The NBA Finals are finally here. My two favorite teams for the past couple years have been the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat, so I am definitely glad that these two teams are the last ones standing. Now lets get to it…

The Matchup:

LeBron James… Master of the MVP title vs. Kevin Durant… Master of the Scoring title.

Winner of Game 1 – Kevin Durant (DURANTULA)

2012 Finals could touch off a magic spell where James and Durant scrap for rings and MVPs year after year like Bird and Magic once did. – Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop on twitter)

Tale of the tape:

First quarter started off rough defensively for the Thunder, as did the second. They picked it up halfway through the 3rd and came full throttle in the 4th. Shane Battier hit his first 3 shots, all from deep, giving the Heat 9 quick pts and a quick lead in the first and kept the lead until the 3rd. Miami outscored OKC 29-22 in the first. OKC picked it up, but still struggled a bit defensively, matching up 25-25 to end the second, 54-47 Miami. Then, as many sportcaster’s have said, the Thunder came out of the locker room with a different mindset and purpose in the 3rd, clamping down on Miami. Mario Chalmers and Battier were shut down. OKC outscored Miami 27-19, rallying from a 13 pt deficit and taking their first lead of the game, 74-73. 4th quarter, all about Durant, who scored 17 of his 36 in the final period.

Oklahoma City takes Game 1 at home, 105-94, increasing their postseason home streak to 9-0.

Miami went 46.2% shooting and OKC, 51.9% on the night. OKC out-rebounded Miami 43-35. 10 turnovers for each side, a significant problem.

Miami scored 54 pts in the first half but only managed to get 40 in the second. Durant and Westbrook by themselves had 41 in the second.

Notables:

Dwayne Wade kept it simple for the night, mostly gunning off the pick and roll and throwing excellent dimes. 19 pts, 8 ast.
LeBron James was dynamic all over the court. 30 pts (11/24), 9 reb, 4 ast.
Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier shot a combined 29 pts. Battier shot 6/9 w. 4 from deep. Chalmers shot 5/7, 6 ast.
Chris Bosh had 10 off the bench, still ailing from his recent abdominal strain.

Kevin Durant was a bit shaky at first, but finished strong with 36, shooting 12/20, 4 from deep and 8 reb. He gained his footing and provided non stop offense from everywhere on the court and lock down defense during Miami possessions.
Russell Westbrook finished with 27, 11 ast, 8 reb.
Serge Ibaka was also a factor, putting up a strong 10, most his points gained in traffic. 50% shooting for him.

We showed a lot of toughness in the second half, but we’ve just won one game. K.D. is a terrific player but he’s special because he defends. In our huddles, it’s all about defense. – Thunder head coach Scott Brooks

We had a good game plan to start the game but that third quarter really hurt us. They made shots and we missed shots. They made more plays, especially offensively. – LeBron James

Tweets after the game:

Kevin Durant again makes NBA history with his 36 pt NBA Finals debut.

Miami was outscored on fastbreaks in this game. Thunder played their game, their tempo.

CTFU @ Canada shutting the game off early to put on Cheers. I need them to do better LOL.

Game 2 is this Thursday, June 14 @ 9PM on ABC.

XXII

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