Moving past the obvious in Miami’s Game 2 triumph
How do you push past the obvious insight about Miami’s all-around 115-78 beatdown of Chicago in Wednesday night’s Game 2? What can you say besides the Heat shooting 60 percent to 35.5 percent for the Bulls? Let’s break down the major things that changed on both sides that helped lead to such a different result in Miami’s favor:
Miami’s Big Three was way more efficient in Game 2, perhaps with more determination and urgency in their games. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored five more points in Game 2 than they did in Game 1 (28-23) despite taking five fewer shots. LeBron James is going to be the best player in the world every time he plays, but his two All-Star sidekicks will be key against a normally good Chicago defense.
- The Heat exploited its Norris Cole advantage. With Kirk Hinrich out for Game 2, it was Cole against rookie Marquis Teague in the battle of the backup point guards. Cole had seven points, one rebound and no assists in 18 minutes in Game 1, but he exploded for 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting with six rebounds and two dimes. For Miami to win this series, Cole has to be a larger part of the team’s plan and Erik Spoelstra knows that.
- Carlos Boozer continues to struggle this series, and has to be a factor for the Bulls to have any chance to win even one more game. While he’s not J.R. Smith bad in the second round (Smith is 7-for-30 from the field, with Knicks coach Mike Woodson smartly saying he would decrease Smith’s minutes), Boozer is an abysmal 6-for-20 in the series thus far with a total of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Chicago may not even win another game with Boozer playing like a borderline rotation player instead of the rock-solid star Chicago is paying him to be. If Luol Deng doesn’t come back and Miami keys in on Nate Robinson, Boozer is going to have to be a little less than atrocious.
Golden State carries momentum in San Antonio split
The Warriors should have won both games in San Antonio but will take a road split and all the confidence going home to the Bay Area this weekend. Klay Thompson’s 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting (8-for-9 from three) and 14 rebounds led Golden State to a 100-91 Game 2 win on Wednesday night.
Golden State has the statistical keys to winning this series. San Antonio is usually an above average defensive and rebounding team, but the Warriors are making the Spurs look bad.
| Spurs | Points | FG % | 3 FG % | Reb Dif |
| Reg Season | 96.6 | 44.2 | 35.3 | -1.2 |
| This Series | 113.5 | 48.4 | 41.5 | -6 |
How often does a team like the Spurs allow 11 3-pointers in consecutive games? San Antonio allowed 44 points to Stephen Curry in Game 1 and 34 to Thompson in Game 2. Golden State broke a 30-game losing streak in San Antonio, and Wednesday’s win cleared a mental hurdle. The first two games showed that the Dubs can not only go toe-to-toe with the mighty Spurs but also prevail as well. Golden State coach Mark Jackson put it really well after the game.
“I truly believe the trials and tribulations are transportation for where you’re going,” Jackson said. “Game 1 made us better. We didn’t panic. We made plays. That’s a heck of a basketball team that’s extremely well-coached and has no quit in them. We don’t have any quit in us, either. The bottom line is we made the plays we needed to make.”
Golden State not only made the plays it needed to make, but also has several secondary players contributing at a really high level. That’s a really good sign for a team that had plenty of inconsistent spells this season. Besides Thompson and Curry, they have Harrison Barnes shooting at nearly 50 percent from the field. Andrew Bogut has 26 rebounds over the first two games and can make a really positive impact without shooting the ball, which Thompson and Curry have done quite capably so far. Draymond Green quietly led the Warriors in assists Wednesday and is averaging seven boards in the series.
The Warriors have all the necessary components to pull off an upset in this series, but we know that the Spurs will try to make an adjustment. What was once considered a snoozer of a series has now become the most compelling matchup of the round. And that’s thanks to these exciting, confident, fun-to-watch Golden State Warriors.
Shlomo Sprung loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. His website is SprungOnSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter.