Associated Press
Heat Even Series
And with their superstar making it to the finish this time, the Miami Heat bounced back from a loss, just as they always do in the playoffs.
James had 35 points and 10 rebounds in a powerful comeback from the cramps that knocked him out the opener, as the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 Sunday night.
LeBron James: Difference-Maker
The Heat outscored the Spurs by 11 points and shot 60.4 percent with
LeBron James on the court. The Heat are 15-1 in the postseason when
James has at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Heat with LeBron James On/Off Court
| Game 2 | In Game | On Bench |
|---|---|---|
| Point diff | +11 | -9 |
| FG pct | 60.4% | 29.4% |
| Avg. FGA Distance | 11.5 ft. | 16.2 ft. |
| *James: 35 pts, 10 reb, 38 mins --ESPN Stats & Information |
||
Bosh had 18 points for the Heat, who are headed home for Game 3 Tuesday night.
James played more than 37 minutes, making 14 of 22 shots. He was 1-for-4 with three turnovers in a shaky first quarter, then made 11 of his next 13.
After two days of enduring criticism for not finishing and getting suggestions on how to avoid cramps, James changed the subject.
"Got to play hard," James said. "I believe the man above will protect me. I just try to put myself and my teammates in position to succeed."
He had a key strip of Tony Parker down the stretch, playing a dominant game on both ends as if he had something to prove.
As usual, James found a way to silence his haters.
He had 11 points in the second quarter, helping Miami erase an 11-point deficit early in the period. The game was played within a margin of a few points from there, and the Spurs missed a chance to seize control in the fourth quarter when Parker and Tim Duncan combined to miss four straight free throws when they had a two-point lead.
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The game was played in comfortable conditions inside the AT&T Center, where an air conditioning failure in Game 1 sent temperatures soaring to about 90 degrees. The broken circuit breaker was fixed by Friday afternoon, and it was much cooler inside the arena.
James had the toughest time with the heat Thursday, needing treatment midway through the fourth quarter before eventually having to leave for good. He had plenty of time to recover, with the two days off between Games 1 and 2.
He personally erased a 62-56 San Antonio lead by scoring eight points in less than a minute, and his 14 points in the third quarter had Miami down only 78-77 heading to the fourth.
Wade and Rashard Lewis each scored 14 points for the Heat, who also dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City two years ago. They have won five straight series after dropping the opening game.
The Spurs were in good position to end that streak, withstanding James' assault long enough to lead by one with under 2 minutes to play. But they were shut out from there until Manu Ginobili's 3-pointer as time expired.
Tim Duncan Ties Magic Johnson
With his double-double in Game 2, Tim Duncan has tied Magic Johnson for most double-doubles in playoff history.
Most Postseason Double-Doubles
| Tim Duncan | 157* |
| Magic Johnson | 157 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 143 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 142 |
| Bill Russell | 137 |
| *18 points, 15 reb in Game 2 --ESPN Stats & Information |
|
And it didn't help them that they had to deal with James at the end of this one.
Ginobili finished with 19 points for the Spurs, whose 18 points in the fourth quarter were half the 36 they scored in the opener.
"We have a very competitive group and you have two days to commiserate how that game went down," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was frustrating, painful going through that for two days and now we have to manage the other emotion."
After their sensational finish to Game 1, the Spurs picked up right where they left off, making 10 of their first 15 shots. They led 26-17 after Duncan's follow shot with 1:49 left, but missed a chance to expand their lead by committing three straight turnovers, and Popovich looked irate when the quarter ended with San Antonio ahead 26-19.
The Spurs opened an 11-point lead early in the second before James got going. He had three straight Miami baskets, and a follow shot later in the period gave the Heat their first lead at 34-33.
Game notes
The Spurs fell to 12-4 at home in the NBA Finals. ... Parker has 1,026 assists in the postseason, moving past Michael Jordan (1,022) for eighth place on the career postseason list. He also passed Jordan's Hall of Fame teammate, Scottie Pippen, for 13th on the career scoring list with 3,655 points.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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