Thunder vs. Heat: How LeBron James Won More Than Just a Game Wednesday Night

It's almost sad the way we scrutinize Miami Heat superstar LeBron James.

No athlete in professional sports is under the microscope as much as LeBron. His mental and physical toughness come into question every night. He's reminded on almost a daily basis of past failures and the fact that he's underachieved when the chips are on the table and more often than not has failed to come through in high-pressure situations.

But last night against Oklahoma City was different.

Sure, the Heat won a big game against the Thunder, but LeBron's efforts in the clutch were a big reason why. But despite the win, LeBron may have won much more than a game on Wednesday night.

He got banged up and pushed around, but instead of folding, James woke up.

It's been a long while since LeBron stepped up his game with success in a pressure-packed situation, especially in a big game.

Take it for what it's worth. It was a regular-season game, and no one really cares what James accomplishes until the postseason begins, but he shined in his performance on Wednesday night, scoring a game-high 34 points and creating an additional 24 points off of his assists.

He accounted for 59.2 percent of the Heat's points (58 of 98), his highest percentage in any game this season, all while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Not only that, he made plays when the pressure was on and the game was tight.

Even if only for a day, LeBron may have silenced the critics. That's a big win for him right there.

In the process, though, he showed not only his teammates, but the rest of the NBA that he is a guy that can be counted on late in games.

He also more than likely won himself his third MVP award in the process, outshining his closest competitor, Kevin Durant.

There's been some bad nights over the course of the last year for James, but Wednesday was certainly one of his better ones. He accomplished so much more than just winning a game.