Some quick things to look for tonight in what should be a great game and a great series.
Who is Lebron James going to guard?
While he should spend time on Kevin Durant, expect him to switch onto Russell Westbrook after Westbrook takes advantage of a favorable match up against Mario Chalmers.
Will the chains be taken off Chris Bosh?
Coming back off an ab strain Bosh came off the bench in the last three games of the Celtics series. The Heat need him to repeat his Game 7 heroics and start the game to keep Thunder big men Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins from setting up road blocks in the lane against James and Wade.
Will Lebron James and Kevin Durant bring out the best in each other?
Let's hope so as these two have a chance to be this generation's Larry vs Magic. Durant is a 3-time scoring champ and proven clutch time performer. Going against Durant should bring out the best in 3-time MVP James coming off two of his best playoff games while overcoming the Celtics. We could be in store for a great finish if these two decide to go toe to toe in the fourth quarter.
Will Russell Westbrook make or break the Thunder?
The biggest individual advantage either team has in this series is Russell Westbrook over Mario Chalmers at the point guard position. While Westbrook is a dynamic scorer and pulse of the Thunder he has a bit of an ego and can tend to look for his own shot over getting the ball to Durant and James Harden in favorable positions. Quite simply off he limits his turnovers and gets everyone involved in the offense the Thunder will win this series.
Can Dwayne Wade guard James Harden?
Harden has been one of the breakout performers of the playoffs and will make Wade defend a lot harder than Ray Allen did in the last round. This might cause Wade some foul trouble and wear him down a little bit affecting his offensive output.
How Big an advantage is the 2-3-2 series format for the Thunder?
It's huge. It's the reason I'm picking the Thunder to win the series in 7 great games. All they have to do is extend the series past 5 games and they will have the last two games at home where they are 8-0 in playoffs. Having three straight games at home makes it harder for the Heat to defend home court and will likely force them to win 2 road games to pull out the series. As good as Lebron has been in these playoffs that seems like too tall an order. The Thunder win this year and these two teams are likely to meet in the Finals again multiple times over the next five years.
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