Heat Win Overtime Thriller to Force Game 7

Once again, the Miami Heat would find themselves in need of a win with their backs against the wall, this time they were facing elimination against one of the most efficient teams, the San Antonio Spurs. Once again, the Miami Heat would deliver, this time it may have been done in the most gut wrenching way possible.

Down by ten at the start of the fourth quarter, the Heat had twelve minutes to save their season and keep their championship hopes alive. Lebron James and Co. would once again “flip the switch,” exploding on offense for 30 points. As the midway point of the quarter approached, there was no way Miami could lose with the intensity they were playing with.

Without his infamous sweatband, Lebron would take over and finally live up to his title as the best basketball player on the planet. Guard Mike Miller would drain a crucial three pointer without one of his shoes. Chris Bosh would start coming up with big defensive plays and rebounds to help the Heat win. The Miami Heat would actually play basketball and not a theatrical performance.

This intensity seemed as if it would not be enough, as inside a minute left in regulation, Miami was back down, 94-89. James would miss an early attempt for trey but an assist from Mike Miller would give him new life.

James would not make the same mistake twice.

Still down 94-92 and elimination seconds away, Miami would begin fouling. Young Spurs big man Kawhi Leonard would be fouled and take two foul shots. Leonard would only convert one of his foul shots, making the score 95-92. Miami was not done yet.

James would miss another three-point attempt, seemingly the final blow for Miami, but a clutch rebound from Bosh kept hope. Bosh would toss the ball into the corner to one of the best three point shooters of all time, Ray Allen. Allen would prove his value from deep, netting the game tying basket.

Tony Parker would get all the way to the basket, but missed a fadeaway layup that could have ended the series, as the stage would be set for overtime.

The overtime period would go just as regulation started out, with both teams trading baskets, unable to put together the significant runs that have defined this series. However, the Heat scored the final baskets, a Lebron James layup to gain the lead and two Ray Allen free throws to make it a three point game. As the clock expired, San Antonio was again able to get the shot they wanted, but Chris Bosh would provide his second crucial block of the period, stopping Danny Green’s game tying three pointer.

Despite another average start, Lebron James would tally the game high in points with 32. James would also have the game high in assists with eleven. Tim Duncan would lead the Spurs with 30 points and seventeen rebounds.

After a start to the game where he had been making poor shot selections, Chris Bosh would put together another double-double The biggest story with Bosh would be his critical rebounds and two overtime blocks that may have saved Miami’s season.

Danny Green would score three points, hitting only one three pointer for the Spurs after putting on a clinic from downtown in the series’ first five games. Tonight, it was the Heat’s performance from deep that made headlines. In addition to Allen’s game tying shot, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Mario Chalmers would all combine for ten made three pointers.

Chalmers would score 20 points on four shots from outside. It was Chalmers’ 17 first half points that kept Miami in the game as the Big 3 could not get going early.

Making up for Green’s absence, another Spurs player would make his name, as Kawhi Leonard would provide 22 points along with eleven rebounds and three steals.

Dealing with his injured hamstring, Spurs point guard Tony Parker sat out most defensive stands in the fourth quarter and overtime. Parker would manage however to score nineteen points along with eight assists.

With the pivotal Game 7 less than 48 hours away, the Heat are coming off of an electrifying performance as the Spurs enter on the road knowing they were one shot, one rebound, one steal, one possession, one mistake away from a championship. This series had been hyped up to be one of the greatest of all time, and it has yet to disappoint. Stay tuned for the latest dram

The Big 3 Returns to Force the Series Back to Miami

Through the first three games of the 2013 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat Big 3 was criticized and doubted on their consistency and greatness. In last night’s 109-93 Game Four win over the San Antonio Spurs, Lebron James; Dwayne Wade; and Chris Bosh “silenced their haters,” in one of the best offensive outbursts from three players in Finals history to force the series back to American Airlines Arena for a game six.

