

According to multiple sources, the Heat are hoping to activate Chris Bosh for Tuesday’s Game 5 if he doesn’t suffer a setback in workouts over the next two days. Bosh declined to discuss his status following the Heat’s 93-91 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, which tied the series at 2-2.

via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst

After losing their first two games without Bosh to Indiana, Miami went on to win their next five.

LeBron James took his game to another level playing a lot more of the power forward position during that time.

The Heat have looked vulnerable without Bosh in the two games in Boston with Rajon Rondo attacking the paint with ease and Kevin Garnett having big games as well.

The Heat will certainly need a healthy Bosh to win a title this year. We will see what Bosh looks like for Game 5. If he is back to looking 100 percent, people might start talking about the Heat as the team to beat again.

Manu Ginobili has been one of the Spurs’ best players in this series against the Thunder. Will Popovich consider starting him?

Ginobili is averaging 16.8 points per game, shooting .541 percent from the field and .467 from three in this series. He averaged 23.0 points per game in the first two games and only 10.5 in Oklahoma City.

Changing the starting lineup would be a pretty dramatic adjustment but one that could work.

The Thunder adjusted in the last two games switching Thabo Sefolosha on to Tony Parker on defense. Sefolosha has done a much better job than Russell Westbrook on Parker and it has freed Westbrook to play off the ball on Danny Green and rove the passing lanes.

If Ginobili were inserted into the starting lineup, Westbrook or Sefolosha would obviously have to guard him.

The Spurs would be giving up what has been a pretty big advantage with their second unit against the Thunder. James Harden would have a greater chance to go off with Ginobili not on the floor against him and this move could hurt the Spurs in that sense.

If Popovich does decide to make this adjustment then credit the Thunder. They did their job winning at home, making adjustments and putting their opponent into a position where they felt they needed to adjust (even though that team had won 20 games in a row before Game 3).

Tonight is the pivotal Game 5 that will likely decide the series. It is in San Antonio and will tip at 9 p.m. EST on TNT.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant added to his increasing list of clutch moments with his fourth quarter performance in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals vs. San Antonio Saturday night.

Durant scored 18 points in that quarter including a stretch of 16 in a row. He was unstoppable and the Thunder needed every one of those shots too.

Durant is now well on his way to becoming the best closer in the league.

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m going to keep growing in those situations,” Durant said. “I think those tough times are going to help me get better.”

Before this series, Durant made three game-winning shots in the first two rounds of the playoffs, most notably his fadeaway in Game 1 against Dallas.

Durant has been known as one of the best offensive players in the league ever since he came into the NBA. He has led the league in scoring in each of the last three seasons.

But becoming a closer takes more than a well-rounded offensive arsenal. It’s about wanting the ball, demanding the ball and knowing that if you fail, the blame is on you.

You want a closer to have the right attitude and you want him to have the talent. We always knew Durant had the game but the mental side wasn’t always there.

The Thunder have done a great job this year putting him in position to take his closing role to another level.

The Thunder were criticized last season for not being able to get Durant the ball late in games and he often would be pushed way beyond the 3-point line before receiving a pass.

The Thunder have changed that this season and nowhere was it more noticeable than the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Spurs.

Scott Brooks finds something that works and he sticks to it. It was a simple offensive play that got Durant the ball every time in a spot he was very comfortable in and spaced the floor to his left and right with Russell Westbrook and James Harden to help avoid doubles.

“His ability to make shots under pressure is great,” Brooks said. “But I like the fact this year he’s really stepped up on making plays and making the right play.”

The Thunder were able to tie up this series after losing the first two on the road. They have simply done what they were supposed to winning at home.

While Durant was spectacular closing out Game 4, the role players really played a huge role in why the Thunder won the past two games. It’s no secret that role players often shrink on the road and for the Thunder to withstand that, another big game from Durant will be necessary.

We found out what we probably already knew was true at the end of Game 4: the Spurs can’t match up with Kevin Durant. The Thunder will need to again take advantage of this in Game 5 to go up in this series and get in position to advance to the NBA Finals.

Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder did their job at home and have tied up the Western Conference Finals series at 2-2.

The Thunder will return to San Antonio for Game 5 where it will get tougher to continue the great play they demonstrated at home.

The Thunder made adjustments after the first two games of this series though. They made major adjustments to their rotation and on defense and it worked. Heading back to San Antonio they are not the same team that lost the first two games of this series.

Kevin Durant is prime to perform at a high level as well. He had been holding back from a potentially huge performance until the fourth quarter of Game 4 when he scored 18 points to help lead the Thunder to victory.

