NBA Finals 2012: What Oklahoma City Must Do to Steal Games on Road in Miami

The Oklahoma City Thunder players and fans had their collective hearts broken last night after their Game 2 fourth-quarter comeback bid failed.

Now the Thunder have to travel to Miami for the next three games, and it will be tough for the team to gain the advantage back.

Here is what they must do in order to force the NBA Finals back to OKC.

Do Not Fall into a Hole

In Game 1, the Thunder were lucky to come back from a 13-point deficit after a late surge and some amazing play from superstar Kevin Durant.

They didn’t get so lucky in Game 2 and were thwarted at the end of the game after a valiant effort to crawl back from being down 17 at one point.

The home crowd did its best to will its team to victory during each of the late runs, and that certainly made a positive impact, but OKC will not have that luxury in South Beach.

If the squad finds itself in a major deficit in Games 3, 4 or 5, it will be much harder to pull off a comeback.

The best way to avoid this is to get an early lead and maintain it for the entire game.

Lock LeBron James Down

LBJ looked like the league MVP last night. He was making all sorts of shots, getting to the basket and knocking down his free throws.

If he continues to go off like that, it will be nearly impossible for the Thunder to prevail.

OKC is going to have to send constant double-teams and new defensive looks his way. Thabo Sefolosha and Kevin Durant should primarily guard him, perhaps both at the same time.

If that means other players on the Heat will be getting open looks, the Thunder will have to live with it. They certainly aren't going to make it out of the finals victorious if they can’t contain the King.

Get James Harden Involved

Harden was one of the most effective players on the court last night and needed more touches.

The Sixth Man of the Year hit seven of his 11 shots, went two of three from beyond the arc and scored 21 total points. He had a plus/minus of plus-13, and obviously things went well when he was on the floor.

He’s got the talent and skill to dominate in this series and should be counted on to shoulder more of the load going forward.