OKLAHOMA CITY — Lead melting away, all the baggage of not finishing in the fourth quarter, the MVP stepped to the free throw line and — miracle of miracles — made both.
Bron-Bron looked almost all grown up, didn’t he?
Feet squared. Elbows in. Breathe and release. All net. Zero alligator arms.
LeBron James made his free throws, all four in the fourth quarter, 12 for 12 overall in the Miami Heat’s Game 2 victory on Thursday. More important for his team, they heard the most beautiful tribute imaginable in the NBA’s rowdiest arena: silence.
“I mean, I’m a confident guy,” James said afterward. “So you go to the free throw line, no matter how hostile the environment, and try to knock them down.”
This didn’t come down to a questionable non-call when Kevin Durant went to the basket and was slapped by James with 9.9 seconds left; Oklahoma City finally lost a home game for the first time this postseason because of two reasons: lousy offensive execution and LeBron making the plays that mattered.
The arena was pulsating with sound again just like late in Game 1, the Thunder was coming on strong again and a double-digit Miami lead was dissolving again. The glaring difference between Games 1 and 2, though, was defined by the barely audible sound of the public address announcer muttering the same name, over and over, in an almost clinical monotone:
“LeBron James.”
“LeBron James.”
“LeBron James.”
Russell Westbrook levitating above the rim; Kevin Durant’s rise-and-fire jumper; James Harden launching that left-handed rainbow from his hip. It didn’t matter. Each basket, every run, was met by the equalizer from LeBron.
Miami’s victory to even the NBA Finals at one game apiece had much to do with Dwyane Wade waking from his slumber, finding his rhythm and range and delivering the kind of respectable performance befitting a Finals MVP of just six years ago.
But this was more about LeBron, his single-minded focus to make the tough shots, lower his head and shoulder and realize he is too big and strong to be guarded by anyone on Oklahoma City’s roster.
“You can’t just put one guy on me and allow him to be on an island and defend me one-on-one,” James said. “It’s about being aggressive and taking what the defense gives me. ”
There LeBron was with less than five minutes left and Chesapeake Energy Arena going berserk, all 18,000 standing as the Thunder began to rally from 17 points down in the first half and 13 down in the fourth quarter.
He could have spotted up and shot the ball, released a series of behind-the-arc bombs that careened badly off the rim. Why not? It’s happened before, all those fourth-quarter meltdowns of the mind and the soul.
A careless last minute led to Durant suddenly cutting the deficit to two points, inciting a prolonged ovation. When LeBron took one of those ugly jumpers and missed, the Thunder called time for one more shot. But Durant missed on the way to the rim. Was he fouled? Maybe. But LeBron still had to corral the rebound. He drew a foul from Westbrook.
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