On Thursday, June 12, the San Antonio Spurs won game four of the NBA Finals to take a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat, making game five in San Antonio a must win for the Heat.
The Spurs were led by starters Kawhi Leonard, who scored 20 points, hauled in 14 rebounds and blocked three shots, and point guard Tony Parker, who scorched the Heat with 19 points.
San Antonio’s performance was just the tip of the iceberg compared to game three of the series, when they scored 71 points on 76 percent shooting in the first half alone en route to a 111-92 beat down of the Heat.
Miami was once again led by superstar LeBron James, who led the Heat in scoring for the third time in the series with 28 points in a losing effort.
“They were great,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra on the Spurs’ performance during the postgame interview. “I can honestly say none of us were expecting their performance.”
The Heat are facing very tough odds, and in the history of the NBA Finals, not one team has ever come back to win a best of seven series when down 3-1.
For the Spurs, a win on Sunday would clinch the series, giving the franchise its fourth NBA title.
“Now we’ve got to go back home and play as well or better,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (usatoday.com).
As a team, San Antonio has shot 57 percent so far in the series against a team who ranks 11th in the league in defensive efficiency.
Many of Miami’s problems seem to depend on its offense, and they have yet to score 100 points in the series. As a team, the Heat shot just over 45 percent in game four and 40 percent from behind the arc.