America may be rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Championship, but until Kevin Durant becomes a better defensive player, the Miami Heat are going to win the NBA Title.

Last night, in Game 3, the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Thunder, winning a back-and-forth game 91-85.

Miami was led, nay, continues to be led, by LeBron James who is finally proving his worth and his hold on the title of “Best Basketball Player In The World.” LeBron dropped in 29 and 14, for another double-double.

The Thunder were put into a tough spot due to Kevin Durant’s foul trouble. The Thunder shooting star could not defend LeBron James if he was weighted down with an anchor. And it showed. James consistently took the ball at Durant, who at times was forced to back off of James.

Games 4 and 5 will be played in Miami. That means that the Heat may not have to board a plane again during this NBA season. And unless the Thunder do something drastically different, that looks like it will be the case.

4 teams have advanced into the Euro 2012 quarterfinals.

From Group A, the Czech Republic and Greece are the surprise representatives (certainly more so for the Greeks). Greece was able to shock Russia and eliminate them from the tournament on Satuday.

In Group B, tournament favorites the Netherlands managed to win 0 games for the first time ever in a major tournament, following a 2-1 loss to Portugal. The Germans, meanwhile, continued their dominance, beating Denmark 2-1.

Germany will play Greece in the Economy Bowl on Thursday, while the Czechs will draw a suddenly hot Portugal squad.

The Bulletin cannot hide from the results of this weekend’s series with the New York Yankees. So let’s put the series to bed:

The Yankees came into DC, brought a lot of fans, and whopped on the Nationals. The offense was relentless and the pitching was very good. There are few holes in the Yankees lineup and they showed that. They’re playing like the best team in baseball right now. The Nats ran into a buzzsaw and were not ready for that impact. The hitters need to be more patient. The pitchers need to have more faith in their stuff. Pitch counts were the key in this series. The Nats starters need to find a way to pitch deeper into games, while the hitters need to stretch out the opposing starter.

A much needed off-day today for the Nationals (at home) to rest and maybe clear their heads. Which is good, because on Tuesday, they’ll face the best pitcher they’ve seen all season.

It’s all Euro 2012 today. Both matches at 2:45 on ESPN and ESPN2.

Spain v. Croatia (Spain advances with a win. Croatia advances with a win. A draw (with an Italian victory) would lead to tiebreakers. A draw (with an Italian defeat) would advance both teams.)

Italy v. Ireland (Italy advances with a win and a non-draw in the Spain v. Croatia match. Ireland has already been eliminated.)

Last night, the Miami Heat did what no other team has done in these NBA playoffs: they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in OKC.  And, again, they did so due in large part to LeBron James.

James led the way for the Heat with 32/8/5, thanks primarily to his ability to knock down his free throws (12-12).

The Heat opened up a big first quarter lead that the Thunder ultimately could not overcome, falling 100-96.

Much of the blame, so to speak, has fallen on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and for good reason. The Thunder “point guard” was 10-26 from the field. Those are not exactly ideal numbers for a point guard.

The Thunder and Heat will play Game 3 in Miami on Sunday night.

The Spanish national team showed yesterday why they’re the Spanish national team, beating Ireland 4-0 in a match they could have won 10-0. Spain abandoned their “no strikers” approach from their weekend draw with the Italians and were rewarded with 2 goals from Fernando “Major Disappointment” Torres.

Elsewhere in Group C, Croatia and Italy drew 1-1.

This weekend marks a major point in the history of the Washington Nationals franchise. On the schedule, it’s just 3 games. It’s also 3 games in June. However, the Nationals are welcoming the New York Yankees into the Park for a weekend set, with two games on national TV. The Yankees are in first place in the AL East. The Nats are in first place in the NL East and coming off of a 6-0 road trip. Bryce Harper, the best teenager since Alex Rodriguez, will play on the same field as Alex Rodriguez. The national media will get a high profile look at Gio Gonzalez. It’s a landmark moment for the Nationals. Every day seems to bring a new slew of national profiles of the team. Last week, thisran in the Boston Globe. And if I read Canadian journalism, I’d check out what they were saying. Point is, we could be looking at a glowing New York Times piece about the Nats on Monday morning. And with it, perhaps, a new dawn in baseball.

