Tag: Tim Duncan

LeBron James Finals Re-Watch Diary: Game 4, 2013 NBA Finals

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade lead in an All-Time performance, with a little help from future Hall of Famers Ray Allen and Chris Bosh.

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 Finals Game Diaries

Game 1, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron’s first Finals game.

Game 2, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron bounces back but falls down 0-2.

Game 3, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron gets the last shot but it doesn’t go.

Game 4, 2007 NBA Finals: Staying home.

Game 1, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron’s first Finals victory.

Game 2, 2011 NBA Finals: Heat blow 15-point 4th quarter lead.

Game 3, 2011 NBA Finals: Bosh game-winner helps put Heat up 2-1.

Game 4, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron has 8 points in Finals loss.

Game 5, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron bounces back, but Mavs shoot the lights out.

Game 6, 2011 NBA Finals: Jason Terry and the Mavs burn down the Heat in Miami.

Game 1, 2012 NBA Finals: Westbrook and Durant lead comeback to take 1-0 lead over Heat.

Game 2, 2012 NBA Finals: LeBron applies lessons he learned from the Spurs in 2007 in a road win against the Thunder.

Game 3, 2012 NBA Finals: Miami escapes a late Durant rally to go up 2-1.

Game 4, 2012 NBA Finals: LeBron fights through cramps and an epic Westbrook performance to take 3-1 lead.

Game 5, 2012 NBA Finals:’ It’s about damn time’

Game 1, 2013 NBA Finals: Tony Parker hits a clutch shot as Heat crumble with turnovers

Game 2, 2013 NBA Finals: LeBron stones Splitter and gets his first Finals win over the Spurs

Game 3, 2013 NBA Finals: Spurs return the favor with 3-point barrage

Obviously, folks, there has been a lot that’s happened since we were doing the re-watch diary about two weeks ago, George Floyd was killed in police custody and, following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor earlier this year, as well as over 400 years of racial injustice in the United States, social unrest followed throughout the country in recent days. I feel it’s fair to admit that all of this didn’t make it all that enticing to watch and analyze a basketball game from seven years ago.  I’m sure several other people were also not in the mood for such things they normally like to do. Plus with LeBron James being so vocal about the movement and the racial injustices of the nation, it felt more important to highlight those, which will still continue whenever basketball does return.

With the drama of the highest stakes playing out on a national scale minute by minute, on top of a global pandemic, basketball didn’t matter. And while protests are still going, even as I sit here to watch this game, I have found the capacity to care about the game again. Because two paths are something that we must walk, or at least that I must walk, now that basketball is on the horizon again. The option to just pay attention to one or the other doesn’t exist. At least not for me. Most likely, not for you either. So, while LeBron James will continue to speak out on issues of institutional racism and police brutality, which we have and will continue to chronicle on this website, I wanted to continue this classic series. But I also find it poignant that at this time, we are seeing LeBron James, only a year removed from using his platform to speak out against the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, facing off against Gregg Popovich, the most outspoken white coach on the issues of race we have in the NBA. Perhaps the most outspoken white coach ever in the league’s history with regards to racial issues. So with that, we go to Game 4, as LeBron and the Heat were buried under a barrage of 3-pointers in Game 3 to fall 2-1. What follows is what I believe is a forgotten classic of the Big 3 Era. 

If you recall from the last game, the strategy from the Spurs has been to encourage LeBron to take midrange jump shots. LeBron is smartly trying to counter, using his speed, size, and passing, to create high-value 3-pointers for the various Heat shooters. But at some point, LeBron has to take the game into his own hands. He did it in the 4th quarter of Game 2, but we have truly still been waiting for James to deliver the scoring performance the Heat need. Or at least anyone for that matter. Bosh and Wade have provided solid scoring, but nobody on the Heat has eclipsed the 20-point mark in a game, let alone 30. If the Heat are going to get back into the series, this absolutely has to change because as much as basketball is a team game, the NBA is won when players break the most well-thought-out schemes.

