#PBA2015: Commish Cup Finals Game 3 Preview

A 17-point lead in the first half and a 44-point explosion from Jayson Castro, which was a career-high for “The Blur”, could not catapult Talk ‘N Text towards a 2-0 lead in the #PBA2015 Commissioner’s Cup Finals. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters delivered a marvelous team effort that gave them a 116-108 win over TNT and now the series is tied at 1-1. Anyway, here are some ideas for adjustments (or things that they need to continue doing) which both teams can use in preparation 

for Game 3.

Paul Lee and Wayne Chism have been solid for ROS in their first 2 games
(Image from: pba-online.net)

The 2013 NBA Finals: Re-HEAT

Shane Battier played his best game of the season in Game 7.
He had 18 points on 6-8 from downtown.
(Image from: ESPN.com)

#Game7 #back2back #champs
It was not as good as Game 6 but the last game of the season came very close to matching the previous game. Miami had the lead in the 4th quarter but they could not pull away from San Antonio. The Spurs always had an answer for every big play by the Heat. The biggest lead was 7 points and it could have gone either way. A lucky bounce here, a clutch jumper there and an unlikely missed shot decided the champion of 2013. All the players played to exhaustion and The Miami Heat earned every bit of their trophy after an epic and competitive series versus the San Antonio Spurs. The two heavyweights punched back and forth with neither team going down for the count. The game was very close for 47+ minutes and the Spurs were right there until Duncan missed a "bunny", then LBJ nailed a jumper which he was doing all-night long. The Heat escaped with a win and now they are on top of the basketball world with their 2nd straight title. Miami was the best team in the regular season and they had the best player in the NBA. Nothing was easy in the Finals. This was one of the best Finals Ive seen and Im already looking forward to next season. Im crossing my fingers that Miami and San Antonio have NOT seen the last of each other.

#jumpers #mvp #flash #shane
LeBron James made jumper after jumper to finish with 37 points, a finals high for him. He snagged his 2nd Finals MVP trophy after he made 5 threes and 9 jumpers in total. The Spurs kept giving LBJ space to shoot instead of him attacking the paint. That was a good strategy for the Spurs since James struggled shooting in the first 6 games of the finals. But for the past season, LBJ was among the best and most efficient shooters in the NBA. His jumper felt good in the most important game of the season and even Dwyane Wade had enough in him to deliver an adequate supporting role. Wade was active defensively (10 boards, 2 blocks) and his jumpers were falling during isolation plays. Kudos to Shane Battier who played his best game as a Heat with 18 points on 6 threes. Battier was on a shooting slump prior to Game 6 and was not playing much. In the last 2 games, he shot 9-12 from downtown. Miami needed all the points they could harness from Battier and Chalmers (14 points). Only 5 players scored for Miami since Mike Miller, Ray Allen and Chris Bosh combined for ZERO points but all of that will be forgotten thanks to the brilliance of LeBron James.

#class #respect #gospursgo 
The Spurs deserve a lot of praise and credit for their performance this season. Many (including myself) did not expect them to reach the Finals as we opted to select the OKC Thunder or LA Lakers to represent the West. The Spurs exemplified team ball and unselfishness as they marched their way to the Finals with only 2 losses. The Spurs almost became champs in Game 6. They faltered in that game but they recovered and battled hard in Game 7. Ultimately, they could not stop LeBron James, so they fell short to the best player in the game. After the buzzer, the Spurs congratulated and hugged the champs. San Antone oozed class and respect from their players to their coaching staff. This series displayed the shooting talents of Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard's superb play on both sides of the floor. Kawhi had 5 double-doubles while primarily defending James. Tim Duncan delivered vintage performances in the last 2 games but Tony Parker was clearly limited by injury while Manu Ginobili was erratic. Manu had a better performance in this game than Game 6 but he committed 3 turnovers in the 4th including a crucial one in the last seconds with the Spurs down by 4. If this was the last hurrah of the Spurs Big 3, they went out with dignity and class. I truly applaud that.