Durant is not the whole team or was not solely responsible for the Game 4 win, but role players dim on the road while stars continue to shine. Durant may need to assume the larger role he took on at the end of Game 4 for the Thunder to take the lead in this series.

Russell Westbrook has been quiet in the Thunder’s two wins at home. He scored only 17 points in the last three games but did make an impact on defense and as a playmaker. He cannot forget that he is a player capable of leading the Thunder as a scorer.

If the Spurs come out of the gate strong back at home in Game 5, it may be up to Westbrook to lead the Thunder back. He has been the guy who has done it all year for them when they have fallen behind in games and he might have to remember that Monday night.

Tony Parker averaged just 14 points per game in two games in Oklahoma City after dominating the Thunder in the first two games. Thabo Sefolosha has drawn the duties of containing Parker and risen to the occasion.

Parker and the Spurs will have to figure out the Thunder’s new approach to defending their pick-and-roll to give themselves a good shot of winning Game 5.

At the end of the day it comes down to the role players. At home, the Spurs’ should be better. The Thunder got an 11-for-11 night from Serge Ibaka in Game 4 as well as 15 points from Kendrick Perkins. If those disappear and Danny Green and Boris Diaw step up, the Spurs will be in good position to start winning again.

The Thunder dictate this series though. They have total control in every game. If they play their best, they will not lose. They know what they have to do to stop the Spurs and beat them. It will be tougher on the road but it is the next step for them.

Will they take it?

Bosh is likely the miss the rest of this series even if it goes seven games and may even miss some of the Eastern Conference Finals if the Heat make it there.

“I’m just hoping that everyone can keep doing what they’re doing and extend the season,” Bosh told ESPN.com. “I do have a chance to play again. That’s the light at the end of the tunnel for me. That keeps me going every day.”

The Heat are up 3-2 in their series against the Pacers winning the last two in very convincing fashion.

The Heat will likely win the series but those words from Bosh have to be concerning. If the Heat don’t get him back near full strength and have to play Boston in the next round, it will be a very tough series for them to win.

The Heat still have not put a timetable on a return for Bosh although it is anticipated he would at least try to return in the next round.

Miami looked like the easy favorites in the Eastern Conference to make it to the NBA Finals and possibly win it when Bosh was healthy in these playoffs. Without him, they certainly would not be considered favorites against San Antonio or Oklahoma City.

The one silver-lining from the Bosh injury is that it has pushed LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to step up their games which they have been doing.

LeBron last night became the only player to have two straight games of 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists or more since Oscar Robertson and Dolph Schayes.

Here is the official release below:

Thunder fans will continue to have a pregame opportunity to gather in Love’s Thunder Alley outside Chesapeake Energy Arena prior to the Thunder Western Conference Finals home games, but the event will conclude when the game begins. The Thunder will no longer show the game broadcast on the video board outside the arena.

Love’s Thunder Alley, an outdoor block party along Reno Ave, will begin three hours prior to tipoff and will end when the game starts. It includes music, games, food and drink, face painting for kids, Thunder merchandise sales and the Thunder Rewards Zone, a game-day opportunity to win or buy remaining game tickets.

The Thunder encourages fans to arrive early and enjoy Love’s Thunder Alley prior to the game. “It’s a chance in a safe, family-friendly environment for our fans to embrace the Thunder experience and get ready for the game. For those with tickets, they can enter the arena when doors open. Other Thunder fans can enjoy the pregame entertainment and then go to their favorite viewing establishment to watch the game,” said Dan Mahoney, Thunder vice president of Corporate Communications and Community Relations.

The Thunder have some of the best fans in the NBA and it was rumored that upwards of 10,000 people watched Game 5 against the Lakers just outside of the arena.

Eight people were injured in the shooting that police say was not related to the game.

The next Thunder home game will be Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday, May 31.

LeBron scored 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists and Wade scored 28.

This series has been a chippy one and last night it got a little out of hand with some flagrant fouls.

Tyler Hansbrough starting things off with a really hard foul on Wade where he went for the ball but cut Wade above his left eye on the follow through. Hansbrough got a Flagrant 1 for the foul.

Udonis Haslem then retaliated with a dirty hack on Hansbrough a few plays later and also only received a Flagrant 1 even though he should have definitely been ejected because it wasn’t even close to a basketball play.

Things got even worse in garbage time with Dexter Pittman essentially clothes lining Lance Stephenson causing Stephenson to break his collarbone.

For the Pacers, if the 32-point loss wasn’t enough, Danny Granger went down with an ankle injury in the game and could not return.

After the game, Larry Bird called out his Pacers team.

