In a brief comment session with NBA.com, Charles Barkley and Greg Anthony took to the cameras to voice out their NBA Finals Game 5 predictions.
"They will take it," said Barkley referring to the Thunder. "But they can't win it. This is Miami's time and they will win it in six," he concluded.
"OKC's big don't play big. They don't dominate the interior where you have to dominate Miami. It's been the difference of the series," said Greg Anthony, the former NBA player and current ESPN sports analyst.
Anthony also predicted the Thunder to win on Thursday night.
The Miami Heat will be attempting to close the season with a win at the American Airlines Arena tonight and clinch the 2012 NBA Championship.
Game 5 in Miami today represents LeBron's closest approach ever to a Larry O'Brien Championship trophy and even if he does miss the opportunity today, he still has two more opportunities to take advantage of to win it all.
However, don't expect LeBron to go that direction.
Miami's number 6 has repeatedly said he isn't planning to lose tension or take things for granted until the series is down to the last second and it is sealed for good.
Predictions are that LeBron will start the game in 'attack mode' and finish in 'attack mode' but don't expect things for LeBron and the Heat to be similar to what they were as in the previous 3 wins. OKC will be playing with such intensity as if it was not a Game 5, but a series-ending Game 7.
Both Barkley and Anthony, predict the Thunder to win in Game 5 but ultimately lose the championship in Game 6.
In Game 4, Miami showed the Thunder it was capable of catching up after dangerously trailing OKC 17 points. Although Russell Westbrook was unstoppable with a game and career high of 43 points, the Heat somehow grinded its way through to topple a Thunder poised to win.
On Miami's side it was Mario Chalmers who stood up fantastically for his team by giving Miami key baskets during key moments down the stretch in the 4th quarter. 5 of Chalmers 17 points, were Miami's 5 last points of the game and according to NBA.com, he was "arguably the Miami's most important player of the game."
After the game, Thunder's coach Scott Brooks told the media his thoughts on the upsetting lost.
"It's not disappointing, it just happens that way. Russell had a great game. We were going. We were going with him and he was making terrific plays at the basket. ... Like I said, unfortunately we didn't make a couple plays down the stretch that we could have won the game," he said.
Eric Spoelstra on the other hand tried to stay in focus. He came out mentioning the following:
"We're excited about the opportunity to have a chance to play for (the title). We know at the same time that we have to stay the course and there'll be an incredible amount of noise on the outside and we have to focus on staying in the moment."
The NBA Championship game, Game 5, starts tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Live Online Streaming
Tip-off takes places at 9:00 p.m. EST and the live online streaming will be provided by ESPN3 at this location.
2012 NBA Finals Series TV Schedule:
Game 5 - Oklahoma City vs. Miami - Thursday, June 21, 9:00 PM ET, ABC
*Game 6 - Miami vs. Oklahoma City - Sunday, June 24, 8:00 PM ET, ABC
*Game 7 - Miami vs. Oklahoma City - Tuesday, June 26, 9:00 PM ET, ABC
*if necessary
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