After a thrilling but very controversial game one, the Spurs set out to win game two in a convincing fashion. Due to a malfunctioning air conditioning unit and a cramping LeBron James, the Spurs received little credit for beating the Heat in game one. Fortunately, the AC was in full force in game two, and so was LeBron. The Spurs were in control for a majority of the game but some late game inconsistencies by the Spurs and hot shooting by the Heat secured Miami the victory.
The Spurs were in control for a majority of the game but were unable to take a big enough victory to seal the game. It seemed that whenever the Spurs would pull away, the Heat would return with a run of their own. The Spurs got off to a hot start in the first quarter, riding their momentum for game one. The Spurs led 26-19 after the first quarter, and were taking advantage of struggling LeBron. Unfortunately for the Spurs, LeBron really turned it on in the second quarter, scoring 11 points. The game was tied 43-43 at halftime, and continued to remain tight the rest of the game. Both offenses came alive in the third quarter, as the Spurs scored 35 while the Heat scored 34. The Spurs led late in the fourth quarter, and were in great position to win the game. But then the Spurs, very uncharacteristically, missed four free throws. LeBron then turned around and made a three as well as two free throws. This series of events gave the Heat the lead and the momentum in the closing moments. A few more missed shots by the Spurs and a few defensive lapses on the defensive end sealed the Spurs fate. The Miami Heat won the game by a score of 98-96 and tied the series at one game a piece.
The Heat were led by LeBron, who over came a poor first quarter and was able to carry his team for a majority of the way. LeBron finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. He added five of those points in the last two minutes of the game and had a clutch strip against Tony Parker. The Heat had three other players who scored in double figures, one of whom was Chris Bosh. Bosh had a clutch three late in the game and made an excellent pass to Dwyane Wade that sealed the game. Bosh scored 18 points along with three rebounds. Wade and Rashard Lewis were the other two double digit scorers as they scored 14 points each. Chris Andersen had another impactful performance off the bench, primarily on the glass and defensive end. The Heat shot 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the arc.
The Spurs were led by their big three as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili all scored in double figures. Duncan turned in 18 points and 15 rebounds while Parker had 21 points and seven assists. Ginobili added 19 points off the bench. The Spurs got solid production from their role players as well, most notably from Boris Diaw as he turned in seven points, five assists, and 10 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard struggled throughout the game as he shot 3-9 from the field and fouled out in the fourth quarter. As a team the Spurs only shot 44 percent from the field but did shot a scorching 46 percent from behind the arc. They also struggled mightily from the line as they shot 60 percent from the charity stripe. The Spurs were in control for a large part of this game but seemed to collapse at the end. Game three will be played on Tuesday, June 10th in Miami.