NBA GAME 2 MIAMI HEAT VS OKC THUNDER, HEAT 100, THUNDER 96

Durant drove, forearms got tangled and in the play that would define the night, Durant missed his off-balance, running seven-foot jumper from the baseline late Thursday night. James made his stand, and the Miami Heat secured their first win of the 2012 finals, a 100-96 nailbiter at Chesapeake Arena.

The series is tied at 1-1 as it head to Miami for the next three games, starting Sunday.

Durant overcame constant foul trouble to lead a furious fourth-quarter rally, as the Thunder nearly wiped out a 13-point deficit. Durant finished with 32 points, 16 in the fourth quarter. James also scored 32 points and got a healthy dose of support from his fellow stars. Dwyane Wade scored 24 points, while Chris Bosh added 16 points and 15 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup. In the 12 previous instances where the teams split the first two games, the team that started at home has won the championship eight times.

Durant picked up his fifth foul while tangling for a rebound with 10 minutes 31 seconds to play, the Thunder trailing by 11 points. There was little choice but to leave him in the game.

Undaunted, Durant promptly hit a 3-pointer, then followed with a fast-break dunk that started the Thunder on 12-3 run. Russell Westbrook's 3-point play cut the deficit to 85-81 with 6:06 to play.

The Thunder nearly completed the comeback when they forced Wade into a backcourt turnover and Durant converted a 3-pointer, making it 98-96 with 37.5 seconds left. But Durant could not convert that final basket, and James sealed the game with two free throws.

Westbrook was erratic all night, in part because of some questionable shot selection and possibly because of an injury to his left thumb, which was revealed at the morning shootaround. He shot 6 for 18 over the first three quarters.

On Tuesday, Durant had one of the best finals debuts in modern history, with 36 points. It was a difficult act to follow, even for him. He scored only 6 points in the first half , going 0 for 5 from the 3-point arc. Durant and Westbrook were a combined 5 for 19 from the field in the half, their struggles slightly offset by Harden, who scored 17 points.