2012 NBA Finals: Difference between revisions

2012 NBA Finals
Dates	June 12–21
MVP	LeBron James; (Miami Heat)
Hall of Famers	Heat:; Chris Bosh (2021); Dwyane Wade (2023)
Eastern finals	Heat defeated Celtics, 4–3
Western finals	Thunder defeated Spurs, 4–2

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 00:39, 20 August 2024

The 2012 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2011–12 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs, contested between the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It was played from June 12 to 21, 2012.

Led by the "Big Three" of season MVP LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Heat defeated the Thunder in five games. The Thunder, led by three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, had home-court advantage, and won Game 1 before the Heat won the next four games to clinch their second title in history, having won their first six years earlier. The win by the Heat earned James his first championship.^[1] James was also named the Finals MVP.^[2]

Background

Miami Heat

This was the second consecutive appearance for the Heat, after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. This was also their second Finals appearance in the "Big Three" era, being led by superstar LeBron James, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and power forward Chris Bosh.^[3] Their other Finals appearance was in 2006, when they defeated the Mavericks to win their first NBA title.^[4]

In the regular season, the Heat finished with 46 wins, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, they defeated the New York Knicks 4–1, marking the first time since 1997 that the Heat beat their arch rivals in the postseason. In the next two rounds, the Heat overcame major series deficits that nearly eliminated them from the postseason, but survived thanks to a string of victories. In the Conference Semifinals, they defeated the Indiana Pacers 4–2 despite trailing 2–1 and losing Chris Bosh to injury. Then, the Heat survived a grueling Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, winning 4–3 despite trailing 3–2. The Heat’s comeback vs the Celtics was extremely notable thanks to LeBron James’ epic 45 point performance in Game 6, allowing the Heat to win game 7 at home and advance to the Finals.^[5] The Heat also became the first team since the 1994–95 Houston Rockets to overcome multiple series deficits en route to the finals.

The 2011–2012 Miami Heat included several new players that had not played for the team during its 2011 Finals run, including Shane Battier,^[6] Eddy Curry,^[7] Ronny Turiaf,^[8] and rookies Terrel Harris and Norris Cole.^[9]

Oklahoma City Thunder

This was the Thunder's first NBA Finals appearance since the team relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. Including their seasons as the Seattle SuperSonics, this was also the club's fourth Finals appearance, and first since 1996, when they lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The team was seeking their first NBA championship since 1979.^[10]

The Thunder finished with 47 wins, placing them as the second seed in the Western Conference. During the playoffs, they defeated the last three Western Conference Finalists in sequential order. First, they dethroned the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a 4–0 first round sweep. Next, they dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals 4–1. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, they defeated the top seeded San Antonio Spurs 4–2, despite losing the first two games, snapping San Antonio’s 20 game winning streak in the process.^[10]

The Thunder entered the Finals as the second-youngest finalists in NBA history.^[11] In addition, Daequan Cook faced the team that traded him to the Thunder in 2010.

Road to the Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder (Western Conference champion)

Miami Heat (Eastern Conference champion)

Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	c-San Antonio Spurs *	50	16	.758	–	66
2	y-Oklahoma City Thunder *	47	19	.712	3.0	66
3	y-Los Angeles Lakers *	41	25	.621	9.0	66
4	x-Memphis Grizzlies	41	25	.621	9.0	66
5	x-Los Angeles Clippers	40	26	.606	10.0	66
6	x-Denver Nuggets	38	28	.576	12.0	66
7	x-Dallas Mavericks	36	30	.545	14.0	66
8	x-Utah Jazz	36	30	.545	14.0	66

9	Houston Rockets	34	32	.515	16.0	66
10	Phoenix Suns	33	33	.500	17.0	66
11	Portland Trail Blazers	28	38	.424	22.0	66
12	Minnesota Timberwolves	26	40	.394	24.0	66
13	Golden State Warriors	23	43	.348	27.0	66
14	Sacramento Kings	22	44	.333	28.0	66
15	New Orleans Hornets	21	45	.318	29.0	66

2nd seed in the West, 3rd best league record

Regular season

Eastern Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	z-Chicago Bulls	50	16	.758	–	66
2	y-Miami Heat *	46	20	.697	4.0	66
3	x-Indiana Pacers *	42	24	.636	8.0	66
4	y-Boston Celtics	39	27	.591	11.0	66
5	x-Atlanta Hawks	40	26	.606	10.0	66
6	x-Orlando Magic	37	29	.561	13.0	66
7	x-New York Knicks	36	30	.545	14.0	66
8	x-Philadelphia 76ers	35	31	.530	15.0	66

9	Milwaukee Bucks	31	35	.470	19.0	66
10	Detroit Pistons	25	41	.379	25.0	66
11	Toronto Raptors	23	43	.348	27.0	66
12	New Jersey Nets	22	44	.333	28.0	66
13	Cleveland Cavaliers	21	45	.318	29.0	66
14	Washington Wizards	20	46	.303	30.0	66
15	Charlotte Bobcats	7	59	.106	43.0	66

2nd seed in the East, 4th best league record

Defeated the 7th seeded Dallas Mavericks, 4–0

First round

Defeated the 7th seeded New York Knicks, 4–1

Defeated the 3rd seeded Los Angeles Lakers, 4–1

Conference Semifinals

Defeated the 3rd seeded Indiana Pacers, 4–2

Defeated the 1st seeded San Antonio Spurs, 4–2

Conference Finals

Defeated the 4th seeded Boston Celtics, 4–3

Regular season series

The season series was tied, 1–1, with both teams winning at their home floor.

March 25, 2012

Recap

Miami Heat 87, Oklahoma City Thunder 103

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

April 4, 2012

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 93, Miami Heat 98

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

Series summary

Game	Date	Road team	Result	Home team
Game 1	June 12	Miami Heat	94–105 (0–1)	Oklahoma City Thunder
Game 2	June 14	Miami Heat	100–96 (1–1)	Oklahoma City Thunder
Game 3	June 17	Oklahoma City Thunder	85–91 (1–2)	Miami Heat
Game 4	June 19	Oklahoma City Thunder	98–104 (1–3)	Miami Heat
Game 5	June 21	Oklahoma City Thunder	106–121 (1–4)	Miami Heat

Game summaries

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)^[12]

Game 1

ABC

June 12
9:00 pm

Recap

Miami Heat 94, Oklahoma City Thunder 105
Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 25–25, 19–27, 21–31
Pts: LeBron James 30 Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11 Asts: Dwyane Wade 8		Pts: Kevin Durant 36 Rebs: Nick Collison 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees:

No. 13 Monty McCutchen
No. 14 Ed Malloy
No. 9 Derrick Stafford

The Thunder defeated the Heat, 105–94, in Game 1. Miami held the lead for most of the first three quarters, including a 13-point lead at one point during the second quarter. The Heat made five three-pointers to jump to a 29–22 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Oklahoma City kept on pace with Miami to keep the score at 54–47 by halftime. The Thunder then took the lead for good with 16 seconds left in the third quarter after Russell Westbrook made a free throw to make it 74–73. Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 36 points, while Westbrook had 27. LeBron James led the Heat with 30 points, but was held to one basket during the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.^[13]

