OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 12: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat hugs Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder before the start of Game One of the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on June 12, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)Kevin Durant said he missed. He said nothing about LeBron James hooking him underneath his right arm. Or that the officials neglected to call a foul. Or, if they had, that Durant very well could have still been on the court trying to lead his Oklahoma City Thunder past the Miami Heat in overtime instead of sitting on a stage fielding questions from reporters.
"I just missed," Durant said.
Was there contact?
"I really couldn't tell you. I've got to watch the film, I guess."
Are you saying you don't think you got mugged by LeBron on that last play? You don't believe you were fouled?
"I missed the shot, man."
Kevin Durant's comeback fell just short after he missed his last shot. (AP)
Durant knew he was fouled. His reaction on the court after the shot caromed off the rim and into LeBron's arms said enough. He'd nearly pulled off one of the great NBA Finals comebacks of all time, scoring 26 points in the second half. Given the ball and a chance to tie with less than 10 seconds left, he spun on the baseline and lofted a shot from seven feet that was about six inches short. James made the mistake of looking away from Durant then tried to slow him by pinning his arm underneath Durant's right shoulder.
"I just tried to keep a body on him and make him take a tough one," James said.
It should have been a foul, only the whistle never came. The Thunder lost 100-96 and now head to Miami with the Finals squared after two games. And for as frustrated as Durant was with that last play, he also knew something else: This is what the Finals are about. This is basketball in the NBA playoffs.
The officials, for right or wrong, usually swallow their whistle on end-of-game possessions and let the players settle the outcome themselves. Contact? Of course. Ask Bryon Russell about contact. Michael Jordan won his sixth and final championship on a push-off that wasn't called. NBA officiating is forever subjective. In this league, a foul isn't always a foul.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--heat-even-nba-finals--beat-thunder-after-controversial-non-call-against-lebron-james.html;_ylt=AhrpuCKYRXhmN.Bz8eLXM3i8vLYF
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