As Pat Riley once said, "a playoff series doesn't start until the home team loses". We now have a series.
The Thunder now must win not just
a game in Miami, specifically, they MUST win either game 3 or 4. They're fully capable of doing that.
The 2-3-2 is a weird format. I still haven't quite figured out it's full impact. It appears to put an added burden on both teams. Now, Miami, in order to take full advantage of HCA, has to win 3 (well actually 4 gams) in a row. How's that going to happen against a team against whom, they are relatively evenly matched? If they don't do that, they are faced with having to return to OKC and win another one. Not impossible, but in the 22111 HCA is not nearly so hard to hang onto.
Well, that was certainly unsatisfying. I'm sure I'll hear copious whining from my fellow Thunder fans about that last non call on LeBron when he hammered our shooter. I don't give a shit and I don't want to hear it from them. Yes, it damn well should have been a foul on LeBron and it could have swung the game. It doesn't matter.
Your position re: not complaining aout the refs is comendable. It is a position I wholeheartedly embrace...so why even bring it up. The calls even out over the course of the series, so why even talk about them?
There's just no excuse. They have no one to blame but themselves. I love my team to death but I won't make bullshit excuses for them. Hopefully they'll learn from it and get angry enough to win on the road. They have no choice if they want this series to come back to Oklahoma City. What a vile thought to be the team that finally gave LeBron his ring and rewarded the Heat for the lousy way they put that team together.
Dorian, you see everything from your team's standpoint. Understandable, still do it myself sometimes. But you aren't giving the Heat proper credit.
If the Heat had played the same way in game 2 that they played in game 1, the missed free throws would not have mattered. OKC probably still would have won. The fact is, that the Heat played a lot better especially down the stretch -- especially defensively while continuing to score. Bosh, in particular, made a big difference along with the "hobbled" DWade.
Well, look, it's not about "getting fined", it's that no-calls at the end of close games are historically common. Durant is probably enough of a student of the game to realize that, and knows that that particular moment wasn't what lost the game.
Agree.
Also, Westbrook simply took too many shots--26 to hit 10? The guy should have a double-double in scoring and assists every single game. And your savior Harden just gets 11 shots even though he hit 7?
I didn't see the first half so I don't know how he shot, but I saw him take only 1 (what I would call) bad shot in the second half. I think it was a 3 too early in the shot clock. Most of Westbrook's shots in the second half were right at the rim or wide open from mid-range. He should take those shots even if he misses some. If I'm Scottie Brooks, I tell him to keep on keepin' on. Westbrook is one hellava player. He might have more upside than Durant (I think KD nees to work on getting to the rim from any spot on the court. He settles for the J too often, IMO) If Westbrook can become a "knock down" shooter from 20 and beyond, I'm predicting first ballot HOF. He gets to the rim like Kobe used to when he was a kid, meaning -- any time he wants.
I don't know what's up with Harden.
I think what happend was that Miami made an adjustment and D'd him up proper in the second half. Harden is used to being able to get into the lane almost as easily as Westbrook, but the Heat defense got to him -- and led him into 2 (I think) offensive fouls in addition to turning him backonce he crossed the free throw line.
Finally, I know Scottie Brooks keeps saying that the Thunder can, and even like, to play small and no doubt this is true. But the Heat play small out of neccessity and have done it this way all season. It would seem, maybe in a "small" way, that the Thunder are playing Miami's game. I think this situation slightly favors the Heat.
Everybody will crow about Durant. The player that deserves the kudos most is Thabo Sefalosha. I don't care if James got 30, Thabo shut his ass down in the fourth quarter. Durant is the soldier, but Thabo is the spark. 
They all sucked during the 1st half. How many damn free throws did they miss? They never miss that many. Never. It was like watching them play while running in molasses. God, Harden must have been up all night having sex because his legs were worthless. I don't know what the hell was the matter with him. Just as well, his ineffectiveness brought Thabo back into the game. All for the best. 
The Bleacher Report is usually full of shit.