Heat vs. Thunder: Why LeBron James Will Respond with Great Performance in Game 2

LeBron James put on the best performance of his career in an NBA finals game, but it is clear that the Miami Heat will need more from him if they are to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.

James finished the night with 30 points, nine points, four rebounds and four assists. These are impressive numbers, but the biggest storyline regarding James was his inability to respond on offense at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when the Thunder took control of the game.

Now, much attention is being paid to Thabo Sefolosha’s defensive play during the game, where he did an excellent job guarding James.

Sefolosha is a terrific defender whose play on that side of the ball has protected his place in the starting lineup. His contributions rarely show up in the stat sheet, but at 6’7” and 215 pounds, he has the size and quickness to guard nearly every perimeter player. 

He had a fantastic Game 1 and held the MVP to 11-for-24 shooting, but he will not be able to be that effective on James for the rest of the series. In fact, the Thunder and Sefolosha are probably hoping that all the talk regarding the matchup will die down, as James might be listening.

The Heat star has responded to losses remarkably well during the postseason. James has unleashed two of the greatest playoff performances in basketball history this year, and they were both following crucial losses. 

The first was in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. The Heat lost Chris Bosh to an abdominal injury in the first game then lost the next two. 

When the Heat’s chances looked grim, James came out and posted 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. Miami won the next three games to close out the series.

In the next round against the Boston Celtics, the Heat won the first two games, but then lost three in a row. Boston looked poised for another finals appearance, but James forced a Game 7 by recording 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

The Thunder are better than both of these teams, and if they protect their home-court advantage in these first two games, they will be extremely tough to beat in this seven-game series.

The next game is not a do-or-die situation for the Heat, but if they lose, the team will need to win three in a row at home in order to avoid two consecutive elimination games in front of a raucous Oklahoma City crowd.

James knows how important this next game is and he will not be happy at all with the suggestions that Sefolosha can limit him offensively throughout the series. These factors will lead to a huge game from the MVP that will be the best finals performance of his career.