Miami to bounce back against San Antonio

9Jun 2013

NBA

The Miami Heat are in a hole after losing Game 1 at home. Nick Shiambouros previews their chances of squaring the series in Game 2 of the NBA Finals...

San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat

San Antonio Leads Series 1-0

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The San Antonio Spurs won Game 1 92-88 in dramatic fashion on Thursday evening. Tony Parker made an incredible shot to seal the victory with just over five seconds left in regulation.

This was a brutal loss for Miami, who looked to be in control of the game until midway into the fourth quarter. LeBron James had a productive night, scoring a triple-double, but went missing in the fourth period.

In truth, Miami looked a little tired down the stretch. They lacked intensity and settled for some low percentage shots from the perimeter. One of the culprits was Chris Bosh, who hoisted a woeful shot from behind the arc with less than a minute to play. Bosh is not an outside shooter, and this missed shot will haunt him for a long time should Miami lose the series.

Full credit must go to San Antonio, who seized the opportunity and stole this game late on. The team was brilliantly coached by Gregg Popovich, who knows what it takes to win a championship.

Game 2 of the Finals takes place on Sunday.

Miami needs to be much more aggressive to win this vital game. If they do not dominate the painted area, they will surely struggle against the stellar San Antonio defense.

San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard did a decent job on James in the first game but will have his hands full in Game 2. Expect James to be much more aggressive in this encounter, taking advantage of his superior height and weight.

I expect the defending champions to come out firing from the opening tip and establish an early lead. Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra is bound to have made some key adjustments to ensure the Heat rotation is more effective inside the paint.

All signs point to a Miami victory, and I will be stunned if they lose. They should bounce back to their very best, and I will not be surprised if they blow San Antonio out.

San Antonio will be happy to leave south Florida with the series tied, so they may not be as mentally sharp as Miami.

The Miami Heat have drifted to 2.08 to win the championship. This is a huge overreaction, in my opinion, and they should be backed accordingly.