Pitching matchups:

Friday: Phillip Hughes v. Gio Gonzalez (7:05/MLB Network)

Saturday: Andy Pettitte v. Jordan Zimmermann (1:05/Local Coverage)

Sunday: Ivan Nova v. Edwin Jackson (1:35/TBS)

NBA: Thunder @ Heat (Tied 1-1)/Sunday at 9:00 p.m.

Euro 2012:

Friday: England v. Sweden (2:45/ESPN2)

Saturday: Czech Republic v. Poland (2:45/ESPN)

Sunday: Netherlands v. Portugal (2:45/ESPN)

Enjoy your weekend!

Thunder forward Kevin Durant scored 36 points and the Thunder (again) used a solid defensive effort in the second half to take Game 1 from the Miami Heat last night.

Durant started out hot, scoring OKC’s first 8 points and didn’t look back. Durant’s efficient 36 points (12-of-20 from the field) continued to add to the growing legend of the young scorer.

At the other end, despite a 30 point, 9 rebound performance, all anyone can talk about this morning is how LeBron James only scored 1 basket in the first 8 minutes of the 4^th quarter (that’s the new metric we’re using to determine how good a player is). Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting. Crickets.

Game 2 will be played in Oklahoma City tomorrow night.

Clown question, bro.

Enjoy the new meme, courtesy of Bryce Harper.

Following last night’s performance (see below), Harper was asked by a Canadian journalist, eh if he planned on going out for a beer afterward (folks under 21 can drink legally in Canada, eh). Harper, not missing a beat, cut off the PR person who tried to bury the question, looked at the journalist and said, “That’s a clown question, bro.”

So start using the meme now before it gets older than corgis and “Call Me Maybe.”

Yesterday’s Group A matchups managed to include every bad American stereotype about soccer: Overtly political riots outside of the stadium, flopping, Eastern Europeans, possible match fixing, and ties.

In Game 1, the Czech Republic took a 2-0 lead within the first 6 minutes of their game against Greece. What followed was an 84 minute nap by the Czechs. The Greeks (led by Spiros Vondas) managed to pull within a goal of the Czechs but could not get over the hump and gain control of West Baltimore. No word on Prop Joe’s re-up.

Game 2 (the one with the riots) featured Russia and Poland playing on Russia Day. Because, good idea. The Russians controlled much of the first half, but could not keep the Poles out of the net in the second half. Unable to sustain any sort of second half attack, the Russians just managed to keep Poland from pulling the upset. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Thanks to a Bryce Harper home run that is still on its path towards Nunavut and another solid performance from their bullpen, the Nats extended their winning streak to five games, heading into this afternoon’s contest in Toronto.

Starter Chien-Ming Wang, in what may have been his last start, barely escaped the 5^th inning, but was saved by Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen, Sean Burnett, and Tyler Clippard, who combined to surrender just one hit in 4 innings of work.

Danny Espinosa added a homer to give the Nats a 4-2 victory.

Stephen Strasburg will take the hill in the series finale today, as Washington goes for the sweep. He’ll be opposed by Kyle Drabek. Game time is 12:37 p.m. And no, I’m not making up that start time.

Our first Euro game of the day is a must-win for the Portuguese as they take on Denmark at Noon.

However, our Euro game of the day is also our outright game of the day. 2:45 p.m. Germany v. Netherlands. ESPN. A huge showdown that could be a preview of the Euro finale, even with the Dutch loss to Denmark on Saturday.

Rejoice, those who dislike hockey, for this will be the last time you’ll have to read about hockey in this space!

