MIAMI — The other guys evened the series.
For much of Sunday’s pivotal Game 2 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James was in a postseason trance unlike anything he has experienced since the 2011 Finals. He finally snapped out of it, but by that time it didn’t really matter. Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Ray Allen had already put the game away.
In perhaps the biggest game of his professional career, Chalmers led all scorers with 19 points in the Heat’s 103-84 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Tied 1-1, the best-of-7 series now shifts to Texas for three consecutive games before possibly returning to Miami for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7.
With the Heat’s offense in disarray in the third quarter, Chalmers stepped in for a struggling James as the Heat’s offensive catalyst. It was a bold move but not out of character for the Heat’s starting point guard, who is known for his cocksure attitude.
Chalmers’ three-point play gave Miami a 64-62 lead with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter. It sparked a rally that didn’t really end until the final buzzer sounded. After Chalmers’ play, the Heat outscored the Spurs 42-22.
“You can’t teach that quality, the big-game guts,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Chalmers’ propensity for big plays in big games. “We have a lot of guys like that on this team. They feel the most alive when you should be feeling pressure.”
All the talk entering Game 2 revolved around James’ teammates doing more to help their leader. Those players apparently were paying attention. James finished with 17 points, a postseason low, but enjoyed watching the blowout from the bench in the final minutes all the same. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Heat was 10-of-19 from 3-point range (53 percent) with Miller, Allen and Chalmers combining to go 8-of-12. Miller was 3-of-3 from 3-point range for all nine of his points.
“That’s why they’re the defending champs,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said. “They have great role players.”
Miller’s third 3-pointer gave the Heat a 15-point lead with 10:31 to play, and Chalmers and James followed with baskets to complete a 14-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. It gave the Heat an 84-65 lead with 9:11 to play.
That’s when James delivered one of the best defensive plays of the series, blocking a dunk attempt by Spurs center Tiago Splitter. While James began the game 2-of-12 from the field, his all-around effort helped the Heat remain within striking distance of the Spurs until his teammates took over.
“It’s a great performance,” Spoelstra said, scoffing at a question that suggested James wasn’t being aggressive enough on the court. “We’ve been in this fishbowl now for three years. That doesn’t really make sense that he wasn’t being aggressive. … He’s creating opportunities for us. It just might not be in the way you’re accustomed to.”
Meanwhile, the Spurs were struggling through their own problems. Tim Duncan finished the game 3-of-13 from the field, and the Spurs’ “Big 3” of Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to score just 23 points.
“I’m getting the shots I want,” Duncan said. “I’ve just got to knock them out.”
Danny Green led the Spurs with 17 points, going 6-of-6 from the field, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range.
“We had basically no shot at winning a game against them if none of us played good, so we’ve got to step up and play better,” Ginobili said of the Spurs’ “Big 3.”
The Spurs shot 41 percent from the field and had 17 turnovers. In Game 1, San Antonio committed just four turnovers.
“Missing shots, not shooting well and turning it over are a bad combination,” Spurs coach Greg Popovich said.
Miami’s Dwyane Wade scored 10 points to go along with six assists, and Chris Bosh had 12 points. Bosh also had 10 rebounds, giving him a double-double.
For the game stats, see the Scoreboard on Page C4.
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