Thunder vs. Heat: Video Highlights, Twitter Reaction, Grades and More
Wednesday's NBA Finals preview between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat proved to be a doozy, though, unfortunately, only one team could emerge victorious at AmericanAirlines Arena for the 17th time in a row.
That just so happened to be the Heat, who rode another virtuouso performance from LeBron James to a 98-93 victory over Kevin Durant and the Thunder in a battle of MVP front-runners.
Think this matchup would make for a fun title series?
Tweets of the Night
Leave it to "Bill Walton" to hit the nail on the head in describing this marquee matchup between NBA title contenders:
"Defensive battle tonight. Westbrook stopping Durant from scoring by not passing. DWade stopping LeBron from scoring by too much passing.
— The Bill Walton Trip (@NotBillWalton) April 5, 2012"
Mustache March may be over, but, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst might suggest, don't tell that to the Thunder and the Heat:
"Between Harden, LeBron & Turiaf the starting lineups in this Thunder-Heat game have some serious beards.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) April 5, 2012"
Speaking of beards, James Harden's finely groomed coiffure has some fightin' words for LeBron's chin-bound creation:
"If you focus in on LeBron's poser beard... you can actually see small bits of failure. #ThunderUp
— James Harden's Beard (@HardenBeard) April 5, 2012"
And, well...here's some more Heatles bashing, courtesy of "John Madden":
"Brittney Griner is the most successful women's basketball player since Heat forward Chris Bosh.What a talent!
— Faux John Madden (@FauxJohnMadden) April 4, 2012"
Must-See Highlight
Any meeting between two fast-breaking, high-flying teams like the Thunder and Heat is bound to yield more than a few reel-worthy moments. To keep things fair and balanced (like Fox News), here's a thunderous throwdown by Kevin Durant:
And, on the other end, yet another beautiful LeBron-to-Wade connection:
Grades for Key Thunder Players
Kevin Durant: B-
The Durantula would've had to pour in 40 or 50 points tonight to earn an "A" given how poorly he tended to the ball. Durant's 30 points, four rebounds and three assists weren't half-bad (for him), but his season-high nine turnovers stunk to the high heavens and fueled the Heat's lethal fast break.
Russell Westbrook: B
It's too easy to scapegoat Russell Westbrook for the outcome, especially when Durant had as much trouble taking care of the ball as he did.
That being said, it's tough to ignore the fact that Westy shot 9-of-26 from the field and managed just two assists (with four turnovers).
So, yeah, a "B" for a 28-point performance like that seems fair.
Grades for Key Heat Players
LeBron James: A-
Another game, another brilliant line (34 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, four steals) from LeBron James.
Ho. Hum.
Oh yeah, and something about solid enough defense to hound Durant into turning the ball over as often as he did.
Simply put, dude played like he knew the Maurice Podoloff Trophy was on the line and came up big.
Dwyane Wade: B-
It was hardly the prettiest game of Dwyane Wade's career, or even in the top half, though he deserves some props for playing through pain in his knees during a big game.
That being said, 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting isn't Wade-like enough to warrant anything better than a grade in the low "B" range.
Deciding Factor: Three-Point Shooting
Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka made life in the lane difficult for the Heat offense.
So, rather than drive in and get hit time after time, Miami opted to do much of its work from the perimeter, with solid results. The Heat were, well, hot from behind the three-point line, where they hit 10 of their 24 attempts.
As opposed to 21-of-59 from everywhere else.
The Thunder knocked down their fair share of treys (5-of-17), but couldn't quite keep up with the Heat's onslaught on South Beach.
Game MVP: LeBron
Did you see that line? Again, in case you missed it, LeBron stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, a block and only two turnovers.
There may be three weeks left in the regular season, but this result may well have been enough to seal the deal for King James' third MVP coronation—especially with the way Durant struggled by comparison.
What's Next
The Thunder will wrap up their two-game Eastern Conference road trip against the Indiana Pacers, while the Heat will await the arrival of the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
