We've seen this before.
On Tuesday, the Heat jumped off to a hot start and led at halftime. On Thursday, the same story has played out again, as Miami holds a 55-43 lead at the break in Oklahoma City.
James Harden leads all scorers with 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting. OKC's two stars, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have combined for just 15 points. Westbrook has nine on 2-for-10 shooting, while Durant has six on 3-for-9 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three-point range. The Heat are led by 14 points from LeBron James.
Miami led 27-15 after the first quarter. The Thunder cut the deficit to single digits in the second, but a 7-0 run gave the Heat a 51-34 lead with 2:10 to play in the half. OKC finished on a 9-4 run. The Thunder shot 37.1 percent in the half, while the Heat had a 25-21 rebounding edge.
Miami has used a physical offense and defense to hold the lead. But in Game 1, the Heat appeared to wear down as the game went on and the Thunder had taken the lead by the end of the third quarter. We'll see if this story continues to repeat itself.
For more on the 2012 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat, check out Welcome To Loud City and Peninsula Is Mightier. For more news and notes from around the NBA head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.