Thunder lead Heat by 3 at halftime of Game 4
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russell Westbrook scored 18 points, Kevin Durant had 12 and the Thunder held a 49-46 lead over the Heat at halftime of Game 4 on Tuesday night.
The Heat, who lead the best-of-seven NBA Finals 2-1 after back-to-back wins, used a big run to get back into the game after trailing by 17 in the first quarter. Their only lead in the half, however, was 2-0.
LeBron James scored 10 points to lead Miami, already more than he had against Dallas in Game 4 last year, and Dwyane Wade also scored 10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Heat had a 19-2 run to come all the way back from their 17-point deficit, tying the game on Wade's 3 from the high left side early in the second. The run took just 4:24 and was highlighted by a pair of 3s from Norris Cole early on.
The Thunder, trying to avoid a 3-1 hole in the series, scored 33 points in the first quarter -- their best frame of the Finals so far -- including eight on the fastbreak as they ran the Heat up and down the court.
Westbrook and Durant combined to score 18 and the Thunder led by as many as 17 when Durant found James Harden for a layup in transition. Cole hit a 3 from the left corner in the final seconds to draw the Heat within 33-19 going into the second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oklahoma City's best first quarter of the series before Tuesday was 22 points in a Game 1 win.
Cole also knocked down a 3 for the first points of the second quarter. James and Wade followed with layups and James Jones hit a 3 to keep the run going.
Wade's 3 tied it at 35-35, ending the surge, but the Heat were never able to go in front. Shane Battier missed a 3 at the buzzer that would have tied the game at halftime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game 5 is Thursday in Miami.