The Heat dominated the first half of Game 1, taking a seven point lead into the halftime break. Unfortunately for Miami fans, they struggled a bit during the second half of the contest, allowing the Thunder to take over the game.
"They're fast, they're explosive, so we'll have to adjust to that," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "We felt we had an opportunity in the fourth quarter but … they just went away, and that's what they do. They're relentless. They beat us at their game."
LeBron James led Miami's offense on Tuesday, putting up 30 points and 9 rebounds. Dwyane Wade also had a decent outing, finishing with 19 points and 8 assists.
"This was the feel out game," LeBron told reporters. "We come here with a lot of energy, try to steal Game 1 and now we get an opportunity to go to the chalkboard, go to the film and have a better game plan for Game 2 since we've already seen what they're capable of doing."
The Heat also got a nice boost from Shane Battier, who lit up the Thunder from beyond the arc, converting on four of his six attempts. He finished with 17 points and 4 rebounds.
As a team, the Heat actually played well in Game 1, but their focus dwindled in the second half. They turned into a jump-shooting team, and it eventually caught up to them. The Heat also slacked off on the defensive end, giving the Thunder way too many easy shots during the second half.
With a few adjustments, the Heat should be able to even things up when the two teams meet again on June 14. They'll also need LeBron and Wade to be a little more aggressive, with an emphasis on driving the ball down the lane.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Joseph Goodman, "Miami Heat can't withstand Oklahoma City Thunder's second-half…"
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