OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) __Their first appearance in the NBA Finals started slowly but ended just fine for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat Miami 105-94 to take the opener.
Kevin Durant scored 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 11 assists. Durant made six of 10 shots in the fourth quarter to power the Thunder ahead after they had trailed until late in the third quarter.
LeBron James, still chasing his first NBA title in his ninth season, ended up with 30 points — the most he's ever had in three trips to the finals — but it wasn't enough.
As James said afterward: "They didn't make many mistakes in the fourth quarter."
The Thunder are 9-0 at home in these playoffs. Game 2 is Thursday night at Oklahoma City.