Notes from NBA TV’s Coverage of The Finals – Game 4
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
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, Charles Barkley and Greg Anthony
Barkley’s advice on keeping Durant out of foul trouble: “Scott [Brooks] has to do a better job of hiding him. They have enough guys that you can hide him in some capacity. You need to go smaller because Miami doesn’t have a big team anyway.”
Barkley on Thunder guard Kevin Durant guarding Heat forward LeBron James: “He’s not physically strong enough. That’s not going to work. If he guards him in the first three quarters, he is always going to be in trouble.”
Barkley on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook: “If OKC is going to come back in this series, he is going to have play his pace.”
Anthony on Thunder guard James Harden: “He’s a guy that has to play better if they want a chance to win.”
Barkley on Heat forward LeBron James: “I’ve been saying all year that LeBron James makes everyone around him better. Last year he deferred too much to Dwyane Wade but now he is realizing that it is his team. He covers up a lot of their flaws. He’s their leading rebounder and leading assist guy. He has to play at a high level or they are not going to win.”
Anthony on Heat forward LeBron James: “He is the only guy in the history of the NBA that has averaged 30 points in a season and scoring is not his biggest asset. A lot of criticism about LeBron is misleading because he is a point guard in a power forward’s body. His nature is to defer.”
(NBA Reporter David Aldridge interviews Thunder guard Russell Westbrook)
Westbrook on Magic Johnson’s comments about being the worst point guard in Finals history: “That’s his job. Everyone has their own opinion; I guess that’s what he thought. I really didn’t care honestly. I really don’t care what people say. If 27, 7 is the worst game possible, then that’s fine with me.”
Westbrook on the first three games of the Finals: “They are over so now we just have to go to the next game and try to get that one.”
Westbrook on the Thunder’s mentality against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals: “Just focusing. Being down 0-2 makes you sit back and think about what you need to really do to win the game. That’s the point we are at now, we just need to figure out what we need to do to win.”
Westbrook on the challenge Miami presents: “They stay in attack mode. They have two guys that can attack the basket at will.”
Westbrook on his performance during the Finals: “I think I have played well, just not as good as I wanted to because we haven’t won.”
Westbrook on winning Game 4: “We just have to come out with the same intensity. Just come out with the same defensive mindset and I think we will get a chance to win.”
Barkley on the negative comments about Westbrook: “I love Magic but this ‘Russell Westbrook is the worst’ comments; I think it is a little unfair. He is never going to be a traditional point guard. He is never going to be that guy but the kid is a hell of a player.”
Anthony on what Westbrook needs to do to win Game 4: “Play his game. If they had a traditional point guard, we would be watching San Antonio right now. They might not have beaten the Lakers. People have to understand there isn’t a great player that has ever played this game that doesn’t take tough and bad shots. What makes them great is that they have the ability to take and make bad shots.”
(Grantland.com’s Bill Simmons joins the NBA GameTime crew)
Simmons on Game 4: “Game 4 is always the best Finals game. It is a type of desperation for the team that is down. I feel like this is going to be a great game tonight, like we will be watching it on NBA Hardwood Classic 20 years from now.”
Simmons on LeBron’s talent and the impact it has on this series: “You have to start thinking about him among the greatest forwards of all time. He still needs that title to get into that elite group.”
Barkley on LeBron James: “Once LeBron wins a championship, he will go down as one of the 10 best players ever. We have never had a guy that is physically gifted who can run and do everything. It is an honor and a privilege to watch him play.”
Anthony on being the best player: “I think he is the most talented player that the league has ever seen but it takes more than talent to be the best. Michael Jordan had both – he was extremely talented and ended up being the best player because of the championships.”
Barkley on OKC for Game 4: “The only way to beat Miami is punish them inside. You can’t out-perimeter them. You can’t beat them shooting jumpers or playing in a half court set. As much as I like Oklahoma City, I don’t think we are going back.”
Anthony on Game 4:“It is going to be a challenge for them tonight to come in here with their backs against the wall and come away with a victory.”
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