By Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel –
MIAMI — LeBron James arrived with several goals in mind in July 2010. Savior was not necessarily one of them.
But during these NBA playoffs he is proving to be just that for the Miami Heat.
When the going has gotten roughest is when James has been at his toughest, Thursday’s 32-point performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals is just the latest example.
Three times this postseason the Heat have fallen behind in series. Three times James has resurrected the Heat the following games with a dominant performance on the road.
In the second round, when the Heat went down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers, James responded the next game with 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in a 101-93 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
In the Eastern Conference finals, when the Heat fell behind the Boston Celtics 3-2, there was a 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist performance in Game 6 at TD Garden.
And now, in these NBA Finals, he followed up the Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with his 32 points at Chesapeake Energy Arena, shooting 12 of 12 from the foul line.
“He’s been doing it in so many different ways in this playoff run,” said coach Erik Spoelstra, who gave his team Friday off after their 5 a.m. arrival. “Sometimes it’s been the rebounds, sometimes he’s had close to 20 rebounds, defensive plays, attacking the basket, big threes, and he’s at that point right now whatever it takes.”
Including at the foul line, where he pushed his previous free-throw woes aside and made all four of his fourth-quarter attempts, including two in the waning seconds to put the Heat ahead by four. Prior to those conversions, he had been 10 of 17 from the line this season in one-possession games in the final minute.
“I mean, I’m a confident guy,” he said. “On a big stage like this, in a big game like this, every point counts, every point matters. So you go to the free throw line, no matter how hostile the environment, and try to knock them down. You live with your routine, things you practice all year, and you live with the results.”
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time he made two free throws in the final minute of a fourth quarter or overtime in a one-possession playoff game since May 26, 2009 against the Orlando Magic.
And so, once again, he has drawn the Heat even, with the Finals now down to best-of-five, with the next three on the Heat’s court, starting with Sunday’s 8 p.m. game at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“It doesn’t mean that the series has changed,” he said. “Both teams can win on each other’s floor, and both teams are confident.”
Different view
Among the reasons the Heat struggled in the series opener against the Thunder’s fastbreak according to guard Dwyane Wade was a bit of a Celtics hangover.
“When you play a team seven games like we did against Boston, you’re kind of in the routine of what they do,” he said. “So watching the film, to me, I felt that we still had the mentality that we were playing against Boston, from the standpoint of when they’re in a fast break. When they’re in transition, you have to make sure you peel off to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. You kind of keep a body on them in transition and play a little one on one with (Rajon) Rondo a little bit.
“This team is totally different. We weren’t getting back on the plays as quick. We weren’t letting them see our bodies. . . . It’s a totally different mindset, and we just need to switch that mind state a little bit quicker now. So watching the film was great. That’s why we said Game 1 is kind of a game to feel out, especially when you’re on the road, you can do that, and Game 2 come in and make the adjustments.”
LeBron on Durant
After the somewhat odd Game 1 approach of rarely utilizing James as the primary defender on Kevin Durant, Spoelstra in Game 2 often went with James in that situation, particularly down the stretch.
“I want to guard the best at the biggest point of the game,” James said. “K.D. is an unbelievable talent. I think we all know that, we all see that. He can make every shot on the floor. Just try to keep a body on him, take contested shots.
“He got away from me a couple times, got a couple threes that I am not too happy about. So I’ll watch the film and try to figure that out.”