One guy who has not had any trouble scoring is Danny Green, who hits an early 3-pointer. The Heat have gone to a small line-up, inserting the red-hot Mike Miller into the line-up, with Chris Bosh as the center and LeBron at power forward. LeBron gets an early steal and a foul in transition. Meanwhile, early foul trouble from Tiago Splitter has brought Gary Neal in for some very early action, matching Miami’s small-ball look. So far, the small ball move isn’t turning out for the Heat as they trail early 12-5. A Kawhi Leonard 3-pointer forces a timeout at 15-5. Out of the timeout, Spoelstra puts Norris Cole into the game to replace Mario Chalmers, who hasn’t been the same since Game 2. Cole’s energy on both ends has helped the Heat, with him driving the ball down the court and handing it off to James for a powerful layup. Then Wade comes through with another basket and it’s 17-11, a little bit better, with the two Heat stars asserting themselves at the same time in a way they have yet to do in the series. But can they keep it up?

As far as LeBron is concerned, one thing he has done much more in this first quarter is take advantage of the Spurs in semi-transition. Anytime the Heat have an opportunity to get in the open court after a turnover or a miss, they get out and run and LeBron, rather than being unsure of what to do is going in with full power that the Spurs cannot stop when they are on their heels. Let alone tiny Cory Joseph, LeBron’s latest victim in transition. The Spurs lead, which was at 10, has been erased now. And then LeBron takes a midrange shot, the one the Spurs have been asking him to take. Then he makes another. In the rhythm after making a few layups, he has 11 points, his highest scoring 1st quarter of the whole Finals so far.

Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade has been a steals machine and has created a great deal of the offensive opportunities that LeBron is finishing. As it happens so often in basketball and in life, one does not happen without the other and Wade’s play has been as instrumental as LeBron’s has been to him. But the fact that they are doing it at the same time is what is most important. The 1-2 punch, hell even a true punch from a star player, had yet to land on the Spurs through three games. To advance, the Heat needed more than 3-pointers from their role players. This is a star, virtuoso performance led by the giants but also capped off by a couple of All-Stars playing as role guys. 

Game 4 of 2013 may not be remembered in the same way as the iconic Game 5 of the 2016 Finals when LeBron and Kyrie Irving both went for over 40, but the effect it had on this series may have been just as important due to the 2-3-2 format of the Finals back in 2013. With the Spurs already winning one on Miami’s home floor, the onus was on the Heat to get at least one in San Antonio. Thanks to their star players and their excellent defense, they are getting the type of game they desperately need. As far as games of the Heat era, this one ranks as a forgotten classic. Also, Game 4 is usually a great game. Shout out to all my Game 4 fans out there. The Heat have their lead up to double-digits, but the Spurs won’t let this game get completely out of hand.

A Parker drive and assist to Kawhi Leonard forces a Spoelstra timeout, with it at 41-36. Also of note, the Heat have stuck with small ball for the entire first half. Chris Andersen is nowhere to be found in the first half, but Shame Battier is getting the most run he’s seen all series. Getting him into the mix would prove to be the right call, only the payoff wouldn’t come until much later on. But the Spurs, as they have done basically all series, are closing the quarter with purpose. They’ve cut Miami’s lead to 47-45 with less than a minute to go in the half. A Boris Diaw lay-up in transition ties the game at 49 with 10.1 seconds to go, forcing another Heat timeout. Then Kawhi Leonard makes a foul to give on LeBron, which confuses Jeff Van Gundy, but the Heat come out empty-handed anyway,

LeBron has 15 first-half points, nearly matching his previous series-high mark of 17 in Game 2. Also, Wade has 14 points. On the other side, the engine for the Spurs Tony Parker, bad hamstring and all, has 15 points in the first half as well. To start the second half, Popovich makes a change again, putting Boris Diaw into the starting lineup for the second half. The game remains in a nip-and-tuck rhythm for the first few minutes of the third quarter, with neither team getting a lead of more than a basket. Meanwhile, Erik Spoelstra is keeping Wade in the game with a 4th foul. But a LeBron midrange jumper, the exact thing the Spurs were hoping would work for them, forces Pop into a timeout with 6:43 left and the Heat up only by 2. Pop’s basketball sense is kicking in and he knows that this LeBron needs to be slowed down in a way outside of the baseline strategy that has slowed him and Wade down in Games 1 through 3. The Spurs wall has been breached.

