nba_g_heat-spurs01jr_576
The Heat and Spurs clash in the finals. ESPN

The San Antonio Spurs will host the Miami Heat on Tuesday night in Game Three of the 2013 NBA Finals. With the series tied at 1-1, Miami will look to regain home-court advantage with a victory. A win for San Antonio would put them two games away from closing out the series in front of their own fans.

Key Matchup

Tony Parker vs. Mario Chalmers: In Game One, the biggest difference maker on the floor was Parker. In Game Two, Chalmers had the best plus/minus rating of any player. Even at home, the Spurs can’t win if the Heat get a better performance from their point guard. Miami doesn’t need Chalmers to score a lot, but when it happens they have an added weapon that makes them extremely hard to stop. San Antonio needs Parker to play well and score time baskets in the fourth quarter.

What To Watch For

LeBron James has played like an MVP through two games, but he hasn’t scored a lot, only averaging 17.5 points per contest.. Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Spurs have done a good job of forcing him to get the ball to Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The other members of the “Big Three” made close to 50 percent of their shots on Sunday, and Chalmers led the team with 19 points. If James’s supporting cast isn’t getting the job done, though, he’ll have to play more selfishly, in order for Miami to get the win. If he continues to pass up shots and hit Bosh for three-point attempts, San Antonio will be in good position to take Game Three.

Series Stats

San Antonio: 88 PPG, 40.5 RPG, 16 APG, 41.4 FG%

Miami: 95.5 PPG, 41 RPG, 21 APG, 46.6 FG%

Point Spread

San Antonio-2, 188

Live Stream Online

Watchespn.com (free)

Prediction

Miami will need to play intense defense and force turnovers if they expect to reclaim home-court advantage. The No.1 seed from the East was deadly in Game Two, forcing 17 turnovers, scoring in transition and hitting open three point shots. At home, San Antonio should be more careful with the ball and not allow as many easy shots. Wade still had trouble on Sunday, and the Spurs could benefit by forcing him to try and score.

San Antonio 95, Miami 89