MIAMI -- The game still was very much up for grabs, having shifted back and forth all night. And with less than a minute to go, the Heat’s ultimate weapon, LeBron James, was on the bench, felled by leg cramps.
If you didn’t like Miami’s chances, even though the Heat led by three, you weren’t alone. So the Heat turned the endgame over to a guy who was having the playoff game of his life, a guy who resides outside the circle of the Big Three, Mario Chalmers.
But even before,the Heat grabbed a commanding 3-1 NBA Finals lead with their 104-98 victory Tuesday night, that LeBron chap made certain to leave his mark on the game.
ONE WIN AWAY:LeBron James of the Heat scores two of his 26 points in last night’s 104-98 victory over the Thunder to give Miami a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
James, in reach of his first championship ring, suffered leg cramps in the fourth quarter and had to watch the final 55.5 seconds from the bench (above).
“We talked about it, that you had to play until you had nothing left,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
And that’s exactly what James did.
With 5:49 to play, James dropped to the floor like he had been shot.
“It was basically like your body just shut down,” James said. “Your legs shut down. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
James managed to hang in and score another basket but with 5:15 left, he was yanked and soon was stretched on the floor before returning at 4:05 — and before he hit the 3-pointer that ultimately silenced the Thunder.
“He was hurting. But that’s what it’s about this time of year. You hurt more if you lose,” said teammate Dwyane Wade (25 points).
The Thunder, who rode the 43-point brilliance of Russell Westbrook and 28 points from Kevin Durant to stay on the Heat’s tail all game after blowing a 33-16 advantage, took a 94-92 lead (Durant jumper) and then saw it tied when Chris Bosh (13 points) drove. So it was still tied after the Heat found a stop the other way. Enter King James. For all intents, exit the Thunder. James fired and made a 3-pointer at 2:51 and the Heat, once down 17 points in the first quarter, had the lead for keeps.
“The ball was swung to me and the shot clock was running down. I was just trying to make a play,” said James, who had 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. “It was a big time team win. We needed everyone’s effort and everyone came in and made a play.”
“He was trying to will his body to make something happen,” Spoelstra said of James, who eventually left at :55.5 with the Heat up three. “That three was sheer will and competitiveness.”
And the Heat got by without him, thanks to five more points by Chalmers, who finished with 25 and a bonehead play by Westbrook, who intentionally fouled with just :04.2 on the shot clock and the Thunder down three. Westbrook fouled Chalmers after a jump ball went to the Heat at :13.8.
“Just a miscommunication on my part. Nothing you can do about it now,” said Westbrook, who poured in 17 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring Miami at one stretch, 11-5, to force a tie at 90 with 6:11 left.
“He had it going since the beginning of the game,” said Durant (28 points), the only other Thunder player in double figures. “When you have it going, you keep feeding him.”
Like the Heat did with Chalmers, who poured in 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. Chalmers had missed 16 of his previous 18 shots before making 9-of-15 last night.
“When one of our leaders are down, I have to step up. Just help the team the best way I could,” said Chalmers, who drove at :44.6 to put the Heat up five. “Coming out of the timeout I told DWade, ‘Find me. Let’s get this win. Let’s put the dagger in them.’ ”
Done on all counts. And when it was all said and done, when the 17-point first-quarter Thunder lead was a mere footnote, the stat that seemed indelibly stamped was Miami’s 3-1 advantage, a Finals lead never surrendered in 30 previous instances. So Westbrook got little comfort from his magnificent outing.
“Shots were falling but it doesn’t mean nothing,” Westbrook said. “We didn’t come out with the win.”
fred.kerber@nypost.com
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LeBron James, the Heat, the Heat, Heat, Thunder, King James, Russell Westbrook, Miami, Miami
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