As a fan of professional sports in general, I have always been a fan of games where you know that the winner of the game really deserved to come out on top. In essence, that is how I felt after the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a half-time deficit to eventually defeat the Miami Heat on Tuesday night (June 12).
The Heat set themselves up for success building an early lead that was as high as 13 points, but were unable to hold onto the lead as the game progressed into the second half. Similar to how the Thunder had come out in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs when trailing by 15 at halftime of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, Oklahoma City punched the Heat in the mouth to start the third quarter. I was most impressed with the play of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the game progressed and the second half belonged completely to the Thunder.
Westbrook scored 12 points in the third quarter while the Thunder held the Heat to just 19 points. As for the fourth quarter, it was Kevin Durant time as he poured in 17 points to close out the game, while the Heat scored just 21 in the fourth quarter. In fact, the Heat trailed for the entire fourth quarter, never once regaining the lead from the Thunder.
The other day I wrote about how James was able to close in both Game 6 and Game 7 against the Boston Celtics and how it may have meant a turning point for James. I'd like to take this opportunity to retract that statement.
James scored just seven points in the fourth quarter and could not compete with Kevin Durant's 17-point outburst. The 10-point difference in their fourth quarter scoring also happened to match the 10-point difference in their teams' fourth quarter scoring. I can't understand how a professional athlete could shy away from leading his team when he was doing just that the entire game. Perhaps if the NBA re-named the fourth quarter to "third quarter: part two" James would have an easier time adjusting. Or conceivably James really doesn't the intestinal fortitude in him to close out games.
Regardless, if the Heat can't find an answer for Durant or Westbrook, it's going to be a long series - or rather, a short series. After watching Game 1, I'd like to throw in my prediction for how the series will turn out: Thunder in six games.
Food for thought: Will LeBron James be able to help the Heat steal Game 2 from the Thunder or will the Heat head back to South Beach with a 2-0 deficit? Is the Thunder set up to win this series with the team's ability to play from behind so effectively?
David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions - all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, "Not knowing any better". Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.
You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp
Sources:
NBA.com. Heat and Thunder Box Score. NBA 2012
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