(Redirected from NBA Finals 2012)
2012 basketball championship series
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. James was also named the Finals MVP.
Background
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 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. Their other Finals appearance was in 2006, when they defeated the Mavericks to win their first NBA title.
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. 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, Eddy Curry, Ronny Turiaf, and rookies Terrel Harris and Norris Cole.
Oklahoma City Thunder
See also: 2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season
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.
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.
The Thunder entered the Finals as the second-youngest finalists in NBA history. In addition, Daequan Cook faced the team that traded him to the Thunder in 2010.
Road to the Finals
Main article: 2012 NBA Playoffs
Regular season series
The season series was tied, 1–1, with both teams winning at their home floor.
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)
Game 1
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.
Game 2
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. LeBron James led the Heat with 32 points, while Durant scored 32 of his own to lead the Thunder.
Game 3
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.
Game 4
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. 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
Miami won Game 5, 121–106, to win the series, four games to one. 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. 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. 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.
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
- 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
- Assistant coach(es)
- Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
- (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
- Injured
|
Player statistics
- 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.
| Game |
Ratings
(households) |
Share
(households) |
American audience
(in millions)
|
| 1
|
9.9 |
16 |
16.195
|
| 2
|
10.4 |
18 |
16.670
|
| 3
|
8.8 |
15 |
15.549
|
| 4
|
10.5 |
17 |
17.455
|
| 5
|
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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
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