NBA Finals: Game 1 Thoughts.

All in all, Game 1 between the Thunder and the Heat was an exciting, thrilling match between two of the best athletes on the planet, their companions, and the bench. Some thoughts from Game 1 and what's in store for Game 2:

Durant rises; LeBron falters: As Skip Bayless would say, "the 'chosen one' became the 'frozen one'" at crunch time while Durant continues to make the case that he is he true MVP player of he year. Some stats for you: in the 4th Quarter, KD had 17 points compared to LeBron's 4. Nick Collison, an unknown bench player of all people, had two scores for 4 pts and essentially closed the book on Game 1. When a bench player looks more clutch in close games than an athlete who's won the MVP award thrice, then it's time that others in the media stop bragging how you've won the title 3 times.

The Dark Knight Struggles: Dwayne Wade, the "Caped Crusader" hasn't had a good couple of weeks in the postseason, and his performance in the Eastern Conference Finals wasn't any better. Tuesday night saw more of him struggling to be the dominant half of Miami's Dynamic Duo with 19 points, just shooting 7-19 from the field, and missing the only 2 shots he would take from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 3 times. Compare that with Shane Battier, who had 17 points, but went 4-6 from the field, had a couple of big 3's early in the 1st half (he went 4-6 from 3-point range), and didn't turn the ball over. Erik Spolstra is going to need Wade back in top form if they want to get back in the series tonight.

Giving credit where credit is due: I don't like the Heat (especially the sense of self-entitlement they think they have about winning it all) but Mario Chalmers has thusfar impressed me. Since Chris Bosh went down with the abdominal injury in Game 1 of the Eastern Semis vs Indiana, Miami's had to rely on Chalmers to help carry the slack. Since then, Chalmers' line looks roughly like this: 161 pts, 44.6 pct., 58% from the line, 59 reb. Granted, they're mediocre no's but I like how Chalmers has played through the playoffs and he's becoming a solid 3rd option for Miami with no Bosh to split the opposing side's defense.

What to look for in Game 2 tonight: I'm looking for a more aggressive Wade to come out (especially in later quarters) and be more of a dominant figure then he has been. James is going to be James, which is another way of saying, he's going to get his and he'll be great material for Sportcenter's highlight reel, but Oklahoma's yet to lose a game at home in the postseason so far, and I don't expect them to start tonight. Thunder win Game 2 in a closer game, with Durant and Westbrook closing the door.