The LA Kings, behind a 6 goal performance, and thanks in large part to a penalty, put away the New Jersey Devils to earn the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Midway through the first period, Devils winger Steve Bernier committed a major penalty (which, in hockey, grants the other team a 5 minute power play ) and received a game misconduct (ejection).  The Kings took advantage of their 5 minute power play, scoring 3 times to take a commanding 3-0 lead. They would not look back from there, scoring another goal in the second period, before the Devils added one heading into the 3^rd period. LA didn’t rest on its 4-1 lead, as they added two more goals in the third (scored within 15 seconds of each other).

The win is an improbable one for a team that barely made the playoffs. The Kings are the only team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup as an 8 seed. Goalie Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP).

You can probably get used to stories like this in the Bulletin. As the NBA and NHL seasons wrap up, I’ll be diving a little deeper into baseball “stuff.” This morning’s “baseball stuff” includes a contract extension for Dodgers OF Andre Eithier. Namely a 5 year/$85 million extension.

Eithier has not batted over .300 in a season since 2008. Granted, batting average is not a very important statistic, but it’s certainly worth noting. His career .363 OBP is perfectly acceptable. The fact that as a 30 year old he has exactly 1 season with more than 25 HR? I’ll let you decide there.

Eithier will be 36 by the time his deal expires, as it is reported to include an easy vesting option for the 2018 season. The Dodgers need look only as far as their dugout to find an example of how a contract of this magnitude can handcuff an organization. Or, since they’re playing the Angels this week, perhaps go talk to them about that Bobby Abreu contract.

Just as we all predicted, the Ukrainians now lead Group D, following their surprising 2-1 victory over Sweden yesterday.

In the earlier Group D match, the English and French played to a 1-1 draw.

The hits kept on coming last night in Toronto for the Nationals (14 of them) as they defeated the Blue Jays 6-3 to extend their winning streak to 4 games.

The Nationals were given a solid outing by Edwin Jackson, who threw 8 innings, surrendering 2 runs, and striking out 3. The Nats were also the beneficiaries, unfortunately, of an injury to Toronto ace Brandon Morrow, who left after facing one batter in the first inning with an oblique strain.

Game 2 of the series will be played tonight (presumably in front of about 39 people) at Rogers Centre. Chien-Ming Wang will take his astronomically high WHIP into action against one of the AL’s best hitting teams. He’ll be opposed by Henderson Alvarez (7:05/MASN)

Two matchups in Euro 2012 play today. Neither are particularly sexy.

12:00-Greece v. Czech Republic

2:45- Poland v. Russia

The real Game of the Day will be Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Miami @ Oklahoma City (9:00/ABC)

Saturday night, the Miami Heat showed how unstoppable they could be. Granted, it didn’t occur until the 4^th quarter, but it eventually happened. When the Heat are playing hard defensively, baskets on the offensive end come easier for them. Saturday’s 4^th quarter showed that. And thus, the Miami Heat will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

But this isn’t about the Miami Heat (at least yet). Saturday night’s Heat win likely put an end to the most exciting period in the last quarter century for the Boston Celtics.

At the end of the 2006-07 season, the Boston Celtics had the best odds to land University of Texas scorer Kevin Durant. The same Durant who will lead his OKC Thunder into the NBA Finals tomorrow. There was no luck of the Irish that night, and so the Celtics brass got creative. Rather than continuing to restock with middle-of-the-road young players, the Celtics went all in, acquiring veterans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, pairing them with Paul Pierce and a young point guard named Rajon Rondo, and seeing what happened.

