*Chris Bosh was a difference maker. After a quiet Game 1, Chris Bosh was a huge presence in Game 2 scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds (7 on the offensive end) in 40 minutes. Finally back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench following his return from injury, Bosh was a big reason the Heat got off to such a fast start and it's safe to say they wouldn't have won Game 2 without his contributions.
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| Photo Credit: sportsillustrated.cnn.com |
*The referees did not cost the Thunder the game. I want to blame them for missing some fairly significant calls, but I can't. The reality is that the Thunder's horrendous first quarter is what cost them. The Thunder were down 18-2 in the first and fell behind by as many as 17 points in the second and that ended up being just too deep of a hole to climb out of. If the Thunder had played the first half the way they did the second half, the game wouldn't have been close and those questionable calls wouldn't have mattered.
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| Photo Credit: kzne.com |
*Shane Battier has been a difference maker. For the second game in a row, Shane Battier has been a factor on the OFFENSIVE end. Not known for doing stuff that shows up in box scores, Battier hit 5 three-pointers (none bigger than the one he BANKED in in the fourth quarter) and finished with 17 points and Miami needed every one of them. With marksmen James Jones and Mike Miller playing poorly, Battier's ability to knock down open shots is a huge reason Miami isn't headed back to South Beach down 2-0.
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| Photo Credit: sportsillustrated.cnn.com |
*The Thunder don't need to panic. Oklahoma City got an atrocious half of basketball from Russell Westbrook, was on the wrong end of a blown goaltending call, spotted Miami a 17 point lead in the first half, saw Kevin Durant play almost the entire fourth quarter with five fouls, watched Shane Battier bank in a three pointer, made just 9 of 26 three-pointers of their own and still had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds. Not much more could've gone wrong for the Thunder in this one and this was still a winnable game for them. If they can solve their slow start issues, you still have to believe they're the series favorites.
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| Photo Credit: newsok.com |
*You have to make your free throws. Miami made 22 of 25 free throws in Game 2 including 12 of 12 by LeBron James. The Thunder shot just 73.1% from the line and got big misses from Kevin Durant (2), James Harden (2) and Russell Westbrook (2). You can't leave those points on the floor if you want to win a title.
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| Photo Credit: fromrussiawithdunk.com |
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