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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Should Miami be worried?

I was just thinking about how perfect it would be if the Heat became the first team to ever blow a 3-1 series lead in the NBA finals. Not because I'm one of those rabid Heat/Lebron haters, but because it would fit what people see as Lebron's career thus far in a nutshell. The guy who everyone asserts shrinks when it matters most, can't perform in the clutch, and defers responsibility to others. The guy who is often perceived as a loser and a front-runner. As a Lebron supporter I will be the first to admit that he has performed underwhelmingly in certain clutch situations, but  people grossly over exaggerate his follies because of their own personal hatred for what Lebron and the Heat stand for. Regardless, the public perception, no matter how biased, is all that matters. If OKC miraculously comes back in this series, Lebron will become the posterchild for one of the greatest collapses in sports history. I can't even imagine the public jubilation if such a thing were to happen. All the avid Lebron supporters, like myself, would be silenced, and the unwavering Lebron/Heat haters would believe their opinions to be validated. Out of arguments, the defense would be forced to rest, and Lebron would be found guilty of being a loser. Now, I seriously doubt this series will extend beyond tonight. The Heat realize the importance of this game and will certainly be ready. But if the Thunder can somehow steal a win, then all of a sudden they gain a ton of confidence as the series returns to Oklahoma, with the league's craziest fanbase awaiting. A game 5 loss for the Heat would be disappointing, and would create tremendous pressure on Lebron, who certainly would like to wrap this up tonight more than anyone. The Thunder have lost at home only once all postseason, yes it was to the Miami Heat in game 2, but this whole series has been highly contested. The Heat have made a few more plays down the stretch, which is the reason they are up 3-1. Come away with a win tonight and all of a sudden, this young Thunder team playing with a nothing to lose attitude would have the opportunity to force a game 7. I honestly would not be surprised if this is how the next week unfolded. Perhaps Lebron is destined to always come up short. Maybe all those Lebron voodoo dolls attacked by disgruntled Cavalier fans actually worked.

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