What happened was that the 2007-08 Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship. The Celtics would make another appearance in the finals (in 2009-10) and a trip to Game 7 of the 2011-12 Eastern Conference Finals.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are now unrestricted free agents. It’s very unlikely that the Celtics will re-sign both players, especially given the rise in stock of 2^nd year guard Avery Bradley. Allen is the most likely to move elsewhere. We’ll have to wait and see with Garnett. Regardless, the Celtics aren’t young and they’re only getting older. Paul Pierce appeared, at times, to be about 3 steps slower than his competition in these playoffs. The Celtics have no real interior size. There’s a good amount of work to be done. Next year’s Boston Celtics will look a lot different. In fact, next year’s Celtics might look more similar to the 2006-07 version than the 2007-08 version. But maybe that’s not so bad. Because the last five years truly have been a blessing for Celtics fans.

Devils won Saturday. Game 6 tonight.

It took 3 matches for a shocker in the Euro 12 tournament. The Danes, thought by nearly everyone to be the weak link in the so-called Group of Death, (Group B) shocked the masses on Saturday with a  1-0 victory of Group (and for some, tournament) favorite the Netherlands.

If there was any good news for the Dutch it didn’t come on Saturday, as in the 76^th minute of the Germany/Portugal matchup, German striker Mario Gomez buried a header to give the Germans a 1-0 lead, which they would hold onto.  The German victory means that they and the Danes only need to draw in their next two matches to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Elsewhere, many had written off the Italians coming into this tournament. Yesterday, they showed why that may have been a bad move, as they were able to draw 1-1 with the Spain. In the other Group C matchup, Croatia blew out Ireland 3-1, to take sole possession of first place in the Group.

The last time the Washington Nationals played a series at Fenway Park, their starting pitchers were Tony Armas Jr., Livan Hernandez, and Shawn Hill. Jose Guillen was in RF. The Nats logo was different. Their manager was different. Their management was different.  In short, everything was different. So much so that the Nats were swept in that June 2006 series by the Red Sox. Washington would finish that season 71-91, 26 games back of first place.

Today, in June 2012, the Washington Nationals are coming off of a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Their starting pitchers were Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmermann. None would be confused for Tony Armas Jr. Instead of the volatile and inconsistent Jose Guillen in RF, the Nats were anchored by a 19 year old who is on his way to greatness at a much faster rate than anyone ever imagined.

The 2012 Washington Nationals are now on pace to finish the regular season 101-61. If the playoffs began today, they’d be hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates. There are at least 5 players who deserve mention for All-Star bids. My, how things have changed.

The Nats will begin a three-game series in Toronto tonight against the Blue Jays. They’ll send Edwin Jackson to the hill to oppose Brandon Morrow (himself having an All-Star season). Game time is 7:05 p.m. on MASN.

The LA Kings will look to avoid an historic embarrassment tonight as they try for a third time to win their first Stanley Cup. A Kings loss would set up a dramatic Game 7 on Wednesday in Newark. (8:00/NBC)

Euro 2012 continues with a marquee matchup, regardless of who’s playing. England v. France (12:00/ESPN). The other game will feature host’s Ukraine taking on Sweden at 2:45.

You know what? Let’s just talk about something else.

Today marks the beginning of the second biggest soccer tournament in the world. There is no acceptable argument to disprove this. The World Cup is #1. The European Championship is #2.

This cycle of the UEFA European Championship will be played in Ukraine and Poland. For those interested (and really, you all should be. I’ve never understood what people dislike about soccer. At least soccer at the highest level. And I’m not talking about MLS. The month to follow will present us with some of the best, most competitive soccer imaginable. Nearly all of the world’s best players (save for, well, the best) will be playing for national pride and all of the games will be available on ESPN. Soccer is not boring. If you’re bored watching a soccer game involving the Spanish National Team, or the Dutch, Germans, French, or Portuguese, you’re doing something wrong. You just are. It’s not soccer. It’s you.) a primer:

There are four groups of 4 teams each. Just like in the World Cup, you play one match against each team in your Group. The two teams with the most points after Round 1, advance to the “Knockout Stage,” which is simply a single-elimination bracket.

