Game 1 of the NBA Finals was Miami’s for the taking. That’s not indicative if you look at Thursday’s 110-95 final score, which looks like an easy romp of a win for the Spurs. But the Heat led going into the 4th quarter and forced 23 San Antonio turnovers in the sweltering, air conditioning-malfunctioning heat at the AT&T Center.
How can Miami rebound and continue its streak of 12 consecutive wins after a playoff loss? Here are five easy keys for Miami to even up the NBA Finals tonight.
Continue Defensive Pressure
Throughout the season, Miami was one of the more aggressive defensive teams in the league, swarming to the ball and trapping opposing ballhandlers. Having LeBron James allows the Heat to cheat a little defensively, and the team gambles for steals at times.
San Antonio averaged 14.4 turnovers during the regular season and 12.2 in the postseason before committing 23 in Game 1.
| Spurs Playoff Losses | Turnovers | Turnover Margin |
| Dallas Game 2 | 24 | 16 |
| Dallas Game 3 | 15 | -2 |
| Dallas Game 6 | 14 | -2 |
| Portland Game 4 | 11 | -2 |
| OKC Game 3 | 16 | -2 |
| OKC Game 4 | 13 | 6 |
| Averages | 15.5 | 2.33 |
As this chart indicates, San Antonio actually won the turnover battle in four of its six postseason losses this year. That goes to show what an opportunity Miami missed by committing five fewer turnovers on Thursday and coming up short.
Despite all the turnovers, San Antonio hit 14 of its 16 shots in the fourth quarter when the team finally took better care of the ball. Keeping up the defensive pressure is a must throughout all 48 minutes of each Finals game.
Keep D-Wade Penetrating
Dwyane Wade was successful in Game 1 when he went towards the basket. Miami won’t win if he settles for mid-range jumpers and contested shots.
From this ESPN screen-shot, you can see that six of Wade’s eight made field goals were shot within seven feet from the basket.
Wade made six of his seven shots within seven feet from the basket, and was 2-for-11 from distances further than that.
Also, Wade shot 5-for-8 in the first half and just 3-for-10 in the second half. Why? He settled for jumpers.
When things fell apart in the fourth quarter, Wade took just four shots, and only one of them came from within 16 feet from the hoop.
Dwyane Wade needs to drive and penetrate to be successful. And Miami can’t be successful without a successful D-Wade.
Defend The 3 & Danny Green
Also looking at the box score from Game 1, San Antonio hit 13 of its 25 threes and Miami hit 12 of its 29 attempts. That’s not a huge difference, right?
Look at the fourth quarter. The Spurs hit all six of its triple tries, while the Heat were 2-for-4.
Miami needs to defend the three all game long, and they need to keep the pesky Danny Green from getting open looks.
After Thursday’s game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich essentially said Green is only inserted in these games to hit threes, and seven of his nine shots were from three in Game 1.
Green missed his first four threes, but connected on all three tries in the fourth quarter. Here’s where we’ll remind you of the damage Green has done against Miami in The Finals.
| Danny Green | Made 3’s | Team Result |
| 2013 Game 1 | 4 | W |
| 2013 Game 2 | 5 | L |
| 2013 Game 3 | 7 | W |
| 2013 Game 4 | 3 | L |
| 2013 Game 5 | 6 | W |
| 2013 Game 6 | 1 | L |
| 2013 Game 7 | 1 | L |
| 2014 Game 1 | 3 | W |
| Averages | 3.75 | 4-4 Record |
Green has averaged twice as many made 3’s in Spurs Finals wins over Miami (5 per game) than its Finals defeats (2.5). Keeping Green and the Spurs from hitting threes will do Miami wonders in its quest for a third straight title.
Maintain Shooters’ Aggression
Miami’s shooters, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, shot a combined 10-for-22 in Game 1. Lewis started the game by missing four of his five shots, but got into a third quarter groove where he hit three of five shots, including two from deep.
Then Lewis didn’t take a shot in the fourth quarter.
Allen got to the basket and hit a pair of layups in the Heat’s 29-20 third quarter. Allen took just two shots in the fourth quarter,
These two guys need to put up shots to get in rhythm, and were virtually invisible over the final 12 minutes. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra needs to integrate the shooting duo throughout the game in order to keep them in rhythm.
Keep LeBron From Cramping
Make sure LeBron stays hydrated. Water, Gatorade, Powerade, IV’s, whatever. That’s pretty important…
Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who 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 should follow him on Twitter.