Game 2

ABC

June 14
9:00 pm

Recap

Miami Heat 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 28–28, 23–24, 22–29
Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: Chris Bosh 15 Asts: James, Wade 5 each		Pts: Kevin Durant 32 Rebs: Perkins, Westbrook 8 each Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Series tied, 1–1

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees:

No. 43 Dan Crawford
No. 25 Tony Brothers
No. 49 Tom Washington

The Heat defeated the Thunder 100–96 in Game 2, tying the series at one game a piece and giving the Thunder their first home playoff loss of the season. Miami never trailed, building a 27–15 first quarter lead, and holding a 17-point advantage at one point. The Thunder attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, and with 37 seconds left in the game, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant made a three-pointer to cut the deficit, 98–96. Durant would miss a game-tying jumper in the closing seconds as Miami held off Oklahoma City for the Game 2 win. The play did not come without controversy however as many observers had felt that James had fouled Durant on the right hip during the shot, a potential sixth foul that would have taken the Heat superstar out of the game in the process.^[14] LeBron James led the Heat with 32 points, while Durant scored 32 of his own to lead the Thunder.^[15]

Game 3

ABC

June 17
8:00 pm

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 85, Miami Heat 91
Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 26–21, 21–22, 18–22
Pts: Kevin Durant 25 Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 12 Asts: James Harden 6		Pts: LeBron James 29 Rebs: LeBron James 14 Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Miami leads series, 2–1

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 20,003
Referees:

No. 17 Joe Crawford
No. 19 James Capers
No. 41 Ken Mauer

Miami won Game 3, 91–85, to go up two games to one in the series. Miami had a slim 47–46 halftime lead before Oklahoma City began the third quarter with a 10–4 run, eventually building a 10-point lead midway through the period. However, Miami scored the last seven points in the third quarter to regain the lead at 69–67. With 7:36 remaining in the game, the Thunder came back to retake the lead at 77–76, but the Heat then scored eight unanswered points to build an 84–77 advantage with 3:47 left. A 6–0 run by Oklahoma City pulled them within one point of Miami with 90 seconds left, but the Thunder could not score again for the rest of the game while the Heat made five insurance free throws. LeBron James led the Heat with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while Kevin Durant scored 25 points to lead the Thunder.^[16]

Game 4

ABC

June 19
9:00 pm

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 98, Miami Heat 104
Scoring by quarter: 33–19, 16–27, 26–33, 23–25
Pts: Russell Westbrook 43 Rebs: James Harden 10 Asts: Russell Westbrook 5		Pts: LeBron James 26 Rebs: Bosh, James 9 each Asts: LeBron James 12
Miami leads series, 3–1

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 20,003
Referees:

No. 48 Scott Foster
No. 24 Mike Callahan
No. 55 Bill Kennedy

Miami won Game 4, 104–98, to go up three games to one in the series. The Thunder jumped to a 33–19 lead by the end the first quarter, but the Heat rallied to cut the score to 49–46 at halftime, thanks to two huge three-pointers by Heat rookie Norris Cole. The two teams remained neck-and-neck throughout most of the third quarter, with Miami holding a 4-point lead at the start of fourth period. However, for the final 16 minutes of the game, Russell Westbrook (who led the Thunder with 43 points) and Kevin Durant (who had 28 points) were the only two Oklahoma City players able to score. With the other Thunder players struggling to make their shots, Miami was able to pull away in the end, largely thanks to late-game heroics from LeBron James, Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade. LeBron James led the Heat with 26 points, including the go ahead three pointer, but had to sit out during the final two minutes of the game due to leg cramps.^[17] Mario Chalmers scored 25 points and made two key plays to seal Miami's win: a driving layup around a well-positioned Serge Ibaka and two free throws after a rare mistake by Westbrook (he fouled Chalmers after the point guard recovered Shane Battier's tip on a jump ball with less than 1 minute left, thinking that the shot clock would reset, while NBA rules do not reset at that point in a 4th quarter if the team that previously had the ball re-gains possession off the tip).

Game 5

ABC

June 21
9:00 pm

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Miami Heat 121
Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 23–28, 22–36, 35–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 32 Rebs: Kevin Durant 11 Asts: Russell Westbrook 6		Pts: LeBron James 26 Rebs: LeBron James 11 Asts: LeBron James 13
Miami wins NBA Finals, 4–1

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 20,003
Referees:

No. 43 Dan Crawford
No. 13 Monty McCutchen
No. 9 Derrick Stafford

Miami won Game 5, 121–106, to win the series, four games to one.^[18] After keeping it a close game in the first half, the Thunder were outscored 36–22 in the third quarter, with Miami leading as much as 27 at one point. Miami was fueled by strong performances by their "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, as well as by Mike Miller, who was 7 for 8 for three-pointers, ending the night with 23 points. Miller only entered the game because Wade encountered foul trouble in the first half, with Coach Erik Spoelstra telling the variously-injured veteran the Heat just needed him to hold the fort until the 2nd quarter began; when Miller hit two three-pointers, Spoelstra asked him if he could keep playing and Miller said yes, leading to 23 minutes on the court that were critical in blowing the game open for Miami. The team tied an NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers in a game with 14.^[18] With three minutes remaining in the game, both teams took their starters out of the game, with the Heat still leading by more than 20 points. With their Game 5 win, the Heat won their second NBA championship in team history, and the first for several Heat players, including James, who was named the NBA Finals MVP after averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in the finals, capping it all off with his first triple double of the season in the final game.^[18] For the Thunder, Kevin Durant had 32 points, and 11 rebounds; Russell Westbrook had 19 points and 6 assists; and James Harden led the bench with 19 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. This was James Harden’s final game with the Thunder. He was traded to the Rockets during the offseason. ^[18]

Rosters

Miami Heat

2011–12 Miami Heat roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
F/C	50	Anthony, Joel	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	1982–08–09	UNLV
F	31	Battier, Shane	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1978–09–09	Duke
F	1	Bosh, Chris	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	1984–03–24	Georgia Tech
G	15	Chalmers, Mario	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1986–05–19	Kansas
G	30	Cole, Norris	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	1988–10–13	Cleveland State
C	34	Curry, Eddy	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	1982–12–05	Thornwood HS (IL)
G	14	Harris, Terrel	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1987–08–10	Oklahoma State
F/C	40	Haslem, Udonis	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	1980–06–09	Florida
F	5	Howard, Juwan	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	1973–02–07	Michigan
F	6	James, LeBron	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	1984–12–30	St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)
F	22	Jones, James	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	1980–10–04	Miami (FL)
F	13	Miller, Mike	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	218 lb (99 kg)	1980–02–19	Florida
C	45	Pittman, Dexter	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	1988–03–02	Texas
F/C	21	Turiaf, Ronny	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	246 lb (112 kg)	1983–01–13	Gonzaga
G	3	Wade, Dwyane	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1982–01–17	Marquette

Head coach

Erik Spoelstra

Assistant coach(es)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
(DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
Injured