“I can’t believe my team went soft,” Bird said. “S-O-F-T. I’m disappointed. I never thought it would happen … That’s all I have to say.”

The Heat are now up 3-2 in the series having won the past two games handedly with LeBron and Wade having huge games in each. Miami should have no problem winning the series and will likely close it out in Game 6.

LeBron James commented today on the Pacers’ attempt to play physical with the Heat and get in their faces.

“Whatever he’s trying, it is not working,” LeBron said of Danny Granger. “He’s said he’s not scared of LeBron, I want to let (James) know. I guess he’s doing it for his own psyche. It’s stupid.”

Granger has picked up technical fouls in each of the last three games and gotten into LeBron’s face as well.

In Game 4, the strategy by the Pacers to do this did not seem to work as it seemed to awaken Dwyane Wade and LeBron who went off in the second half as the Heat came back to beat the Pacers in Indiana and tie the series.

“I think there is a line and I’m tip-toeing it,” Granger said. “That’s a product of the chip on my shoulder and we have on our shoulder as a team of not being respected. That goes not just for this series, but all year. We had the fourth or fifth best record in the NBA and I think we only had one televised game. Three or four teams that didn’t make the playoffs had more televised games than us. It was just a matter of being disrespected nationally.”

Granger can feel this way and that’s ok but it might not be the greatest idea to get LeBron and Wade riled up.

Despite losing Game 4, the Pacers are still confident they can win this series and they should be. They beat the Heat in Game 2 in Miami and both of their wins have come when All-Star center Roy Hibbert has had big games.

In Game 4, Hibbert and David West were in foul trouble and it helped allow LeBron and Wade to get going and attack the paint which they did very efficiently.

Hibbert and West will have to play big for Indiana to have a chance as Chris Bosh is still out with his injury and inside is where the Pacers have their biggest advantage.

Granger too will need to step up as he hasn’t played very well at all this series while he’s mostly been matched up with LeBron.

The Heat shot terribly from three in the first two games at home and that was a big reason why Indiana kept those games close and won one of them. The role players for Miami picked up their shooting somewhat in Game 4 and one would expect them to be better for Game 5.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant last night beating them 106-90 in Game 5 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Kobe did not go down without a fight scoring 42 points, taking 33 shots and recording zero assists.

After the game Kobe was asked about if he felt this loss was the ending of an era.

“I’m not fading into the shadows,” Kobe said. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere.”

Kobe, now at age 33 and in his 16th season in the NBA, is up against maybe the toughest opponent ever for him: time.

There is no competitor in the league today quite like Kobe. It’s tough to bet against him but he might not be able to overcome the wave of young stars now standing in his path of tying Michael Jordan with his sixth ring.

Kobe had a remarkable season this year. In a lockout condensed 66-game schedule, he somehow stayed healthy all year for the most part, nearly won the scoring title and led the Lakers who were somewhat a shell of their championship teams a few years ago to the 3-seed in the Western Conference.

Kobe looked as good as he has in a long time. It’s not enough anymore. It never really was for Kobe. He’s always needed help. He doesn’t have enough anymore.

There’s going to be a lot of talk surrounding this Lakers team in the offseason. Should they trade Andrew Bynum? Should they trade Pau Gasol? Should they blow the whole team up?

One thing is always certain and that is that Kobe will remain a Laker and always be their alpha dog. And it seems there is only one player out there that could possibly help him toward catching Jordan in rings: Dwight Howard.

Kobe has always needed help and Howard is the man for the job, the most talented big man in the league who doesn’t know what the hell he is doing. A perfect fit with Kobe.

Howard hurt his image as much as possibly fathomable this season and now in Orlando he has gotten rid of their head coach and general manager. He has one year left with the Magic and it seems very unlikely he’ll be there any longer.

Centers in Howard’s position have always chosen the Lakers. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal all became Lakers around this point in their careers. Howard doing the same would be more than fitting.

After the season Bynum had and they might as well throw in Gasol too, Los Angeles should be able to pull off bringing Howard in to join Kobe and make a few last runs at an NBA title.

Kobe is right. He isn’t done. He’ll play another 5-7 years probably. But if he doesn’t want to go away from championship relevancy, Howard is his only hope.

This was the Thunder winning. Not the Lakers losing.

The Thunder played as the experience-heavy ones, the ones that knew how to play with composure on the biggest nights of the season. Oklahoma City’s stars didn’t have to be prodded to play hard before it was too late. They played sleek and scrappy. The Thunder became the Lakers.

