Thunder Strike?

If you weren’t already on the bandwagon, then you were getting there soon. Now with the Finals underway, people who had never even heard of the Oklahoma City Thunder have their money high up against the Miami Heat. And thanks to the now famous Kevin Durant, bets seemed to be rolling in the right direction for OKC fans, until it came to a halt. It was definitely a venture the team was taking, by challenging the Miami Heat who has made it several times to the Finals with their dream team lineup of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. And now, as NBA fans sit and watch patiently, they wait for the final results that either make or break their bank accounts.

Its game 3 now, and as we watch, we wonder if Oklahoma will finally break their 2 loss streak , losing to Miami by 6 points at the most. It was an extremely intense game, as Oklahoma City held the lead for most of the time, allowing all watchers to believe that this would finally be it. By the first quarter, Oklahoma City ended off with a 4 point lead, making the score of the game 33-29 with Heat trailing just behind, and for all any of us knew, it was gonna be their game. By the end of the second quarter, it was still looking in their favor with a mere 3 point lead keeping the game close at 49-46. The thrill during this Finals season was definitely apparent-it was too close to call.

In the third quarter, Miami got tricky. For a split second they held the lead, but quickly lost it. Soon after Oklahoma regained possession, they were taken by surprise as they quickly lost the lead and let it go downhill from there. Throughout most of the game, Miami hadn’t shot too well from the line in the first half, but had definitely made an effort in the third quarter. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade both finally showed their stuff and kept Miami in the lead, and Westbrook had made his series high with 28 points by the end of the third.

When the fourth quarter had finally hit, Westbrook had already reached 38 points, and with 7:12 left, the score was definitely in Miami’s favor, it was 90-86 and, Miami fans are already rooting for LeBron to finally get his ring. By the time there was 6:19 left, OKC had managed to bring the score up to 88-90, and they were given a chance to tie when they finally took advantage and brought the game up to 90-90. Soon after, Miami Heat regained a 2-point lead, making it 92-90, and just then it happened: LeBron James had suddenly suffered a bad muscle cramp, and had to be helped off of the court by his teammates. This was a key moment for the Heat, as they had probably just lost one of their most crucial players. It had officially become, anyone’s game.

By 4:42 left, the game was tied at 92-92, and just as LeBron limped back onto the court, Kevin Durant made the game with his shot that led the Thunder into their first lead since the third quarter. From then on, it was a game of yo-yo. At 3 minutes left, it was tied all over again. Who would win? With 2 minutes left, it became the usual of unnecessary fouls and necessary nervousness. With less than one minute left, it was 96-99, and Miami was up with possession. 3 points-and it was moments like this that made the game. The score changed, at that moment: 101-96. There was 44 seconds left. It was practically over.

It was a close call, but it ended it a Final score at 104-98 with Miami taking their 3rd win in the series. On both ends, the hustle was surely there, and although OKC let it go, they didn’t let it go without a fight. Hopefully, we’ll see OKC win the next couple of games to extend the series some, as their success from here on out is crucial to their winning the Finals overall. The standings so far, are at 3-1, allowing Miami very much the relaxation they have been seeking.

As Always, Thank You for reading.

-Rahal Desta

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