OK, Miami has lost three games, and is facing elimination tonight. So, yes, now it is appropriate to check in on the NBA playoffs. But I'm still not convinced you should watch the whole game. Look at the scores in this series so far (home team listed first):
Miami 88 - 92 San Antonio
Miami 103 - 84 San Antonio
San Antonio 113 - 77 Miami
San Antonio 93 - 109 Miami
San Antonio 114 - 104 Miami
Since the first game, there have been five consecutive games in which the winning margin was in double digits. This is very odd, because it is not easy for one team to beat an evenly-matched team by double digits. Anyway, it raises the possibility that tonight's game will be yet another blowout.
So here's my suggestion. Do something else this evening -- I'm going to work and watch UCLA play N.C. State in baseball. And then, around 9 PM Central, check in to see what the score is. If it's a blowout, just go back to whatever you were doing. But only watch if it looks like a good game.
San Antonio leads 68-56 with 4:31 left in the 3d quarter. Tim Duncan has 30 points and 12 rebounds.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio leads 71-63 with 2:06 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteOK, this is a good game. The Heat trail 82-80 with 7:05 to go in the fourth quarter.
ReplyDeleteWade blocks a San Antonio shot, and LeBron goes the length of the floor for a layup. 82-82.
ReplyDeleteThen San Antonio misses a shot, and that turns into a layup for Ray Allen. The Heat lead 84-82 with 6:03 to go in the game.
Miami has outscored San Antonio 19-7 in the fourth quarter.
After scoring 14 points on 3-12 shooting in the first three quarters, LeBron has 10 points on 5-6 shooting in the fourth quarter.
ReplyDeleteHe makes a free throw, and the Heat lead 85-82 with 5:15 to go.
After Kawhi Leonard scores to make it 85-84, LeBron gets another layup. He's got 27 points, and the Heat lead 87-84.
ReplyDeleteStill 87-84 with 3:14 to go. Heat ball. LeBron called for an offensive foul after he elbowed Tony Parker trying to get open.
ReplyDeleteBut at the other end, Duncan misses a running hook shot. He has no points in the fourth quarter. Miami has the ball and they call time with 2:57 to go. Heat 87, Spurs 84.
Wade misses a jump shot, and Manu Ginobli goes the other way for an uncontested layup. 87-86, Miami.
ReplyDeleteActually, that layup was uncontested because Duncan knocked Chris Bosh down with a screen.
Miami comes back and Wade draws a foul. He makes both free throws, and the Heat lead 89-86 with 2 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteGinobli misses a three-pointer, but the Heat punch at the ball instead of grabbing the rebound. The ball ends up going to Danny Green of the Spurs, who is trapped at the mid-court line, and calls time with 1:47 to go.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Tony Parker nails a three! The game is tied at 89 with 1:20 left.
ReplyDeleteHeat ball.
The Heat come down and TURN THE BALL OVER. Bad pass by Mario Chalmers. Parker steals the ball, goes the length of the court, and makes an 8 footer to PUT THE SPURS IN THE LEAD.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio 91, Miami 89. 58 seconds left.
Miami really shouldn't have punched at that rebound after Ginobli's missed three.
Miami comes out. LeBron takes the ball. He dribbles. He dribbles. He's trying to work his way toward the basket. There's a wall of Spurs in front of him. He keeps trying to advance. HE LOSES THE BALL. Duncan gets it and throws it to Ginobli, WHO IS FOULED.
ReplyDeleteGinobli makes both free throws. Spurs lead 93-89 with 38 seconds to go.
Miami comes down, LeBron tries to make an impossible play -- surrounded by Spurs, he throws up an airball or a bad pass, it's hard to tell which it is -- and the Spurs get it again. Ginobli makes 1 of 2 free throws.
ReplyDeleteThe Spurs lead 94-89 with 28.2 seconds to go.
The Spurs are on an 8-0 run.
The Heat, now looking like a team of 8th-graders, give the ball to LeBron, who shoots a desperate three. It's a brick. The Heat get the rebound, and the ball goes back to LeBron, who takes another three. He makes it.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio 94, Miami 92. Twenty seconds left.
Duncan wasn't in the game for that sequence, which I don't understand. If San Antonio had gotten the ball with a 5-point lead, the game would be over. But I think the game is probably over anyway.
The ball goes into Kawhi Leonard, who is fouled with 19.4 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteLeonard misses the first free throw.
Leonard makes the second free throw.
Spurs 95, Heat 92 with 19 seconds left.
More chaos at the Miami offensive end. James misses another three. Duncan is on the bench, and there's another wild scramble. Bosh gets the ball and hits Ray Allen in the corner. He MAKES A THREE TO TIE THE GAME WITH 5.2 SECONDS TO GO.
ReplyDeleteSpurs 95, Heat 95
Spurs ball.
Presumably Duncan will now return to the game.