Oklahoma City Thunder

2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
C	45	Aldrich, Cole	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	1988–10–31	Kansas
F/C	4	Collison, Nick	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	1980–10–26	Kansas
G	14	Cook, Daequan	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1987–04–28	Ohio State
G/F	35	Durant, Kevin	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1988–09–29	Texas
G	37	Fisher, Derek	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1974–08–09	Little Rock
G	13	Harden, James	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1989–08–26	Arizona State
F	11	Hayward, Lazar	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1986–11–26	Marquette
F	9	Ibaka, Serge	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	1989–09–18	Republic of the Congo
G	7	Ivey, Royal	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	1981–12–20	Texas
G	15	Jackson, Reggie	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	1990–04–16	Boston College
G	6	Maynor, Eric	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	1987–06–11	VCU
C	8	Mohammed, Nazr	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	1977–09–05	Kentucky
C	5	Perkins, Kendrick	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	267 lb (121 kg)	1984–11–10	Clifton J. Ozen HS (TX)
G/F	2	Sefolosha, Thabo	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	1984–05–02	Switzerland
G	0	Westbrook, Russell	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	187 lb (85 kg)	1988–11–12	UCLA

Head coach

Scott Brooks

Assistant coach(es)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
(DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
Injured

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Miami Heat

Miami Heat statistics
Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Joel Anthony	1	0	2.1	.000	.000	.000	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Shane Battier	5	5	37.5	.613	.577	.714	3.4	0.4	0.8	0.0	11.6
Chris Bosh	5	4	36.6	.452	.400	.882	9.4	0.2	0.6	1.2	14.6
Mario Chalmers	5	5	36.5	.442	.348	.857	2.6	4.0	1.8	0.4	10.4
Norris Cole	4	0	11.0	.333	.429	.000	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.3
Terrel Harris	1	0	3.0	.000	.000	.750	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.0
Udonis Haslem	5	1	16.3	.400	.000	.833	4.4	0.4	0.0	0.4	2.6
Juwan Howard	1	0	3.0	.000	.000	.000	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
LeBron James	5	5	44.1	.472	.188	.826	10.2	7.4	1.6	0.4	28.6
James Jones	4	0	10.7	.500	.400	1.000	1.5	0.0	0.3	0.0	2.8
Mike Miller	5	0	8.9	.563	.636	1.000	1.8	0.4	0.2	0.2	6.2
Ronny Turiaf	1	0	3.0	.000	.000	.000	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Dwyane Wade	5	5	40.6	.435	.400	.775	6.0	5.2	1.4	1.2	22.6

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder statistics
Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Cole Aldrich	1	0	4.7	1.000	.000	.000	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
Nick Collison	5	0	16.6	.600	.000	.000	4.6	0.6	0.6	0.2	3.6
Daequan Cook	3	0	3.5	.333	.000	.000	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.7
Kevin Durant	5	5	42.6	.548	.394	.839	6.0	2.2	1.4	1.0	30.6
Derek Fisher	5	0	25.6	.423	.357	1.000	1.6	0.8	1.0	0.0	5.6
James Harden	5	0	32.8	.375	.318	.792	4.8	3.6	1.2	0.0	12.4
Lazar Hayward	1	0	4.7	.500	.000	.000	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
Serge Ibaka	5	5	26.3	.424	.000	.636	5.2	0.8	0.4	2.0	7.0
Royal Ivey	1	0	3.0	1.000	1.000	.000	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	6.0
Kendrick Perkins	5	5	23.2	.429	.000	.750	6.8	0.0	0.2	0.6	4.8
Thabo Sefolosha	5	5	25.9	.296	.182	.833	2.0	1.0	1.4	0.8	4.6
Russell Westbrook	5	5	42.3	.433	.136	.824	6.4	6.6	1.0	0.4	27.0

Broadcast

In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC and Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy served as commentators. Local ABC stations for the competing teams were WPLG (Miami) and KOCO-TV (Oklahoma City). ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Jim Durham, Jack Ramsey and Hubie Brown as commentators.^[19]

Game	Ratings (households)	Share (households)	American audience (in millions)
1^[20]	9.9	16	16.195
2^[20]	10.4	18	16.670
3^[20]	8.8	15	15.549
4^[21]	10.5	17	17.455
5^[21]	10.9	18	18.461

References

^ "Top Moments: LeBron James wins his first championship in 2012". NBA.com. September 14, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
^ "LeBron's triple-double clinches 2012 Finals MVP". ESPN.com. June 22, 2012.
^ Whitley, David (June 10, 2012). "Miami Heat's second-straight NBA Finals appearance not enough to remove doubt around LeBron James". Sporting News. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ "Pat Riley: The Miami Years". ESPN. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Hawkins, Mark (June 11, 2012). "Miami Heat's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Brian, Windhorst (December 8, 2011). "Shane Battier to sign with Heat". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Wallace, Michael (December 10, 2011). "Eddy Curry signs with Miami Heat". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ "Ronny Turiaf signs with Heat". ESPN. Associated Press. March 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Haberstroh, Tom (April 9, 2012). "The rise and fall of rookie Norris Cole". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Hawkins, Mark (June 10, 2012). "Oklahoma City Thunder's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Sherman, Mike (June 18, 2012). "NBA Finals: Thunder has overcome much, but it must now overcome doubt". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ "Bizball: NBA Releases Finals Schedule". Forbes. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
^ "Kevin Durant, Thunder pull away from Heat, win Game 1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
^ "NBA Finals Heat-Thunder Game 2 Video: The controversial ending to a classic Game 2".
^ "LeBron James, Heat hold off Thunder, knot NBA Finals at 1–1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
^ "LeBron James leads way with 29 points, 14 boards as Heat go up 2–1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 17, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
^ "Heat overcome Russell Westbrook's 43 points, take 3–1 Finals lead". ESPN. Associated Press. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ESPN. "LeBron James, Heat dominate Thunder to win NBA championship". Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
^ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 10, 2012). "NBA Finals Tip Off Tuesday on ABC & ESPN Radio". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kondolojy, Amanda (June 19, 2012). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: NBA Finals Top Week 39 Viewing". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Bibel, Sarah (June 26, 2012). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: NBA Finals Top Week 40 Viewing". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.

External links

Official website of the 2012 NBA Finals
2012 NBA Finals at ESPN
2012 NBA Finals at Basketball-Reference.com

[1] "Top Moments: LeBron James wins his first championship in 2012". NBA.com. September 14, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2023.

[2] "LeBron's triple-double clinches 2012 Finals MVP". ESPN.com. June 22, 2012.

[3] Whitley, David (June 10, 2012). "Miami Heat's second-straight NBA Finals appearance not enough to remove doubt around LeBron James". Sporting News. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[4] "Pat Riley: The Miami Years". ESPN. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[5] Hawkins, Mark (June 11, 2012). "Miami Heat's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[6] Brian, Windhorst (December 8, 2011). "Shane Battier to sign with Heat". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[7] Wallace, Michael (December 10, 2011). "Eddy Curry signs with Miami Heat". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[8] "Ronny Turiaf signs with Heat". ESPN. Associated Press. March 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[9] Haberstroh, Tom (April 9, 2012). "The rise and fall of rookie Norris Cole". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[Yahoo-10] Hawkins, Mark (June 10, 2012). "Oklahoma City Thunder's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[11] Sherman, Mike (June 18, 2012). "NBA Finals: Thunder has overcome much, but it must now overcome doubt". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[12] "Bizball: NBA Releases Finals Schedule". Forbes. Retrieved June 5, 2012.

