OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma: Oklahoma City struck first in the NBA finals, giving Thunder star Kevin Durant early bragging rights over three-time league MVP LeBron James.
“For this whole playoffs, I’m just trying to play my game, be aggressive, and if I see a shot I have to take it,” said Durant. “I have to go back tomorrow and watch film and see how I can get better and hopefully have a better game.”
The 2012 NBA finals is defined by the two best players in the game — Miami’s James and three-time scoring champion Durant.
Durant finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Oklahoma City came from behind to defeat James’ Miami Heat 105-94 in game one Tuesday in front of a crowd of 18,203 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Durant and James were given the task of guarding each other during portions of game one and for awhile, especially in the second quarter, it looked like James might get the better of Durant.
James had 10 of his team-high 30 points in the second quarter for the Heat who shot 51 percent from the field in the first half.
“I’m not worried about the one-on-one match-up, it’s just about the team, and he (James) does such a great job of guarding everybody,” said Durant, whose 36 points matched his 2012 playoff high.
Miami and Oklahoma City are not complete strangers to the final series but just three teams, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Antonio are responsible for 10 of the last 13 NBA titles.
James has essentially spent the past five years answering for his playoff failures. Now he’s determined to prove he can close this out in his third trip to the NBA finals.
The Thunder are only thing standing between King James and his crown.
“Obviously, LeBron wants to win a championship,” Miami teammate Dwyane Wade said. “I can’t say that he wants to win more than the next man, than anybody on OKC. I can’t say that. But obviously he wants to win and get another opportunity. I’m sure he will try to seize it a little bit better than he did the first two times.”
James said there is no panic in the Miami locker room and the Heat will come back with a better game plan in Thursday’s game two.
“This was the feel out game,” said James, who registered his fourth straight contest of scoring 30 or more points. “We come out with a lot of energy, and tried to steal game one. And now we get an opportunity to go to the chalkboard and go to the film. We’ve already seen what they are capable of doing.”
These two franchises have never met in the NBA playoffs previously and each have one NBA championship to their credit.
The Heat defeated Dallas in six games in 2006 while the Thunder won a title in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics, beating the Washington Bullets in five games.
Durant shows his swagger in finals opener
Durant shows his swagger in finals opener
Perth Scorchers win sixth BBL title after trouncing Sydney Sixers
- The Australia squad will fly to Pakistan to play three 20-over matches
- It will prepare Australia for opening T20 World Cup fixture against Ireland
PERTH: Perth Scorchers raced to their sixth Big Bash League title on Sunday with an emphatic six-wicket victory over Sydney Sixers in the final at Perth Stadium.
Earning hosting rights after crushing the Sixers in a qualifier last week, the Scorchers bowled first and bowled their six-time Grand Final rivals out for a paltry 132 in 20 overs as pacemen David Payne and Jhye Richardson combined for six wickets.
With 15 balls remaining in their reply, the hosts reached 133-4 anchored by a 43-ball 44 from Mitch Marsh.
“It feels like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders, we have high expectations, and to be able to deliver on those expectations is really satisfying,” said Scorchers captain Ashton Turner.
The table-topping Scorchers started their chase in audacious fashion when Marsh, Australia’s T20 captain, pulled the first ball for six.
His opening partner Finn Allen, the season’s top run-scorer with 466, got the better of quick Mitchell Starc in a 19-run fourth over, bringing the crowd to their feet with a scooped six into the second tier.
With rain threatening, the Scorchers powered ahead at nearly 10 an over until a spectacular one-handed catch by Jack Edwards off Starc dismissed Allen for 36.
Seamer Sean Abbott accounted for Aaron Hardie (five) and Marsh, but Josh Inglis (29 not out) saw the Scorchers over the line with a majestic six over long-off.
Earlier, the Perth crowd of 55,018 roared in delight when Sixers’ drawcard Steve Smith, who averaged 60 in the tournament at a strike rate of 168 yet finds himself out of T20 World Cup reckoning, dejectedly departed for 24 when all-rounder Hardie reviewed for lbw.
Fortunate to survive three missed run outs in the space of five balls, skipper Moises Henriques was caught for 24 off the medium pace of Payne, who ended with 3-18.
Fast bowler Mahli Beardman, on the cusp of international selection, closed out the innings with two wickets and a run out in the final over.
The Australia squad will fly to Pakistan for three 20-over matches in preparation for their first T20 World Cup fixture against Ireland in Colombo on February 11.
