OKLAHOMA CITY — Somewhere between a 13-point second-quarter lead and an 11-point loss, it became blindingly obvious.

There might not be enough players for the Miami Heat to win a championship.

The Heat basically went with a six-man rotation in a 105-94 loss Tuesday to Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, an issue still being debated a day later.

It was the first question reporters posed to Miami coach Erik Spoelstra before the Heat began practice Wednesday.

"I'll probably go a little bit deeper into the rotation, obviously, try to get the guys a little more rest," he said.

His starters will thank him.

LeBron James played 46 minutes in Game 1. Dwyane Wade played 42. Shane Battier, a 33-year-old forward, played 42 minutes. Chris Bosh, who recently returned from an abdominal injury, played 34 minutes off the bench.

The problems begin after Bosh. Reserve Mike Miller logged only 10 minutes. Joel Anthony logged two. And that was it for the backups.

How much rest does James need Thursday in Game 2? He played 48 minutes in three of the seven games against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Well it's a fine line, honestly, especially now being in the Finals," James said Wednesday. "I've got to be more 'out' with my coaching staff. ... It's just all about a communication thing, getting two minutes' rest here, three minutes there. It may help."

Heat reserve forward James Jones was a late scratch from Game 1 because of a migraine headache. His return for Game 2 would help.

Miami isn't as old as the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks or the Los Angeles Lakers. James is 27. Bosh is 28. Wade is the old man of the Big Three, weighing in at 30 years.

But compared to the Thunder's thick nucleus of 23-and-under players, Miami looks somewhat aged. It's as ridiculous as it is true, especially after taking a peek at fast-break points from Game 1: 24-4 in favor of the Thunder.

Kevin Durant (23 years old) looked flawless in 46 minutes, scoring 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook (also 23) had 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in 42 minutes.

Stern gets into tiff

with Jim Rome

NBA commissioner David Stern and sports-talk personality Jim Rome got into a heated exchange on Rome's nationally syndicated radio show after a question regarding the integrity of the NBA draft lottery.

Rome brought up the fact that the league-owned New Orleans Hornets received the top pick in the draft and asked Stern: "Was the fix in for the lottery?"

First the commissioner got offended, telling Rome, "Shame on you for asking."

Moments later, Stern asked rhetorically, "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Rome tried to defend his question, saying it was fair to ask because people were wondering about it.

But Stern wasn't finished, calling such questions "cheap thrills" and saying Rome has "made a career out of it."

Stern seemed pretty pleased with himself when Rome told him he took offense to that comment, saying, "Now Jim Rome is pouting. I love it."

The contentious interview ended with Stern getting in one last shot: "I gotta go call somebody important like (ESPN's) Stephen A. Smith now."