Heat vs. Thunder Game 1 Score: What OKC Must Do to Capitalize on Crucial Victory

The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the Miami Heat last night in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals. The final score was 105-94 in a contest that was close until Kevin Durant took over in the fourth quarter.

Now OKC has a chance to put some serious pressure on their opponent by winning Game 2 at home before they travel to South Beach for what could be three straight meetings (the NBA Finals has a 2-3-2 format due to travel concerns).

Here’s what this younger Thunder team must do to build on what they accomplished so far.

Continue to Enable Durant

KD has been lighting it up throughout the postseason and clearly did not show any signs of stopping against the Heat.

The NBA’s leading scorer for three years running put up 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block while shooting 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. He also buried eight-of-nine free throws and played 46 minutes.

There was no better player on Earth down the stretch and OKC must keep getting Durant involved.

Defend the Three

Miami went 8-of-19 from downtown and the Thunder were slow to rotate at times. One of the main strengths of this roster is the drive-and-kick from LeBron James or Dwyane Wade to one of their many role players who can spot up and knock home treys.

If the Heat continue to shoot above 40 percent from deep, they are eventually going to build an insurmountable lead that discourages OKC from even attempting a comeback.

Keep Dwyane Wade Under Control

LBJ had one of the better Finals performances of his life, but Wade struggled and looked out of place.

D-Wade’s stat line looked normal (19 points, eight assists and four rebounds), but he just seemed frustrated and took some wild shots.

The D did a great job of keeping him in check and must continue to do so if they want to close this NBA Finals out.