And just like that the Oklahoma City Thunder are back in this series. Stealing one from Dallas at home, the Thunder's bench was HUGE. In Game 1, Dallas' reserves outscored Oklahoma City's 53-22. In Game 2, the Thunder won the battle of the backups 50-29.
That's how they're going to win. They have to play like this on a consistent basis.
Check the highlights below...
Game 3 is Saturday @ Oklahoma City (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
This clip deserved its own replay: R.I.P. Brenden Haywood's Confidence
And this game was all about the respective superstars: Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant.
Dirk went insane on OKC. 24-24 from the charity stripe? Playoff Record. Not 1 three-pointer. Going for 48 points in this season opener, No. 41 played exactly 41 minutes and shot 12 for 15 from the field...that's 80% for those a little slower than the rest this morning.
Don't sleep on Kevin Durant either. Dude went for 40 points, 8 boards and 5 assists. 10 for 18 from the field and 18 for 19 from the free throw line.
Judging by the play out of Game 1, this appears to be a "clash of titans-esque" match up. It should be exciting to watch all the way throughout the final game, which I believe may be a game 6 or 7.
My series winner: Dallas Mavericks. In order for OKC to pull this one off, they're going to need unreal production from their "role" players. James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor, Thabo Sefolosha...I'm talking to you guys. KD and Russell Westbrook are going to bring it, night in and night out, but so are the likes of Dirk, JJ Barea, Jason Terry, and Shawn Marion...and the numbers are uneven there. My advise to OKC's starting role players and bench: Don't leave your go-tos hanging.
Word to Mark Cuban for putting together a damn-near unbeatable team. One, that will probably carry him, to his first NBA Championship.
We haven't seen an episode of The LeBrons in a while. I'm going to go ahead and assume that team want LeBron James fans to stay focused on his journey to the NBA Finals…and hopefully his first NBA Championship. Either way, they are fully aware they have to feed those who aren't quite into his basketball skill or the politics of the National Basketball Association. Today they released a "Behind The Scenes" of sorts that helps the audience develop an appreciation for LeBron and the passion he has for his community, and his background.
I don't think this went as planned for Miami…or their fans for that matter. The Bulls blew the game wide open in the 3rd quarter and didn't look back. Making a statement in the first game of the series, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls win by a whopping 21-points… 103-82.