[Game1-13] "Kevin Durant, Thunder pull away from Heat, win Game 1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.

[14] "NBA Finals Heat-Thunder Game 2 Video: The controversial ending to a classic Game 2".

[Game2-15] "LeBron James, Heat hold off Thunder, knot NBA Finals at 1–1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.

[Game3-16] "LeBron James leads way with 29 points, 14 boards as Heat go up 2–1". ESPN. Associated Press. June 17, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.

[Game4-17] "Heat overcome Russell Westbrook's 43 points, take 3–1 Finals lead". ESPN. Associated Press. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.

[ESPN_Game_5-18] ESPN. "LeBron James, Heat dominate Thunder to win NBA championship". Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.

[19] Kondolojy, Amanda (June 10, 2012). "NBA Finals Tip Off Tuesday on ABC & ESPN Radio". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.

[ratings1-20] Kondolojy, Amanda (June 19, 2012). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: NBA Finals Top Week 39 Viewing". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[ratings2-21] Bibel, Sarah (June 26, 2012). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: NBA Finals Top Week 40 Viewing". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|2012 basketball championship series}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
 {{NBA Finals summary
 | image = 2012 NBA Finals Logo.jpg
@@ Line 11: / Line 12: @@
 | runnerup_games = 1
 | date= June 12–21
+| MVP = [[LeBron James]]<br />(Miami Heat)
-| MVP = [[LeBron James]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8083535/2012-nba-finals-lebron-james-wins-mvp-award|title=LeBron's triple-double clinches 2012 Finals MVP|date=June 22, 2012|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>
+| HOFers = '''Heat:'''<br />[[Chris Bosh]] (2021)<br />[[Dwyane Wade]] (2023)
-<br />(Miami Heat)
-| HOFers = '''Heat:'''<br />[[Chris Bosh]] (2021)
 | ECF result = [[2011–12 Miami Heat season|Heat]] defeated [[2011–12 Boston Celtics season|Celtics]], 4–3
 | WCF result = [[2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Thunder]] defeated [[2011–12 San Antonio Spurs season|Spurs]], 4–2
 }}
-The '''2012 NBA Finals''' was the [[NBA Finals|championship series]] of the [[National Basketball Association]]'s (NBA) [[2011–12 NBA season|2011–12 season]], and the conclusion of [[2012 NBA Playoffs|the season's playoffs]]. The [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] champion [[2011–12 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] defeated the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] champion [[2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]] four games to one to win their second NBA title. Heat forward [[LeBron James]] was named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Finals MVP]].
+The '''2012 NBA Finals''' was the [[NBA Finals|championship series]] of the [[National Basketball Association]]'s (NBA) [[2011–12 NBA season|2011–12 season]], and the conclusion of [[2012 NBA Playoffs|the season's playoffs]], contested between the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] champion [[2011–12 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] defeated the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] champion [[2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]]. It was played from June 12 to 21, 2012.
+Led by the "[[Big Three (Miami Heat)|Big Three]]" of [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|season MVP]] [[LeBron James]], [[Dwyane Wade]], and [[Chris Bosh]], the Heat defeated the Thunder in five games. The Thunder, led by three future MVPs in [[Kevin Durant]], [[Russell Westbrook]], and [[James Harden]], had home-court advantage, and won Game 1 before the Heat won the next four games to clinch their second title in history, having won their first [[2006 NBA Finals|six years earlier]]. The win by the Heat earned James his first championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-lebron-james-first-championship-2012|title=Top Moments: LeBron James wins his first championship in 2012|website=NBA.com|date=September 14, 2021|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref> James was also named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Finals MVP]].<ref>{{cite web|title=LeBron's triple-double clinches 2012 Finals MVP|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8083535/2012-nba-finals-lebron-james-wins-mvp-award|website=ESPN.com|date=June 22, 2012}}</ref>
-The 2012 Finals marked the fourth time in franchise history that the Oklahoma City Thunder played in the NBA Finals. Previously known as the [[Seattle SuperSonics]], the Thunder had not reached the Finals since [[Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City|relocating]] from [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]] to [[Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] before the start of the [[2008–09 NBA season|2008–2009 season]]. Prior to 2012, the franchise last played in the NBA Finals in [[1996 NBA Finals|1996]] as the [[1995–96 Seattle SuperSonics season|SuperSonics]], losing to the [[Michael Jordan]]-led [[1995–96 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]]. The 2012 Thunder team was the second-youngest NBA Finals team in history.
-The 2012 Finals also marked the Miami Heat's second consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals and its third appearance overall. The Heat appeared in the Finals in [[2006 NBA Finals|2006]], defeating the [[Dallas Mavericks]], and were defeated by the Mavericks in the 2011 Finals.
 ==Background==
@@ Line 27: / Line 25: @@
 ===Miami Heat===
 {{see also|2011–12 Miami Heat season}}
-This was the second consecutive appearance for the Heat, after losing to the [[Dallas Mavericks]] in {{nbafy|2011}}. This was also their second Finals appearance in the "[[Big Three (Miami Heat)|Big Three]]" era, being led by superstar LeBron James, [[shooting guard]] [[Dwyane Wade]], and [[Power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Chris Bosh]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Whitley|first=David|title=Miami Heat's second-straight NBA Finals appearance not enough to remove doubt around LeBron James|url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-06-10/miami-heat-nba-finals-lebron-james-dwyane-wade-okc-thunder-celtics|work=Sporting News|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref> Their other Finals appearance was in {{nbafy|2006}}, when they defeated the Mavericks to win their first NBA title.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pat Riley: The Miami Years|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8072533/pat-riley-miami-heat-years|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 21, 2012}}</ref>
+This was the second consecutive appearance for the Heat, after losing to the [[Dallas Mavericks]] in {{nbafy|2011}}. This was also their second Finals appearance in the "[[Big Three (Miami Heat)|Big Three]]" era, being led by superstar LeBron James, [[shooting guard]] [[Dwyane Wade]], and [[Power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Chris Bosh]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Whitley|first=David|title=Miami Heat's second-straight NBA Finals appearance not enough to remove doubt around LeBron James|url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-06-10/miami-heat-nba-finals-lebron-james-dwyane-wade-okc-thunder-celtics|work=Sporting News|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref> Their other Finals appearance was in {{nbafy|2006}}, when they defeated the Mavericks to win their first NBA title.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pat Riley: The Miami Years|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8072533/pat-riley-miami-heat-years|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 21, 2012}}</ref>
-In the regular season, the Heat finished with 46 victories, then defeated the [[New York Knicks]] (4–1), [[Indiana Pacers]] (4–2) and [[Boston Celtics]] (4–3) on their way to the Finals. Along the way, they managed to overcome series deficits that nearly sent them home but they had strings of victories to let them survive. The first was against the Pacers in the Conference Semifinals when they trailed in the series, 1–2. The Heat responded by taking three straight victories to defeat the Pacers. The second was against the Celtics in the Conference Finals when they trailed, 2–3, in the series. They responded by winning a decisive game 6 in Boston, taking the last two games of the series to advance to the Finals.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Mark|title=Miami Heat's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/miami-heat-road-2012-nba-finals-fans-061300646--nba.html|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 11, 2012}}</ref>
+In the regular season, the Heat finished with 46 wins, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, they defeated the [[New York Knicks]] 4–1, marking the first time since [[1997 NBA playoffs|1997]] that the Heat beat their arch rivals in the postseason. In the next two rounds, the Heat overcame major series deficits that nearly eliminated them from the postseason, but survived thanks to a string of victories. In the Conference Semifinals, they defeated the [[Indiana Pacers]] 4–2 despite trailing 2–1 and losing Chris Bosh to injury. Then, the Heat survived a grueling Eastern Conference Finals against the [[Boston Celtics]], winning 4–3 despite trailing 3–2. The Heat’s comeback vs the Celtics was extremely notable thanks to LeBron James’ epic 45 point performance in Game 6, allowing the Heat to win game 7 at home and advance to the Finals.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Mark|title=Miami Heat's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/miami-heat-road-2012-nba-finals-fans-061300646--nba.html|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 11, 2012}}</ref> The Heat also became the first team since the [[1994-95 Houston Rockets season|1994–95 Houston Rockets]] to overcome multiple series deficits en route to the finals.
