NBA Finals: Heat blow out Thunder to clinch world championship
The Associated Press
Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) pauses between plays against the Miami Heat during the second half in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 21, 2012, in Miami.
The Miami Heat won the 2012 NBA title with an absolute-massacre 121-106 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Miami.
How the Thunder lost: Oklahoma City was completely dominated on both sides of the ball. The Heat's defense was stifling, and Miami imposed its will on offense. The Heat also got a major contribution from its bench — forward Mike Miller in particular, who scored 23 points on 7-of-8 from long range, including seven in a row.
Key stat: 27 points. The Heat's lead ballooned to as much as 27 in the blowout win.
Key performer: Thunder forward Kevin Durant. Durant scored 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting from the field.
Key opponent: Heat forward LeBron James. James was named NBA Finals MVP after a triple-double performance, scoring 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing 13 assists.
What it means: The NBA season is over, but looking forward, the Thunder have gone from a team who won just 23 games three years ago to a team that made it to the Finals. The Thunder are a dynasty in the making — just not quite yet.
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