MIAMI -- At this point a year ago, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were using words like urgency and desperation. cheap nfl jerseys . And thats exactly what the Miami Heat expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to bring into Game 3 of this years NBA Finals. So far, this championship series has followed the same script as a year ago, with the home team winning the opening matchup, then falling in Game 2 to lose the home-court edge. Miami took the sting of that into Dallas last year and used it as fuel to win Game 3 -- and the Heat will look to ensure that trend doesnt repeat itself when the title matchup resumes on their home floor Sunday night. "Youve got the two best teams in the league right now going against each other," Wade said Saturday, when practices resumed after a day off for both clubs. "So its going to be a very tough game, but we have to find a way to win it. And its about taking, like I said, one possession at a time, one second, one minute at a time to make sure we reach our goal -- and thats to win the game." A Game 3 victory assures nothing, a lesson the Heat learned the hard way last year. That win in Dallas was Miamis final victory of the season. But there are certain truths that will come from the outcome Sunday night. The winner will have home-court advantage. The winner will be two games away from a championship. And the losing club will see what appears to be an already razor-thin margin for error in this series become even more precarious. "We have no other choice," said Thunder star Kevin Durant, the leagues scoring champion. "We lost at home. Tough loss. Weve got to get over it, get ready for a tough Game 3. You know, the series is going to be tough. We know that. We know that. Youve just got to be ready. Its going to be a fun one." By now, the Heat arent shy to say theyre completely exhausted about dissecting what went wrong in last years finals. Still, they know the importance of not letting one loss turn into another -- because when that happened against the Mavericks a year ago, there was a parade in Dallas not long afterward. "I dont know if we were any more motivated in Game 2," Erik Spoelstra said. "What we were was angry about our performance in Game 1. ... You want to throw your best punches out there, and may the best team win. We didnt throw our best punches in Game 1." Add up the numbers from the first two games of the series, and it turns into something close to a statistical dead heat. Both teams are shooting 47 per cent. Both have made 14 tries from 3-point range (though Miami is shooting a better percentage). The Thunder have grabbed four more rebounds, the Heat whistled for two more fouls. The Thunder outscored Miami by 16 points in the paint during their Game 1 win; the Heat outscored the Thunder by 16 points in the paint during their victory in Game 2. Of course, the only stat that really matters is the one thats identical: one win each, headed into Sunday. And if the young Thunder were supposed to be rattled by losing the home-court edge, no one told them. "We have all the right pieces, from the best scorer in the league, most athletic point guard in the league to the best shot blocker to the best post defender, best wing defender and our bench is one of the best," James Harden said. "This is a perfect team. We are young guns. We get it done. It has to start in Game 3." Even their young-looking coach doesnt sound worried about the stakes the Thunder will face. "Ive seen all year long a group thats always committed, that always sticks by one another, that believes in the work that we put in," Scott Brooks said. "And thats who they are. Its not going to change. Theyve always had great ability to bounce back after a tough loss and we expect the guys to come back (Sunday) night with better effort, better play and for 48 minutes." The Heat expect the same. Its no secret that falling short last year has been a source of inspiration throughout this season for James and the Heat, and that continues even now. And for James, one trend from last year is gone. In Game 2, he did what he was criticized for not doing against the Mavs -- he closed the game, coming through twice in a one-possession situation. His bank shot with 1:26 left pushed Miamis lead to five, and his two free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining sealed Miamis 100-96 win. "Im enjoying it," James said. "Im having fun with these first two games. I mean, this is a great opportunity for myself and for our team, for both teams. Its a lot of fun being out there and competing at a high level, you know, the intense moment where every possession counts. Thats what its all about. As a competitor you have to enjoy these moments and you love these moments." nfl jerseys china . Louis Cardinals have agreed on a four-year contract, giving the All-Star a fresh start after his Biogenesis drug suspension last summer. wholesale nfl jerseys . The new Romo deal, which is being reported by the Dallas Morning News, will save the team another $10 million. According to the report, the new deal drops Romos salary-cap figure from $21.BALTIMORE -- In case it wasnt evident before opening day, we now know why the Baltimore Orioles added another slugger to a team that led the major leagues in home runs last season. Nelson Cruz celebrated his Orioles debut by hitting a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, and Baltimore beat Jon Lester and the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox 2-1 Monday. Signed as a free agent in February, Cruz lined a solo shot into the left field seats to put the Orioles ahead. He hit 27 homers last year with Texas during a season marred by a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball in the Biogenesis drug scandal. Cruz joins a batting order that features Chris Davis, who led the majors in 2013 with 53 homers and 138 RBIs. Davis went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts as the cleanup hitter, but it didnt matter because the guy in the 5-hole picked up the slack. "It takes some of the pressure off everybody in the lineup knowing that you can pass the baton and the next guy can pick it up," Davis said. "We have to know as hitters going into the game that we can be patient, we can wait for our pitch, knowing that the guy behind us can pick us up." Cruz, meanwhile, couldnt have been more delighted. Not only did the Orioles provide him with a fresh start, but the fans chanted "Cruuuuuze!" every time his name was announced. "It was really neat, it was special," he said. "I made the right call to come and be part of this organization, be part of this town." Cruz wasnt the only player to enjoy a successful start with his new team. After missing two seasons recovering from knee surgery, Boston centre fielder Grady Sizemore marked his return from a 922-day absence with a second-inning single for his first hit since September 2011. The three-time All-Star for Cleveland later hit his first home run since July 15, 2011, which also came at Camden Yards. "Today was very exciting," Sizemore said. "I couldnt wait to get to the ballpark." Zach Britton (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief and Tommy Hunter got three outs for the save. Hunter earned the job as closer this spring after the Orioles dealt away Jim Johnson during the off-season. The Red Sox got two on with one out in the ninth before World Series MVP David Ortiz hit a flyball and Jackie Bradley Jr. took a called third strike. "Its life in baseball," Hunter said. "Youve got to earn everything you get. Onee-run game to start the season off against the defending world champs. wholesale jerseys. " Starting on the road for the fourth year in a row, the Red Sox got nine hits but stranded 12 and went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. "We had a lot of opportunities, we had a lot of guys on," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "We just hit the ball right at people. It was one of those deals where we couldnt find a way to push runs across." Making his fourth straight opening day start for Boston, Lester (0-1) gave up two runs, six hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out eight. Orioles starter Chris Tillman allowed one run, seven hits and a walk in five innings. The right-hander went 3-1 against Boston last year, but in this one he needed 104 pitches to get 15 outs. Britton gave up a one-out double to Xander Bogaerts in the sixth and got three straight outs in the seventh, the only time all day that Boston went down in order. Evan Meek walked two in the eighth before Brian Matusz retired A.J. Pierzynski on a comebacker. Gametime temperature was announced at 60 degrees, but a stiff wind chilled many in the crowd of 46,685 -- the 23rd consecutive opening day sellout at Camden Yards. Hopeful that the off-season acquisitions of Cruz and right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will enable Baltimore to return to the playoffs after missing out last year, Orioles fans were out in force. Until recently, games against Boston often drew as many Red Sox backers as those rooting for the home team. "Our crowd was legit," Hunter said. "That was awesome. I hope they come out like that every game for 80 more here." The Orioles used a walk, a single by Matt Wieters and a double-play grounder to take a 1-0 lead in the second. The Red Sox put runners at second and third with two outs in the third before Tillman struck out Mike Carp. In the fourth, Sizemore hit a 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall. NOTES: Dustin Pedroia got Bostons first hit of the season, a one-out single in the first inning, to extend his hitting streak on opening day to eight games. ... After taking Tuesday off, the teams meet Wednesday night. John Lackey (13-5 lifetime against Baltimore) faces Jimenez in his Orioles debut. ... The Red Sox put RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Bradley. ... Ortiz received his 12th opening day start at DH, tying Don Baylors major league record at the position. wholesale jerseys ' ' '