-The 2011-2012 Heat team included several new players that had not played for the team during its 2011 Finals run, including Shane Battier,<ref>{{cite web|last=Brian|first=Windhorst|title=Shane Battier to sign with Heat|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7330117/memphis-grizzlies-shane-battier-plans-sign-miami-heat|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> [[Eddy Curry]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Wallace|first=Michael|title=Eddy Curry signs with Miami Heat|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7339013/slimmed-eddy-curry-signs-hopes-career-revival-miami-heat|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=December 10, 2011}}</ref> [[Ronny Turiaf]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Ronny Turiaf signs with Heat|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7718396/miami-heat-bolster-depth-sign-veteran-big-man-ronny-turiaf|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|agency=Associated Press|date=March 21, 2012}}</ref> and rookies [[Terrel Harris]] and [[Norris Cole (basketball)|Norris Cole]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Haberstroh|first=Tom|title=The rise and fall of rookie Norris Cole|url=http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/13310/the-rise-and-fall-of-rookie-norris-cole|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=April 9, 2012}}</ref>
+The 2011–2012 Miami Heat included several new players that had not played for the team during its 2011 Finals run, including Shane Battier,<ref>{{cite web|last=Brian|first=Windhorst|title=Shane Battier to sign with Heat|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7330117/memphis-grizzlies-shane-battier-plans-sign-miami-heat|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> [[Eddy Curry]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Wallace|first=Michael|title=Eddy Curry signs with Miami Heat|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7339013/slimmed-eddy-curry-signs-hopes-career-revival-miami-heat|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=December 10, 2011}}</ref> [[Ronny Turiaf]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Ronny Turiaf signs with Heat|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7718396/miami-heat-bolster-depth-sign-veteran-big-man-ronny-turiaf|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|agency=Associated Press|date=March 21, 2012}}</ref> and rookies [[Terrel Harris]] and [[Norris Cole (basketball)|Norris Cole]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Haberstroh|first=Tom|title=The rise and fall of rookie Norris Cole|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/13310/the-rise-and-fall-of-rookie-norris-cole|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=April 9, 2012}}</ref>
 ===Oklahoma City Thunder===
@@ Line 38: / Line 36: @@
 This was the Thunder's first NBA Finals appearance since the team [[Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City|relocated]] from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. Including their seasons as the Seattle SuperSonics, this was also the club's fourth Finals appearance, and first since {{nbafy|1996}}, when they lost to the [[Michael Jordan]]-led [[1995–96 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]]. The team was seeking their first NBA championship since {{nbafy|1979}}.<ref name="Yahoo"/>
-The Thunder finished with 47 wins, second in the Western Conference. During the playoffs, they defeated the [[2011 NBA Finals|defending champion]] [[Dallas Mavericks]] (4–0), the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] (4–1), and the #1 West Seed [[San Antonio Spurs]] (4–2).<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Mark|title=Oklahoma City Thunder's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-road-2012-nba-finals-fans-153800334--nba.html|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref>
+The Thunder finished with 47 wins, placing them as the second seed in the Western Conference. During the playoffs, they defeated the last three Western Conference Finalists in sequential order. First, they dethroned the [[2011 NBA Finals|defending champion]] [[Dallas Mavericks]] in a 4–0 first round sweep. Next, they dispatched the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] in the conference semifinals 4–1. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, they defeated the top seeded [[San Antonio Spurs]] 4–2, despite losing the first two games, snapping San Antonio’s 20 game winning streak in the process.<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Mark|title=Oklahoma City Thunder's Road to the 2012 NBA Finals: Fan's Take|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-road-2012-nba-finals-fans-153800334--nba.html|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref>
-The Thunder came into the Finals as the second-youngest finalists in NBA history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Mike|title=NBA Finals: Thunder has overcome much, but it must now overcome doubt|url=http://newsok.com/article/3685491|work=The Oklahoman|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 18, 2012}}</ref>
+The Thunder entered the Finals as the second-youngest finalists in NBA history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Mike|title=NBA Finals: Thunder has overcome much, but it must now overcome doubt|url=http://newsok.com/article/3685491|work=The Oklahoman|access-date=June 21, 2012|date=June 18, 2012}}</ref> In addition, [[Daequan Cook]] faced the team that traded him to the Thunder in 2010.
 ===Road to the Finals===
@@ Line 72: / Line 70: @@
  | bg=#fff
  | date = March 25, 2012
- | report = {{NBA Recap|2012|0325|id=MIAOKC}}
+| report = {{NBA Recap|2012|0325|id=MIAOKC}}
  | team1 = [[Miami Heat]] |score1= 87
  | team2 = '''[[Oklahoma City Thunder]]''' |score2= '''103'''
@@ Line 79: / Line 77: @@
 {{basketballbox
  | date = April 4, 2012
- | report = {{NBA Recap|2012|0404|id=OKCMIA}}
+| report = {{NBA Recap|2012|0404|id=OKCMIA}}
  | team1 = [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] |score1= 93
  | team2 = '''[[Miami Heat]]''' |score2= '''98'''
@@ Line 119: / Line 117: @@
 * No. 9 Derrick Stafford
 }}
-The Thunder defeated the Heat, 105–94, in Game 1. Miami held the lead for most of the first three quarters, including a 13-point lead at one point during the second quarter. The Heat made five three-pointers to jump to a 29–22 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Oklahoma City kept on pace with Miami to keep the score at 54–47 by halftime. The Thunder then took the lead for good with 16 seconds left in the third quarter after [[Russell Westbrook]] made a free throw to make it 74–73. [[Kevin Durant]] led Oklahoma City with 36 points, while Westbrook had 27. [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 30 points, but was held to one basket during the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.<ref name="Game1">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320612025 | title=Kevin Durant, Thunder pull away from Heat, win Game 1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 12, 2012 | access-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref>
+The Thunder defeated the Heat, 105–94, in Game 1. Miami held the lead for most of the first three quarters, including a 13-point lead at one point during the second quarter. The Heat made five three-pointers to jump to a 29–22 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Oklahoma City kept on pace with Miami to keep the score at 54–47 by halftime. The Thunder then took the lead for good with 16 seconds left in the third quarter after [[Russell Westbrook]] made a free throw to make it 74–73. [[Kevin Durant]] led Oklahoma City with 36 points, while Westbrook had 27. [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 30 points, but was held to one basket during the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.<ref name="Game1">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320612025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613043533/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320612025 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 13, 2012 | title=Kevin Durant, Thunder pull away from Heat, win Game 1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 12, 2012 | access-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref>
 ===Game 2===
@@ Line 138: / Line 136: @@
 }}
-The Heat defeated the Thunder 100-96 in Game 2, tying the series at one game a piece and giving the Thunder their first home playoff loss of the season. Miami never trailed, building a 27–15 first quarter lead, and holding a 17-point advantage at one point. The Thunder attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, and with 37 seconds left in the game, Oklahoma City's [[Kevin Durant]] made a three-pointer to cut the deficit, 98–96. Durant would miss a game-tying jumper in the closing seconds as Miami held off Oklahoma City for the Game 2 win. The play did not come without controversy however as many observers had felt that James had fouled Durant on the right hip during the shot, a potential sixth foul that would have taken the Heat superstar out of the game in the process.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-finals-heat-thunder-game-2-video-the-controversial-ending-to-a-classic-game-2 | title=NBA Finals Heat-Thunder Game 2 Video: The controversial ending to a classic Game 2}}</ref> [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 32 points, while Durant scored 32 of his own to lead the Thunder.<ref name="Game2">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320614025 | title=LeBron James, Heat hold off Thunder, knot NBA Finals at 1–1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 14, 2012 | access-date=June 14, 2012}}</ref>