Early on, it appeared this game would be the same story, but different day of Tuesday’s lopsided Game 3 Spurs 113-77 win. Down 15-5 early, the Heat were missing open shots and the Spurs were capitalizing on the Miami mistakes.

But for only the second time this series, the Heat broke through. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade would both score twelve by the end of the period, leading Miami to a first quarter lead of 29-26. Bosh would add four of his own points, but still missing open shots.

Miami would open the second quarter with a 12-3 run en route to a 41-31 lead. In response, San Antonio would outscore the Heat in the final minutes 18-8 to tie the game at halftime. Despite the periods of dominance from one side, both teams would continue to come back made this game impossible to assume the outcome. The root of San Antonio’s refusal to back down was the pesky point guard, Tony Parker, who would add fifteen first half points.

The third quarter went back and forth until a Ray Allen layup, Mario Chalmers drained a three pointer for the Heat, and Lebron added a fastbreak lead to gain a 67-61 edge.

But once again, despite the Heat’s explosive offense, the Spurs would not let the game get out of hand, as Gary Neal continued his historic Finals performance with two three pointers in 45 seconds to make it a three point game. Lebron would add another pair before the period’s end to give the Heat an 81-76 lead after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Heat would open the game up. Led by Wade and Bosh, Miami put up 28 points in the final quarter, holding a double digit lead for the last 6:24 of the game. The night ended with Lebron (finally) hitting a three pointer.

Miami’s Big 3 finally returned to their usual production, combining for 85 points. James would add the game high of 33 points, with Wade right behind him at 32 for his twelfth straight game with double digit points.

Last night’s performance was Wade’s highest point total since February 23. Bosh would also add 20 of his own points for his third straight double-double.

Duncan would lead the Spurs with 20 points and five rebounds. Parker would add 15 despite being held silent in the second half. This sudden stop to Parker’s performance may be attributed to his ailing hamstring. San Antonio would get most of their production from a collection of underrated role players.

Boris Diaw and Gary Neal would combine for 22 points off the bench. Starters, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, would also reach double figures. Neal and Green would combine for six shots for trey. Manu Ginobili was held to five points after not being in the starting lineup.

Going into Game 5, even though Miami has become notorious through the playoffs for failing to continue their intensity after big wins, the Spurs have some issues of their own. Tony Parker’s hamstring may have not let him play to the ability he wanted to for a whole game yesterday, by being muted in the second half. Despite all of the recent talk over Miami’s Big 3 failing on the big stage, Duncan and Ginobli have not played to their full potentials so far either. Through the first four games of the Finals, Duncan and Ginobli have combined for just 91 points and 50 rebounds.

The biggest question for the Spurs moving forward is what will happen if Green and Neal suddenly cannot hit three pointers? Where will they get those necessary points from?

Keys to the Finals Heading Into Game 3

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,” this "Tale of Two Cities" quote explains the current state of the NBA Finals. Tied at one game apiece and the series heading back to San Antonio, both the Heat and Spurs have shown signs of supremacy, however their weaknesses have been just as present.

The Spurs have played their usual smart game, but also made senseless decisions costing them game two. The Heat have played out of sync and looked awful, while they have also been able to dominate. Who would have ever thought Charles Dickens would be able to describe basketball?

I have provided 3 keys and an X-factor player for each team to win the Finals:

San Antonio:

1.     Make the Heat a one-man team

When San Antonio beat Lebron James and the Cavaliers in the 2007 Finals, James was a one-man show. That was not by the excellent basketball mind of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, James was literally a one-man team. Throughout the playoffs, the Heat and James included have struggled when Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh fail to contribute. The streaky two thirds of the Big 3 caused the Heat to go to seven games with the Indiana Pacers, and lose the Finals’ game one at home.

If Lebron can carry the Heat single handedly to a title over a team as talented as the Spurs, which is highly unlikely, he deserves it. If Lebron will win a title, make him earn it.

2.      Control the tempo and play their own game

The Spurs and Heat play two very different games of basketball. The Spurs vie for perfection in execution through slow, methodical gameplans, whereas the Heat put on a show of fastbreaks and highlight reel dunks. In their building, the Spurs need to control the game’s speed and slow down Miami.