Danny Green comes through with a 3-pointer, but the good news for the Heat is its been a rare one, only his 2nd. But a Ray Allen bucket, a 3-pointer from Chalmers, and then a layup by LeBron brings the Heat back to a 6-point lead. The assertiveness, from LeBron, Wade, and even a little bit of driving from an aged Allen of all people is giving the Heat extra juice. A sweet lay-up by Kawhi Leonard while fouled by Bosh brings a little life back into the crowd.

Also, it should be said that in addition to the scoring, LeBron has been playing excellent defense as the power forward. He’s protected the rim, battled Duncan and Splitter in the post, and mostly done all that has been asked as him. It may not be Magic Johnson in 1980, but damn, it’s impressive. If Giannis wins the 2020 title, it will probably look a lot like this.

A 3-pointer by Gary Neal gets the Spurs crowd in it again as the Heat lead goes back down to just 3, but Wade brings the counter punch. In soccer, they refer to the two-man game as, “combination play,” which is what I prefer to call the play of Wade and LeBron exhibited in Game 4. It was a dominant performance that we don’t often see from two players on the same team in an  NBA Finals, seemingly dominating from opposite sides of the court at the same time. On cue, Wade grabs an offensive rebound over Ginobili, then LeBron catches another Heat miss and the Heat go up. LeBron and Wade doing some heavyweight stuff in this. It’s probably because of Ray Allen’s shot that we don’t remember this at all, but we should.

Early in the 4th, LeBron rips Splitter and leads the break, which leads to a Ray Allen 3. Gary Neal, however, is going to keep the Spurs alive for a little while longer. With 9:34 left, LeBron takes a brief rest. At around the 8-minute mark, Wade comes up with another steal and he ends with a dunk, much to LeBron’s joy on the bench. Then Wade hits another jumper to give him 30 points, to go along with six steals. If it isn’t the same as Kyrie and LeBron’s legendary 2016 Game 5, it sure feels like a prelude. Now I’m starting to imagine the damage LeBron and Anthony Davis can inflict together once the playoffs arrive. And let’s not forget Chris Bosh while we’re at it, who has an 18-10 double-double at this point, as well as two blocks and just dove on the floor for a steal. The Heat are up 96-85 and Spoelstra wants to give his team a breather with a timeout.

After the timeout and with LeBron back in the game, the lead goes up to as much as 100-85. Another jumper for LeBron, he made 7 midrange jumpers on the game out nine attempts. The efficiency of LeBron (33 points, 11 rebounds, four assists), the ferocity of Wade (30 points, six steals, six rebounds, four assists) and the calming hand of Chris Bosh (20 points, 13 rebounds), and an unexpected miss of drives and 3’s from Ray Allen (14 points) sealed a win and a 2-2 series tie. The Spurs have emptied the bench with four minutes left. As I’ve mentioned many times already, this game should be higher up on the list of classics from the Miami Heat’s Big 3 Era, and in the list of All-Time great games from LeBron. I highly recommend finding it on YouTube if you have the interest.

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A look back at 2013 and 2014: When the Warriors were up-and-comers

The Golden State Warriors showed they were capable of greatness during the early to mid 2010s.

Watching the Golden State Warriors’ ascension to NBA glory was like seeing a prodigy fulfill their potential and become the best at their respective craft.

In the early-to-mid 2010s, the Warriors seemed destined for greatness, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all developing their stardom. During the 2012-13 season, the first season Curry, Thompson and Green played together, the Warriors made the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

The 2013 Warriors weren’t the “We Believe” Warriors when it came to making history; the 2007 Warriors are one of five No. 8 seeds in league history to take down the No. 1 seed in the first round.

But like the 2007 team, the 2013 Warriors were fearless — and on top of that, they were more talented.

Golden State defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games during that postseason’s first round, boasting five players who averaged double figures in scoring during the series.

