Heat attempt to get reignited in Game 2

MIAMI – The NBA Finals. Just being here can be memorable – and miserable.

And surprise, it’s those supposedly stoic Spurs who are having more fun, while the South Beach bunch is a little grumpy and grouchy.

“Playoffs ain’t fun, man. I’m sorry to bust anyone on the outside’s bubble,” Dwyane Wade said. “As a player in the playoffs, you have no joy until it’s over and you won. If you don’t win, you have no joy for a while.”

Down 1-0 after a record regular season that goes for naught without another title, the Heat can turn their moods around with a victory over San Antonio tonight.

Back in the finals for a third straight year, the Heat have lost some of the ability to enjoy the ride. With exorbitant expectations, all that matters is the destination.

The playoffs have become a grind for a team that will be playing its 100th game of the season. Wade has battled a painful right knee for a while, Chris Bosh is in a shooting slump, and the minutes are adding up for LeBron James.

They showed up in better spirits Saturday, James and Wade among several players taking part in a post-practice shooting contest, the kind of fun it seemed they would always have from the moment they debuted as Miami teammates three years ago.