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| The San Antonio Spurs blitzed the Miami Heat in 5 games. They won by an average of 18 points while losing one by 2 points. (Image from: USA Today Sports) |
Showing posts with label Manu Ginobili. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manu Ginobili. Show all posts
The 2013 NBA Finals: Re-HEAT
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| 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) |
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
LeBron's defensive range is incomparable. David West one series, Tony Parker the next. The man is a machine.
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.
Congrats to the 2x champion Heat and Spurs for a great NBA Finals. Great series, worthy champions.
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
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| Ray Allen made a tough corner three with 5 seconds left in regulation to force OT (Image from: Wilfredo Lee/AP) |
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.
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
He Got Game: Ray Allen saves Heat’s season from — where else? — the three-point line
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
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| Manu Ginobili came alive in Game 5 with a vintage performance. The Spurs are 1 win away from the trophy (Image from: Getty Images) |
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.
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
Tony Parker, when asked how could Heat continue to leave Danny Green open for 3s: "You can't stop everything."
Wade's whining before getting back on defense costs Miami three more points.
The 2013 NBA Finals: Miami Fights Back
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| 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
The 2013 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat
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| Tony Parker and the Spurs stand in the way of LeBron James and the Heat who are seeking for back-to-back titles |
How the Heat got here: The Heat played only 9 games in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs as they barely got challenged by the Bucks and the Bulls. The 3rd round against the Pacers was a different story. Indy pounded the paint and dominated the boards to give Miami all sorts of problems. The Pacers played physical and tough while using Hibbert's "verticality" defense to bother James and Wade when they drove to the rim. Even Chris Bosh was thoroughly outplayed by Hibbert. Bosh simply avoided going to the paint and settled for long jumpers even though he only made 38% of his shots and averaged 11 points. The Indiana Pacers stretched Miami to 7 games due to brilliant performances coming from Paul George and Roy Hibbert. The Heat needed to click on all cylinders and activated another gear in Game 7 to dispose of the pesky and gritty Pacers. Miami needed the "Heat 3" to contribute and they will need them again against the Spurs.
How the Heat will win: Forcing turnovers and creating transition baskets are major components of the Heat's attack. Miami is unstoppable on fast breaks and almost unbeatable when their opponents commit more turnovers than them. For the playoffs, Miami commits about 3 turnovers less than the opposition. Against the Pacers, they forced Indy to average 17.3 TPG while Miami only had 11.9. Miami can also increase their defensive intensity and pressure to incite horrible shots which in turn can lead to more transition chances for them. The Heat prefers to play small ball often which opens up the floor more for Wade and James to attack and penetrate. If the defense sends double teams or collapses to help on drives, Miami will certainly launch it from beyond the arc. Lately, their shooters have missed more than their usual attempts but the Finals provides them a fresh start. The Spurs are also not as good as the Pacers when it comes to closing out on corner three-point shooters.
X-Factor for Heat: Ray Allen still got his usual minutes vs the Pacers even though he struggled shooting. Allen finally delivered the goods in game 7 when he had 10 points in the 2nd quarter to boost Miami towards a big lead. Allen signed with Miami to be in this position. They need Rayray to make more shots since Battier and Cole struggled shooting in the last series.
How the Spurs got here: The San Antonio Spurs had a dominating run to the Finals. They are 12-2 with two of the series being sweeps. Most of the experts did not expect them to reach this far since they had the LA Lakers or OKC Thunder (me included) reaching the Finals instead of the SAS. They can play any type of basketball while their coach wont hesitate to mix up the rotations. The Spurs managed to handily win each series by either playing small ball (vs Warriors) or big ball (vs Grizzlies & Lakers). Not a lot of people expected them to win the series against the Grizzlies yet they swept them. Much of the credit goes to Tony Parker who has played like the best PG in the NBA. Tim Duncan continues to defy old age while Manu Ginobili made clutch shots while struggling to shoot for most of the playoffs.
How the Spurs will win: The Spurs employ lots of high pick and rolls with Parker which either frees him for a jumper or a drive to the lane. Plan B of that play results to a pass to the screener for a jumper or a roll to the rim. Miami can defend both sets but the Spurs are very good at executing plays and showing misdirection sets. The Spurs also have capable bigs (Duncan, Splitter & Bonner) who can finish plus they are able passers. San Antonio is similar to Miami since both teams are unselfish (1 & 2 in assists), commit fewer turnovers than their opponents and shoot a lot of threes. The Spurs have the advantage in the low post with Timmy still making a fair amount of his shots down low while Splitter has developed a solid inside game. The Spurs also have Ginobili who can run isolation plays from time to time.
X-Factor for Spurs: Kawhi Leonard will be the primary defender of LeBron James. It's his job to make things somewhat harder for LBJ if possible. We saw how Paul George had problems producing while guarding LeBron most of the time. Can Kawhi score and guard James at the same time? The most important part is for Leonard to avoid being in foul trouble.
What will probably happen: The Spurs can play a similar style to the Pacers which gave the Heat big problems. The Spurs can pound the glass and throw the ball in the low post. San Antonio decimated the Grizzlies with big lineups featuring Bonner and/or Splitter with Duncan. The Spurs can go small when Manu enters the game which can match up better with Miami's small ball approach. It will be up to Miami's Big 3 to outplay and ideally outscore the Spurs 3. The Spurs had problems last year with athleticism and speed vs the Thunder so the Heat should capitalize on that weakness. Tony Parker has a big advantage over any guard the Heat throws at him so expect the Spurs to funnel most of their offense through him. Chalmers and Cole (maybe Wade occasionally) should attack Parker on defense to try and limit TP's effectiveness, maybe get him in foul trouble as well. Expect LeBron James to guard Parker during clutch situations, similar to when LBJ harassed Derrick Rose during the 2011 ECF. That leaves Manu handling the ball more to initiate their offense which is good for the Spurs if he gets out of his slump. As for Dwyane Wade, his match-up with Manu will probably dictate this series, similar to last year's Finals when Wade outplayed James Harden. Meanwhile, Chris Bosh normally plays better against Duncan so expect him to bounce back in the Finals because if Bosh struggles again, Miami will not win the series.
Key Match-up: Wade vs Ginobili. Both guys are hurt and both have struggled in the playoffs. Manu has more room for error since Duncan has played very well while Wade needs to contribute more due to Bosh being a non-factor most of the time. Parker and LeBron will probably negate each other's impact so the secondary scorer could dictate the winner of the Finals.
Prediction: The Finals look very even and will surely be competitive. Both teams are capable of winning on the road and both are well-coached. My head tells me that the Spurs will win in 7 games but my heart argues that the Heat will win in 7 instead. I made the mistake of picking against the Heat last year vs the Thunder and that wont happen this time. I will go with my heart and pick Miami Heat in 7. Enjoy the Finals!
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