The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are tied 1-1. However, as the bracket has come to its end, one team will be a game closer to being crowned the 2013 NBA Finals champion. Can the Heat build off their, Sunday, Game 2 victory? Will the crowd provide enough energy to boost the Spurs' performance and help them rally back from a terrible loss?
Though short term memory is good in sports, it's hard to forget how the Heat blew Game 1. Had they been able to find a way to score on offense in the closing minutes of Game 1, the Heat could have been up 2-0 in this series because they completely took over Game 2 winning 103-84. San Antonio avoided turnovers in Game 1, but they were sloppy in Game 2 turning the ball 17 times and looked more like the Indiana Pacers.
Though the Spurs have only one quarter so far in the 2013 NBA Finals, there have been some shining moments provided by a young star.
Danny Green has been a spark on offense. Though known more for his defensive efforts, Green has been lighting up the three-point line shooting 9-14 in the first two NBA Finals games. With efforts like these, combined with what Tony Parker and Tim Duncan usually provide, the Spurs are looking pretty good especially as they took a game in Miami. They have a chance to close out the series in front of their fans, avoiding a trip back to Miami for Games 6 & 7.
However, Parker and Duncan were no-shows in Game 2. They combined for 22 points after scoring a combined 41 points in Game 1. Manu Ginobili had only five points in Game 2 after scoring 13 in Game 1. Without their big three active on the scoring end, the Spurs will surely fail in this series. Miami played Game 2 the same way they played Game 7 against the Pacers. They were great on defense and relentless on offense hitting almost 50 percent of their shots from the floor.
For the Heat, Spoelstra would probably like to see his team drawing more fouls and making more trips to the line. The Heat are averaging 18 free throws per game while sending the Spurs to the line an average of 16 times in the first two games of the series. However, if the Heat are able to play with as much energy as they did in Game 2, free throws will not be a problem.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will be already complained a bit about the pace of the game, so Miami might have to go back to the drawing board in Game 3, or else we might see more of the bench players in these next few games. Without a doubt, the Heat bench has the ability to outplay the Spurs' bench, but Spoelstra will have to do a better job managing the lineup.
NBA Finals Results
Spurs win 92-88 in Game 1
Heat win 103-84 in Game 2
Game 3- @San Antonio 9 p.m. ET- Check out predictions for this game.
