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Review: Game 2 - Game 3 Tonight


The Miami Heat withstood a late rally by the Oklahoma City Thunder to win Game 2 100-96. Here are some notes from Thursday night's game in preparation for Game 3 tonight.

From Game 2: Areas for Improvement: Miami Heat
  • Play stronger inside - use Joel Anthony or Ronny Turiaf more or make Chris Bosh and LeBron James play more in the paint on offense
    • Chris Bosh started at center and had 16 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal. His +11 +/- was greatly needed this game, especially with Udonis Haslem struggling off the bench and posting a team-worst -10 +/-. 
  • Consider swapping out Mike Miller for James Jones - Miller is the better overall player but still seems to be slumping, while Jones plays his 3-point specialist role well
    • James Jones got 6 minutes of action; Mike Miller got 1 minute of action. Both posted negative +/-'s (-3; -1). Jones made one field goal while Miller made 2 free throws and had 1 rebound. The real story was Shane Battier, who shot 5-7 on 3pt FGs en route to a 17-point performance in 42 minutes.
  • Use Norris Cole - Mario Chalmers had a strong Game 1, but Cole brings an energy that can help wear down Derek Fisher and make Russell Westbrook play more defense
    • Mario Chalmers still played 40 minutes; despite only scoring 3 points, he had a +6 +/- while on the court. Norris Cole did help out, playing 13 minutes.
  • Have Dwyane Wade set the pick for pick and rolls, pick and slips, pick and fades, etc.; consider Bosh as the ballhandler - change things up, make the Thunder defense adjust, get Serge Ibaka or Kendrick Perkins chasing after the ball
    • The offensive playcalling that was truly notable were the plays where the Heat changed from double-wing ball (Wade on one side and James on the other side) and stacked four guys on the wing for several plays. This confused the Thunder defense and helped the Heat build up a double-digit lead prior to the end of the game.
From Game 2: Areas for Improvement: Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Start out stronger - down until the end of the 3rd quarter - force the issue in bench vs. bench situations
    • The Thunder really struggled early, scoring only 15 points in the 1st quarter. They shot an awful 34.1% from the field in the first half before improving their game total to 43.0%. They almost closed the gap at the end but still lost. On a more positive note, the bench--James Harden, Derek Fisher, and Nick Collison--continued to outplay the Heat bench, with Harden scoring 21 points and the three players posting +13, +13, and +8 +/-'s. 
  • Get Kendrick Perkins involved - force the Heat to play big
    • The Thunder are struggling to force the issues with their starting post players. Kendrick Perkins posted a -16 while on the court in Game 2, while Serge Ibaka struggled just as much with a -15 versus the smaller Heat lineup. Game 3 could involve Ibaka starting and Perkins coming off the bench; quite possibly, Collison takes both of their minutes.
  • Get Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook rest (46 min. and 42 min. played in Game 1, respectively) - extend the minutes of Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden
    • Foul trouble limited Durant to 39 minutes and Westbrook again played 42 minutes. However, Sefolosha and Harden played 37 and 35 minutes, respectively. Durant and Westbrook scored 32 and 27 points, respectively, but they also posted -9 and -11 +/-'s in Game 2. With a smaller starting lineup in Game 3, it is possible that Derek Fisher starts.
  • Be prepared for Heat's adjustments - continue to control the paint, play decoy defense to force turnovers and rattle the Heat
    • The Thunder struggled early as the Heat played with much more intensity in Game 2. The Thunder had 11 fastbreak points to the Heat's 10, but all of those points came in the 2nd half. The Thunder need to play well earlier in games going forward, especially with the Heat holding homecourt in the next 3 games.

Other observations from Game 2:
  • Shane Battier is doing a good job trusting his instincts and exploiting open spaces on the court on offense
  • Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook are not doing a good job guarding each other; they are struggling with lateral movement and perhaps face different matchups in Game 3--for example: Durant on Wade, James on Westbrook
  • The Thunder may be spreading out their offense too much; they still managed 10 offensive rebounds but could have gotten more with fewer players stuck on the perimeter during plays
  • This was the first time the team really missed Jeff Green on the court--the smaller lineup dictated the former OKC style of play with combo forward Jeff Green playing power forward; it is possible that the team brings back Green as a free agent after his preseason release by the Boston Celtics
  • The Thunder's bench plays really gritty and tough
  • LeBron James is looking strong off the dribble
  • The Heat handed the Thunder their first playoff loss in Oklahoma City this season
What the Heat can do in Game 3 to control the tempo:
  • Continue to run the stacked wing sets
  • Turn Norris Cole and James Jones loose to rally the Miami crowd
  • Ride the hot hand of Shane Battier until it runs out
  • James, Wade, and Bosh continue to dominate the ball
  • Take Wade off of Westbrook--perhaps put James on him
What the Thunder can do in Game 3 to regain the momentum
  • Take a big lead early, make the Miami crowd restless
  • Adjust the starting lineup--sit Perkins, play Fisher
  • Extend Nick Collison's minutes
  • Keep Sefolosha on James for longer periods--try Durant on Wade
  • Perhaps also try Ibaka on James for some plays
  • Consider Collison on Bosh for longer stretches
  • Get Derek Fisher hitting 3's (0-4 in Game 2)

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