Curry was an electric ringleader, as he led the Warriors in points per game (24.3) and shot 44.2% from the 3-point line. Jarrett Jack was one of the most serviceable complementary guards in the league at the time, and he scored 18.8 points a game on 52.6% shooting from the field.

Both players were also pivotal for the Warriors when it came to playmaking. Curry led the team in assists per game (9.3) that series, and Jack wasn’t far behind at 7.0. They were the only two players on the team who dished at least five assists a game.

By the time the second round came, the Warriors proved they weren’t just some run-of-the-mill, Cinderella franchise.

They took the San Antonio Spurs to six games in the semifinals. With Curry as the top player once more, he averaged 22.5 points per game, but he didn’t shoot as well from beyond the arc; he shot 35.2% from the 3-point line.

Harrison Barnes was a worthy sidekick, though, against the Spurs’ dominant core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard.

Barnes scored 17.3 points per game and grabbed 7.3 rebounds a game. With the Warriors down 2-1, he had a stellar performance in Game 4. He scored a team-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Warriors won Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece.

Despite losing to the Spurs in the second round, the Warriors came back even more formidable in 2013-14, advancing to the playoffs with a 51-31 record. They were the sixth seed in a highly competitive Western Conference, but they lost an entertaining seven-game series in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The teams split the first four games at two games apiece, and the Clippers won a pivotal Game 5. DeAndre Jordan had a team-high 25 points and grabbed a team-best 18 rebounds in the victory.

The Warriors won Game 6, 100-99, and Curry scored a team-high 24 points to help force a Game 7. The Clippers, though, loaded with talent in Jordan, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, won the final game 126-121. Curry had a dominant performance, scoring 33 points and dishing nine assists as he shot 3-of-7 from deep.

His performance was indicative of how dominant the Warriors would be in the near future. Once the 2015 season rolled around, the Warriors were the top team in the West. The core of Curry, Thompson, Green, along with important complementary player Andre Iguodala, won their first title together in 2015 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And from there, like a gifted chess player or a talented musician, the Warriors continued to shine, winning titles in 2017 and 2018.

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Research: LeBron has been the top player in more playoff series than anybody else in NBA history

We recently looked up playoff GameScore ratings from the indispensable Basketball-Reference, an advanced stat created by former Grizzlies front-office member John Hollinger which gives “a rough measure of a player’s productivity for a single game.” …

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We recently looked up playoff GameScore ratings from the indispensable Basketball-Reference, an advanced stat created by former Grizzlies front-office member John Hollinger which gives “a rough measure of a player’s productivity for a single game.”

According to GameScore, LeBron James has been the No. 1 player in more playoff series than anyone else, which speaks to the four-time league MVP’s sustained level of excellence and longevity. James has been the top statistical player 38 times out of the 45 playoff series he’s taken part in, per GameScore, good for a percentage of 84.4 percent.

Not to be outdone, however, Michael Jordan owns the best percentage of series in which he was the best player. Only twice out of the 37 playoff series he competed in was he not the top player, giving him a strong percentage of 94.6 percent.

James and Jordan finish as runaway No. 1 and No. 2 on our rankings here respectively, James with 38 playoff series as the No. 1 player per GameScore and Jordan with 35.

Other eye-opening entries on these rankings: Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant and Reggie Miller rank higher than you might expect based on how they are typically ranked in GOAT lists. Olajuwon was the No. 1 statistical player in 19 playoff series (as many as Shaquille O’Neal), Durant in 15 series (three more than Kobe Bryant) and Miller in 11 series (as many as Wade).

There is one important caveat to consider here: These numbers are only dating back to 1983-84. If not for that, legends like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird would rank higher, and others like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would make the list, though they still wouldn’t beat LeBron or Jordan based on the number of series they played in.

For the full ranking of the Top 22 players with the most playoff series as the top player, just click through the gallery above.

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Research: When LeBron lost, he did it against stronger opposition than any other NBA legend

Last week, we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs. This week, we’re taking a peek at those same superstars, but this time, looking at the winning percentages of the …

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Last week, we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs.

This week, we’re taking a peek at those same superstars, but this time, looking at the winning percentages of the opponents that they lost to in the postseason.