+The Heat defeated the Thunder 100–96 in Game 2, tying the series at one game a piece and giving the Thunder their first home playoff loss of the season. Miami never trailed, building a 27–15 first quarter lead, and holding a 17-point advantage at one point. The Thunder attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, and with 37 seconds left in the game, Oklahoma City's [[Kevin Durant]] made a three-pointer to cut the deficit, 98–96. Durant would miss a game-tying jumper in the closing seconds as Miami held off Oklahoma City for the Game 2 win. The play did not come without controversy however as many observers had felt that James had fouled Durant on the right hip during the shot, a potential sixth foul that would have taken the Heat superstar out of the game in the process.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-finals-heat-thunder-game-2-video-the-controversial-ending-to-a-classic-game-2 | title=NBA Finals Heat-Thunder Game 2 Video: The controversial ending to a classic Game 2}}</ref> [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 32 points, while Durant scored 32 of his own to lead the Thunder.<ref name="Game2">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320614025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615080404/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320614025 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 15, 2012 | title=LeBron James, Heat hold off Thunder, knot NBA Finals at 1–1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 14, 2012 | access-date=June 14, 2012}}</ref>
 ===Game 3===
@@ Line 157: / Line 155: @@
 }}
-Miami won Game 3, 91-85, to go up two games to one in the series. Miami had a slim 47–46 halftime lead before Oklahoma City began the third quarter with a 10–4 run, eventually building a 10-point lead midway through the period. However, Miami scored the last seven points in the third quarter to regain the lead at 69–67. With 7:36 remaining in the game, the Thunder came back to retake the lead at 77–76, but the Heat then scored eight unanswered points to build an 84–77 advantage with 3:47 left. A 6–0 run by Oklahoma City pulled them within one point of Miami with 90 seconds left, but the Thunder could not score again for the rest of the game while the Heat made five insurance free throws. [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while [[Kevin Durant]] scored 25 points to lead the Thunder.<ref name="Game3">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320617014 | title=LeBron James leads way with 29 points, 14 boards as Heat go up 2–1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 17, 2012 | access-date=June 17, 2012}}</ref>
+Miami won Game 3, 91–85, to go up two games to one in the series. Miami had a slim 47–46 halftime lead before Oklahoma City began the third quarter with a 10–4 run, eventually building a 10-point lead midway through the period. However, Miami scored the last seven points in the third quarter to regain the lead at 69–67. With 7:36 remaining in the game, the Thunder came back to retake the lead at 77–76, but the Heat then scored eight unanswered points to build an 84–77 advantage with 3:47 left. A 6–0 run by Oklahoma City pulled them within one point of Miami with 90 seconds left, but the Thunder could not score again for the rest of the game while the Heat made five insurance free throws. [[LeBron James]] led the Heat with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while [[Kevin Durant]] scored 25 points to lead the Thunder.<ref name="Game3">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320617014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619210232/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320617014 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 19, 2012 | title=LeBron James leads way with 29 points, 14 boards as Heat go up 2–1 |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 17, 2012 | access-date=June 17, 2012}}</ref>
 ===Game 4===
@@ Line 176: / Line 174: @@
 }}
-Miami won Game 4, 104–98, to go up three games to one in the series. The Thunder jumped to a 33–19 lead by the end the first quarter, but the Heat rallied to cut the score to 49–46 at halftime, thanks to two huge three-pointers by Heat rookie [[Norris Cole (basketball)|Norris Cole]]. The two teams remained neck-and-neck throughout most of the third quarter, with Miami holding a 4-point lead at the start of fourth period. However, for the final 16 minutes of the game, [[Russell Westbrook]] (who led the Thunder with 43 points) and [[Kevin Durant]] (who had 28 points) were the only two Oklahoma City players able to score. With the other Thunder players struggling to make their shots, Miami was able to pull away in the end, largely thanks to late-game heroics from [[LeBron James]], [[Mario Chalmers]] and [[Dwyane Wade]]. LeBron James led the Heat with 26 points, including the go ahead three pointer, but had to sit out during the final two minutes of the game due to leg cramps.<ref name="Game4">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320619014 | title=Heat overcome Russell Westbrook's 43 points, take 3–1 Finals lead |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 19, 2012 | access-date=June 19, 2012}}</ref> Mario Chalmers scored 25 points and made two key plays to seal Miami's win: a driving layup around a well-positioned [[Serge Ibaka]] and two free throws after a rare mistake by Westbrook (he fouled Chalmers after the point guard recovered Shane Battier's tip on a jump ball with less than 1 minute left, thinking that the shot clock would reset, while NBA rules do not reset at that point in a 4th quarter if the team that previously had the ball re-gains possession off the tip).
+Miami won Game 4, 104–98, to go up three games to one in the series. The Thunder jumped to a 33–19 lead by the end the first quarter, but the Heat rallied to cut the score to 49–46 at halftime, thanks to two huge three-pointers by Heat rookie [[Norris Cole (basketball)|Norris Cole]]. The two teams remained neck-and-neck throughout most of the third quarter, with Miami holding a 4-point lead at the start of fourth period. However, for the final 16 minutes of the game, [[Russell Westbrook]] (who led the Thunder with 43 points) and [[Kevin Durant]] (who had 28 points) were the only two Oklahoma City players able to score. With the other Thunder players struggling to make their shots, Miami was able to pull away in the end, largely thanks to late-game heroics from [[LeBron James]], [[Mario Chalmers]] and [[Dwyane Wade]]. LeBron James led the Heat with 26 points, including the go ahead three pointer, but had to sit out during the final two minutes of the game due to leg cramps.<ref name="Game4">{{cite web | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320619014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622040630/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320619014 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 22, 2012 | title=Heat overcome Russell Westbrook's 43 points, take 3–1 Finals lead |agency=Associated Press | publisher=ESPN | date=June 19, 2012 | access-date=June 19, 2012}}</ref> Mario Chalmers scored 25 points and made two key plays to seal Miami's win: a driving layup around a well-positioned [[Serge Ibaka]] and two free throws after a rare mistake by Westbrook (he fouled Chalmers after the point guard recovered Shane Battier's tip on a jump ball with less than 1 minute left, thinking that the shot clock would reset, while NBA rules do not reset at that point in a 4th quarter if the team that previously had the ball re-gains possession off the tip).
 ===Game 5===
@@ Line 195: / Line 193: @@
 }}
-Miami won Game 5, 121–106, to win the series, four games to one.<ref name="ESPN Game 5">{{cite web|title=LeBron James, Heat dominate Thunder to win NBA championship|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320621014|access-date=June 22, 2012|author=ESPN}}</ref> After keeping it a close game in the first half, the Thunder were outscored 36–22 in the third quarter, with Miami leading as much as 27 at one point. Miami was fueled by strong performances by their "Big Three" of LeBron James, [[Dwyane Wade]], and [[Chris Bosh]], as well as by [[Mike Miller (basketball player)|Mike Miller]], who was 7 for 8 for three-pointers, ending the night with 23 points. Miller only entered the game because Wade encountered foul trouble in the first half, with Coach Erik Spoelstra telling the variously-injured veteran the Heat just needed him to hold the fort until the 2nd quarter began; when Miller hit two three-pointers, Spoelstra asked him if he could keep playing and Miller said yes, leading to 23 minutes on the court that were critical in blowing the game open for Miami. The team tied an NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers in a game with 14.<ref name="ESPN Game 5"/> With three minutes remaining in the game, both teams took their starters out of the game, with the Heat still leading by more than 20 points. With their Game 5 win, the Heat won their second NBA championship in team history, and the first for several Heat players, including James, who was named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Finals MVP]] after averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in the finals, capping it all off with his first triple double of the season in the final game.<ref name="ESPN Game 5" /> For the Thunder, [[Kevin Durant]] had 32 points, and 11 rebounds; [[Russell Westbrook]] had 19 points and 6 assists; and [[James Harden]] led the bench with 19 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.<ref name="ESPN Game 5" />
+Miami won Game 5, 121–106, to win the series, four games to one.<ref name="ESPN Game 5">{{cite web|title=LeBron James, Heat dominate Thunder to win NBA championship|url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320621014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622051101/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320621014|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2012|access-date=June 22, 2012|author=ESPN}}</ref> After keeping it a close game in the first half, the Thunder were outscored 36–22 in the third quarter, with Miami leading as much as 27 at one point. Miami was fueled by strong performances by their "Big Three" of LeBron James, [[Dwyane Wade]], and [[Chris Bosh]], as well as by [[Mike Miller (basketball, born 1980)|Mike Miller]], who was 7 for 8 for three-pointers, ending the night with 23 points. Miller only entered the game because Wade encountered foul trouble in the first half, with Coach Erik Spoelstra telling the variously-injured veteran the Heat just needed him to hold the fort until the 2nd quarter began; when Miller hit two three-pointers, Spoelstra asked him if he could keep playing and Miller said yes, leading to 23 minutes on the court that were critical in blowing the game open for Miami. The team tied an NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers in a game with 14.<ref name="ESPN Game 5"/> With three minutes remaining in the game, both teams took their starters out of the game, with the Heat still leading by more than 20 points. With their Game 5 win, the Heat won their second NBA championship in team history, and the first for several Heat players, including James, who was named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Finals MVP]] after averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in the finals, capping it all off with his first triple double of the season in the final game.<ref name="ESPN Game 5" /> For the Thunder, [[Kevin Durant]] had 32 points, and 11 rebounds; [[Russell Westbrook]] had 19 points and 6 assists; and [[James Harden]] led the bench with 19 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. This was James Harden’s final game with the Thunder. He was traded to the Rockets during the offseason. <ref name="ESPN Game 5" />
