NBA Finals: Heat vs. Mavs (Game 2)

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It was a good start for LeBron James and the Miami Heat but there's still obviously a long way to go. They'll aim for another home victory in Game 2 tonight to go up 2-0 over the Dallas Mavericks.

Game 1 Recap

We knew that both the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks were exceptional defensive squads and they proved that was true in Game 1.
The Heat were especially strong on the defensive end, holding the Mavericks to just 84 points in a 92-84 victory.
Erik Spoelstra's boys were handed 4.5-point chalk on Tuesday and used to a superb fourth quarter to pull away for the straight up win and ATS cover.
Miami held Dallas to just 37.3 percent shooting (25-of-67 FG) thanks to tremendous half-court defense from the athletic and active Heat. It was the Mavs' lowest scoring output since Game 4 of the first round versus the Portland Trail Blazers (82-84).
German superstar Dirk Nowitzki came through with a game-high 27 points, hitting all 12 of his shots from the charity stripe, playing through a possible torn finger ligament. Shawn Marion (16 points and 10 rebounds) and Jason Terry (12 points) were the only other two Mavs players to reach double figures in the loss. This injury is a huge blow to the Mavs, and no one is fully aware of how it will effect the Mavericks’ shooting in tonight’s performance.
The South Beach Trio were fantastic for the Heat, scoring 65 points between them. Dwyane Wade was very effective, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots to erase some less-than-fond memories from the previous series against the Chicago Bulls.
LeBron meanwhile was his normal brilliant self (24 points, nine boards, five dimes), while Chris Bosh shook off a poor shooting night (5-of-18) to record 19 points and nine rebounds.

Put faith in the Mavericks to bounce back

How have NBA odds makers responded to a great showing in Game 1 for Miami? The NBA Live Lines have stood still with the Heat again favored by 4.5 points at most betting outlets.
Defense reigned supreme in the first encounter, and as a result the total fell below the O/U of 188.5. There's been a slight adjustment for Game 2 as the total for today is at 186.
The Mavericks are now 7-1-1 ATS over their last nine road contests while the Heat have cashed in six consecutive matchups at the American Airlines Arena.
Miami was the big winner on the glass in Game 1, out rebounding the Mavericks 46-36. Credit the Big Three, who combined to snag 28 boards in the win.
But what really made the difference was the Heat's intensity defensively, as Dallas really struggled to find consistent looks at the basket in its half-court sets.
Jason Terry had a quiet night by his standards, only making 3-of-10 from the field, while JJ Barea hit one shot out of eight in 18 minutes off the bench. Normally big-time contributors, I believe that the pair will make a bigger impact in Game 2.
The Mavericks did not particularly play well and still managed to stay in that game, but I'm expecting a better performance from the visitors here tonight, as they try to tighten the race in the NBA Playoff Finals.

Going to wait to lock in my bets until later tonight, but as for right now here are my initial leans:
Dallas ML
Dallas +4.5
U186.5

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Locking in my Bets:
Dallas +4.5
U187.5

[LordCC]

Good luck tonight FTP!