With the series 1-0 to the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat desperately needed a win on the road to level the series.
After Game 1, all the talk was about LeBron James and his cramping, rather than the Spurs’ great fourth quarter.
The other talking point was the malfunctioning air conditioner at the AT&T Centre.
Fortunately the air conditioner was fixed for Game 2, and so was James. He started off slowly with 1-4 from the field in the first quarter with three turnovers, but ended up with a double-double of 35 points (14-22 shooting, 3-3 from deep) and 10 rebounds.
Tim Duncan had another great game with 18 points (7-14 shooting) and 15 rebounds to move equal with Magic Johnson for the most double-doubles in playoff history at 157.
Both players picked up technical fouls during the game, in last year’s series there were none throughout for either team.
Early in the second quarter Dwyane Wade performed one of the biggest flops of the playoffs. Manu Ginóbili took a swipe at the ball and Wade acted out that he got hit in the face for Ginóbili’s third foul.
The Spurs had a lead of 11 at one stage in the second quarter until the Heat went on a 15-3 run, James scoring or assisting 11. At the halftime break the score was tied at 43-43 for the Heat, James with 13 points, seven Rebounds and Chris Bosh 10 points. For the Spurs, Tony Parker had 12 points and Tim Duncan 11 and nine rebounds.
With James going straight to the rim in the first half, he changed it up in the second, opting to shoot from the perimeter and going on an 8-0 run by himself. The Spurs came back with Kawhi Leonard and Australia’s Patty Mills hitting a few threes each.
The fourth quarter was back and fourth, with James continuing his great second half, but the Spurs kept hitting big threes to be right there.
James made the same play versus Indiana Pacers and got Bosh wide open for three in the corner. but this time Bosh knocked it down with 1 minute 17 to go and the Heat never relinquished their lead.
It was an exciting game that went down to the wire, the Spurs will have to be better if the want to beat the Heat at Miami on Wednesday.
Final score
Miami Heat 98 – San Antonio Spurs 96.
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