That may get lost outside of the state in the next few days. While the newly eliminated Lakers are dissected nationally for their failures, the Thunder will go silent while prepping for Sunday in San Antonio and the start of the Western Conference finals.

But the Thunder made this happen.

Last night felt like the end of an era for the Lakers – Bill Plaschke, LA Times

As the red and blue streamers dropped from the sky around the fallen Lakers faces, it felt like more than the end of a series.

With “Takin’ Care of Business” thumping and thousands rhythmically clapping around the staggering Lakers bodies, it felt like more than the end of a season.

What happened here on a strange and sad Monday night felt like the end of an era.

Kobe Bryant’s window to win a sixth championship in Los Angeles may have officially shut, and who knows whether he will want to stick around to spend his final years pressing his nose against the glass?

Russell Westbrook loved beating the Lakers – Darnell Mayberry, The Oklahoman

Russell Westbrook no longer could contain his emotions.

So he stopped trying.

When the time was right, he let loose, celebrating unlike we’ve ever seen him, jubilantly yet violently swinging his arms, one at a time, through the blissful air inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

There couldn’t have been a more appropriate celebration.

Credit the Thunder Bigs – Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman

Without Perk, Serge and Nick, there’s a good chance this series would be headed back to Los Angeles for another game. There’s a good chance the Lakers would’ve had new life. There’s a good chance this series would’ve gone seven games.

Instead, it’s so LA-LA-long Lakers.

“I thought they were the big three,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Perk, Serge and Nick. “The Lakers’ bigs are as good of bigs as there are in basketball. They’re skilled. They’re big. They’re long. They block shots.”

And Monday night, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol didn’t determine the outcome of this game or this series.

Kobe really had an impressive season – Matt Moore, CBS Sports

Bryant battled through this season the only way he knew how. A shortened lockout season, a new system being built on the fly, a roster hit by moves aiming for a new financial reality, and a new coaching staff that didn’t always flow or connect with its players. And he did what he knows how to do. He scored. He threw in 40-point night after 40-point night, and while he was rarely efficient, it was what he felt the team needed.

It brought all the same arguments about Bryant. How can he not be the best player in the league if he’s dropping 40 points night after night? How can he continue to gun this way with two 7-footers on his team? How can he throw his team that far out of rhythm? How can his team continue to fail him when he leads by example this way? It is the never-ending debate of Bryant and his legacy, wrapped in the shine of five championship rings and miles of controversy.

The great players in this league divide fans, divide media, divide the basketball world. Kobe Bryant did it as much as ever in his 16th NBA season.

He did it his way. The only way he knows how. The Kobe way.

Metta World Peace’s flagrant foul in Game 5

Russell Westbrook’s crazy shot in Game 5

8 hurt in OKC shooting after the game

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 106-90 in Game 5 to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points while Kevin Durant chipped in with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant went down shooting as he finished with 42 points on 33 shots.

The Lakers simply did not have the legs to keep up with the Thunder in this series and it really showed in Game 5.

The Thunder outrebounded Los Angeles 51-35 in Game 5 including 14 offensive rebounds.

Oklahoma City turned the ball over more than any team in the NBA this season averaging just over 16 per game but cut that number in half in this series against the Lakers.

The Thunder were also one of the most isolation-heavy teams in the league this year but had 20 assists on 42 field goals tonight.

James Harden provided a fantastic lift off the bench scoring 17 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists.

The Thunder did most of their demoralizing damage on the break scoring 30 fast break points in the game.

The Lakers were unable to take advantage of their inside play of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the series. The Thunder were able to play both big men straight up luring Kobe into trying to go off alone every night.

Kobe got his and the Thunder were fine with that. They knew they could beat a one man show because they had three guys who were going to get theirs.

The Thunder deserve to celebrate winning eight of nine games so far in the playoffs and doing it against the two teams who won the past three NBA titles but there work is far from done.

The San Antonio Spurs are playing better than any team in the NBA right now and will be waiting to play the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs are a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs so far and haven’t lost a game since April 11. They will have home court in the series and played the Thunder well this season.

The Thunder and Spurs will begin the Western Conference Finals this coming Sunday at 8 p.m. EST for Game 1.

Russell Westbrook scored 12 points in the third quarter including this and-one shot on a fast break.

The Thunder lead the Lakers 83-77 after three and have captured all of the momentum heading into the final quarter.

Westbrook leads the Thunder with 20 points while Kevin Durant has poured in 17.

Kobe Bryant has scored 34 for the Lakers.

Metta World Peace picked up flagrant foul when he fouled Thabo Sefolosha hard from behind on a fast break.

