Heat ready for 'greatest challenge'

BOSTON (AP):

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are on the verge of doing something together that neither of them could accomplish on his own.

Miami's Big Three combined for 83 points as the Heat beat Boston 98-90 in overtime on Monday night, to move within one game of the Eastern Conference finals.

James scored 35, Wade had 28 and the threesome also combined for 35 of Miami's 45 rebounds.

"We're the guys. We're the ones who get all the attention. We're the ones that get all the praise," Wade said. "This team is going to go as far as us three takes it."

One game after their worst performance as a threesome, James, Wade and Bosh had one of their best. They scored all 12 of Miami's points in overtime; Bosh and Wade had five apiece after James' fallaway jumper on the Heat's first possession of the extra period gave them the lead for good.

Heat lead

The Heat lead the best-of-seven East semi-finals 3-1, with a chance to close out the series in Miami today.

"Wednesday night will be our greatest challenge that we've had with this group so far," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We'll get their best games on Wednesday. And we have to be better. If we're real about what we want to do, we have to beat the Boston Celtics at their best."

Paul Pierce scored 27, Ray Allen had 17 and Kevin Garnett had seven points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Rajon Rondo, who dislocated his left elbow Saturday night in Game Three, played 39 minutes with a padded sleeve covering what appeared to be a brace on his left arm, scoring 10 with five assists.

The Celtics would need to win three in a row - two of them in Miami - to have a chance to defend their Eastern Conference championship.

"These are those moments. I look forward to it," Allen said. "Everybody on this team, we know what to do. We can't talk about it; we just have to put our best foot forward. It's not easy. It just makes it that much more special if we're able to do it."

Boston have reached the NBA finals in two of the last three seasons, both times knocking James and the Cavaliers out along the way. The Celtics eliminated the Heat in the first round last year, one round after knocking Cleveland out and sending James on the journey that landed him in Miami.

In all, Wade had lost 11 straight regular-season and play-off games in Boston. James had lost 13 of 15, including the one that ended his Cleveland career.

"I haven't had much success in this building," James said. "We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to just come out and do whatever it took."

Thunder 133, Grizzlies 123

IN MEMPHIS: Kevin Durant scored six of his 35 points in the third overtime and the Oklahoma City Thunder survived a thriller in holding off the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

With the victory, the Thunder grabbed back home-court advantage and tied this Western Conference semi-final at two games apiece. Game Five is on tonight back in Oklahoma City. The winner of the series will play the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 40 points.

The Grizzlies ran out of energy in the third overtime as they hit just one of nine from the floor. Zach Randolph led Memphis with 34 points and 16 rebounds. Marc Gasol had 26 and 21 rebounds.

Mike Conley forced the first overtime with his lone three of the game. Greivis Vasquez, the rookie playing because Conley had fouled out late in the first overtime, hit a three to set up the second overtime. Gasol scored on a tip-in that set up the third OT.