#nextseason #3-peat? #basketballneverstops
Winning their second straight title was tougher and harder than the first one. For the Heat to compete and win their 3rd straight, a lot more will be required of them. Other teams in the East will be better, hungrier and stronger. The Bulls will have a refreshed Derrick Rose while the Pacers will get Danny Granger back (or he could be traded for someone who can contribute instantly). The Knicks and Nets will be competitive while the Sixers could have Andrew Bynum ready, if he stays with them. Miami will have most of their players back and they need to retain Chris Anderson. Meanwhile, Ray Allen has a player option for next year and hopefully he will exercise that to remain with Miami. The Heat might use their amnesty clause on Mike Miller, James Jones or Joel Anthony to search for another big man who can battle the likes of Roy Hibbert. As for the Spurs, Ginobili will be a free agent or he might retire. If Manu does leave, the Spurs have adequate players (Green & Leonard) who can fill the void. Tim Duncan has already expressed his desire to play out his contract and that means Coach Pop will be back as well. Overall, this was a great and exciting NBA season and the finals proved to be an epic way of ending the 2012-2013 season. Basketball never stops and our focus will be on the NBA Draft and the upcoming free agent season starting on July.  

#Player of the Night
LeBron James (Heat) - 37 points (finals high), 12 rebounds, 4 assists and  5 threes

#Highlight of the Night
Top Plays of the Finals

#Tweets of the Nights

Steve Kerr ‏@SteveKerrTNT

LeBron's defensive range is incomparable. David West one series, Tony Parker the next. The man is a machine.

Phil Jackson ‏@PhilJackson11

Good game-good game. Congrats to the Heat they won it on a great effort by LJ in both games 6 and 7. Spurs gave a great team effort.

Dwight Howard ‏@DwightHoward

Congrats to the 2x champion Heat and Spurs for a great NBA Finals. Great series, worthy champions.

enzo flojo ‏@hoopnut

My students were saddened by how the #NBAFinals ended. At least I know they can still tell who the good guys are. #HeatWon #OfCourseItSucks

The 2013 NBA Finals: Heat Escape in OT

Ray Allen made a tough corner three with 5 seconds left in regulation to force OT
(Image from: Wilfredo Lee/AP)

#epic #classic #cardiacgame
Twitter thought the game was over. I thought the game was over, twice! Miami was down 13 in the 4th, then down 5 with less than 30 seconds left. Security people were getting ready to bring the trophy on the court. A yellow rope around the sidelines was prepared to prevent fans from storming the court after the Spurs win. The Finals MVP ballots were being distributed to the voters. A bunch of Heat "fans" left with still time on the clock (Im glad they were not allowed back in during OT). I did not stop watching until the end and I got rewarded with an epic game and an instant classic. This game had a dominant first half by Duncan which was followed by a monster 4th quarter by LeBron. There were highlights allover the place including a facial by Kawhi Leonard and a couple of Wade drives to the paint. Heck, we even saw LeBron without a headband and Mike Miller without a shoe. This was the best game and most exciting thing Ive seen this year. My heart was pounding during the 4th quarter and OT. I can only hope, wish and pray that Game 7 will be a better game.  

#tripdub #bosh #JesusSaves
LeBron James came alive in the 4th quarter and overtime to help save Miami's season for one more game. The Heat needed his triple double (2nd of the Finals) to force overtime, then some more luck to see Game 7 on Thursday. James was struggling scoring in the first 3 quarters with just 14 points and on some occasions, LBJ could not capitalize when Diaw was guarding him. James had a lot of help in securing this win. Chris Bosh was great defensively in OT and he finished with his 4th double-double of the series. Bosh helped limit Duncan to 5 points in the 2nd half plus Bosh made two key blocks in OT to preserve the Heat win. The biggest shot of the night went to Ray Allen who made a clutch corner three to force OT after a Bosh offensive rebound. Allen was quiet early on but he scored 9 points in the 4th and overtime. Miami also got major contributions from Mario Chalmers who led Miami in scoring in the first half. Super Mario was a welcome sight to Heat fans. Shane Battier finally made his shots as he made 3 threes while Mike Miller finished with 8 points and 7 rebounds including a shoe-less 3-pointer. D-Wade was sloppy and ineffective with his shot selections. He finished with a team worst -20.  