The first thing that jumps out is that although LeBron James beat weaker competition than most legends on average, he also lost to stronger squads than anybody else, mostly due to all of those Finals series against juggernaut Golden State Warriors teams.

The teams who defeated LeBron James in the playoffs combined for a whopping 608-212 regular-season record, good for a winning percentage of 74.1 percent.

One player who isn’t far off from LeBron on our list is Kevin Durant. If you ever wondered why the Oklahoma City Thunder came up painfully short so many times leading to Durant’s controversial departure, just look at the brutal competition they had to face, including the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the West, and the Miami Heat in the East during the 2012 Finals.

Overall, it’s clear that it took a lot to beat these guys. Out of the 25 superstars we examined, 21 only lost to opponents who had greater than a 66 percent win percentage, meaning they could only be taken down by the best of the very best.

For more info on the caliber of opponents the 23 other superstars lost to who we didn’t go in-depth on, just check out the gallery above.

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How tough were the teams NBA legends beat in the playoffs?

When we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs, two players who stood out were the legendary Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, who finished within percentage points of …

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When we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs, two players who stood out were the legendary Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, who finished within percentage points of each other at No. 1 and No. 2 on our list respectively.

It’s easy to see why, too, because looking back, both played in super-strong era of the Western Conference. Just as a quick example, the Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs in the West back in 2007-08. They won 48 games that season.

Overall, Bryant won far more series during his career, but Nowitzki won with worse company surrounding him.

Looking through other notable stars on our list, LeBron James finds himself down in the rankings at No. 14, as the playoff opponents he defeated boasted a 60 percent win rate, a product of him spending the vast majority of his career in the much weaker Eastern Conference. (The same can be said of Magic Johnson, who’s 20th on our list, due to the fact that the West was pretty weak overall in the ’80s.)

Regardless, James deserves credit for one feat: Nobody on our list beat a better team than he did in 2015-16 when he took down the 73-9 Warriors in the Finals.

Other noteworthy players on our research-based ranking include Michael Jordan (No. 4), Kevin Durant (No. 7) and Larry Bird (No. 23).

For the entire list, just click through the gallery posted at the top of the page.

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LeBron James Finals Re-Watch Diary: Game 3, 2013 NBA Finals

After LeBron James scored his first NBA Finals win against the Spurs, the San Antonio Spurs bounce right back with a statement of their own.

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 Finals Game Diaries

Game 1, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron’s first Finals game.

Game 2, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron bounces back but falls down 0-2.

Game 3, 2007 NBA Finals: LeBron gets the last shot but it doesn’t go.

Game 4, 2007 NBA Finals: Staying home.

Game 1, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron’s first Finals victory.

Game 2, 2011 NBA Finals: Heat blow 15-point 4th quarter lead.

Game 3, 2011 NBA Finals: Bosh game-winner helps put Heat up 2-1.

Game 4, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron has 8 points in Finals loss.

Game 5, 2011 NBA Finals: LeBron bounces back, but Mavs shoot the lights out.

Game 6, 2011 NBA Finals: Jason Terry and the Mavs burn down the Heat in Miami.

Game 1, 2012 NBA Finals: Westbrook and Durant lead comeback to take 1-0 lead over Heat.

Game 2, 2012 NBA Finals: LeBron applies lessons he learned from the Spurs in 2007 in a road win against the Thunder.

Game 3, 2012 NBA Finals: Miami escapes a late Durant rally to go up 2-1.

Game 4, 2012 NBA Finals: LeBron fights through cramps and an epic Westbrook performance to take 3-1 lead.

Game 5, 2012 NBA Finals:’ It’s about damn time’

Game 1, 2013 NBA Finals: Tony Parker hits a clutch shot as Heat crumble with turnovers

Game 2, 2013 NBA Finals: LeBron stones Splitter and gets his first Finals win over the Spurs

We enter Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals as LeBron James has just scored his first-ever NBA Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs in his first six tries, between 2007 and this series six years later. It still remains quite impressive that LeBron and the Spurs would meet again, six years after the first time and then again in 2014. But one thing that hasn’t changed since 2007 is that LeBron remains winless in San Antonio. His first game in 2007 he was feeling things out to the degree of letting his teammates feel out too much of the game for him, then responded with a better performance in Game 2, before the Cavs were ultimately swept after losing two close games at home. Now LeBron, who finally obliged the Spurs defense to shoot some pull-up jumpers, has momentum going into San Antonio. But he would again be quiet in looking for his own shot early. 

