NBA:It took patience to endure the 23-win season, the four straight lottery appearances, the long slog through a Western Conference dominated by superstars and dynasties. If they learned nothing else these past few years, the Oklahoma City Thunder learned to withstand, to wait, to bide their time and to keep pushing until their moment arrived.
Of any acquired trait, patience was the most valued and the most comforting as the Thunder made their NBA finals debut last night. They fell behind by 13 points to the mighty Miami Heat, but they kept their poise and remembered in the end where to get the ball.
Kevin Durant, the three-time scoring champion, calmly seized control in the critical minutes, putting up 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Thunder to a 105-94 victory. So no, it seems, the Thunder's youth will not be a handicap in this series against the seasoned Heat. Overconfidence will not be either.
After the game, Durant seemed wholly unmoved by his own dominance."I have to go back tomorrow and watch film and see how I can get better," Durant said, a sentiment that should send chills through the Miami lockerroom.
The Thunder were faster, more assertive and more efficient in the second half, outscoring the Heat by 58-40. They beat them in the paint (56-40) and in fast-break points (24-4).Durant was steady, smooth and spectacular, finishing with 36 points while outdueling LeBron James (30 points), the three-time most valuable player. James went 11 for 24 from the field and scored just two field goals in the fourth quarter while a boisterous crowd bathed Durant in chants of "MVP."
Russell Westbrook shook off a rough start and finished with 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
"Those two guys are all-stars for a reason," James said. "You can't stop them. You just try to limit them."James and Dwyane Wade typically present that same daunting challenge, but they were only the third and fourth best players on the floor Tuesday.
Wade scored 19 points but was 7 for 19 from the field and took a testy stance on the podium afterward when asked about his continued postseason struggles.
"Just doing whatever it takes to win the ballgame, not necessarily sitting up here worrying about scoring 30 points," Wade said. "I know that's going to make you guys feel better. I'm all about winning."
In this championship-or-bust year, the weight of expectations seems to be irritating every nerve among the Heat's stars. They have now lost four straight games in the finals, counting the last three losses to the Dallas Mavericks last June. This is the Thunder's first finals appearance since the franchise relocated from Seattle, and the first time any of Oklahoma City's young stars have been this close to a championship.
The mantra in the past few days has been consistent, however: They would treat every practice, every film session and every minute of the series as if it were just another basketball game.
"Nothing changes," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks, who is also making his finals debut as a head coach. "It's basketball."
Miami led for the first 35 minutes of the game, by as many as 13 points in the second quarter. But the Thunder kept charging and pushed their way to their first lead, 74-73, on Westbrook's three-point play late in the third quarter. Westbrook powered past Udonis Haslem, then pushed a layup through Mike Miller's foul, whooping to the baseline fans after scoring.
His free throw gave Oklahoma City a 74-73 lead with 16.4 seconds left and gave Westbrook 12 points in the quarter. The Thunder never trailed again.
As for patience, the Thunder showed it in abundance on an early fourth-quarter possession, when it seemed like every player passed the ball twice before Derek Fisher hit Thabo Sefolosha for a wide-open layup."They keep on coming," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They're relentless. They beat us at their game and beat us in a game that's very similar to us when we're playing well." – New York Times Service