#Timmy #Kawhi #Manu
Tim Duncan wanted no part of Game 7. He unleashed a vintage performance that saw him outscore Miami's Big 3 all by himself in the first half. Timmy was so dominant to start the game as he showed Bosh all his moves which thoroughly embarrassed Bosh. Duncan had 25 points and 8 rebounds on 11 of 13 shooting in the opening half. The latter part of the game was a different story as TD only scored 5 points. Miami defended him better and maybe Duncan got tired after he played 44 minutes, easily his most of the season. Danny Green had a forgettable game of just 3 points as Miami finally clamped down on him defensively. Meanwhile, the hero of Game 5 Manu Ginobili struggled mightily with just 9 points and 8 turnovers including 2 in overtime. Tony Parker didnt shoot well until he made 2 clutch baskets in regulation to give the Spurs a 5-point lead. He did not score in OT. Kawhi Leonard was their most consistent player but he missed a crucial free throw in regulation that could have iced the game for the Spurs. Can the Spurs recover and bounce back in Game 7? The world will be watching.

#ThisIsIt #ForAlltheMarbles #Game7
This series has been amazing. It's only right to have a Game 7 to decide the best team of 2012-13. Anything can happen and it does not matter that Miami has home-court. The Spurs already won in South Beach and losing Game 6 in disappointing fashion does not automatically make the Heat champions. If Miami loses Game 7, their epic win will only serve as a footnote to a failed season. Their 27-game win streak will not be forgotten but its brilliance will be diminished. No team has an advantage for Game 7 especially with momentum being non-existent in the Finals. Miami has not won consecutive games in 5 weeks while the Spurs have not lost 2 straight since the start of the playoffs. Will Miami play with intensity and desperation for the whole game or will they only show up once the Spurs are leading? Can the Spurs forget their latest loss and recover in Game 7? Will LBJ be in attack mode immediately after the opening tip or will he be passive again? Can Manu and/or Timmy deliver one more vintage game for the trophy? Will Danny Green continue his hot shooting? Will Wade be a positive influence and can Bosh provide another strong defensive game? So many questions but so little answers. Anyway, we will know on Thursday.

#Player of the Night
LeBron James (Heat) - 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and  a dominant 4th quarter run

#Highlights of the Night
Ray Allen Corner 3
Classic Game 6 Recap

#Tweets of the Nights

PBA interAKTV ‏@PBAinterAKTV

He Got Game: Ray Allen saves Heat’s season from — where else? — the three-point line

Ethan J. Skolnick ‏@EthanJSkolnick

Ray Allen: "When it went in, I was ecstatic. But at the same time, I was expecting to make it."

The 2013 NBA Finals: Spurs Push Heat to the Edge

Manu Ginobili came alive in Game 5 with a vintage performance.
The Spurs are 1 win away from the trophy
(Image from: Getty Images)

#Ginobili #vintage
The Spurs led from start to finish. The Heat came close a couple of times but the Spurs controlled this game with their tempo, pace and extremely hot shooting. It did not matter that they had 18 turnovers since they had more rebounds and points in the paint than Miami. Plus, the Spurs shot an outstanding 60% from the field for the whole game! Miami in comparison struggled making shots (43%) and failed miserably in finishing in the paint. Major credit goes to Coach Pop for making adjustments especially inserting Manu Ginobili into the starting lineup. Manu has not started a game all year before Game 5 of the Finals and he responded with 24 points and 10 assists to go with a handful of tough shots. That was a vintage performance from him after only scoring a total of 17 points in the previous three games. Does Manu have another good game after this? Boris Diaw also played well defensively against LeBron James especially in the post. No Kidding. Diaw managed to hold his ground versus James. LBJ struggled in the 2nd half with only 5 points. Overall, the Spurs played an excellent team game with balanced scoring as the starters scored 107 points. Tony Parker's hamstring didnt bother him at all as he finished with 26 points while attacking Cole and Chalmers all game long.

#FinalsMVP #DG
The Spurs are 1 win away from the title and they will have 2 tries in Miami to accomplish that. They already won on the road in Game 1 so they know that winning in Florida is very doable. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan both have been solid while Kawhi Leonard and Gary Neal have displayed instances of inspired production. But the best player and most consistent guy has been Danny Green. He leads them in scoring (18 ppg) and is shooting an amazing 66% from threes. Green already has the Finals record for most threes made in a series with still 1 game, possibly 2 more left. He beat Ray Allen who owned the previous record. Green is 25 of 38 from deep and if the Spurs win the title, he could realistically win the Finals MVP. Green has also played stellar defense on Wade and James on numerous instances. His transition defense is much improved and on a couple of times in Game 5, Green bothered Wade and James enough on fast breaks to make them miss shots they normally make with ease. Credit goes to Green for playing with energy and motivation but Miami also needs to focus defensively to prevent him from being this hot.

