That’s More Like It
Added on Jun 10, 2013 by Scott in
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No offense to Danny Green, but if he’s the leading scorer, it’s safe to assume that it wasn’t a good night for the Spurs. The real Miami Heat took the floor yesterday and the results were a lopsided 19-point win for the defending champs. The signature stifling defense that makes the Heat so dangerous (when they put forth the effort), was on full display. Needless to say, San Antonio has some work to do.
Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili combined to score 14 points on 5-19 shooting. That obviously won’t cut it in the Finals. Three fast break points and 17 turnovers? Yikes, that’s awful. Tony Parker tried to work his Game 1 magic, but found little room to maneuver when attacking the rim.
LeBron James was his normal master of all trades, especially on defense, but he wasn’t exactly dominant. It was the combo of Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen who presented the biggest problem for San Antonio. The duo knocked down five three-pointers in route to 32 points.
The Heat also survived another pedestrian performance from Dwyane Wade, who once again struggled to find his shot. As long as Miami doesn’t need Wade to make an impact, they should be fine. However, like Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Spurs won’t simply roll over after one bad beatdown.
Gregg Popovich will make adjustments. Duncan and Ginobili will rebound. Tony Parker will strap on his Superman cape. The entire team will regain the energy that was sorely lacking in Game 2. Chalmers and Chris Bosh will likely cool off.
Then again, James has been somewhat quiet, at least offensively, through two games. What happens when he puts his foot on the gas pedal? The Spurs looked old and slow in the second half on Sunday. Miami’s quickness and athleticism was too much for them to handle.
San Antonio is 6-1 at home in the playoffs. Miami has lost their last two on the road. It’s way too early to call Game 3 a must-win for either team, but the Spurs might not have the legs to dig out of too deep a hole.
