MIAMI — Forward LeBron James and the Miami Heat would not be denied on Thursday night, cruising to a 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the franchise’s second NBA Championship.
James collected a triple-double en route to his first championship ring with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.
A steal by Miami point guard Mario Chalmers resulted in a dunk by James for the game’s first points, setting the tone for the duration of play.
OKC led for a brief moment early in the first quarter, but never again. A 3-pointer by guard Derek Fisher pulled the Thunder (47-20, 21-13 away) within 2 points with 10:48 to go in the first half, but that’s as close as OKC would get.
Miami (47-20, 29-5 home) went on a 19-4 run and never looked back, taking a 53-36 lead with 4:41 left in the half.
They dominated the second half, and led 95-71 heading into the fourth quarter. The Thunder never got back in the game, and the Heat rolled to victory.
It was the third championship appearance for James, and the first for OKC guard Kevin Durant, who finished with 32 pts. and 11 reb.
