 |
| Dwyane Wade was the 2006 Finals MVP. He reminded us that when he delivered his best game of the playoffs in Game 4 (Image from: Eric Gay/AP) |
The first 3 games of the finals featured the trio from San Antonio (Neal, Green, Leonard) who collectively have outplayed the Heat 3 of Miami. The Heat 3 needed to play better if Miami wanted to tie the series. The Heat coaching staff decided to go small by inserting Mike Miller into the starting lineup and sitting Udonis Haslem. That slight adjustment allowed Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to start aggressive and active. LBJ was looking for his shot early and so was D-Wade. The Spurs decided to go small to match up with the Heat which resulted to more open spaces that allowed Wade and James to attack and penetrate. The Heat trio played their best games of the finals and their effort on defense was impressive. A couple of defensive plays that stood out: Wade blocking Splitter (poor Tiago) and LBJ blocking Duncan showed how engaged Miami was on protecting the rim. The Heat also defended the perimeter much better as they limited the Spurs to "just" 8 threes made after giving up 16 in the last game. The Heat also had more assists and less turnovers. Which team will be more aggressive in Game 5?
#flashback #LikeABosh #finally
Dwyane Wade a.k.a. Flash finally made an appearance in this series for the whole game. Wade has struggled in the playoffs and has been a non-factor for the finals. Flash had decent first halves in the first 3 games but he would disappear in the last 24 minutes. All of that changed in Game 4 as D-Wade produced his best game since March. The former Finals MVP started strong with 14 points in the opening frame, then he followed that up by scoring 18 more in the 2nd half. The best part of Wade's game was his 6 steals and ZERO turnovers. Flash was focused on defense and he was very active on passing lanes. Does he have more games like that left? Much credit to Chris Bosh for battling in the paint and playing a superb defensive game. Bosh finished with his 3rd double-double of the series plus he was doing an awesome job challenging shots (2 blocks). CB1 did not settle for jumpers and he loitered around the paint where he got easy baskets. Bosh was competing hard and he helped limit Tim Duncan to only 5 rebounds.
#hamstring #turnovers
Tony Parker had a fantastic first half with 15 points and 6 assists while playing on an injured hamstring. The 2nd half was a different story as he failed to score and added 3 assists. Parker was somewhat limited by fatigue that came from his injury. The two days rest will give him all the time he needs to be 100% ready for Game 5. Meanwhile, Danny Green, Gary Neal and Kawhi Leonard all had decent games but none of them exploded like they did in Game 3. Neal and Green had subdued outings due to the extra pressure that Miami dedicated to the shooters. Both Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili had forgettable performances again. Tiago got blocked twice while Manu failed to score in double digits for the 3rd time in the finals. Boris Diaw was effective with 9 points in his limited action. The Spurs had 19 turnovers which gave way to the transition attack of the Heat. The team with the fewest turnovers has won every game so far.
The Spurs adjusted to the Heat by playing small ball. That allowed Miami to dictate the pace and tempo which led to big games from James and Wade. Playing small also helped Miami out-rebound and outscore the Spurs in the paint due to their penetrations. Miami exhibited a frenetic and intense defensive pressure which forced a bunch of bad shots and turnovers. They were also contesting jumpers and challenging shots at the rim (7 blocks). If Miami can continue that pace, the Spurs will have a hard time winning on Sunday. The Spurs need Parker to be healthy and Manu needs to contribute something to them. They cannot rely on Green and Neal to continue shooting at high levels from the perimeter. As for Miami, they cannot relax and wait for another loss before playing to their potential. James and Wade have to be in attack mode at the opening tip while Bosh must not settle for jumpers. Miami has not won consecutive games in a month. Will it finally happen on Sunday?
#Player of the Night
Dwyane Wade (Heat) - 32 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and ZERO turnovers
#Highlight of the Night
Vintage D-Wade
#Tweets of the Nights
Got a whole lot of people crowing about never doubting Wade. These people are big, giant, fraudulent liars.
So DWade showed up. Haaaay… Manonood na lang ako ng Be Careful with My Heart. #NBAFinals
1 Comment
bawi yan spurs. 7 games na to!!!
Balas