If you’re interested, and again, you should be, tune in to ESPN every day (beginning today) at Noon and 2:45 p.m. There will be a live game being played. And chances are, it will be a very good match. In fact, here’s a list of the Euro 12 Game of the Day for the next week. Consider it your reference point (all times Eastern):

June 8: Poland v. Greece (Noon)

June 9: Germany v. Portugal (2:45)

June 10: Spain v. Italy (Noon)

June 11: France v. England (Noon)

June 12: Poland v. Russia (2:45)

June 13: Netherlands v. Germany (2:45)

June 14: Spain v. Ireland (2:45)

For the 103^rd time this season, the Washington Nationals failed to sweep a series yesterday, falling to the New York Mets 3-1. The Nats were unable to hit Mets starter RA Dickey throughout. The Nats lone run came in the 9^th inning off of a Ryan Zimmerman HR.

The Nats start an exciting 3 game series tonight in Boston against the Red Sox. They’ll send their top 3 pitchers to the hill. Here are your weekend matchups:

Friday: Stephen Strasburg v. Felix Doubrant (7:10)

Saturday: Gio Gonzalez v. Daisuke Matsuzaka (4:05)

Sunday: Jordan Zimmermann v. Jon Lester (1:35)

NBA: Celtics @ Heat (Series Tied 3-3)/Saturday, 8:30 (ESPN)

NHL: Kings @ Devils (LAK leads 3-1)/Saturday, 8:00 (NBC)

MLB: Mets @ Yankees (Johan’s first start since the no-hitter)/Friday, 7:05 (MLBN)

Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes (I’ll Have Another attempts the Triple Crown)/Saturday, 6:00 (NBC)

Have a wonderful weekend!

When last we met, the Thunder and Spurs were knotted up at 2 games apiece. So were the Celtics and Heat. Much has changed since then.

Last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder used an energy-filled second half to come from behind and win Game 6, at home against the San Antonio Spurs. This is meaningful because the Thunder also won Game 5 in San Antonio on Monday night.

Kevin Durant was outstanding last night, shooting 9-17 from the field and netting 34 points and adding 14 rebounds.

The win puts the Thunder franchise into the NBA Finals for the first time since 1996, when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.

In the East, the Boston Celtics used a Paul Pierce three-point shot for the ages to win Game 5 of their series in Miami on Tuesday. The Celtics will have the chance to advance to the NBA Finals tonight, in Boston, when they play Game 6 with the Heat.

Following a Game 3 win on Monday, the LA Kings were one game away from capturing their first Stanley Cup. They’ll have to wait a few more days for that coronation, though, as the New Jersey Devils won in SoCal last night, 3-1.

Some good news for the Kings? All 3 of their losses during these playoffs have come at home. They head back to Newark for Game 5 on Saturday night.

Where to start? The Nats have taken the first two games of their series with the New York Mets. Tuesday’s game was a sloppy, extra innings affair that will be remembered for Bryce Harper’s first career walk-off hit. Last night’s game will never be remembered. The Nats won a relatively event-less game 5-3. Adam LaRoche led the way with a 3-run HR in the first inning.

The Nats now sit alone atop the NL East, holding a 2 game lead on the Marlins and Braves. New York trails by 2 ½ games. The other team can’t stop losing.

Monday night was also the first round of the MLB Draft. The Bulletin mentioned its desire for the Nats to draft Luc Giolito in the first round (the Bulletin also stated incorrectly that he has a shoulder injury. It’s an elbow injury).  The exact quote was:

Well, no one did. And the Bulletin’s dream came true. MLB Network’s MLB comp for Giolito? Roy Halladay.

Time has not been kind to the arm of pitcher Johan Santana. During his time in Minnesota, he was, without question, baseball’s best pitcher. Electric fastball, great slider, and a devastating changeup.

When Santana came to New York, via trade, before the 2008 season, his numbers changed. Strikeouts decreased. Walks increased. His superficial numbers (Wins, ERA) held steady. But a pitcher who was once worth about 6.5 wins per season now became worth about 3.5. 

