Heat even up NBA Finals with 98-96 Game 2 victory over Spurs

On Sunday, the basketball world was treated to the game it looked like we were getting Thursday before a broken air conditioner and an injury to LeBron James kind of stole the headlines. Game 2 was pure, unadulterated basketball goodness.

In the end, the Heat hung on for a 98-96 win, closing the game on a 13-9 run to steal a road victory. It was about as even as the final score indicates, as the game's biggest lead was just 11 points and there were 17 lead changes and 12 ties. 

The Spurs won the rebounding battle by a single board, turned the ball over five fewer times and hit 12-of-26 from long range, but shot just 43.9 overall and struggled to a 12-of-20 mark from the free throw line. The Heat, meanwhile, shot 52.9 percent from the floor and were a tidy 16-of-21 at the charity stripe. More importantly, they really ratcheted up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter, keeping the Spurs to 6-of-17 shooting.

With as many as five of these games still left to go, it's worth taking a second to appreciate just how good a series this may end up being. Oh, and the Spurs may want to steal a win in Miami over the next two games, because home court advantage isn't all that big an edge against the Heat:

Star Performer

There were no cramps getting in James' way on Sunday night.

James turned in a game that's sure to be remembered for a long time to come, responding to the criticism that followed his Game 1 fourth-quarter absence with a monster outing, putting the Heat on his back as only he can.

After a rough first quarter saw James commit three turnovers and shoot just 1-of-4 for two points, he found his groove. There was just no keeping James out of the paint in the second quarter and no stopping his soaking wet jumper in the second half, allowing him to post a final line of 35 points on 14-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

While 35-and-10 may not seem like a big deal since James has done it plenty of times, Sunday's performance moves him into fourth place since 1985 with 11 playoff games of 35-10, trailing only Shaquille O'Neal (30), Hakeem Olajuwon (17) and Karl Malone (14). He and Shaq are the only players to do so while shooting 64 percent or better in the past 25 NBA Finals.

His defense late in the game on Tony Parker was also excellent.

Turning Point

With 6:43 left to play and the Heat already in the penalty, Mario Chalmers hit Parker with an elbow to the ribs as he drove to the net:

Parker would only miss about a minute of action and Chalmers was given a Flagrant Foul-Penalty 1 for the play, so it's not necessarily the contact that turned the game. Instead, with the Spurs leading 87-85 at the time, Parker missed both ensuing free throws. Just seconds later, Tim Duncan missed a pair of free throws as well.

From there, the Heat would go on a 13-9 run over the final 6:33 to close the game, eventually winning by two. Even splitting those four free throws could have made the end of the game wildly different, and it has to be frustrating given that Parker, while hurt at the time, is a 75.2 percent career free throw shooter while Duncan has a 69.4 percent mark.

Highlight Reel

Buckle in, you're gonna need a minute to sort through all this basketball goodness. Let's start in the unlikeliest of places - a Tim Duncan put-back jam:

The Heat have someone who can throw down pretty well, too:

It's not just power with James, though. You get finesse, too:

James was also doing it at the defensive end, stripping Duncan and leading The Big Fundamental to get T'd up:

Duncan would have some revenge a little later, though, with a ridiculous outlet pass:

Much as it may seem from these highlights, the game wasn't actually played one-on-one. Chris Bosh made several cameos, too:

Dwyane Wade made an appearance as well, but his was more of a lowlight:

As if the Heat have the nerve to point out a Ginobili palm after something like that:

Quote of the Game

"I'd like to see LeBron play poorly." - Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to sideline reporter Doris Burke when asked what he'd like to see between the third and fourth quarters.

At that point, James had 27 points and 10 rebounds on 12-of-18 shooting. In the fourth, he had eight more points, giving him a 35-10-3 line in the end. Sorry, Pop.

Series at a Glance

Game 1: SAS 110, MIA 95 (Spurs lead series 1-0)
Game 2: MIA 98, SAS 96 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: @ MIA, Tuesday, June 10, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 4: @ MIA, Thursday, June 12, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 5: @ SAS, Sunday, June 15, 8 p.m., ABC
Game 6*: @ MIA, Tuesday, June 17, 9 p.m., ABC
Game 7*: @ SAS, Friday, June 20, 9 p.m., ABC