World Peace and Kobe Bryant would then pick up technicals disputing the call resulting in four free throws for the Thunder.

The Thunder leads 54-51 at halftime and really hasn’t played all that well.

James Harden leads the Thunder with 13 points off the bench to go with four assists and five rebounds. Kevin Durant has scored 12 points.

Kobe leads the Lakers with 19 points and had 15 of those in the first quarter.

The Lakers are shooting 48.7 percent from the field but the Thunder are getting it done with 10 offensive rebounds and also have 13 assists on their 20 field goals.

After being called out by Kobe after game 4, Pau Gasol has come out more aggressive tonight scoring 10 points in the first half. Andrew Bynum, however, has been anything but into this game and has scored just seven points and taken four shots so far.

The game is closer than most expected coming in with many predicting the Thunder would blow out the Lakers. There is still time for this and the game does have the feel to it that the Lakers are ready to give in especially if the Thunder can put together a nice little run soon.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance tonight at home to close out the Los Angeles Lakers and move on to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season.

The Thunder are up 3-1 against the Lakers after coming back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 4 in Los Angeles.

The Thunder ended Game 4 on a 13-4 run to stun the Lakers crowd culminating with a very clutch Kevin Durant 3-pointer in the final seconds.

After the Thunder blew out L.A. in Game 1, the Lakers got their act together and really have played well in the past three games.

Kobe Bryant was a machine at home getting to the line 35 times and causing tremendous problems for the Thunder defense.

Kevin Durant was forced to switch onto Kobe in the final minutes of Game 4 and did a very good job using his length to make scoring more difficult for Kobe than it has been lately.

When Game 4 looked like it was the Lakers’ to win, Thunder fans were just itching to get back home and have this Thunder team look like the one that swept Dallas and blew out L.A. in Game 1.

Tonight, Oklahoma City gets to return to their comfortable arena and behind what will undoubtedly be a rowdy crowd, they should give the Lakers their best stuff.

The Thunder are unlikely to let this series slip away up 3-1 but they certainly don’t want to return to the Staples Center and risk this series possibly going to a seventh game.

The Lakers are championship tested however and should also give it all they’ve got in OKC tonight. Kobe called out Pau Gasol after Game 4 so expect a better game from Gasol who has bounced back already in these playoffs after bad games like he did in Game 7 against Denver.

The Thunder have weathered the storm of a former champion playing hard while facing elimination already in the first round.

The Dallas Mavericks led OKC at home by 13 heading into the fourth quarter of Game 4 facing elimination before James Harden scored 15 in the fourth and led the Thunder back to win the series.

The biggest change when this series went to L.A. was the calls favoring the Lakers. At home, the Thunder should start to see the calls swing back their way and if that is the case, it should become nearly impossible for the Lakers to pull off the upset.

The Thunder want to get this series over with as soon as possible too now that the San Antonio Spurs are waiting for them in the Western Conference Finals after completing the sweep of the Clippers last night.

The Thunder don’t have to win tonight but they don’t look at it that way and that’s why the Thunder have been so good all year long and why they should win tonight.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James and the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks 106-94 Wednesday night to win the series 4-1.

LeBron led the Heat with 29 points, seven assists and eight rebounds. LeBron set the tone early getting to the line eight times in the first quarter and also dishing out five assists in the opening quarter.

LeBron covered Carmelo Anthony for most of the game but Anthony had it going and scored 35 points but needed 31 shots to get those points. LeBron was criticized much for not covering Anthony down the stretch of Game 4 in New York.

Anthony got little to no help though from his teammates. The entire Knicks team looked like quite a mess in Game 5 as it seemed every time down the floor it was nothing but isolation offense.

The Heat will move on to play the Indiana Pacers in Round 2 who beat the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round.

Miami took three out of four from the Pacers in the regular season and while Indiana seems like they could be a tough matchup for the Heat, Miami and LeBron just seem to have their number.

LeBron averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds and 10.0 free throw attempts per game against the Pacers in the regular season.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

The Memphis Grizzlies staved off elimination beating the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80 Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies got out to a great start and big lead in the first half with the game feeling a lot like Game 1 when the Clippers came back from a 27-point deficit to win.

Memphis did not give up their lead this time however and relied on Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to lead the way for them.

Randolph scored 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the game and had 15 points and five rebounds in the first quarter.

Gasol scored 23 points to go with four rebounds and seven rebounds.

Chris Paul’s impact in the game was not its normal noticeable self. He scored just 19 points and dished out four assists.

Mo Williams led Los Angeles with 20 points in the game.

The Clippers still lead the series 3-2 and will host Game 6 Friday night.