#NoDefense #Rayray
Dwyane Wade had another good game offensively with 25 points and 10 assists but his defensive pressure and attention to rotations were terrible. Wade only had 1 steal after having 6 in their last game. He failed to finish multiple shots around the rim and often whined, bitched and complained after missed shots. His slow transition defense gave the Spurs all the space they need for easy baskets. D-Wade's lackluster defense led to numerous open shots for the Spurs, especially his defensive assignment, Danny Green. It has been 5 games already yet Green is still taking open shots and naturally making them. Miami needs to shut him down if they want to win both games in South Beach. Meanwhile, Ray Allen played his best game of the finals in their loss. Rayray had two 4-point plays and he scored 15 points in the 4th quarter to keep Miami around but it was not enough. Miami needs to stay away from Chalmers-Cole in the next game and give Allen more time on the court. LeBron James had an average game and he shot poorly again. It was baffling to see Boris Diaw bother him too much on defense. The Heat 3 need to show up and dominate again if they want to see at least Game 7.

#Game6Preview #Check #WinOrGoHome
The Heat was outplayed and out-coached. This was a total team loss from the players and coaching staff. Miami did not match the effort, desperation and intensity of the Spurs. They came to San Antonio content on winning just 1 game and now the pressure is on Miami to win 2 straight at home after not winning consecutive games in over a month. Erik Spoelstra did not alter his lineup to counter what the Spurs were doing correctly. The Spurs went to their small ball lineup with Ginobili starting and he responded with his best game of the playoffs. Mike Miller has started the last 2 games and has not scored. He took 1 shot in 25 minutes in Game 5. There's no point in playing Miller that much when he isnt shooting and scoring. Shane Battier would have been a better choice even if his shot aint falling because he plays better defense and will take shots. Udonis Haslem had no points and was -20 while Birdman was glued to the bench again. Spo should give the minutes to Birdman next time because he is a better rim protector and finisher. His energy should also boost the Heat. Lastly, the PGs have struggled so Ray Allen should play more. Norris Cole has disappeared in the last couple of games.  

#Player of the Night
Manu Ginobili (Spurs) - 24 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists and +19

#Highlight of the Night
Danny Green for THREEs

#Tweets of the Nights

Michael Wallace ‏@WallaceNBA_ESPN

Tony Parker, when asked how could Heat continue to leave Danny Green open for 3s: "You can't stop everything."

Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA

Wade's whining before getting back on defense costs Miami three more points.

The 2013 NBA Finals: Miami Fights Back

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)

#smallball #Heat3 #aggressive
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.

#Game5Preview #BestofThree #pivotal
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

Dan Le Batard Show ‏@LeBatardShow

Got a whole lot of people crowing about never doubting Wade. These people are big, giant, fraudulent liars.

enzo flojo ‏@hoopnut

So DWade showed up. Haaaay… Manonood na lang ako ng Be Careful with My Heart. #NBAFinals

The 2013 NBA Finals: Spurs Extinguish the Heat

Danny Green and Gary Neal played the best games of their careers in Game 3.
The back court duo combined for 51 points and made 13 threes together.
(Image from: Eric Gay/AP)

#blowout #payback #embarrass #annihilate 
The game was close in the 1st half but the Spurs were in control. Miami tied it at 44 all and that was the closest they ever got. The Heat never led in this game and they were lucky to be down just 6 at the break. Gary Neal was the best player in the first half as he led all scorers with 15 points. Then the Spurs had a run in the 3rd quarter that was similar to the Heat's run in Game 2. This run was a lot BETTER though as it carried over to the 4th quarter and finished as a 36-point beat down. The Spurs utterly embarrassed the Heat and dominated all facets of the game. The Spurs rained threes all over the court as they made 16 of them which is a finals record. They were +16 on the boards, +8 in assists and -4 in turnovers. Needless to say, they owned all the winning categories. San Antonio played with more intensity and focus which was headed by their support players while Miami's star players lacked energy and urgency. Miami settled for a bunch of jumpers which they missed and they hardly attacked the paint. The Heat managed just 10 FTs with LBJ getting none. Credit to the Spurs for limiting the Heat but as Danny Green said, Miami (or LBJ) was also stopping themselves more by settling and being passive.

