Heat OKC Game 1 Recap

Everyone was thinking about it and witnessing it at the same time. It's the fourth quarter, and OKC has been clawing back into the game after being down to as much as 13 points. Shane Battier was helping the Heat spread the floor by hitting 3 early three's and finishing with 17 points. He also made some successful drives to the baskets, going semi-retro back to his days with Duke. Chalmers chipped in 12 points along with 6 assists. Wade scored 19 points but only on 7-19 shooting thanks to Sefelosha's great one on one isolation defense.

LBJ presumably whining for yet another call

It was crunch time. Yes, Kevin Durant was catching on fire late in the game with 17 points in the fourth quarter alone and finishing with 36. Westbrook was smart with the basketball, finishing the game with almost a triple double. I don't mean to sound rude and discredit their efforts but all eyes wanted to see how LeBron would react in this moment. LeBron was  being himself as usual and despite his jumpshots not going in, he continued to be aggressive and driving in the lane throughout. However, the fourth quarter was his meltdown moments when people are wondering what he's thinking and why. Missing layups. Rimming out free throws. Out of rhythm mid-rangers. What and why? At least that's what I try to wrap my mind around.
In the game, there were moments when he was again being passive behind the three point line. In one play, D Wade was stuck near the right baseline, drove to the left being double teamed and kicked it out to LeBron who was behind the arc again. But this time, he drove in and got an and one. But that's the thing: that play was never developed for him. It was a bailout. And in a rare glimpse, it worked. He finished with 6 points in the fourth which isn't bad but compare that to Durant's 17 and you can see why why the Heat lost.

How can you not love this man?

The Heat cannot win like this. I can't blame LeBron for the loss though. He did his part throughout the game, but he definitely needs to be more aggressive in the fourth quarter and not lounge around behind the arc. Oh, and tell Chris Bosh to play as a forward please. He has a false sense of confidence after game 7 against the Celtics when he was 3-4 from the three point line. I could sense that LeBron was having flashback moments of his past against the Mavericks in the closing minutes. This was his moment. He said he learned from his past mistakes. But tonight didn't show it.
I want to give a lot of credit to Nick Collison. He finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds (5 clutch offensive boards) from the bench! Instead of Ibaka or Perkins finishing the game, the lone white player was a force to be reckoned with.