Wait, were you expecting an actual game in Game 4 of the 2014 NBA Finals?
The San Antonio Spurs fundamentally dominated once again, beating the Miami Heat 107-86 Thursday night at American Airlines Arena.
Kawhi Leonard continued his role as the best player on the court. He scored a team-high 20 PTS and led the Spurs on both ends with 14 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL and 3 BLK.
As for Miami, outside of a superb 28 PTS and 8 REB from LeBron James, the Heat were completely ineffective on all areas of the floor. They couldn’t shoot, rebound, distribute or defend, let alone score consistently from inside or out.
And once their downfall began early in the opening quarter, it never abated.
Yet the two-time defending champs actually scored the first points of the game behind Chris Bosh’s driving layup. The Spurs missed their first three shots and Miami surprisingly led from the 11:03 to the 9:56 points of the game.
But from that moment forward, basketball perfection materialized for the second straight night on the part of San Antonio.
Versatile big man Boris Diaw controlled the glass with a defensive board. He fed the ball to Leonard, who then assisted on Tim Duncan’s layup.
Dwyane Wade failed to counter by missing one of his 10 shots on the following sequence. Duncan secured the rebound and eventually got it inside to Tony Parker, who then made the open seven-footer.
The Spurs were up 4-2 and the hardwood domination was officially underway.
Danny Green hit his first two shots from distance and Parker made two outside jumpers himself. Dynamic reserve Patty Mills tallied a three and a layup, and Leonard continued doing everything required of an NBA superstar.
Even though James’ 26-footer and a brief six-point sequence between Bosh and Wade kept the deficit to nine, it really felt like 19 heading into the second quarter.
It nearly got there.
Mills provided the assist on Tiago Splitter’s layup and did the same on Green’s third hit from downtown in the opening minute. Diaw and Splitter then threw down a pair of dunks, while Parker and Leonard drilled a couple from close range at the midway point.
With point forward Diaw’s assist on Manu Ginobili’s three and another from Mills off a Ginobili pass, the Spurs were up by 20 with 1:37 left.
James hitting another deep three and assisting on Ray Allen’s two from beyond the arc were really the only highlights for Miami in the quarter.
Wade missed another bunny and the Heat totaled a horrific 36 points at halftime.
Whereas the nine-point hole felt like 19 after one, this actual 19-point deficit might as well have been 190. The Spurs were really that good, and Miami really was that bad.
Then, in one of the oddest quarters of basketball you’ll see, the best player in the world took over the game—and it didn’t make a dent.
James went 7-of-8, hitting his first seven shots, grabbed four boards and scored 19 of Miami’s 21 points in the third. Aside from a meaningless layup by Mario Chalmers, LeBron did everything while the Heat just watched.
Gregg Popovich’s crew merely shrugged—it still owned the quarter 26-21.
Leonard dominated yet again en route to his four rebounds and team-leading eight points. Parker dropped in an additional seven and the Spurs led by 24.
Game…set…match, folks (we’ll exercise our right to omit the 12 minutes worth of fourth-quarter mop-up time).
Duncan complemented Leonard’s efforts and inched closer to Magic Johnson’s all-time playoff record with another playoff double-double (10 PTS, 11 REB). Parker netted a second-leading 19 PTS, Mills totaled 14 off the bench and Diaw nearly registered a triple-double with 9 PTS, 9 REB and 9 AST.
The Spurs shot a phenomenal 57.1 percent from the floor and essentially had their way in every conceivable box-score category. They finished plus-five in made free throws, plus-12 in assists, plus-16 in points in the paint and plus-17 on the glass.
At no point were their 21 points surrendered off 14 turnovers ever apparent in Game 4.
The Heat, meanwhile, played one-on-five for the majority of the night.
After three early baskets, Bosh disappeared, finishing with a ho-him 12 PTS and 4 REB. Wade, for his part, went 3-of-13, missed half of his free throws and compiled a measly 10 PTS all told.
Remove James Jones’ 11 garbage-time points and no other Heat player scored in double figures.
Miami limited itself to an acceptable 13 turnovers, but also generated just 13 assists. Tallying a mere seven fast-break points and having every player register a negative plus/minus represented further evidence of this dismal overall effort.
No team has ever come back from a 3-1 series hole in NBA Finals history.
The defending champs will try and do so beginning Game 5 Sunday night in San Antonio.
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