The San Antonio Spurs have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Miami Heat after they just destroyed Miami twice in American Airlines Arena.
Game 3
The focus going into Game 3 for the Spurs was how were they going to get Kawhi Leonard focused and have an impact on the series at both ends of the floor. Leonard had been held to 18 points combined in the first two contests and had been in bad foul trouble in both games mainly due to having to guard the offensive locomotive that is LeBron James. But Leanord had a focus going into Game 3 that he had never had before in his career. Coach Gregg Popovich gave Leonard a talk about his responsibilities going forth in this series. He woke Kawhi Leanord up and he put on a shooting clinic.
When the game started the Spurs inserted Boris Diaw into the starting lineups for Tiago Splitter to better match up with the Heats smaller lineup that was so successful in game two. The two clubs started the game with red hot shooting, as Miami made their first 4 field goals and the Spurs hit their first 5 field goals. It turns out the Spurs had only gotten warmed up. The Spurs shot 13 for 15 in the opening quarter and took a 41-25 lead after the 1st quarter. If not for LeBron James who scored 14 of Miamis first 20 points and hit a rare hot streak where everything he puts up goes in, the Heat could of been down by 30.
The 2nd quarter was a mirror image as the Spurs continued to make nearly everything they shot. The only difference was LeBron James cooled down and scored only 8 points the rest of the game. The Spurs had a 71-50 halftime lead, shooting an astonishing 75.8% from the field in the first half (25 of 33).
In the 3rd quarter though Miami would find a groove as the Heat went on a 10-0 run and even got the game down to 81-74 after a lay in by Norris Cole, but that’s as close as it would get for Miami as the Spurs pulled away again in the 4th and finished with a 111-92 victory. Fans streamed out of the building throughout the third and fourth quarters as Miami’s championship dreams were crushed.
Kawhi Leonard finished the game with a career high 29 points, Lebron James and Dwyane Wade each finished with 22 points. Chris Bosh managed 4/4 shooting but only had 12 touches and that was obviously a problem for the Heat.
Game 4
The Spurs whipped Miami in Game 3 and so must most observers believed that Miami would respond with a huge statement Game 4 and make this a competitive series. They figured SMiami would be desperate and hungry and get a easy Game 4 victory. Miami hasn’t lost consecutive playoff games since the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, 13 times the Heat lost a playoff game and came back and responded with a win, however this wouldn’t be #14.
From opening tap Miami looked fatigued, tired, and sluggish. Coming off their 4th straight season they went the distance, maybe Father Time is catching up with them. From tip-off Gregg Popovich screamed at his guards to sprint the ball down because he recognized Miamis fatigue. San Antonio shredded Miami with quick precise passing and hitting the open man. The Spurs held a 55-36 halftime lead without much trouble as the “fans” in American Airlines Arena booed the Heat and many started to leave.
The Heat made a mini-run to open the 3rd as James scored 10 quick points to cut the Spurs lead to 13. But the Spurs responded again and pushed the lead to 81-57 and never looked back. For Miami the only man that showed up was LeBron James who put in 28 points and was the only Heat player to score more than 13.
For San Antonio every player on the roster scored and they were lead once again by Kawhi Leonard who put in 20 points and added 14 rebounds. The Spurs big three combined for only 36 points but the play of Patty Mills, who had 14 points, and Boris Diaw, who had 8 points and 9 assists, helped the Spurs pull away. After the game the basketball world was in shock that the Spurs thumped the Heat twice at home. The Heat got embarrassed and dethroned right in their house.
My Thoughts
This series is basically over in my mind as the Heat lack energy, and momentum. Add to that the fact that no team has ever came back from down 3-1 in a NBA Finals. The Spurs depth has prevailed and the Heats reliance on LeBron James to carry them was shown as well.
After Game 4, the Spurs veterans stated, “We have unfinished business, we have one more win and we need to finish it this time, we remember what happened to us last year.”
The Spurs have been on a year long mission to return to the NBA Finals and face the Miami Heat and take back what should of been theirs. My pre-series pick was Spurs in 6, but I’m feeling that the Spurs will finish Miami once and for all in Game 5 and celebrate at home in front of the San Antonio fans. If the Spurs do finish Miami on Sunday, it will really stamp the legacy of Tim Duncan with his 5th championship ring.
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