The Heat were able to win their fourth game in a row against the Thunder Thursday night, taking the series and the championship with a score of 121-106. LeBron James’ dream has finally become a reality.
“I’m happy now that eight years later, nine years later since I’ve been drafted, that I can finally say that I’m a champion, and I did it the right way,” James told the press after the game. “I didn’t shortcut anything. You know, I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it, and hard work pays off. It’s a great moment for myself.”
And it’s a terrible moment for the Thunder, who looked helpless for most of the game. They started off slow again, who started the game with a Kevin Durant turnover, and then proceeded to make one of their first eight shots.
The Thunder led briefly, roughly five minutes into the first quarter, but that would be the last time. The Heat would go on to outscore the Thunder in every quarter except the fourth, and by then, it was too late.
James Harden finally improved, putting up 19 points, equaling Russell Westbrook, who had an awful shooting night, making four of his 20 shot attempts. Most of Westbrook’s points came from his 11 free throws, but it just wasn’t enough to make up for his poor shooting. He had just come off a stellar 43-point performance in Game 4.
Durant was as solid as always, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Oklahoma City also improved their three-point shooting and free throw percentages, putting up 39 and 88 percent, respectively. However, Miami one-upped them in every way possible. Their 14 three-point shots tied the NBA record, and seven of them were made by Mike Miller, who was an absolute machine from downtown, only missing one of his eight attempts.
The Heat shot 51 percent and had four players who scored at least 20 points – Miller (23), Dwyane Wade (20), Chris Bosh (24), and naturally, LeBron James (26). James’s Finals performance was fantastic, which certainly helps him forget about last year’s rough exit. He also had a triple-double, scoring 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, putting the exclamation point on a Heat championship that he’d been waiting his entire life for.
As for the Thunder, their promising season ends here. They made far too many mistakes and just couldn’t keep up with the Heat. They trailed in every game, for most of the game. The fans wanted more from their team, and so did Kevin Durant.
“It hurts, man,” Durant said. “We’re all brothers on this team, and it just hurts to go out like this. We made it to the Finals, which was cool for us, but we didn’t want to just make it there. Unfortunately we lost, so it’s tough.”