When the dunk contest starts or when the Heat get on a big run, the Spurs need to be able to slow the game down and regroup. San Antonio cannot let the Heat break out into other 30+point outburst, like in game two, the Heat are a team based off of momentum, and once they lose their momentum, they have no rhythm.

3.     Limit the turnovers and play smart

This key builds off of the last one. By limiting their turnovers, the Spurs will also limit Miami on the fastbreak, slowing the game down. In game two, Tony Parker alone committed five turnovers, while as a team, the Spurs combined for sixteen. In their game one win, the Spurs as a team turned the ball over just four times. The majority of the turnovers have been because of bad passes, which cannot happen.

Out of the twenty Spur turnovers, the Heat have been rewarded with a steal only thirteen times, which means San Antonio is making mental errors like shotclock and kicked ball violations.  The Spurs also need to foul accordingly. Rather than contest every shot, San Antonio needs to take a smarter approach to playing defense.

Team’s X- Factor: Tony Parker

Running the point, Parker needs to control the game on offense and conduct what happens on defense. Parker did not turn the ball over at all in game one, while committing five in game two. Likewise, the Spurs won game one while dropping game two. As with all teams, the point guard’s performance alters the other four players’. When Parker gives the Heat free possessions, the rest of the team will follow.

In game one, Parker caught fire in the fourth quarter, where he scored ten points. Parker can be so lethal and his experience will be key through the remaining Finals games. The mixture of experience, court control, and scoring will be essential to the Spurs’ quest to win the necessary three remaining games for the crown.

Miami

1.     Play a complete game

The story of the Heat’s season has been their recurring inability to play a complete game. Most teams struggle finishing games, however the Heat often do not actually, “flip the switch,” as ESPN describes, until late in the game. Miami almost believes their pure talent will power them to championships. In game 2, the Spurs were within five points for most of the game, until the middle of third quarter, where they exploded on a 14-3 run, en route to a nineteen-point victory. The Heat need to play four quarters to win, because eventually Tim Duncan, Popovich, and Parker will figure out a way to make them pay for their lethargy.

2.     Move beyond the Big 3

Even if the Big 3 seems like the Big One and Small Two, the Heat need to continue utilizing everyone on the team. Players like point guard, Mario Chalmers; guards, Mike Miller and Ray Allen; and forwards, Chris Andersen and Shane Battier. In game two Lebron could not find his stride shooting, but was able to help the team by giving the players around him opportunities.

Other than Andersen, all of these role players specialize beyond the arc which makes them much more useful with Lebron in the post and Bosh down low. In game one these role players combined for 25 points, but in game two they were able to score 53 points.

3.     Leave the emotions in the locker room

The Heat’s biggest obstacle has been themselves. Miami has become notorious throughout the league for sometimes shutting down when games do not go as planned, arguing calls with referees, and their infamous flopping.

To win the Finals, Miami will need to control their emotions on the court and not let them get in their way of a title. Miami needs to prove their resilience to the league and themselves, by getting up when San Antonio knocks them down, which will happen many times this series.

 Team’s X-Factor- Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh

As of late, Bosh and Wade have been almost dead weight, just taking up space on the court. These two supposedly all stars need to step up their game and play with Lebron. To beat San Antonio’s Big 3, Miami’s own Big 3 needs to first work together. Usually when superstars team up there is a power struggle, the issue here with Miami is that two superstars are both relying solely on one.

Game two was an improvement with Bosh collecting a double-double and Wade reaching double digits in scoring, but there needs to be more done. When all three of this players are on, there is nobody, I repeat nobody, in the league that can beat Miami.

Series Prediction After 2 Games- Miami in seven

Miami is just too good to not win. The Heat may be generally old, but they are a much younger team than the Spurs, and have experience. Benches make the difference in these series, and Miami has a much deeper bench with Andersen, Allen, Miller, and Battier.