NBA Finals: Free Live Stream, Where to Watch, Prediction and Preview for Thursday's NBA Finals Game 5

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the worst possible position.

They trail the Miami Heat 3-1 in their best of seven series and the Heat have a chance to close things out at home tonight when the teams meet.

Thirty other teams have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA finals and each of them was eliminated. In fact, none of them even managed to force a game seven before succumbing.

If the Thunder want their own outcome to be different, they have to find a way to contain LeBron James. James has begun to silence many of his critics after huge performances throughout the playoffs, but he will need one more to earn his title.

James will have to battle the Thunder, and the weight of expectations on him. He has been ordained as a future NBA champion since he was in high school and the level of pressure from that cannot be understated.

James is also starting to fight physical issues as well. He missed sections of game four, especially late in the game, with cramps in his legs.

The muscle spasms were so intense that he cried out in pain several times from the bench as trainers worked on him.

The injuries didn't seem to effect his play as he hit a key three-pointer after the cramps began to bother him, but it is something he will have to deal with going forward.

Even with those impediments, and the ever impressive effort and energy of the Thunder, it seems inevitable that James finally gets his first title tonight, or when the series returns to Oklahoma.

He is too good, too motivated and has finally found the extra gear that the true greats all have in clutch time.

Tonight's game will follow a similar pattern to previous contests. Look for the Heat to withstand an early assault from a hyped up Thunder team. Miami will slowly close the gap by halftime, then get a lead in the second half and never relinquish it.

Where to watch: The game will be televised nationally on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. There are live streaming options through ESPN's WatchESPN for free depending on your cable provider.

There are also free live streams available at FirstRowSports.

Prediction: Miami 106 - Oklahoma City 95