[Oklahoma City, OK] After serving a blowout to hosts Detroit, the Miami Heat wanted to pick up another win on the road. Only they were facing the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coming into the game, people viewed this game as a potential NBA Finals match-up. With the Thunder having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, it was going to be tough night on defense for Miami.

Durant and Kendrick Perkins dominated for Oklahoma City in the first quarter, combining to score 15 points, with Durant chipping in 3 assists. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James each scored six in the quarter. At the end of one, the Thunder were up, 25-24.

James Harden and the Thunder really poured it on in the second quarter. Harden scored 12 points, which helped the Thunder to a 13-point lead. Oklahoma City outscored Miami 35-25 in the second. At halftime, the Thunder were up 60-49.

It didn’t get any better for the Heat in the third. Miami kept gunning for a comeback, but the Thunder didn’t let them get close. Durant and Serge Ibaka were scoring at will and didn’t let Miami gain any momentum.

It actually looked like Miami was going to be down by 14 at the end of the third, but Wade hit a 57-foot shot from behind half court at the buzzer to cut the lead down to 11. At the end of three, the Thunder were up 80-69.

The Heat could do nothing to stop the Thunder in the fourthquarter – every time Miami got close, OKC pulled away. The final score was Thunder 103, Heat 87.

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points and had 4 assists. LeBron James scored 17 points and only made 8 out of 18 shots from the field. After the game, he simply said, “I’ve just got to find my touch.”

Udonis Haslem was also upset with this game, he said, “It’s like looking in the mirror. And we know what we do with turnovers.”

By: Michael Tristani II/Sunshine Slate

Image: COPYRIGHT 2012 NBAE (photo: Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images)

Miami Heat