Heat vs. Thunder: How Most Insane Stats Are Affecting Series

The NBA Finals have gone just like everyone expected them to. And, you know, the exact opposite of what people were expecting, too. 

While the matchup of Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James unsurprisingly has provided fans with must-watch TV and you-better-not-look-away-because-these-two-are-going-at-each-other moments, guys like Shane Battier, Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha have made astonishing contributions.

In the Finals, the stats, while sometimes absurd, reflect just how interesting this series has been. Let's take a look at the craziest ones and what they mean for both teams.

Note: All following stats come from nba.com

Shane Battier Is the Best Player in the NBA

Malfunction. Malfunction. Shane Battier has broken the effective field goal and true shooting percentage stats. 

Through three games in the Finals, Battier has turned himself into Reggie Miller. Not only is he averaging 14.3 points per game—double his playoff average—Battier is shooting 73 percent from long range (yes, 73). They aren't even coming from the easier corner three, either.

Battier is just 1-of-2 from the corner, but he's 10-of-13 from above the break, including this one, which proved he wasn't mortal:

But the real absurdity is this: Shane Battier's effective field goal percentage is 102.6 and his true shooting percentage is 101.4. Over. One. Hundred.

That's not natural. 

If Battier continues to add this type of shooting to his terrific defense, the Heat suddenly have close to a big four, and are going to be nearly impossible to beat. 

LeBron James and Kevin Durant Dominate

To demonstrate just how unstoppable these two have been, I'll turn to ESPN's Chris Palmer.

"

LeBron James on pace to be first player ever to average 30p/10r/4a in the Finals.

— chris palmer (@ESPNChrisPalmer) June 19, 2012"

And Durant:

"

Kevin Durant on pace to be youngest ever to average 31 in the Finals.

— chris palmer (@ESPNChrisPalmer) June 19, 2012"

Yikes. Two record-setting performances from the two best players in the league? Yes, please. 

As long as Durant and James continue to play at this level, the series is going to come down to them and only them. You can talk about Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook all you want, or the role players, or the coaching, but it's going to come down to LeBron vs. KD in the fourth quarter.

We knew it coming in. It's just inevitable. The epic one-on-one battle has kept us on the edge of our seats, and it will continue to be the most important factor of the series. Like it should be. 

Russell Westbrook's Clutch Struggles

For the sake of this, "clutch" is defined as the last five minutes of the game when the score margin is within five points.

And in those situations in the playoffs, Russell Westbrook has not been good. 

In 46 total clutch minutes, Westbrook is shooting an anemic 26 percent (5-of-19) from the field. He's 0-of-6 from long distance and just 2-of-6 from mid-range. 

Throw in a higher-than-normal turnover rate and just one assist (!) in 46 minutes, and it's clear Westbrook needs to be better down the stretch in close games.

The clutch moments are Kevin Durant's time, yes, but Westbrook has to at least give him some help. He's been almost non-existent on the offensive end during these situations.

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