In a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals, LeBron James nearly got a triple-double and led his team, the Miami Heat, to victory over Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-97. James had 29 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds to lead the Heat to a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the NBA's best record, on Christmas Day.
NBA Christmas Day 2012 results: Heat edge Thunder, 103-97, in NBA Finals rematch
LeBron James and the Miami Heat edged Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-97, behind the reigning MVP’s 29 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists.
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The much-ballyhooed matchup between the two best players in the NBA, James and Durant, lived up to the hype. The two guarded each other for much of the game and fulfilled their expectations spectacularly, playing exquisite offense and defense, but not preventing each other from turning the game into an entertaining affair. Durant had 33 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists to try and match his friend and counterpart.
The Thunder and Heat gave NBA fans precisely the matchup they were looking for, with a game nearing 100 points for each team and displaying precisely why each team has once again laid claim to their respective conference's spot in the NBA Finals once again. Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, now that James Harden is in Houston, are perhaps the two most polarizing players in the NBA, combined for 36 points in this one. Westbrook had 11 rebounds, proving Mario Chalmers and/or Dwyane Wade really can't check him.
The Miami Heat have proven that, until proven otherwise, they are the favorites to repeat as NBA Champions. Do they have the best record in the league at this point? No. Does anyone think they aren’t the odds-on favorites to win the champions? Hardly.
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