James, Heat Rebound; Level Series
After cramp reduced LeBron James to a spectator in the final moments of Game 1, the 4-time MVP responded with 35 points in a Game 2 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
The Miami Heat bounced back from defeat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a 98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.
The series is now tied at 1-1.
With the AT&T Center’s air-conditioning in full working order, it was down to Miami to raise the temperature in Sunday’s Game 2.
In what turned out to be a catch as catch can encounter, the Heat and Spurs traded blows throughout much of the game, each seemingly finding weak spots in the opponent’s defense at various stages of the game.
The Spurs took the early advantage, leading by as many as 11 points, but the Heat never let the Texas side garner too much distance.
LeBron James, who began slowly, turned up the volume in the third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 8-0 in a 52 second span while scoring 12 points in two minutes. The defending Finals MVP finished the game with a game-high 35 points alongside 10 rebounds. It was every bit the performance that most expected after Thursday’s “Crampgate†saga.
Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who finished with 18 and 14 points respectively, both hit clutch shots down the stretch. Bosh nailed a corner three off James’ drive with 1:20 left in the game, before beating Tim Duncan at the perimeter and passing to an open Wade for a dunk.
The Spurs had a shot to tie it late but were ultimately stifled by Miami’s defense. Manu Ginobili’s three-pointer as time expired saw the game finish 98-96.
Tony Parker led the Spurs with 21 points, also dishing out seven assists, but the French international found Game 2 to be a rough ride. With James and Wade defending the diminutive guard, he wasn’t as free to run the Heat defense ragged as in Game 1. A calculated elbow to the midsection from Mario Chalmers – which was deemed a Flagrant 1 – didn’t make things all that comfortable either.
Duncan finished the game with 18 points and 15 rebounds, giving the veteran his 157th postseason double-double. One more and he takes the all-time top spot from Magic Johnson.
Ginobili had 19 points off the bench, continuing to pose problems for the Heat. Boris Diaw, who had an outstanding Game 1, finished with seven points, 10 boards, and five assists in what was another excellent outing for the stretch big man.
San Antonio’s bench outscored Miami’s to the tune of 37-12, and will continue to anchor the team as it moves forward in the series.
With his 157th playoff double-double, Tim Duncan tied Magic Johnson at the top of the all-time list.
Vegas Impact
Having been a moneyline underdog ahead of tip-off, Miami picked up the upset victory, ending San Antonio’s nine-game home winning streak in the process.
With the victory, the Heat moved to 5-4 on the road this postseason and 5-8 all-time on the road during the NBA Finals.
By avoiding defeat, Miami has not lost consecutive playoff games since the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, a stretch of 47 games. Only the Boston Celtics (54 games; 1962-1966) and Chicago Bulls (52 games; 1990-1993) have had longer runs in NBA history.
San Antonio is now 10-2 at home this postseason and 12-4 all-time at home in the NBA Finals.
With the upset victory, Miami moved to 11-6-0 ATS this postseason, including a 5-4-0 ATS record on the road.
San Antonio is 10-10-0 ATS during this playoff campaign, falling to 8-4-0 ATS at home with Sunday’s loss.
The Spurs had covered the spread in nine of their previous 12 games going into Sunday’s contest.
The total went under for the first time this series.
Miami (12-4-1) has favored the over this postseason, with six road games seeing the over pay out.
San Antonio (10-10-0) has split the over/under evenly, both at home and on the road.
Game 3
The series will now switch to South Florida for Games 3 and 4.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals is scheduled to take place at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Tuesday, with tip-off scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET.
You can find the latest odds and trends for the game at the link below.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat odds for 2014/06/10
Miami is 8-0 at home this postseason, while San Antonio is 3-5 on the road.
During the current playoff run, Miami is 6-2-0 ATS when playing at AmericanAirlines Arena, while San Antonio is 2-6-0 ATS on the road.
The total has gone over in seven of Miami’s eight games at home this postseason.
Miami is 3-1 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, while San Antonio is 3-2.
San Antonio won Game 3 of last year’s finals series in blowout fashion, defeating the Heat 113-77.
BettingSports.com will have more coverage of the NBA Finals as the series progresses.
Visit Bovada for the latest team props and player props.
