Chris Sheridan's post on Basketball | Latest updates on Sulia

The Miami Heat’s lead was down to 4, the shot clock was at 5 and Shane Battier was about to set a screen for Dwyane Wade at the top of the key. But he slip-screened, backed up, got his hands ready, set his feet and let the ball fly. “I was just trying to get it on the rim, to be honest with you,” explained the do-it-all forward. “The shot clock was low, (Kevin) Durant was in my face, and I was just trying to get that ball on the rim so that we could get an offensive rebound. “The basketball gods were smiling.” As they have been for Battier since the moment the NBA Finals tipped off Tuesday night. Despite the fact that he hadn’t connected on four-plus 3-pointers in consecutive games in roughly five years, Battier has gotten off to a sweltering start during the Finals by knocking home 9-of-13 from distance. Moreover, Battier has averaged 17 points against the Thunder thus far, more than the defensive demon’s combined averages of 6.0, 3.8 and 7.0 points against the Knicks, Pacers and Celtics, respectively. More: http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2012/06/15/in-first-nba-finals-battier-doing-all-he-can-to-help-heat-win/