The Spurs give the ball to Parker, who drives the length of the court. He can't get close to the basket, and ends up taking a weird, off-balance fadeaway shot for the title.
ReplyDeleteIt's an airball.
We're going to overtime.
OK, I know that Gregg Popovich is supposed to be the greatest coach of all time, and that the Spurs are all geniuses. And they may yet win this thing. But if you're up 94-89 with 28 seconds to go, you have to win that game.
ReplyDeleteDan LeBatard said on Mike and Mike a few minutes ago (Mom's in town) that there's apparently a brokenness in humans that leads us to seek out whom to blame in the aftermath of such a fantastic game.
DeleteIt was an exciting game -- especially for 10 year olds -- but there were lots of mistakes on both sides down the stretch.
DeleteThe robots always think they've got it in the bag, but those Globetrotter second-half charges are pretty tough to stop.
DeleteSo I turned on Mike and Mike for Mom again this morning, and they're replaying yesterday's interview with Dan LeBatard.
DeleteESPN Radio is the place to go for people who don't think they're getting enough of Dan LeBatard.
DeleteWith 3:33 to go in overtime, the Spurs lead 97-95, but Bosh makes a layup and is fouled.
ReplyDeleteBosh misses the free throw. Still tied at 97.
LeBron threw a 65-foot pass to create that shot.
But the Spurs come back and Leonard scores to make it 99-97.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Miami commits another turnover, when Wade tries to make a ridiculous pass thru the whole Spurs defense. This turns into a runout for Tony Parker, who is fouled.
ReplyDeleteParker makes 1-2 FT's, and the Spurs lead 100-97 with 2:37 to go.
Ray Allen comes back with a shot in the lane to make it 100-99.
ReplyDeleteThe Spurs cannot score, and Miami has the ball with 1:50 to go.
This time, Wade's complicated pass in the lane works, and James hits a little shot to put the Heat up 101-100. 1:23 left.
The Spurs come down. A mad scramble. Leonard shoots an airball. Parker gets the rebound, but before he does anything the shot clock runs out.
ReplyDeleteMiami ball. Heat call time.
More chaos. LeBron takes another wild shot (he's 11-26 for the game). It misses. San Antonio gets the ball and calls time. They trail 101-11 with 55.4 seconds to go.
ReplyDeleteThat's a typo. The score was 101-100.
DeleteThe Spurs come out and spread the floor. Ginobli drives toward the basket, kicks the ball out, and IT IS STOLEN BY LEBRON. LeBron heads the other way. But as he's driving for a layup, Danny Green slaps at the ball -- and LeBron LOSES IT OUT OF BOUNDS.
ReplyDeleteThe Miami fans are livid, as they wanted a foul on Leonard. But that was a great defensive play and a great call. It was also another turnover by LeBron.
Spurs ball. Miami leads 101-100. 40.5 seconds left.
San Antonio spreads the floor again. Parker appears to be open, and takes a shot -- but Chris Bosh leaps up and blocks the shot. The ball flies up into the air, and Miami gets it. San Antonio commits a foul, but Miami is not in the bonus.
ReplyDeleteWith 11 seconds to go, Wade shoots a 20 footer. No good. Spurs ball.
ReplyDeleteGinobli gets the ball. He drives toward the basket. Ray Allen trails him all the way to the basket and Ginobli loses the ball. The Spurs are forced to foul Ray Allen.
The Spurs are furious. They are certain Ginobli was fouled. And I thought he probably was fouled. But the foul wasn't called. And now Ray Allen is going to the line for Miami with 1.9 seconds left.
He makes both FT's. The Heat lead 103-100 with 1.9 seconds to go. The Spurs will have to try a three-pointer to tie.
The ball goes into Danny Green, who tries a three-pointer from the corner. Chris Bosh crashes into Green, blocking the shot but also knocking Green to the floor.
ReplyDeleteFortunately for Miami, the officials didn't call a foul on Bosh. So the game is over, and the Heat have prevailed by 103-100.
LeBron finishes with 32 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Tim Duncan had 30 points and 17 rebounds, but he scored no points after the third quarter, and he wasn't on the floor for two key late positions that ended in three-point shots for the Heat.
OK, so we're all tied at 3 games apiece, and the title will be decided Thursday night.
ReplyDeleteOnion Sports Network @OnionSports
ReplyDeleteNation Can't Believe It Stayed Up Late To Watch Heat Win | More NBA Finals Coverage: http://onion.com/YbcKko
11:31 PM - 18 Jun 13
Appears that a lot of Kentucky missed a key 30 seconds late in the game because of an Emergency Alert System test.
ReplyDeleteAlso this, from a UK/former Highlands quarterback:
ReplyDeletePatrick Towles @patty_ice14
For a moment there I thought the Spurs were going to ruin David Sterns plan... #whatwasithinking
11:16 PM - 18 Jun 13