Heat vs. Thunder (Game 1 Recap)

As we head into Game 2, the first game of this year's NBA Finals has been a great sign of things to come later in this series. In Game 1, Miami took the stronghold in the first half behind LeBron's great performance, while the Thunder were very shaky shooters. As the first half came to a close, Miami led OKC, 54-47. James was the Heat's leading point man, with 14 points, while Durant led the Thunder with 13 points. Westbrook struggled with 3-10 shooting, while Dwyane Wade shot 3-8. Clearly, the series started with the Alpha Dogs carrying the load for both of their respective teams. Both teams were going back in forth in great fashion. From James Harden's tremendous shot, Kevin Durant's block on Wade to his layup on the other end, and LeBron's on-ball steal from Durant for the finish. In the second half, the tide truly changed. Oklahoma City came from being down by as many as 8,9, and 10 to being up by 9 during stretches of the half. The Thunder did a great job throwing off the Heat with multiple rotations on defense to keep them off balance. OKC went from having Durant on LeBron to moving Sefalosha on him. Kevin Durant unloaded a barrage on Miami's defense, by exploiting each mismatch with his multiple ways of scoring. Miami went from having Bosh, Battier and even Wade guard Durant, but he still dominated because of his incredible wingspan. Kevin Durant continued to display how much of a multi-dimensional player that he has grown into since the middle of the season, to the start of the playoffs. Oklahoma City's ball movement was very crucial in their run, which included utilizing Nick Collison, and veteran Derek Fisher. Russell Westbrook also turned up his level of play at this point, while Wade continued to remain a non-factor. Meanwhile, LeBron continued to lead the way, with 23 points at the end of the 3rd quarter. Chris Bosh started shooting more threes during the game. The Thunder went on to fend off Miami, 105-94. Durant finished the game with 36, and Westbrook with 27. On the other side, LeBron had 30, while Wade had 19, and Bosh only had 12. Both of LeBron's superstar teammates disappeared like David Copperfield during this game. James took a trip back to the twilight zone in Cleveland, because he was playing like he was still with the Cavs. LeBron certainly needs more help from Wade, Bosh and others. The reason why he left Cleveland for Miami WAS for more help. Unfortunately, Wade is looking more like Daniel Gibson, and Bosh is looking more like the washed up Antwaan Jamison and Anderson Varejao. For OKC, Russell Westbrook fit perfectly into his point guard/sidekick role, as he not only dropped 27 points, but more importantly, 11 assists. The keys for Oklahoma City's success include, Westbrook feeding KD more while setting up others, and for James Harden to score more than 5 points while staying out of foul trouble as well. Serge Ibaka needs to turn up the volume as well, by grabbing more than 6 rebounds and be the shot blocking machine that he can always be. Even Westbrook beat him out in rebounds! Not cool at all! Pat Riley and Alonzo Mourning were clearly pissed about the Heat's performance. If Miami doesn't clean up, I guarantee that heads will be rolling when it is all said and done in South Beach. As a fan, and an objective analyst, I am excited about the great storylines that this series brings. For the first time in a very long time, you have a series where you have a head to head matchup between the top two players that has the atmohere of a heavyweight fight. The comparisons have come very strong. Russell vs. Chamberlain, Magic vs. Bird. Like these great rivalries of the past, we have two very transcendent players squaring off against each other. In the red corner, you have the all-world playmaking, ability of LeBron James. In the blue corner, you have the multi-dimensional scoring, shooting ability, energy, quickness and unbelievable reach of Kevin Durant. This story has so many plots. On one hand, you have a very hungry star player, who is villainized all over, and a title will be the only thing to satisfy his hunger and solidify his legacy among the greats. On the other hand, you have a player who is the cornerstone for the next youth movement in the NBA, beloved by the league and poised to lead his team to the launch of multiple titles over time. For one star, a door is closing. For another, the door is opening. If you want to say Magic vs. Bird, LeBron would play the role of Magic, because of his tremendous playmaking style, to create shots for both others and himself. Kevin Durant's deadly, precise shooting fits him well for the role of Larry. I am only talking in the context of how intense this feud could really be, and this has been the closest thing that we have of this specific era. As a fan, I will enjoy every moment of it.