NBA TV and NBA.com will feature extensive coverage of the 2012 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder with pre- and post-game analysis,
game highlights and full post-game press conferences throughout the best-of-seven series.
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NBA GameTime
Matt Winer, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber
Smith on the importance of Heat forward Chris Bosh: “Miami, at the beginning of the year, was a better team…but without Chris Bosh at full strength I don’t think they could have made it to The Finals. This is an interesting series to see if that was just a one game performance (in Game 7 of the ECF) to see if he is really back. Because if he is not really back, I don’t think they can win.”
Smith on which team has the best big three: “Dwyane Wade is playing really well in the playoffs but [Russell] Westbrook and [James] Harden have played great. They have more great games than Bosh and Dwyane Wade. OKC is on all cylinders right now.”
Smith on Heat guard Dwyane Wade being an x-factor: “Dwyane Wade is an x-factor. He has been a little inconsistent in being great. We haven’t seen that phenomenon of Dwyane Wade since they won the championship. He is one of the best five players in the world but we haven’t always seen that in this year’s playoffs.”
Webber on Heat forward LeBron James in Game 1: “I just want to see him be more aggressive and play his game because they are up against a really good team.”
Webber on who has to do more in this series for their team to win the championship: “LeBron. LeBron gets more assists, more rebounds. It is on LeBron. He has to do more because his team needs him to do the most.”
Webber on the Miami Heat being different this year: “I’m waiting to see if they are different from a year ago, because I don’t think they are.”
Smith on Heat guard Mario Chalmers’ improvement this year: “Mario Chalmers is better this year. Last year, I thought he was trying to find himself and would find himself on the bench. This year he’s better.”
Smith on the Thunder: “This is a different type of team, unlike one that the Heat have faced. They are young, athletic and have some experience. They have gone through the Lakers, San Antonio and Dallas. Those are the three teams in the West that typically win it all and they have gone through them easier than others.”
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