There were plenty of assists being tossed about Sunday night, as the Thunder tallied up 26 total, including eight by Kevin Durant. There were two passes in particular though that truly highlighted the Thunder's ever-improving ability to make quick strikes by way of fast decisions and pin-point passing.
The first pass, a 3/4 court pass from James Harden to Kevin Durant, was both a tribute to Dwyane Wade and LeBron James' own full-court masterpiece as well as a great nod to one of this past year's Superbowl highlights. When the camera angle switches, you can really get a sense of how Harden's pass fell right into the flow of the motion so that it could drop into Durant's hands right behind the defenders.
The second pass, an alley-oop from Russell Westbrook to Durant, really showcases something that we've seen in the Thunder's fast break this season - there is a greater sense of urgency to fast break because the team knows that it is by and large faster and more athletic than their opponents. The more they can get out and run, the more they can take advantage of the insane natural finishing talent of players like Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Serge Ibaka.
If you think about it, these two plays could have easily been performed by the team wearing the other jerseys. They were both "Heat-type" displays of athleticism. If this game was a preview for something greater down the road, then we're in for quite the spectacle.
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