With the San Antonio Spurs leading 2-1 after three games, Game 4 is a must-win for the Miami Heat.

The Spurs recently won Game 3 in Miami, handing the defending champions their first home loss of the postseason. The Heat haven't lost back-to-back postseason games since the 2011 NBA Finals, so this will be no easy feat.

Preview and Analysis

The Heat may want to consider putting Ray Allen in the starting lineup and taking out Mario Chalmers. For whatever reason, Chalmers just hasn't been himself this series so far. He may bounce back, but why not go with a sure option like Allen? In addition to starting Allen, Head Coach Erik Spoelstra should think about starting Chris "birdman" Anderson as well. He's not elite, but he causes problems for opponents and grabs important rebounds.

For the Spurs, don't take your foot off the gas pedal. Gregg Popovich has a history of resting his players at the end of games when his team has a series lead. This team may be old compared to others, but you can't let the Heat back in it. If the Spurs can win Game 4 and take a 3-1 series lead, they would just about clinch everything.

Of course, San Antonio's "Big Three" of Manu Ginóbili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan will have to play big, but the young ones will have to show up as well. Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 29 points in Game 3, while Patty Mills must play with a burst of explosiveness, and Danny Green has to continue to hit outside shots.

The Heat need to strike early. It would be very beneficial because it would give LeBron James resting time. For the first time in a long time, James appears tired and fatigued. If Miami can get the early lead, the home crowd will be behind them. Of course, Dwyane Wade will have to play to the best of his abilities, as we've seen him do many times in big games. The Heat lost Game 3 in last year's NBA Finals to the Spurs by 36 points, but rebounded to win Game 4 by 16 points. Will history repeat itself tonight?

Date and TV Schedule

Game 4 of the 2014 NBA Finals tips off at 9 p.m. EST Thursday night at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida on ABC.

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