Tony Parker has been the motor of the Spurs offense for the first two games and in Game 2, the Heat did a great job of putting multiple guys on him and bothering him. Mario Chalmers, in particular, stepped up big time. But the Spurs were still in the game until it was broken open late in the 3rd quarter, mostly thanks to Danny Green, who contributed a barrage of 3-pointers and led the Spurs in scoring. But the Spurs keep you on their toes and after a lackluster game, Tim Duncan makes it a point to be more aggressive, calling for the ball in the post and punishing the smaller Heat by attacking the offensive boards. A Kawhi Leonard 3 makes it 5-2 San Antonio early on. It looks like the Heat have a classic transition opportunity which they are known to exploit, but again Danny Green foils the attempt, as he did a few times in Game 2, forcing Dwyane Wade into a turnover. Green can still shoot it in 2020 as a member of the Lakers and is still a capable defender, but he’s not a one-man wrecking crew of arguably the greatest fast break the game has ever seen. Seven years will do that.

Speaking of years, Duncan throws down an emphatic dunk and forces a Heat timeout at 11-4. It’s feeling a little bit like 2007 early on. It’s time for LeBron to show Coach Pop and the Spurs what he has learned, as well as who he has come to the party with. Just as happened in Game 2, the two-man game with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade leads to a Wade basket. On the next play, Wade uses Haslem as a screener and it ends in a second chance, with Bosh getting to the foul line. The Spurs, however, have their offense whipping the ball and moving bodies around in a tornado of pick and rolls. But Mike Miller comes through with a 3-pointer and then a James steal leads to a Wade layup to calm things down. When this game was happening, I was working a catering shift and watching it on my phone in the back waiting for the event to be over and I could clean up. I do remember that Mike Miller was pretty special in these road games.

LeBron gets his first field goal at the 3:23 mark of the first quarter, a powerful right-handed hook shot over Kawhi Leonard from the left block. Then LeBron finds a cutting Wade to get an easy bucket. I hope Dion Waiters is watching films from these games. Then LeBron works as the screener with Norris Cole, catches the ball in the post and then LeBron finds a cutting Birdman. LeBron turning it on has helped but the Spurs still lead 24-20 after the first.

It’s been a slow start to the 2nd quarter offensively as both teams are locking in on the defensive end. A 3-pointer by Gary Neal is the only basket of the first two minutes between either team. Then Danny Green, again, somehow stifles LeBron in the post. I don’t think I can truly convey how weird this is to see, considering LeBron’s go-to move these days is his classic spin-move where he barrels over guys to a lay-up. Green has all of his moves down and frankly, so far in this game, has been better against James than Kawhi Leonard. The quarter gets to the 9:37 mark before Bosh breaks the Heat scoring drought at the free-throw line, splitting a pair to make it 27-21 Spurs. The Spurs inability to score has been curious as they’ve gone to a smaller lineup with Matt Bonner at the power forward spot. Bosh then hits again to make it 23-27, then Bosh makes a block. A Norris Cole 3-pointer makes it 26-27 and the Heat have cut this lead all with LeBron taking a brief rest. It’s exactly what the 2007 Cavs could never do. But Danny Green hits another 3-pointer as Dwyane Wade leaves him open, rather than stunting.

A rare Ray Allen offensive rebound gives the Heat a little life and LeBron continues to get one of his rare rests, as he averaged 43.3 minutes per game in this series. James is finally back in the game but the Spurs continue a few steps ahead as Tim Duncan is playing like a Hall of Famer. A jumper by Gary Neal follows, then a dunk in transition by Leonard off a turnover, and the Spurs now have their biggest lead of the game at 40-30. Luckily, the lifesaver, Mike Miller is there to keep the Heat afloat with his second 3 of the game. The Heat then force a couple of turnovers and make the game a little bit tighter in the last two minutes of the first half. Mike Miller hits AGAIN and it’s a one-point game. Then Wade ties the game at 44, but it doesn’t last long as Tony Parker hits a corner 3. Then Green blocks LeBron and it ends with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Neal. After all the work to tie the game, the Heat trail by 6 again in the blink of an eye.

