Heat vs. Thunder Game 2 Score: Keys for Oklahoma City to Rebound from Home Loss

The Oklahoma City Thunder were hoping to grab a commanding 2-0 series lead on Thursday night. Instead, the Miami Heat built an early lead and were able to withstand a late rally from the Thunder to even the NBA Finals at one with a 100-96 win.

Even though it's a disappointing result for Oklahoma City, the team must regroup quickly and prepare to take at least one game in South Beach. Let's take a look at the most important keys to success for the Thunder moving forward.

Depth Production

One advantage Oklahoma City supposedly had going into the series was its role players. Through two games, that hasn't materialized as the team's big three has been forced to carry almost the entire offensive load.

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden scored 80 of the team's 96 points in Game 2. No other player scored more than seven. That type of large production gap isn't going to cut it against the Heat, who have just as much top-end scoring.

Thabo Sefolosha has to start providing a more consistent threat from the perimeter and Serge Ibaka must showcase the same aggressiveness that stunned the San Antonio Spurs. Whether it's those two players or somebody else, the stars need more help.

Force More Jump Shots

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are going to tear a team apart each and every night if they are allowed to get into the paint. They have built their entire careers on that premise and it was on full display in the Game 2 win.

The Thunder did a terrific job against the Spurs of adjusting their defense to make life more difficult on Tony Parker and Co. Now they must do the same thing against the Heat by forcing them into more mid-range and outside jumpers.

Whether that means collapsing into the post or double-teams on every drive, Oklahoma City simply can't afford to sit back on defense. James and Wade aren't as efficient when they have to pull up from 18 feet.

Defend Shane Battier

When the Thunder were going through their game plan for the series, Battier probably wasn't a major focus. After all, the 33-year-old Duke product hasn't averaged more than 10 points in a season since 2007 and has been inconsistent all postseason.

But Battier has clearly asserted himself as a key weapon for the Heat in the first two games. He's scored 17 points in each contest, mostly due to pinpoint accuracy from beyond the arc, and played really well on the defensive end as well.

James, Wade and Chris Bosh are going to get their fair share of points regardless—Oklahoma City can only hope to contain them. What the Thunder can't afford is a fourth scorer like Battier to emerge, so shutting him down will be paramount in Miami.