The Miami Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals to beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-93, and even the series at 2 games each. Dwyane Wade had a big second half, scoring 18 points, and finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals. Wade seemed rejuvenated, and he wasn’t the only Miami player to look that way. LeBron James also had his biggest game of the finals for the Heat, with 33 points and 11 rebounds. James hadn’t scored more than 18 in any of the first 3 games.
While the final score ended in the 3rd straight game of at least a 16 point win, 2 games by Miami, and 1 game by San Antonio, this game was close until the 4th quarter. After 3 quarters, the Heat had an 81-76 lead. But the Spurs couldn’t take the Heat in the final quarter, getting outscored 28-17.
The third member of Miami’s Big 3, Chris Bosh, also had a big game, with 20 points and 13 rebounds. So the Heat’s Big 3 combined for 85 points in game 4. The Spurs’ Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili combined for only 40 points. Frankly, I don’t understand how Ginobili is part of the Big 3 when his play has been weak, and he isn’t even a starter. Ginobili shot 1 of 5 from the field, had 5 points, and the team was a -22 when he was on the court. Duncan scored 20 points, while Parker had 15. As has been the case this whole series, Spurs’ Danny Green, Gary Neal, and Kawhi Leonard contributed much more to their team than Ginobili did, each scoring in double figures.
Miami outshot San Antonio 53% to 44% from the field. The Spurs also committed 18 turnovers to only 9 for the Heat. When the series resumes on Sunday for Game 5, still in San Antonio, the Spurs will have to play much better defensively, clogging the lanes, so the Heat can’t drive to the basket nearly as easily. They will have to cut down on their turnovers drastically, getting them down near their Game 1 total of 4, and obviously shooting better always helps.
I think the Spurs, who have the best coach in the NBA, Gregg Popovich, will make the proper adjustments and win Game 5. The series will go back to Miami, with San Antonio leading 3 games to 2. The Heat will win Game 6, because they never lose 2 games in a row. Then it will all come down to Game 7. I will wait a while before giving my pick to win that game and the NBA Finals.
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Sports With Frank Thomas
