Sports Update Monday: Heat Even Series After Impressive Road Win
Chris Bosh was wide open in the corner and the most unselfish player he has ever played with had the ball. Bosh knew exactly what to expect. The Spurs did not. After a Herculean performance in which he had already scored 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, LeBron James lowered his head and drove hard at the rim with his team trailing by a point. James had no intention of shooting, though, despite willing the Heat back into the game in the second quarter and simply taking it over in the third.
This time James didn’t cramp and this time Bosh didn’t miss. After being carried off the court due leg cramps to begin the NBA Finals, James was an unstoppable force in Game 2, a 98-96 victory for the Heat that tied this best-of-7 NBA Finals 1-1. James was 14 of 22 from the field and 3 of 3 from three-point range, but it was his incredible pass at the end that won it for the defending back-to-back champions. The series now shifts to Miami with the Heat holding home-court advantage, and renewed confidence after another series-tying victory in a long list of clutch postseason performances. It was the Spurs’ first loss at AT&T Center since Game 2 of the first round.
Bosh’s three-pointer gave the Heat a 95-93 lead with 1:18 left. The Heat is now 13-0 in games following a playoff loss dating back to 2012, and Bosh’s clutch shot was almost identical to his game-winning basket earlier in the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets. Bosh finished with 18 points and Dwyane Wade and Rashard Lewis had 14 points each. Tony Parker had 21 points and Tim Duncan finished with 18. Spurs sixth-man Manu Ginobili had 19 points off the bench.
Sunday provided the finish the NBA deserved after the oppressive heat forced James from the fourth quarter in Game 1. A reverse layup by Chris Andersen put the Heat ahead 92-90 with 2:49 to play, but Parker countered with a three-pointer to give the Spurs the advantage, 93-92, with 2:26 left. The Heat called a timeout, but Bosh missed a three-pointer from the corner. He redeemed himself a minute later. Following Bosh’s three-pointer, Ginobili committed the Spurs’ 11th turnover of the game on San Antonio’s next possession and then James made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line with 47 seconds left.
Following a miss by Ginobili, Wade finished off the Spurs with a wide-open layup under the basket. The Heat outscored the Spurs 44-34 on points in the paint after being dominated inside in Game 1. Led by James, the Heat shot 52.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range (8 of 19). Lewis was 3 of 7 from three-point range.
The Heat look to take control of the series on their home floor tomorrow night at 9pm.