 |
| Buzzer-beater and dagger from Tony Parker that won Game 1 for the Spurs (Image from: Noah Graham/Getty Images) |
#clutch #dagger #whatashot
He stumbled with the ball while LeBron James was all over him with the shot clock winding down. Then with roughly 0.4 seconds left on the shot clock, Tony Parker managed to elude James for a bank shot that rattled in to give the Spurs a 4-point lead with about 5 seconds left in regulation. That dagger effectively ended all hope of Miami forcing overtime or winning the game. Tony Parker spearheaded the Spurs' rally in the 4th quarter with 10 points as he outscored the Heat 3 in the last period. Parker dominated the PGs of the Heat and he delivered a sublime performance with 21 points and ZERO turnovers. Miami only had 9 turnovers for the game but they fumbled the ball a lot in the 4th with 5 turnovers which allowed the Spurs to take over. Parker did not carry the Spurs alone since he got ample support from Tim Duncan who almost had a double-double by halftime. Timmy finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds to go with his solid defense in the paint. His presence discouraged James and Bosh from attacking the paint.
#StayingSharp #GreatGame #turnovers
Game 1 provided us with entertaining and exciting basketball. Both teams only had 2 turnovers each in the first half and the pace favored scoring. The largest lead was 9 points which belonged to the Heat as they led most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Spurs actually started strong with a quick 9-2 lead which removed any doubts that the 9 days of rest hurt them. Even Manu Ginobili seemed to bust out from his shooting slump. Meanwhile, the Heat struggled in the 4th quarter with 5 turnovers and awful isolation sets that resulted to long jumpers. The Spurs countered those by having zero turnovers and making their shots. They outscored Miami 23-16 in the 4th with contributions from Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. Coach Spo decided to sit LeBron and Wade together in the 4th for about 3 minutes and that might have been his worst decision in Game 1. Miami was unable to build a lead without them and whatever rhythm they had in the 3rd quarter was lost with all their turnovers. The Spurs, led by Parker quickly took over during that stretch and led by as much as 7 points.
#tripledouble #awfulshot
LeBron James had a monster stat line of 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. But Miami still lost. It is not entirely his fault that they lost since this was a collective losing effort from the Heat. D-Wade had a great 1st half with 13 points but he disappeared in the 4th with ZERO points while Bosh chipped in 2 points in the 4th. Chris Bosh then took an awful three with the score at 90-86 for the Spurs with a minute left. He missed (0-4 from deep) and the Spurs managed to hold on for the win. The Spurs left Bosh open for a reason and he bailed the Spurs out by taking that terrible three. Miami had 3 other shooters on the floor who were better than Bosh from deep (Allen, Miller, James) yet Bosh decided to launch that shot. He must reconsider his approach in the Finals and avoid those bad threes. As for LBJ, he was not that dominant offensively as he settled for long shots and did not operate on the post often. A lot of the credit goes to Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs for making James look passive. Miami needs him to score more if they want to win Game 2.
Being behind in a series is a recurring theme for Miami. They have won the past 4 series after being down and just last year, they beat the OKC Thunder in 4 straight after losing Game 1. To expect Miami to beat the Spurs 4 straight times WONT be happening. All the pressure is on the Heat to come out stronger and play better in Game 2 to tie the series because the next 3 are in San Antonio. If the Heat loses on Sunday, we could be talking about a parade in San Antonio by next week. The Spurs wont be satisfied stealing one game so Miami needs to bring their very best. This includes LBJ who must force the issue more and attack the paint. He settled for jumpers (1-5 threes) and rarely challenged the Spurs' front line (3-4 FTs). Others need to help especially Bosh who stayed on the perimeter again even though Roy Hibbert no longer plays in this series. Miami also needs to explore trapping Tony Parker when he has the ball at mid-court or send double teams early to force him to pass the ball. Putting LBJ on him most of the time will tire James early so maybe try D-Wade. As for the Spurs, they got out-rebounded and had less assists but they won the game due to their 4 turnovers and clutch shooting.
#Player of the Night
Tony Parker (Spurs) - 21 points, 6 assists, ZERO turnovers and 10 points in the 4th
#Highlight of the Night
Dagger from Parker
#Tweets of the Nights
That shot was CLEARLY out of Tony Parker's hand before the shot clock. That shot was big-time CLUTCH with LeBron all over him.
@EvaLongoria @NBA your ex is AWESOME BABY - Mr Clutch!
Game 1 Highlights
0 Comment