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The turn of events and the result of Game 4 were very similar to Game 3, the only difference being it was a more clinical performance by the San Antonio Spurs. Gregg Popovich would have been furious with his team for allowing the Heat to come within 7 in Game 3 after they led by as many as 25. But he sure looked happy after this win.
San Antonio did not have as good a night as Game 3 when it comes to shooting, but 57% from the field is still phenomenal even by normal standards. The Spurs lead by 19 points at halftime. The third quarter sealed the game for the Spurs as they extended the lead to 24 points.
Tim Duncan broke 2 records during the course of the match.
-With a double double of 10 points and 11 rebonds, Duncan broke Magic Johnson’s record for most Playoff career double doubles of 157.
- 30 minutes into the game, Duncan also surpassed Kareem Abdul Jabbar for most Playoff career minutes recorded.
Highlights of Tim Duncan’s record shattering double double performance:
Miami Heat’s 48 post-season game streak without consecutive losses was stopped. The Heat were unbeaten at home during the playoffs, but are 0-2 in the Finals.
This is the first time in the history of the NBA Finals that a team on the road has won consecutive games by a margin of 15 or more. This is also the Spurs 11th win out of 15 in this post-season with a score difference of 15 or more.
The Heat’s offense has been heavily dependant on leBron James. Dwyane Wade struggled today registering only 10 points being held to a 3 of 13 shooting performance, while Chris Bosh didn’t impress either, scoring only 12 points and 4 rebounds.
The Heat looked out of sorts in the third quarter allowing the game to drift towards the Spurs. In the third quarter LeBron James (28 points and 8 rebounds) scored all but 2 points of the Heat’s 21.
For a second consecutive game, Kawhi Leonard (20 points and 14 rebounds) stepped up to the stage registering stats and averages like he did in the last years finals. He was aggressive right from the start and ended up with 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 38 minutes of playing time. He also notched up 20 or more points in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Although he deserved it, Boris Diaw missed a triple double by 1 field goal, 1 rebound and 1 assist thus answering the Coach’s call to start the game for a second straight time. Among the guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker combined for 27 points, while Patty Mills coming off the bench had 14 points on 4 of 6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Chris Anderson faced reduced minutes due to foul trouble, while Norris Cole had little success against the opposition guards. Ray Allen did shoot 3 of 8 from the field, but had no other contribution to the game.
Come Sunday night, the Spurs have a chance to win their 5th championship in franchise history in Game 5. The advantage for the Spurs is the fact that the game will be played at home after a change in the finals format from 2-3-2 to 2-2-1-1-1. Miami Heat are aiming for a three-peat. They will have to create history as no team has come back from a 1-3 deficit.
Kawhi Leonard’s huge putback slam leads the Top 5 plays for Game 4:
Guess the Lakers players!