 ==Rosters==
@@ Line 211: / Line 209: @@
 {{player2 | num = 40 | first = Udonis | last = Haslem | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 235 | college = Florida | DOB = 1980–06–09 }}
 {{player2 | num = 5 | first = Juwan | last = Howard | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 250 | college = Michigan | DOB = 1973–02–07 }}
-{{player2 | num = 6 | first = LeBron | last = James | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 250 | school = [[St. Vincent–St. Mary High School|St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)]] | DOB = 1984–12–30 |note = C }}
+{{player2 | num = 6 | first = LeBron | last = James | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 250 | school = [[St. Vincent–St. Mary High School|St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)]] | DOB = 1984–12–30 }}
-{{player2 | num = 22 | first = James | last = Jones | dab = basketball player | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 215 | college = University of Miami | DOB = 1980–10–04 }}
+{{player2 | num = 22 | first = James | last = Jones | dab = basketball, born 1980 | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 215 | college = University of Miami | DOB = 1980–10–04 }}
-{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Mike | last = Miller | dab = basketball player | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 218 | college = Florida | DOB = 1980–02–19 }}
+{{player2 | num = 13 | first = Mike | last = Miller | dab = basketball, born 1980 | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 218 | college = Florida | DOB = 1980–02–19 }}
 {{player2 | num = 45 | first = Dexter | last = Pittman | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 285 | college = Texas | DOB = 1988–03–02 }}
 {{player2 | num = 21 | first = Ronny | last = Turiaf | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 246 | college = Gonzaga | DOB = 1983–01–13 }}
-{{player2 | num = 3 | first = Dwyane | last = Wade | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 220 | college = Marquette | DOB = 1982–01–17 |note = C }}
+{{player2 | num = 3 | first = Dwyane | last = Wade | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 220 | college = Marquette | DOB = 1982–01–17 }}
 <!-- end list of players -->
 {{NBA roster footer
@@ Line 242: / Line 240: @@
 {{player2 | num = 4 | first = Nick | last = Collison | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 255 | college = Kansas | note = | DOB = 1980–10–26 }}
 {{player2 | num = 14 | first = Daequan | last = Cook | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 210 | college = Ohio State | DOB = 1987–04–28 }}
-{{player2 | num = 35 | first = Kevin | last = Durant | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 230 | college = Texas | note = C | DOB = 1988–09–29 }}
+{{player2 | num = 35 | first = Kevin | last = Durant | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 230 | college = Texas | DOB = 1988–09–29 }}
 {{player2 | num = 37 | first = Derek | last = Fisher | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 1 | lbs = 210 | college = Arkansas-Little Rock | DOB = 1974–08–09 }}
-{{player2 | num = 13 | first = James | last = Harden | dab = basketball | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 220 | college = Arizona State | DOB = 1989–08–26 }}
+{{player2 | num = 13 | first = James | last = Harden | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 220 | college = Arizona State | DOB = 1989–08–26 }}
 {{player2 | num = 11 | first = Lazar | last = Hayward | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 225 | college = Marquette | DOB = 1986–11–26 }}
 {{player2 | num = 9 | first = Serge | last = Ibaka | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 235 | from = Republic of the Congo | DOB = 1989–09–18 }}
 {{player2 | num = 7 | first = Royal | last = Ivey | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 215 | college = Texas | note = | DOB = 1981–12–20 }}
 {{player2 | num = 15 | first = Reggie | last = Jackson | dab = basketball, born 1990 | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 208 | college = Boston College | DOB = 1990–04–16}}
-{{player2 | num = 6 | first = Eric | last = Maynor | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 175 | college = Virginia Commonwealth | DOB = 1987–06–11 | inj = yes }}
+{{player2 | num = 6 | first = Eric | last = Maynor | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 175 | college = Virginia Commonwealth | DOB = 1987–06–11 }}
 {{player2 | num = 8 | first = Nazr | last = Mohammed | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 250 | college = Kentucky | DOB = 1977–09–05 }}
 {{player2 | num = 5 | first = Kendrick | last = Perkins | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 267 | school = [[Clifton J. Ozen High School|Clifton J. Ozen HS (TX)]] | DOB = 1984–11–10 }}
 {{player2 | num = 2 | first = Thabo | last = Sefolosha | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 215 | from = Switzerland | DOB = 1984–05–02 }}
-{{player2 | num = 0 | first = Russell | last = Westbrook | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 187 | college = UCLA | note = C | DOB = 1988–11–12 }}
+{{player2 | num = 0 | first = Russell | last = Westbrook | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 187 | college = UCLA | DOB = 1988–11–12 }}
 <!-- end player list -->
 {{NBA roster footer
@@ Line 295: / Line 293: @@
 | align="left" | {{sortname|LeBron|James}} || 5 || 5 || '''44.1''' || .472 || .188 || .826 || '''10.2''' || '''7.4''' || 1.6 || 0.4 || '''28.6'''
 |-
-| align="left" | {{sortname|James|Jones|dab=basketball player}} || 4 || 0 || 10.7 || .500 || .400 || '''1.000''' || 1.5 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.8
+| align="left" | {{sortname|James|Jones|dab=basketball, born 1980}} || 4 || 0 || 10.7 || .500 || .400 || '''1.000''' || 1.5 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.8
 |-
-| align="left" | {{sortname|Mike|Miller|dab=basketball player}} || 5 || 0 || 8.9 || .563 || '''.636''' || '''1.000''' || 1.8 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 6.2
+| align="left" | {{sortname|Mike|Miller|dab=basketball, born 1980}} || 5 || 0 || 8.9 || .563 || '''.636''' || '''1.000''' || 1.8 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 6.2
 |-
 | align="left" | {{sortname|Ronny|Turiaf}} || 1 || 0 || 3.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0
@@ Line 333: / Line 331: @@
 ==Broadcast==
-In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC and [[Mike Breen]] and [[Jeff Van Gundy]] served as commentators. ESPN Radio aired it as well and had [[Jim Durham]], [[Jack Ramsey]] and [[Hubie Brown]] as commentators.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|title=NBA Finals Tip Off Tuesday on ABC & ESPN Radio|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/10/nba-finals-tip-off-tuesday-on-abc-espn-radio/137421/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614013610/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/10/nba-finals-tip-off-tuesday-on-abc-espn-radio/137421/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 14, 2012|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|access-date=June 22, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref>
+In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC and [[Mike Breen]] and [[Jeff Van Gundy]] served as commentators. Local ABC stations for the competing teams were [[WPLG]] (Miami) and [[KOCO-TV]] (Oklahoma City). ESPN Radio aired it as well and had [[Jim Durham]], [[Jack Ramsey]] and [[Hubie Brown]] as commentators.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|title=NBA Finals Tip Off Tuesday on ABC & ESPN Radio|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/10/nba-finals-tip-off-tuesday-on-abc-espn-radio/137421/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614013610/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/10/nba-finals-tip-off-tuesday-on-abc-espn-radio/137421/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 14, 2012|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|access-date=June 22, 2012|date=June 10, 2012}}</ref>
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
 |-
@@ Line 359: / Line 357: @@
 ==External links==
 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20151201083727/http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2012/finals/ Official website] of the 2012 NBA Finals
-*[http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/matchup/_/teams/thunder-heat 2012 NBA Finals] at [[ESPN]]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120610223311/http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/matchup/_/teams/thunder-heat 2012 NBA Finals] at [[ESPN]]
 *[https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_2012.html 2012 NBA Finals] at Basketball-Reference.com
@@ Line 371: / Line 369: @@
 {{Portal bar|Sports}}
-[[Category:National Basketball Association Finals]]
+[[Category:NBA Finals]]
 [[Category:2011–12 NBA season|Finals]]
 [[Category:2012 in sports in Florida|NBA Finals]]
@@ Line 377: / Line 375: @@
 [[Category:2010s in Miami]]
 [[Category:Sports competitions in Miami]]
-[[Category:Miami Heat games|NBA]]
+[[Category:Miami Heat games|NBA Finals]]
-[[Category:Oklahoma City Thunder games]]
+[[Category:Oklahoma City Thunder games|NBA Finals]]
 [[Category:June 2012 sports events in the United States]]
 [[Category:ABS-CBN television specials]]

