After their eleven point win in their first NBA Finals game, the young Thunder showed they don’t need growing pains before becoming poised to win a championship.
Kevin Durant lead Oklahoma city with 36 points, scoring 17 in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder are up 1-0 in the best of seven series.
Oklahoma used a 27-19 third quarter to erase a seven point deficit and took a one point lead into the final quarter.
“Honestly, I think we just came out with a lot more intensity on the defensive end. Made them feel us a little bit,” Westbrook said of the second half.
Westbrook finished with 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Thunder but only shot 10-24 from the field.
“That’s what they do, they keep on coming,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They’re relentless.”
If you are a Heat fan you should be concerned with the fact the sixth man of the year James Harden played three minutes in the fourth quarter and finished with only 5 points, Westbrook shot a poor percentage and Ibaka wasn’t a factor, yet the Thunder won by double digits.
Scott Brooks has done an amazing job this postseason with his halftime adjustments and trusting the depth of his team.
Coach Brooks utilized his defensive team down the stretch and it paid off.
Thabo Sefolosha has been the NBA defensive MVP this postseason, guarding Dirk, Kobe, switching to Tony Parker and now guarding the MVP James and Dwayne Wade.
Sefolosha held James and Wade to 18 for 40 shooting and 49 total points.
“They just made more plays than us,” Wade said. “They got a couple offensive rebounds that kind of hurt us. Got a couple of open shots, and from that point we were kind of playing from behind.”
James scored a Finals career high of 30 points but only hit two field goals in the fourth and is now (2-9) in Finals games.
Game two is Thursday night in Oklahoma City, tip off set for 9pm.