But of course, as it always does, the conversation comes back to LeBron as his team is in danger of going down 2-1. For the second straight game, he’s been setting the table offensively and being active defensively, rather than take the open shots the Spurs are obliging him to take. He had four points in the first half and he’s got to do something to make the Spurs pay for their coverage. They are building a wall, but the best way over the wall isn’t through it but over it. Miami is struggling offensively to start and the Spurs are humming, with Green again being a major difference. The Spurs are 8 for 16 from the 3-point line and the Heat continue to come up short. They are trying to play through Wade but the Spurs are walling off the penetration to make life difficult for him as well. Green entries to dunk it on Bosh, but gets fouled and the lead is up to 59-46, the largest Spurs lead of the game and the series.

Mike Miller hits another one to keep the Heat afloat. Glad to know my memories from the back of the catering room are still as good as they were then. But Danny Green just has had everybody on the Heat one better from the outside, hitting again and pushing the lead to 13 again. It’s starting to feel a bit like Game 2 did for Miami, with the Spurs hitting all of the shots and the Heat in a drought. LeBron is taking more jumpers, but they will not go. Meanwhile, Chalmers, a key to the victory in Game 2, has been awful and commits another turnover. Miller thankfully for Miami hits another 3-pointer to make it a 10-point game, but it feels like it’s going to go to waste in Game 3, as valiant as Miller’s effort is. A Ginobili dunk with 5:07 to go pushes the lead to 14 anyway. Miller’s Game 3 is feeling a lot like Danny Green’s Game 2, a great performance that will ultimately be forgotten.

However, all is not good for San Antonio. Tony Parker, who has been dealing with injuries all playoffs long, has walked back to the Spurs locker room, thrusting a young Cory Joseph into the Spurs line-up for the first time all series. But the Spurs machine hums on with a fresh new cog, pushing their lead to 17, then eventually to 21.

 

This one is as good as over, but it’s still the 3rd quarter and the Heat have an obligation to at least try to make one more run. It’s the NBA Finals, after all. LeBron makes a 3-pointer, his first shot outside of the paint, but he’s a loathsome 3 for 14 tonight. LeBron hits another shot and Jeff Van Gundy is having a party that LeBron is finding confidence in his shot. LeBron’s scoring spurt of 9 straight points cuts the lead to 13, but again the Spurs get a basket just before the buzzer with a dunk by Splitter, again slowing the Miami momentum before it can get them back in the game. Altogether, Game 3 was one of LeBron’s four worst shooting performances in Finals history in games where he took at least 20 field goal attempts, going 7 for 21.

LeBron doesn’t come out of the game until the 5:43 mark of the game, as Van Gundy believes Erik Spoelstra is making the Heat own their awful performance. It also turns out I was wrong that the 2012 Social Media Awards were the first and last ones in NBA history. It happened in 2013 too. Sigh. 

LeBron showed some life with the jumper but if there’s a note he’s got to take from both Games 2 and 3 it’s that he’s got to establish that he can hit it earlier in the game and be the biggest threat to score on the court in order to make things easier for the rest of the Heat. The Spurs won’t make it easy, but championships never are. See you for Game 4.

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Danny Green: Tim Duncan and LeBron James ‘right there’ as best teammates

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Danny Green said something that could be construed as a shot at his former teammate Kawhi Leonard.

All signs are pointing to the NBA not only making a return but finishing a 70-game regular season before going into the playoffs. And we’ve already tried to visualize what the final regular-season games for the Lakers may look like. With the return of games on the horizon, we also get the return of a little bit of good ol’ sports drama. And today, that comes to us in the form of Los Angeles Lakers Danny Green, who said something that could be seen as a slight to his former Spurs/Raptors teammate and current rival, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

During an interview with ESPN’s Ros Gold-Onwude, Green said that LeBron James is ‘right there’ with Tim Duncan as his ‘best teammate,’ without even a mention of Leonard, the 2019 and 2014 Finals MVP.

