Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Thunder beat the Heat 103-87 Sunday night. It was a very meaningful regular season game. It was the first matchup between the two teams that are probably the favorites to meet in the NBA Finals this year.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James were matched up for most of the game. Durant completely outplayed James.

Durant put up LeBron-like numbers flirting with a triple-double as he scored 28 to go along with nine boards and eight assists. He also effectively shut down James on defense who scored just 17 points, was 8-of-18 from the floor and attempted only one free throw.

Eight times in the game Durant was matched up with LeBron when he tried to score. LeBron went 1-of-8 with Durant guarding him, settling for step-back jumpers and floaters instead of driving to the rim or scoring in the post.

It was the statement game for the Thunder and for Kevin Durant. Durant is letting the world know that is he isn’t already, he’s nearing LeBron James’ level.

Tonight, Durant became the first player this season to really challenge LeBron as the MVP. LeBron’s numbers are better overall and will be until the end of the season but there’s more to the MVP than that, whether you like it or not.

If the Thunder finish the season with a better record than the Miami Heat and Durant outplays LeBron in the teams’ two meetings than the award is his. He’s already done it once and the Thunder are a few games ahead of the Heat now.

Last year Derrick Rose won the award when LeBron had the better numbers. It’s the story that matters too and the Thunder and Durant this year are a lot like Rose and the Bulls of last year.

The Thunder and Heat will play again this season on April 4 in Miami. That game will be closer to the end of the regular season and could be the matchup that decides the MVP award this season with the voting likely to be pretty close.

If the Heat come out and play like they did tonight then it will be Durant who brings home the hardware. If LeBron shows up and puts the young Thunder back in their place – like he should do – then he will rightfully win the award.

Just remember, only LeBron can have one of the best regular seasons in NBA history and still choke away winning the MVP.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder sent a message to the Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA tonight beating the heat 103-87 in Chesapeake Arena.

Durant completely outplayed LeBron James and heard the crowd chanting “MVP, MVP” as he was shooting free throws in the final minutes of the game. Durant put up a James-like stat-line tonight with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight rebounds.

James had just 17 points and seven assists, was visibly passive with Durant guarding him and attempted just one free throw in the game.

The Thunder would get 35 points and 16 rebounds out of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka tonight as the two combined to go 16-for-21 from the field. Perkins – who said this game meant more than the usual regular season game before the tip – especially helped set the tone finishing off strong dunks all night including this one where he got tangled up with Wade on the follow through.

With Russell Westbrook in foul trouble in the first half it would be James Harden who stepped up for the Thunder and helped them start pulling away. Harden scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half and also added six assists in the game. He actually had one of his bigger struggled of the season dealing with Miami’s Shane Battier and turned the ball over seven times.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The headline will read Durant and LeBron when looking at this game. James seemed to revert back to a similar mode that he was in during the NBA Finals last year with the announcers mentioning how he needed to be more aggressive. Credit the Thunder defense and Durant in particular for the attention they paid him all night.

Miami relies a lot on spot-up shooting and didn’t kill the Thunder in that department tonight making just 7-of-22 threes in the game. Wade and James who have been taking far fewer threes this season attempted seven in the game with Wade being the only one to make any converting three including a 68-footer.

The Thunder would also have less turnovers than Miami on the night with 16 compared to 21. The Heat have one of the best defenses in the league but Oklahoma City was up to the challenge tonight and took care of the ball for the most part and had some of their best ball movement of the season with 26 assists as a team.

Westbrook would have a tough night for the Thunder and was unable to find any rhythm after getting into foul trouble in the first half. He was 4-for-16 in the game and Wade noticeably seemed to have his number whenever they matched up.

The Thunder simply outplayed Miami tonight and also “out-efforted” them. This is the kind of team the Thunder are never taking nights off while Miami is known for it. You would have expected in this game for both teams to bring their best stuff but it was simply not the case.

The teams will meet again once more this season on April 4 in Miami. The Thunder (37-12) will play next at Portland (22-26) on Tuesday.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Over at The Five Man Weave, Jack Winter breaks down via graphs just how Kevin Durant is improving this season.

We know that Durant isn’t scoring quite as much this year as the last few but his percentages are up in shooting and other categories.

Leading the team with the best record in the NBA, this really shows why Durant should be considered one of the front runners for the MVP this year.

Durant is improving in ways that are going to help the Thunder get to the next level and remember, this team made it to the Western Conference Finals last season so the next level means the NBA Finals.

blog.newsbk.com

NBA.com released their first Race to the MVP Ladder rankings yesterday and Kevin Durant headlined the list as the early favorite to win the award.

The Oklahoma City at 12-3 hold the best record in the West so far this season and are second in the league only to the Chicago Bulls (14-3). Durant has without question been their best player averaging 26.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 49.8 percent from the field.

Durant’s having a great season but so is LeBron James. James has the best all-around numbers in the league (29.8 PPG, 7.6 APG, 7.9 RPG, 57.7 FG%) and has really turned up his play with superstar Dwyane Wade sidelined with an injury.

Why is everyone leaning toward Durant then? Is it because he is so likeable? The Thunder do have a slightly better record than Miami. Also, Durant hit a game-winning three-pointer on national television to beat Dallas while LeBron has choked down the stretch once in Miami’s loss to the Clippers.

The media and fans in general seem turned off by LeBron no matter what he does or how good his numbers are. The NBA Finals collapse and the Decision sent everyone looking for someone else to fill LeBron’s MVP shoes.

Last year it was Derrick Rose who took home the hardware and this year it could be Durant. If the Thunder tear it up this season and finish with the best record in the West, expect Durant to win the award over LeBron no matter what LeBron’s numbers say.