NBA Finals 2014 Game 3: Miami Heat Against San Antonio Spurs: Preview, Predictions, How to Watch
The 2014 NBA Finals continues Tuesday night between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.
Currently, the series is tied 1-1 after the Heat defeated the Spurs, 98-96 in Game 2 on Sunday. High temperatures were not a factor in Game 2, and LeBron James rose to the occasion. James led all scorers with 35 points and even led the Heat with 10 rebounds. Down the stretch with the Spurs leading, James made a drive to the basket, passed to an open Chris Bosh on the perimeter, and Bosh hit a big shot that ended up being the game-winning shot for the Heat.
With that victory, the Heat have now captured home court advantage. The series is now a best three out of five, with Miami having three home games.
San Antonio is a very good road team, but the Heat are even better at home. The Heat are 8-0 at home this postseason so far, and the next two games will be played at American Airlines Arena in Miami. At the very least, the Spurs need to win one of the next two games in South Beach. Falling down 1-3 in this series is a possible death blow. The Heat haven't lost two consecutive playoff games in three years, so it's unlikely they will lose three straight.
Moving forward to Game 3, the Spurs may want to make two different decisions.
First, limit Tony Parker's minutes and increase Manu Ginóbili's. Parker is not 100 percent healthy, and the Heat have been putting James on him one-on-one at times. With the way Ginóbili plays the game, James can't defend him as often. If James does decide to defend him, it will open things up for other players.
Second, increase Tiago Splitter's minutes. One advantage the Spurs have over the Heat is size. So, they should use it. Despite being in the starting lineup, Splitter only played 19 minutes in Game 2. In 19 minutes, he still had six rebounds, five assists, and was a +1 when on the court. Head coach Gregg Popovich decided to go small in Game 2 with Marco Belinelli, who was given 22 minutes and made just one shot. The Spurs aren't going to beat the Heat with speed and athleticism; they're going to have to win with size and strength.
Prediction
The Heat will win this game, which will set up a huge must-win game four for the Spurs. Eventually Mario Chalmers will bounce back, and Chris Bosh will continue to cause problems with his outside jump shot.
How to Watch
Game 3 of the NBA Finals tips off Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ABC.
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