IN YOUR FACE! Kawhi Leonard plays tight defense on LeBron James during the Spurs’ 92-88 win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (
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MIAMI — Dwyane Wade said the Heat face “a must-win’’ in the truest sense.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is Sunday night at AmericanAirlines Arena and another Miami loss would put the defending champions in an 0-2 cavern with the series then shifting for three straight games in San Antonio under the 2-3-2 format.
The good news for South Florida is Miami hasn’t lost consecutive games since January. “We’re not a team that really says too much:
“this is a must-win game,’’ Wade said. “But this is a must-win game. We have to win this game at home and play a lot better.’’
LeBron James spent several minutes launching half-court shots at the end of Saturday’s practice. He may need to force a few more up Sunday night, with Wade impaired by a bruised right knee. Wade has scored fewer than 20 points in 12 of his last 13 games. Sixteen shots and 18 points from James may not be enough. They weren’t in the 92-88 Game 1 loss.
James has admitted he could have been more aggressive in the fourth quarter, but defended his gaudy numbers of 18 points, 10 assists and 18 rebounds. Not even a triple-double can quiet the critics.
“I should have done more, right?’’ James said in response to a question about his lackluster fourth. “I can’t get involved in that [criticism]. I’ve done more and lost before. We played Orlando — when I was in Cleveland — in the Eastern Conference finals and I averaged 36, 38,’’ James said. “I guess I should have done more in that series.’’
James said he will have a revised game strategy for tonight, but won’t reveal it. Perhaps he will post-up more. James praised the Spurs for packing the paint and not allowing him drives to the rim and forcing the ball out of his hands. Spurs youngster Kawhi Leonard did a nice job on James, but got plenty of help.
“You don’t stop the best player in the game with one guy,’’ said Long Island’s Danny Green, the Spurs’ starting shooting guard.
“Offensively, I attract so much attention that if a guy is open on my team, I will pass the ball,’’ James said. “If that’s their game plan, we’re going to continue to exploit that, and I believe our guys will be there to knock those shots down.
“I wish I could go 16-0 in the playoffs. I can’t worry about if people are saying you should have done more because you got a loss.’’
The Heat’s 88 points were well below their playoff average of 97.2. One problem was they forced only four turnovers, stifling the fastbreak.
That’s where the Spurs won the game — their spectacularly low turnovers and point guard Tony Parker’s grace under pressure.
The Heat have responded with brilliance to Game 1 defeats. Against Chicago in the Eastern semifinals, Miami lost Game 1 and ran off four straight, as it did against Oklahoma City in the 2012 Finals.
“There’s a maturity with this group,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our guys get angry. They own it. We have to play a better game. We played three quarters very competitively and then faded in the fourth.’’
Two days off between games has only magnified the cracks in Miami’s Big 3. Wade is hurting and Chris Bosh is slumping due to an overreliance on the 3-point shot.
“There’s pros and cons with having 48 hours in between games, especially after a loss’’ James said. “It eats away at you. But it allows you to really pinpoint ways you can get better in the next game. We’ve used this time wisely.’’
Wade was scoreless in Miami’s 16-point fourth quarter after he had an attacking 13-point first half. James said he can tell when Wade is disengaged and doesn’t look at his knee.
“What I can tell, when D-Wade is most in tune with the game, I can see it on his face,’’ James said. “I think his face just shows where he’s at in the game. I don’t know if it’s his knee or frustrated or he’s not in rhythm. But I can see it on his face when he’s there. That’s what I told him. I need to see your face that you’re in tune and ready for the next possession.’’
Wade said of his fourth-quarter fizzle: “I don’t think I was as aggressive in the second half as I was in the first half,” Wade said. “I’ve been in this state [knee injury] for three months now. I’ve adjusted to playing with it. I will try to be different [tonight] in the second half.’’
If he is not, the defending champs may soon be seeing the crown slip over to Texas again.