is the NBA's MVP and the unquestioned leader of the . As such, after Friday's Game 2 loss to the , James fulfilled his duty.

James accepted blame for his team's failure to grab a 2-0 lead in what has been a thrilling and entertaining Eastern Conference finals series, one in which the Pacers believe they could easily have won both games — when there are 27 lead changes and 29 ties in 101 minutes of basketball, you've got close games.


Indeed, despite James' monster stat line in Game 2 — 14-for-20 shooting, 36 points, eight rebounds — what mattered most in the end were his five turnovers, particularly two in the final 43 seconds that kept the Heat from even getting off a potential tying shot.
— Game 2:

NBA Playoffs 2013: When LeBron James stumbles, will Heat teammates help him? (AP Photo)
"I am very disappointed in my judgment and my plays down the stretch," James said. "I made two mistakes that hurt our team. That hurts more than anything, to let my teammates down. They expect me to make plays down the stretch. I had the ball with the opportunity to make a couple plays, and I came up short. That burns."
What James fails to mention is that it is actually some of his teammates who have been letting him down,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], big-time. and have been productive, but what was expected to be a stronger and much deeper supporting cast is in the process of fizzling out.
The most obvious offender is , who is on an opposite tack of the one he was on last year, when he shot poorly during the season but came alive during the Heat's run to the championship.
— Saturday:
This time, after an excellent season in which he shot 43.0 percent from the 3-point line, Battier has been a disaster in the postseason,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], shooting 22.8 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from the 3-point line. He is 0-for-7 from the field (including six 3-point misses) for three points combined in the two games against the Pacers.
There's also the Heat's big offseason acquisition, sharpshooter . He, too, was outstanding during the season in going 41.9 percent from the 3-point line, but has dipped to 35.3 percent in the playoffs.
Since he scored 21 in the second game of the conference semifinals against the Chicago Bulls, Allen is 8-for-28 from the field (28.5 percent) and a miserable 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from the 3-point line. He made one 3-pointer in the two games against Indiana.
Credit the Pacers for some struggles by Heat extras. While Miami was the NBA's second-best 3-point shooting team during the season, the Pacers were the No. 1 team in defending the 3-point line. James is 5-for-13 from the 3-point line in the series so far, but the Pacers have done a good job contesting the perimeter,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and his teammates have shot just 7-for-27 (25.9 percent).
As good as the Pacers' defense has been, though, the Heat supporting cast must be better,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], especially as the series hits the road for Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis.
Besides James, one of the Heat's advantages in the series should be the bench, led by Allen, Battier, big man and guard . Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesn't have much faith in his reserves, and with good reason — his bench contributed five points in Game 2. The Heat got 19 from their bench, but those points came on 6-for-18 shooting,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and that's just not good enough.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did tinker with his rotation somewhat — Battier played only 14 minutes, after playing 31 in the series opener —but he preached patience after Game 2.
"We're not going to change from one game," he said. "This series is very close, the lead changes. We had opportunities at the end. Everybody was raving about our depth last game, that we have an incredible amount of depth. That's one of our major strengths, we'll continue to go to it. We have full confidence in those guys — the storylines will change. We know the deal."
He could be right — a breakout game from Allen and/or Battier will immediately become the headline. Both players are capable of it,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
As for the way the series stands, though, James' two turnovers were huge, obviously, but the Heat shouldn't have been in that position. James needs help, and, talent-wise, this roster represents the most help he's had in his 10-year NBA career.
The Heat haven't been showing it in the playoffs, particularly not in the Eastern Conference finals. That will have to change in these two games.

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