Russell Westbrook's 43 points was not enough to lead the Thunder past Miami in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Miami./AP Photo

Just a week ago, Oklahoma City had won its fifth consecutive playoff game to take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals.

The Thunder had taken four straight against the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals and disposed of the Miami Heat in Game 1 by 11 points, 105-94.

Now they’ve lost three straight to Miami by a total of 16 points.  The Heat beat them in Game 4 on Tuesday night, 104-98, despite having a 17-point, first-quarter lead and Russell Westbrook going bonkers with 43 points.

If the Thunder lose Thursday night in Miami, their season will end on a four-game skid just San Antonio’s did at their hands.

Wouldn’t that be ironic.

Can OKC avoid this early of an elimination and force a Game 6 at home? Sure, but this franchise is going to through the same process great teams had to do before signing free agents to win now, not later.

The Detroit Pistons had to get through the Boston Celtics before winning back-to-back titles (1989-90). The Chicago Bulls had to get through the Pistons before winning three straight championships. (1991-93).

The Thunder’s time will come as they will learn from these 2012 finals:

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Has the time come for 3-time MVP LeBron James to win his first R-I-N-G? OKC doesn't think so./AP Photo.

Got to stick my with pick.

Before the season started, I picked the Miami Heat as one of the five favorites to win it all.

Before the NBA playoffs, I picked them to win it all.

Now with Game 1 of the NBA Finals about to start in a few hours, the Heat are right where they’re supposed to be, but face the team I picked they’d meet in the finals – the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oh boy.

The Thunder are serious, folks.

They play fast, can score as will, defend the paint and their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are not only shot makers, but shot takers.

None of them are afraid to launch when all is on the line.

It’s hard to beat a team like that.

The Heat have the team to do it, but are they up to the challenge?

This isn’t the New York Knicks, who had talent, but couldn’t put it together in time to really challenge them.

This isn’t the Indiana Pacers, who although physical and tough, lacked the experience to put a team way.

This isn’t the Boston Celtics, who are savvy vets that ran out of gas.

This is Oklahoma City. The Thunder have the NBA’s best fans, just beat the league’s best team in San Antonio four straight times after the Spurs had won 20 games in a row.

However, this is LeBron James’ time.

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The Austin Toros came back from a 0-1 deficit to win the 2012 D-League title against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Toros won Game 2 and the deciding Game 3 in Los Angeles.

The D-Fenders had the league’s best record followed by the Toros, who were a third seed.

Springfield had the second seed. Expansion Canton beat the Armor in the first round.

The Toros began their championship run with a 2-1 series victory against fifth-seeded Erie. In fact, Austin lost Game 1 of all three of its series only to win the the final two games of each one.

After winning at expansion Canton by 15 points in their regular-season finale, the Erie BayHawks returned to practice today as they get ready for Game 1 of their D-League playoff series against Austin on Thursday night at 7 at Tullio Arena.

Game 2 and Game 3, if necessary, will be Sunday and Monday, respectively, in Austin. A third seed, the Toros (33-17) picked the fifth-seeded BayHawks (28-22) as the top three teams got to select their first-round playoff opponent from the bottom four seeds.

After Monday’s practice, players Tyrone Brazelton, Joey Graham, Keith McLeod and Marvin Phillips talk about the playoff format and being chosen by the Toros.

The third-seeded Toros (33-17) have won 10 of their last 11 games heading into Game 1 of their D-League first-round series against the fifth-seeded Erie BayHawks (28-22).

Austin, which beat Erie 111-88 in its one game against the BayHawks this season at the D-League Showcase in Reno on Jan. 10, won its final regular-season game, 103-98, at Sioux Falls.

Saturday’s win came after an 110-99 home loss to Springfield, which lost to Erie, 110-108, in its previous game before winning at Austin.

Germany's Dirk Nowitzki has always been a scorer (Avg. 23 PPG in 13 NBA seasons), but being a more complete player has turned him into an even tougher cover./AP Photo.

Dirk Nowitzki is not better than LeBron James. He’s just been playing better in the playoffs. At least that’s what everyone is saying.

All we hear now is how Nowitzki has become this unstoppable player.

Hello?

Dirk  has always been a tough cover. The difference is he’s finding teammates so he’s making opponents pay for however they guard him.

Making his second trip to the NBA Finals, the 7-footer, one-legged shot maker with range from El Paso is one of the five keys to the series. If he can force Miami to have to double team him, that opens up the entire Dallas offense.

Here are other four keys for Dallas in the finals, which begins Tuesday at 9 p.m. in Miami.

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Dallas SG Jason Terry has a tattoo he may have to get removed if the Miami Heat win the NBA finals./AP Photo.

Check out these articles into Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ABC.

1. LeBron James: I have a long way to go before being compared to Michael Jordan

2. Heat’s Big Three go from being selfish to successful

3. Spoelstra is Miami’s calming influence

4. Hyde 5: LeBron, Jay-Z and Dallas’ DeShawn Stevenson

5. Mark Cuban’s quiet time goes on, to Mavs’ delight

6. Actor Adam Pally, Rudy Gay talk Dirk or LeBron

7. Jason Kidd: ‘I still have a lot left to give’

8. Terry will get NBA championship tattoo removed if Mavs don’t beat Miami

The Erie BayHawks and Reno Bighorns will play a deciding Game 3 Thursday at 10 p.m. at the Reno Events Center after having two memorable games that went down to the final minute.

The second-seeded Bighorns won Game 1 Sunday, 106-101, at Tullio Arena in Erie, but the fifth-seeded BayHawks took Game 2 Tuesday, 114-111,  in Reno, Nev.

Tuesday’s win for Erie snapped Reno’s nine-game winning streak that began when the Bighorns beat the BayHawks at home, 100-89, on March 16.

The Reno-Erie winner will play Rio Grande Valley, the defending D-League champions, in the D-League semifinals. The third-seeded Vipers beat Bakersfield in three games.

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Earlier this week, Reno coach Eric Musselman called it case two coaches being “competitive.”

As the Erie BayHawks (32-18) head into Game 1 of their best-of-three D-League playoff series against the second-seeded Bighorns (34-16), check out how Musselman and Utah Flash coach Kevin Young got into it this season.

Now Musselman, who was an NBA head coach with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, wasn’t suspended for this, but this shows how “competitive” he can be.

His elbow may be hurting, but it didn’t stop LeBron James from scoring 35 points Saturday night in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 101-93 win past the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena.

That’s a nice way to go into receiving the MVP award later today at the University of Akron. James won’t need help hoisting the trophy, but he got some much needed help Saturday night.

Mo Williams dropped in 20 points that included a one-handed flush on Paul Pierce to turn the game around. The Cavaliers were down 11 before Williams dunked on Pierce and they wound up taking a 79-78 lead at the end of third quarter.

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