Green has been teammates with LeBron at two very different points of LeBron’s career, back during his first run with the Cavaliers and now with the Lakers. Tim Duncan is widely seen as the driving force behind the Spurs dynasty, but it is interesting that after seeing Leonard dominate the last playoffs, he didn’t even get consideration. But while Leonard is one of the arguably the best player in the league right now, he doesn’t have the resume of either Duncan or LeBron.

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Mario Elie says Hakeem Olajuwon was more skilled than Tim Duncan

“This guy doesn’t get enough credit for how good he was,” Mario Elie says of Hakeem Olajuwon, his former teammate with the Rockets.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan will always be linked in history, since both were Hall of Fame big men for Texas teams. Each man more than lived up to his billing as a No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft by leading his franchise to multiple NBA titles, including each team’s first ever.

Olajuwon’s career lasted 18 seasons from 1984 to 2002, and it overlapped slightly at the end with the younger Duncan, who played 19 years for the San Antonio Spurs from 1997 through 2016. Both MVP centers were ranked among the top 12 NBA players of all-time in ESPN’s recent list.

One man who knows them both well is Mario Elie, who played five seasons alongside Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets before finishing his career with two seasons next to Duncan in San Antonio. Elie was a part of Houston’s title teams in 1994 and 1995 and the championship Spurs squad in 1999, so he saw both greats at the peak of their powers.

When asked Thursday by SiriusXM NBA Radio to pick between the two, Elie was diplomatic about it and acknowledged Duncan’s higher total of five team titles, as compared to two for Olajuwon. However, Elie ultimately said he would go with “The Dream” as the more skilled player.

I played with him, I played with [David] Robinson, and I played with Duncan. I know numbers do matter, and championships and all that. But if you’re telling me skill-wise between Duncan and Olajuwon, you have to give the edge to Olajuwon.

Olajuwon’s footwork, fadeaway jumper, jump hook… he can face you up, can put it on the floor. He shot 85 (percent) from the line and was an outstanding defensive player. He was always in top of the league in steals. [He’s] the package. This guy doesn’t get enough credit for how good he was. I know Michael Jordan did rule in the 90s, but I think the guy sort of second to him, 1B, was Olajuwon.

Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points (51.2% shooting), 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game over his career with the Rockets, while Duncan tallied 19.0 points (50.6% FG), 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.

Elie was more diplomatic than fellow Houston teammate Robert Horry, who played with Duncan later in his Spurs career. In comments from June 2017, Horry said Olajuwon was “20 times better” than Duncan.

While Duncan ultimately won more titles, he was always flanked by a combination of current or probable Hall of Famers such as Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard. By contrast, Olajuwon played most of his first decade in the NBA as the lone star in Houston.

It could also be argued that Olajuwon played in the era of Michael Jordan, which made it tougher for any other team to win titles.

In any event, both Olajuwon and Duncan are regarded as class acts and among the greatest big men to ever play the sport of basketball. But if Elie had to choose — and as someone that played with both, he’s in a position to know best — it sounds as if he would go with “The Dream.”

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On this day: Cs whiff ’97 lottery, miss Duncan; send LBJ home in ’08

On this day in 1997, the Boston Celtics missed the top pick of that year’s draft and with it Tim Duncan; 11 years later, they sent LBJ home in the ’08 East Semis.

On this day in 1997, the Boston Celtics flopped in that year’s Draft Lottery, ending up losing the top overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs despite having the highest odds — 36.3 percent — of landing the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.

The whiff was one of the more impactful bits of bad luck experienced by the team in its worst era in terms of success in club history.

The unlucky turn sent generational big man talent Tim Duncan to the Spurs, with Boston drafting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer with the third and sixth picks of that draft, respectively.

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Ranking: The players with the most playoff series won in NBA history

You will see a lot of superstars here, but also a bunch of role players.

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You will see a lot of superstars here, but also a bunch of role players.

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