During the NBA’s indefinite hiatus, I will be rewatching every game of LeBron’s NBA Finals career. Every Finals game from the last 20 years is available to NBA League Pass subscribers on the NBA app or through apps like YouTube TV. We will be going chronologically through LeBron’s Finals career.
Previous Games
As we shift to a loud Cleveland crowd hosting their first NBA Finals game, Tim Duncan wins the opening tip. If I had the money back then and a bookie, I would have definitely done some Uncut Gems-type bets starting with Duncan winning the tip, points, rebounds, and blocks, with the Spurs covering the spread. I probably also would have lost because these games were hilariously low-soring. Bettors also had a TON of respect for LeBron and the Cavs by this time, while perhaps not respecting the Spurs enough. According to Vegas Insider’s records, the Spurs were never more than a 7.5 point favorite during the Finals and in this game, the Cavs are actually 1-point favorites.
The Cavs had just spent the majority of their last series pulling up upset after upset against the Pistons, so the respect had been earned. And the fans were still amped like it. Boobie Gibson is starting in Game 3 as Larry Hughes is done for the series because of his plantar fascia. Maybe that got the fans more amped.
Still, Cleveland is playing much better and they have multiple leads early. They then cut to an interview with LeBron about what his hug with Illgauskas after they made the Finals meant. Ilgauskas was the “first guy to welcome him” when he was drafted and he also knew how much Big Z went through with the foot surgeries and the “15 or 17-win seasons.” It’s truly a shame that Z had to make his first Finals appearance against this incredible version of Tim Duncan. “I can only imagine what was going through his head through all those times and to finally win I can just understand how it could feel for him as an individual.” Z had 12 points, 18 rebounds and a block in 32 minutes. He did his part as tough of a matchup as he had against Duncan.
A lot of that work was on the offensive glass, and the Cavs have seven offensive rebounds in less than eight minutes. I guess it was always a way to beat the Spurs. Shout out to Chris Bosh. Shout out to the 2016 OKC Thunder. Cleveland is up 13-9, their biggest lead of the game. Then Bruce Bowen hits a corner 3, meanwhile, the Cavs haven’t hit a 3 yet, cutting the lead 13-12. 3 is proving to be much greater than 2. On the night that would prove to be true many times with the Spurs outscored the Cavs 30-9 from the 3-point line. Still, Cleveland holds a lead at the end of the quarter for the first time in nine quarters.
They are doing celebrity shots in Cleveland, featuring what Breen calls the “obligatory Eva Longoria shot.” Was he trying to tell us about the Tony Parker Finals MVP conspiracy before it happened? They also showed Jim Brown, Peyton Manning eating a hot dog and future 2007 No. 1 pick Greg Oden! I’m also now obliged to say that the Oden-Brandon Roy-LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers went 51-25 when healthy. That’s a 67% winning percentage. What a squad they were when they were. Anyway, back to teams actually in the Finals.
The Cavs start the 2nd quarter with the small ball look that got them back in the 4th quarter of Game 2. Boobie, Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall, Varejao, and LeBron. The Cavs are also deciding to blitz Ginobili after Manu dropped 25 in Game 2, but it leads to a foul on the Cavs. Marshall picks up a foul and the small ball experiment lasts exactly 38 seconds of game time. If there’s one thing I’m upset about with Mike Brown in this series, it’s giving up on his plans too early.
Eric Snow is getting more minutes, which helps and the Cavs actually have a point guard to give LeBron the post-entry pass he needs. LeBron is in the post again and knocks over Bowen, but the triple-team comes and LeBron dishes to Big Z for the dunk. The Cavs were up 7 before foul trouble strikes again as LeBron picks up his 3rd foul midway through the 3rd. Cleveland pushes their lead to 8 briefly with LeBron on the bench, but it’s fools gold.
A Brent Barry corner 3-pointer silences the crowd to cut the lead to 5. A few possessions later, Robert Horry hits another 3-pointer to make it 38-all. After all the Cavs did, pushing their lead to 8, all the while Duncan wasn’t on the court. Tony Parker adds insult to injury with a driving floater to lead 40-38.
Also, I’m finding myself enjoying watching Fabricio Oberto more than I anticipated. He’s marauding in the empty spaces around the Spurs stars like an elite midfielder in soccer, finding pockets to deploy his smart passing, soft hands and good midrange jumper. I’m definitely an Oberto Guy. Hedging on LeBron, getting back, getting the defensive board. This guy rules. Also this game is 48-48 with 3:30 left in the 3rd quarter. It’s not quite as high-scoring as Game 2.
Meanwhile, Boobie Gibson has finally gone cold, putting Snow into the game for this crucial stretch as Cleveland is once again in scramble mode to comeback. Tony Parker then hits a midrange over a double-team and it’s cash. LeBron drives the lane looking for contact and it doesn’t get called. Then Micheal Finley hits another 3-pointer, pushing the Spurs lead back to 10. But the Cavs are never quite out of it.
After a couple of Cavs baskets, the score is stuck at 67-63 as both teams exchange empty possessions. Eventually, it’s 69-67 Spurs and LeBron has 10 of his game-high 25 points in the 4th. He was even better in Game 3 than he was in Game 2. But Tony Parker hits a rare pull-up 3, then you guessed it a cut to Eva, then Sasha answers with a trey off an assist from Snow created by LeBron’s drive. Maybe Eric Snow should have started this whole time? Now a steal by the Cavs on Parker, there’s Snow again. Then the Cavs go no timeout, which is standard these days but shocks the broadcasters. After LeBron’s first drive goes nowhere he gives the ball to Varejao, with plenty of time left, rather than getting the ball back to LeBron, tries to drive on Duncan and misses an ill-advised layup. The Cavs didn’t call the timeout to get the ball back to LeBron. Sound familiar?
After the Cavs play the free-throw game and both teams call timeouts, Damon Jones inbounds the ball to LeBron, who runs from Bruce Bowen, clearly trying to foul him. But they don’t call the foul, on the floor or otherwise. LeBron gets the shot off but it just misses. Jeff Van Gundy agrees with LeBron that it should have been a shooting foul, but that’s that. 3-0 Spurs. See you tomorrow for Game 4 as the Cavs look to stave off elimination.
[lawrence-related id=28232,28208]