Professional sports handicapper Jeff Grant previews Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena

Dallas dropped the series opener 92-84 on Tuesday night and now find itself trailing a playoff series for the first time all postseason. The Mavericks are 5-10 all-time in best-of-seven playoff series when they lost Game 1. "We're a veteran team. You can't get down on one loss," said Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. "You have to come back strong on Thursday." It will be interesting to see how the team's star deals with a torn tendon in his non-shooting hand, as he was seen wearing a splint to keep the finger straight during practice Wednesday. Nowitzki's shooting coach Holger Geschwindner has been working with the German to see what moves he'll be able to make on the court tonight in creating his shot. "Hey, Rajon Rondo played with one arm, so he might be able to play with nine fingers," Gerschwindner commented. Dallas is 32-17 ATS on the road this season.

The Mavericks recorded their second-lowest scoring output of the postseason in a 92-84 loss to the Heat in Game 1. The only time the club scored fewer points in a playoff game this year was in the Game 4 loss at Portland on May 23. Dallas made a playoff-low 37.3 percent of its shots and got a dismal 17 points from the bench.Tuesday's loss also snapped the squad's franchise-high five-game road win streak. Prior to this postseason, Dallas hadn't won three straight playoff games on the road.

Miami's defense was key in moving its record to 9-0 this postseason, as the team hasn't allowed an opponent to score over 100 points since May 15. "It was a grind. It's tough," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stated. "That's a very skilled offensive team." Both offenses struggled early on as Miami and Dallas both shot 28.6 percent in the opening period that resulted in 33 combined points. Star forward LeBron James ended up leading the team in scoring with 24 points, while shooting guard Dwyane Wade added 22. Miami is 22-27 ATS at home this season and 11-5 ATS in playoff games.

The Heat held a 27-17 advantage in bench scoring in Game 1, which was a shocking result due to the Mavericks' reserves averaging over 39 points per game during the postseason. Miami's defense limited the unit to 18.1 percent shooting from the field. The 10-point bench advantage was its largest of the season. The club also out-rebounded the Mavericks by a plus-10 margin, marking the third-highest in franchise postseason history.

Bettors will be interested in backing the Heat due to their 7-0 ATS mark as a favorite, while the Mavericks are 2-5 after scoring 85 points or less
 

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