Let's face it: Game 1 was an anomaly in every way, shape and form.

An air conditioning malfunction, the arena being hotter than a blacktop court on a summer day, Lebron showing us he's an actual human being, The Spurs not missing almost any shots in the second half (wait, that actually seems to happen quite often), and both Danny Green and Ray Allen arguably having the best games for each of their respective teams. Nobody, and I mean nobody, saw all of those things coming.

The thing is that no matter the unlikely circumstances, someone still had to win the game, and despite the anomalies all around, the Spurs were the ones that ended up with the W.

Can LeBron James and the Heat forget about an eerie Game 1 loss and bounce back? (@BenGolliver/Twitter)

Now if you're the Heat, how do you deal with the fact that you had an amazing chance at stealing home court advantage back? How do you deal with being up for most of the game and blowing a 7-point lead in the final minutes? All I know is if this were a young, up-and-coming, inexperienced team, I'd pencil in the veteran Spurs to win the series in 5, maybe even 4 games. But fortunately for Miami, they're not. They're the two-time, defending world champs.

It's not desperation time for the Heat, at least not yet, but the anomalies and circumstances of Game 1 have certainly placed them in a tough spot. Miami’s unwritten goal was to split the first two and win at least one game in San Antonio, especially because this time around, Game 7 won't be in South Beach. That makes Game 2 crucial, and essentially a must-win game that the Heat have to treat with urgency, if not desperation. They are not in an entirely bleak situation, but if they want to make this a series, they know they must play as if a loss means going home for good.

All eyes and bright lights will certainly be on Lebron James, as he comes back to the court after recovering from cramps and dehydration symptoms that sidelined him at the end of Thursday night's game. (Side note: If you actually think LeBron sat out that last part of Game 1 because he was scared of the Spurs or was "soft" and didn't man up, you have obviously never had a muscle cramp. Criticize and hate the man all you want, he still had 25 points in 33 minutes and showed why he has been the league’s MVP four times already.) 

Clearly, the Heat can't bode very well without their King, as they imploded in Game 1 when he went out, but now they must all rally around him to tie this series up. 

Whether Lebron will show up in Game 2 and make an impact is not even a question, just merely a matter of how much of an impact he will make. He's already said he will be 100% healthy, but no, he probably won't go for 50 points, or even 40. He won't go out there vengefully looking to prove himself for sitting out during last game's cramp fiasco, because guess what? He's a two-time champion and the best player in the world, reaching NBA milestones like this one with ease; he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. What he needs, is to give his team a much-needed Game 2 victory, and you can be sure he will do more than his part. The question is, will the rest of his squad do the same? 

When Lebron locked up and could barely move, his teammates might have carried him physically off the court, but they certainly didn’t carry him on the court following his leave of absence. Wade and Bosh both faded as the fourth quarter progressed, and young Mario Chalmers was forced to attempt ill-advised shots in a vain effort to get the Heat back in the game. Psychologically, simply not having James on the court could have affected their morale, and in turn, their play. But if the Heat are to bounce back in Game 2 with a win, Lebron’s teammates must find a way to contribute and make a difference. 

On the other side of the ring are the Spurs, who find themselves with a chance to go up in the series 2-0, and position themselves only two wins away from a title and sweet redemption. They know it won't be easy, but if Miami is coming in determined to tie the series up, the Spurs are certainly coming in confident. 

Tony Parker proved his injured ankle is no longer an issue. Tim Duncan is once again turning back the clock and playing with no regards to Father Time. Manu Ginobli is playoff Manu once again just with a lot less hair, while Boris Diaw and Danny Green probably feel like they can conquer the world right now, as their recent play has sent their confidence through the roof. 

I mean, you can't really blame them, they took the opportunity that Game 1 offered them and they ran with it. Despite having an uncharacteristically average first half, their demeanor, as soon as they saw the blood in the water when Lebron was carried off, was to swiftly and mercilessly finish the game on their terms. Shot after shot, they scored more than double what Miami did in the fourth quarter and ended up shooting almost 60% from the field in the game. The thought alone of them having two or three quarters, maybe even an entire game, like that is scary enough to give me nightmares of Gregg Popovich for a week, and I'm not even a Heat fan.

Game 2 will inevitably come down to execution. Will determination and a slight sense of desperation outplay confidence? Sometimes desperation is just what a team needs to get going and in Game 2 the Heat are hoping desperation is what the doctor ordered. If the Spurs confidence becomes overconfidence, then my money is on Miami's motivated play, and the return of Lebron. Yet, I highly doubt the Spurs will fall into such mindset. They're so well coached and know each other so well that I believe they'll come out swinging and utilize that confidence to their advantage. If they start hitting shots with ease and open up a big lead, Miami will then truly become desperate. Who knows, maybe we will get 40 points from Lebron because that's just what it may take to win this one. 

You can reach Staff Writer Paolo Uggetti here, or follow him on Twitter here.