Seven-game NBA Finals on the cards as Miami Heat take Game 2

After two games, the 2014 NBA Finals have mirrored last year’s. Having dropped Game 1 to the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat levelled the series with a 98-96 win in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Twelve months ago the Spurs were up on the Heat with a 2-0 score line looking a formality for Game 3, only to watch slack-jawed as the Heat strung a 33-5 run together over the last two quarters to get the win.

Fast forward to 2014 and the Spurs again stretched out a lead, this time 11 points heading into the second quarter. Again though, the Heat rallied and eventually wriggled free of the Spurs’ grip.

This encounter turned into the LeBron James show, albeit with a slight delay to the programming.

The former MVP recovered from a three turnover, one from four opening quarter to register 35 points in the game.

The Heat’s number six drained all of his three attempts from beyond the arc while also pulling in 10 rebounds to help his side split the two-game road trip to San Antonio.

In 2013, the Heat eventually ran amok in a 103-84 whipping and although he lost, Gregg Popovich will take heart that the margin of this year’s defeat was just two points despite his side not being at their best.

After the opening two games Ladbrokes puts the Heat as favourites to win a third successive NBA title, at 4/6, with the Spurs 5/4 outsiders.

However, with the series seeming to follow last year’s script so closely, a repeat of the seven-game thriller from 12 months ago looks the best betting option at this point in the series. It’s a punt that’s currently priced up at 6/4 by the bookie.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £100 in free bets.