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The series started with everyone talking about each team’s “Big 3?s”. Now everyone is talking about the big three pointers, Gary Neal and Danny Green shoot lights out to rout Miami 113-77 (yeah!), also they never trailed even once. Also, Heat’s Big Three in this series: 130 points. Spurs “Big Three” of Danny Green, Gary Neal & Kawhi Leonard? Yup, 130 points. (via Tom Haberstroh).
Game Summary
The NBA finals made their way back to San Antonio after 6 years and the crowd was enthralling. Backed by it, the Spurs started pretty good, on a 11-4 run, and forcing Miami into a timeout. After that, it was back and forth the whole quarter, with a Manu Ginobili up-fake and dunk the most entertaining highlight, as it ended 24-20 with Spurs leading.
The second quarter started with a Gary Neal 3 pointer – something that we saw regularly the whole game after that. Bonner snaked free throws, Green made another 3, Duncan hit free throws, and then a Miami timeout. Spurs up 32-26.
Then exactly 2 minutes later, there was another Heat timeout, with Spurs up 40-30 now, their biggest lead. Neal then made another 3 to make it 43-32 in the Spurs favor, before Miami, backed by Mike Miller’s two 3?s, went to a 12-1 to tie it up at 44-44.
As Miami was getting some momentum, Tony Parker made an off-balance 3 and then the man of the moment, Gary Neal, hit a buzzer, beating 3 to make it 50-44. So, in just a matter of 26 seconds, the Spurs were back up leading by 6.
At Half time, LeBron James only had 4 points on 2-10 shooting. So yes, there was that.
In the third quarter, the Spurs started with a 9-2 to make 59-46 before, yes, a Miami timeout. Then Mike Miller sank two more 3-pointers ( he was 4-4 from 3 points overall) but Spurs responded with a 3 from Danny Gr33n, a Gary Neal floater and a vintage Manu left-handed dunk, prompting Erik Spoelstra to take another time-out. Spurs 66-52
The Spurs continued to dominate, getting up 75-54 before LeBron, who was struggling, went on a 9-1 run himself and cut the Spurs lead to 13. Then, with 6 seconds left, Manu the magician fed Tiago for a buzzer beating dunk. Advantage Spurs 63-78.
In the 4th quarter, everybody was hoping for Miami to change the gear, but it was the Spurs who hit them. Again Neal hit two 3?s and Danny Green made a layup off his offensive rebound to make it 86-63 and it led to another Spurs timeout.
Then it was Danny Green time. After a Kawhi dunk, he made two consecutive 3?s to put the Spurs up 65-94. Miami went on a min 6-0 run and Spurs called a timeout. Coach Pop sat all of his starters except Green, and he hit two 3-pointers in a Spurs 11-0 run that saw them go up by 105-71. James Jones then hit a 3-pointer and Pop being Pop called a timeout, said he didn’t want anybody to get into a groove. Typical Pop.
The Spurs went on to win 113-77. Tracy McGrady got some playing time tonight. How things change; he got time last game before his team was losing badly and now because they were on fire. What a change of guards.
Awards
Player of the Game : Kawhi Leonard. Yes, Gary Neal & Danny Green scored 24 & 27 respectively but it was Leonard who was solid all-around. He scored 14 points on 60 percent shooting, pulled down 12 rebounds and had 4 steals. Also, he had the task to defend the best player in the world right now, and he did it amazingly, limiting the MVP to 15 points off 7-21 shooting, and the 9 point run LBJ had was when Kawhi was on the bench.
X-Factor: Do I have to tell you? Danny Green and Gary Neal for their threesome with the Miami Heat,
Danny Green now has the record for the second most 3?s in NBA Finals, with 7. He has scored more points than LeBron this series. In 2010, he was cut by a LeBron lead Cavaliers. Gary Neal, on the other hand, went un-drafted in 2007 and played 3 years internationally in Turkey, Spain & Italy before being picked by the Spurs, and now here he is.
Worst Show: I never thought this would happen, but yes, LeBron was a no-show in this game as he scored a measly 15 points off a disastrous 7-21 shooting (11 of them when the game was pretty much decided). And although he pulled in 11 rebounds and had 5 assists, he wasn’t the same force he was these past years. Adding to that, Lebron had a +/- of (-)32, meaning his team was outscored 32 when he was on court. This was his worst +/- ever!.
Notes
- Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to score 25 points, the fewest in a playoff game that all 3 played in. They won by 36 still!
- The Spurs grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, their most in a postseason game since June 19, 2005, against the Pistons. Tim Duncan, at age 37, had 7 of them, the reason why he’s called Benjamin Button these days.
- The Spurs set an NBA Finals record with 16 3-pointers in Game 3.
- The most astonishing stat - Miami’s first victory in San Antonio came on December 23, 1996, in its 11th try. David Robinson broke his left foot in the second quarter of the Heat’s 90-79 victory, missed the rest of the season, and the Spurs fell into the lottery, which they ended up winning so they could take Duncan with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft – 16 years later, he is still haunting them.
The Spurs did what Miami generally do to other teams. But still, with a quiet game from Lebron, it would be pretty foolish to jump into any quick conclusions. After all, its M!am! we are talking about and with Tony Parker having an MRI on his calf, who knows what’s in store for us.
Till then, watch this video of LeBron dancing with Danny Green
How times change.