Santana missed the entire 2011 season following major shoulder surgery. Those are three words that pitchers never want to see. Especially dominant pitchers. Johan Santana would need a reinvention.

The Johan Santana of this season seems very different. “Junky” would be an accurate way to describe his stuff. His fastball is slower, his slider is less severe, and his changeup, while still effective, is made less effective by the fastball he’s throwing. Previously, Santana could beat hitters with pure power. Now, he’s been forced to beat them with location. To be, Maddux-esque.

Friday night, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in the history of the New York Mets franchise. 50 years. Dwight Gooden, Pedro Martinez, Tom Seaver, Ron Darling. Zero no-hitters. Until Friday, when Santana held the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to zero hits.  He did it with the same stuff that he’s had all season. He’s still striking even fewer hitters out and walking more guys (5 on Friday). He’s pitching to contact, but keeping the ball in the park (0.7 HR/9). In short, he’s effective. Consider Friday night the welcome back party for Johan. Oh, and the Mets are tied for first place in the NL East.

Late last week, it looked as though we were on our way to a San Antonio/Miami NBA Final. Truth be told, we still may well be. But it’s clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics will have something to say about that.

Oklahoma City used a once-in-a-season shooting performance from their big men on Saturday to pull even with the Spurs heading into tonight’s pivotal Game 5. Oh, and that guy Kevin Durant scored 18 consecutive points in the 4^th quarter.

In the East, the Celtics ran out to sizable leads on Friday and Sunday night, only to see those leads shrink (or evaporate, as it did on Sunday night). Regardless, unlike in Game 2 when the Celtics couldn’t put Miami away, the Celtics did just that to even up their series at 2-2.

The headline coming out of last night’s game was that LeBron James fouled out of a game for the first time since the Taylor administration. Even with James’ absence in the waning minutes of the overtime period, Miami still had a chance to win when Dwyane Wade clanked a 3-pointer off the iron as time expired. The Celtics won 93-91. Game 5 is Tuesday.

Rest easy. We’re only 2 games away from me never writing the word “hockey” again in this space. In fact, I’d venture to guess that no one reads this section.

Regardless, the LA Kings continued their road dominance (undefeated in the NHL playoffs) on Saturday night, taking a 2-0 lead over the New Jersey Devils. It’s really just a matter of time.

Friday’s game, as predicted here, was rained out. It will be made up some time in the 2012 season. It’s apparently very hard for MLB to set these things in stone.

The Nats and Braves split their weekend series with the Nats winning Saturday. That Saturday win was spearheaded by Stephen Strasburg who was absolutely dominant in his 7 innings of work, as he struck out 9 hitters, while walking none and surrendering just 4 hits.

Sunday’s game started with a  bang. Actually, two. Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper became the first rookies in the modern era (since 1900) to begin a game with back-to-back home runs. Unfortunately, that’s all the run scoring the Nats would do, as they fell to the Braves 3-2.

Washington now sits in a three-way tie for first place with the Mets and Marlins (just as we all predicted!!!). The Nats will begin a three-game series with the Mets tomorrow in DC.

NBA: Oklahoma City @ San Antonio (Series tied 2-2): 9 p.m./TNT

NHL: New Jersey @ Los Angeles (LAK leads 2-0): 8 p.m./NBC

Today is also the first round of the Rule 4 player draft in Major League Baseball (7 p.m./MLB Network). That’s better known as the “First Year Player Draft.” Expect the Minnesota Twins to draft either Mark Appel (RHP/Stanford) or Byron Buxton (OF/Appling County (GA) High School).  

The Nationals pick 16^th. Expect them to take a college pitcher. My dream would be for California high school pitcher Lucas Giolito to fall to them. Giolito is a top 3 talent who has been downgraded by scouts because of a minor shoulder injury. I firmly expect someone to take him in the top 8.