v t e Miami Heat 2011–12 NBA champions
1 Bosh 3 Wade 5 Howard 6 James (Finals MVP) 13 Miller 14 Harris 15 Chalmers 21 Turiaf 22 Jones 30 Cole 31 Battier 34 Curry 40 Haslem 45 Pittman 50 Anthony
Head coach Spoelstra
Assistant coaches Askins De La Grana Fizdale Kammerer McAdoo Rothstein
Regular season Playoffs

v t e Miami Heat
Founded in 1988 Based in Miami, Florida
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1988 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Miami Arena Kaseya Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Micky Arison President Pat Riley General manager Andy Elisburg Head coach Erik Spoelstra
G League affiliate	Sioux Falls Skyforce
Retired numbers	1 3 10 23 32 33 40
NBA championships	2006 2012 2013
Rivalries	Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers New York Knicks Orlando Magic
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Micky Arison Pat Riley Michael Baiamonte Burnie "Bring Em Out" "The Heat Is On" The Calhoun Shot Shaq–Kobe feud The Decision The Big Three 27 in a row The Shot Big Face Coffee
Category Commons

v t e Oklahoma City Thunder
Founded in 1967 Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008) Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1967 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Seattle Center Coliseum Kingdome Tacoma Dome Paycom Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Professional Basketball Club (Clay Bennett, chairman) President Vacant General manager Sam Presti Head coach Mark Daigneault
NBA G League affiliate	Oklahoma City Blue
Retired numbers	1 4 10 19 24 32 43
NBA championships	1979
Rivalries	Portland Trail Blazers (I-5 rivalry)
Culture and lore	Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City Howard Schultz Wheedle Squatch Rumble the Bison "It Was a Good Day" Sonicsgate Thunderstruck "Thunder Up" Radio network KWPN-AM WWLS-FM Love's