How to Beat the Heat: Third Quarter’s the Charm

With the Finals set to begin Tuesday night, many fans and reporters have picked the Thunder, partly based on skill but also partly because they can’t quite stomach the idea of seeing LeBron with a ring on his finger. In what will surely be a ratings coup for ABC and a marketing jackpot for the NBA, we stand to see Team Anti-Heat – I mean the Oklahoma City Thunder – led by the star that everyone has grown to love take on America’s most polarizing team, fronted by the star that everyone has come to either endlessly love or passionately hate. With Kevin Durant and LeBron James likely to guard one another throughout most of the series, it will be the ultimate battle between the NBA scoring title champion and the league’s most valuable player.

There’s no doubt that most of America hopes that the odds will be ever in the Thunder’s favor. And there’s one way that the Thunder can ensure that they will: do not, under any circumstances, allow the Heat to outscore them the third quarter.

So far in the playoffs, we’ve seen a common thread weave its way through in each of Miami’s playoff series: solid play throughout the first half, albeit a bit lackluster in Heat standards. Then, after a break to rest and recoup in the locker room, Miami would consistently storm back during the third quarter and take control of the game. In each of the Heat’s twelve playoff wins thus far, Miami has outscored their opponent and “won” the third. (Or at least, haven’t lost it. They technically “tied” the Celtics in the third quarter of Game 6, which they were winning by 13 at the half and went on to win 98-79) Regardless of what transpired during the first, second, or fourth, it was that single, post-halftime quarter that made all the difference.

Whether this is a mental ploy that Erik Spoelstra has up his sleeve – play soft at first, let the opponent think they’ve got this game, then catch them off-guard right after the half – is unlikely. But if the Thunder hope to dominate the series – as most Americans outside of Miami-Dade County are anticipating – the third quarter’s the charm.

With each successive series, the Heat have lost an additional game, starting with one against the Knicks, two against the Pacers, and, most recently, three against the Celtics. Will the Thunder hand them four losses and run away with the O’Brein trophy? Only if they can control quarter number three.