#Spurs3 #Kawhi #Danny #Gary
The biggest stars of Game 3 all came from the Spurs' Big 3. The names though are a lot different: Gary Neal, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. Neal and Green played their best games in their careers while Leonard finished with another double-double. This trio had more points and rebounds than the Heat 3 plus they made 15 threes. They have been playing very well in this series which bodes well for the Spurs. The "new" Big 3 actually has more points than Parker, Manu and Duncan in this series while they have matched the total output of Wade, Bosh and James. Wow. It does not even matter that Manu and Parker only combined for 13 points when the role players exploded for 51 points. Green and Leonard have also been impressive defensively against Wade and James. Green made Wade pay often for missed rotations and bad decisions as he connected on 7-9 from deep. Meanwhile, Kawhi was active on the glass again beating James for a few loose balls. If this continues for the Spurs, the Heat wont win another game in this series. It wont even matter if Tony Parker is injured/limited for the rest of the series due to a hamstring problem. The Spurs play as a team and they can compensate for anything. The same cannot be applied to Miami.  

#StepUp #NoExcuses #LetsGoHeat
Mike Miller was the best player for Miami as he finished with 15 points on 5/5 shooting from distance. Super Mario was nowhere in sight as he battled foul trouble. Instead, "Wario" Chalmers showed up with ZERO points and 4 turnovers. Dwyane Wade was great in the first half AGAIN (12 points) but predictably came up missing in the 2nd half. As for Bosh, he settled for jumpers which he mostly missed. LeBron James had less than 20 points AGAIN as he settled for jumpers and remained tentative offensively. The 4-time MVP appears to show signs of fatigue and mental breakdowns similar to what happened in the 2011 Finals. At least during that time, Wade was scoring over 25 points and that aint happening this year. The Spurs are doing a good job defensively but James can certainly overcome their defense. He needs to be aggressive and look for his shot early on instead of always passing. He cannot settle for jumpers as his ZERO FTs indicated.  The worst part of his game (and Wade too), Leonard and Green are doing more than them. That is unacceptable for the so-called superstars. They still have a chance to rectify the situation and it needs to happen in Game 4 because if they lose, it is most probably over.  

#Game4Preview #MustWin #WinOrGoHome
Miami was fortunate that this loss only counted as one because this blowout felt more than that. This loss was the worst in the era of the Heat 3. It was their worst loss of the year and it came at a terrible time. Everything that worked in Game 2 was going against them in Game 3. They now enter a "must win" situation on Thursday because a loss would almost guarantee a parade in San Antonio next week. The Heat has not lost 2 straight in 6 months but what they need is a string of consecutive wins because alternating wins and losses would give the Spurs the trophy. Miami knows what it needs to do: rotate on threes, force more turnovers and battle on the boards. Now, can they actually do all of that in Game 4? The biggest wildcard is LeBron James who continues to struggle shooting. Even his defense has been sub par. It's not all his fault but as the MVP and best player in the NBA, LBJ needs to score more and do more. Last year vs the Thunder, he averaged over 30 a game and Miami won. This year, he has not scored more than 18 points in 3 games and they are down in the series. I know James is passing and getting his teammates involved but if he scores more, wont the Spurs focus and help on him more which leaves his mates open more for better shots? LBJ needs to become unpredictable when it comes to forcing the issue instead of simply passing.

#Players of the Night
Danny Green (Spurs) - 27 points, 4 rebounds and 7 of 9 from downtown
Gary Neal (Spurs) - 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 of 10 from downtown

#Highlight of the Night
Raining Threes

#Tweets of the Nights

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh

Heat's Big Three in this series: 130 points. Spurs Big Three of Danny Green, Gary Neal & Kawhi Leonard? Yup, 130 points.

Jemele Hill ‏@jemelehill

Dear Mark Jackson: Are you sure Steph Curry and Clay Thompson are the best shooting backcourt ever? -- Signed Danny Green & Gary Neal