The Heat Meets the Thunder in the NBA Finals!

Now that the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in a 101-88 victory on Saturday night, they are off to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder. Miami will definitely be seeking redemption, after giving up the title last year to the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder on the other hand, have never made it to the Finals before so they could have something to prove; then again, pressure may get the best of them. This one’s going to be close, and it’s all going to come down to the Big Three on both sides.

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden have been unstoppable all season, and all playoffs long. Sweeping last year’s champions, the Mavericks, in the first round only seemed to give them the momentum they needed; if in fact, they needed any at all. It took them only five games to beat out the Lakers but they never hit their stride more perfectly than in Round 3 when they faced the San Antonio Spurs, the first-ranked team in the division. Down by two games it looked as though the Spurs might have taken it — before the Thunder’s Big Three entered and won the next four straight. Will it be enough when up against the Heat?

Miami’s own Big Three consisting of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosch were predicted to take over the entire league this year; but this playoffs it’s taken a little longer to beat each team — and an entire seven before they put the Celtics away, a team that was ranked fourth to Miami’s second-place status entering the playoffs. The Big Three in Miami also haven’t been able to pull it together for the entire run. Bosch was out with an injury and while his return will no doubt have an impact, how big of one it’s hard to say. It will have to be a pretty big one in order to make up for the lack of performance put on by Dwayne Wade, who’s been more than underwhelming this postseason.

But the Heat are incensed after watching last year’s title slip out of their hands, and that vengeance will be thoroughly felt by the Thunder — especially considering that it’s Oklahoma’s first time to the Finals. Will the desire to win be enough?

After all the fouls, all the near-misses, and all the clean baskets, this championship series is going to come down to the two best players in the NBA — Kevin Durant and Lebron James. And even then, it’s really anyone’s guess. James is the more skilled player, even if it just by a hair. But Durant has an outstanding knack for being able to step up when his team needs it the most, and bring home the win for them. Watching which one is able to do that best in the coming week is what’s going to make this one of the best NBA championships yet.

Categorized in: NBA