LeBron fuels Heat in Game 2 to set up epic Finals

LeBron James was at his best in Game 2, finishing with 35 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.

Greg Nelson/SI

NO CRAMPING HIS STYLE: James started Sunday, though he admitted he did not feel "normal," because of the severe cramps he suffered due to the air conditioning outage at AT&T Center in Game 1. James looked like he was at less than full strength early, missing three shots from close range, and scoring only a basket in the first quarter and a half. Then James warmed up, taking the ball straight to the basket and relying heavily on his cyclone of a spin move. Of his first 10 shots, nine were layups, the other a 10-footer. James steadily moved further from the basket. In a remarkable span of 50 seconds in the third quarter, when the Heat were slipping, James scored eight straight points with two threes.

HELP WANTED: While San Antonio has developed one of the deepest rotations in the NBA, Miami's supporting cast is not as potent as it was in either of the past two championship seasons. The Heat were able to win Sunday because of James, but they cannot expect him to replicate this kind of effort in every game. Miami got 14 points from Rashard Lewis, who came through much as he did in the Eastern Conference finals against Indiana. But Chalmers, James Jones, Norris Cole and Ray Allen were not as productive. The Big Three will need more reinforcements moving forward.