Gerry V: 2013 NBA Finals Game #5

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Published: June 18, 2013

The NBA Finals continue to follow the theme of “Revenge is the word” as the Spurs took the heart right out of Miami with a barrage of rim attacks and splashes from the deep. The Spurs executed the Heat Sunday night.

What Happened?

  • The Spurs simply spanked the Heat 114-104 in a game where the Spurs starters were terrific
  • Leonard had 16 plus 8 rebounds
  • Ginobili dropped 24 and 10 assists, was superb as a starter
  • Duncan 17 and 12 rebs
  • Green went nuts for 24 and 6 rebounds (6/10 3pt FG)
  • Parker had 26

Other Numbers

  • 50 points in the lane
  • The starters shot at a 63.9% clip
  • ZERO lead changes

Game Turned Green

  • Danny Green is shooting the 3-ball at the insane rate of 25/38! That’s 65.8%
  • His ability to make 3’s is causing all kinds of problems for the Miami defense, as he is forcing them to spread and chase… Plus give Green credit for getting to his spots and moving without the ball… His mates are finding him quickly…
  • Credit Coach Popovich for having faith in him and telling him to shoot when he has it but also reminding him to make sure he gets every loose ball in his area

Spurs Haymakers

  • When it was 75-74 Spurs with 3 minutes left in the 3rd, the Spurs scored 21 points in their next 12 possessions while Miami scored just 2 in their first 12 trips… That 21-2 run was a body cruncher… All in all it took 6:17 when you consider the early stages of the 4th… During that run, the Heat were 0-9 and had only 1 offensive rebound…
  • James went scoreless during that run!
  • The Spurs closed out the 1st quarter with a 15-2 run
  • The 11 for 23 3pt FG attack was deadly
  • Spurs are 14 of 31 shooting the corner 3-ball, 45% in the series

Mario Chalmers & Norris Cole Were Boiled

  • Tony Parker feasted on both Cole and Chalmers… Parker scored 26 and all of his scores vs the Heat were within 9 ft of the rim… He simply wrecked anyone the Heat put on him… LeBron James was assigned to him late in the game but it was not a factor
  • During a 10-0 run in the game while Cole was assigned to Parker, Parker scored 7 of the 10 points and had 1 assist
  • Chalmers shot 2/10 and Cole bagged a “0”

2nd Half Blues

  • LeBron James shot 2/11 in the 2nd half
  • Bosh: 6 points, 1 rebound in the 2nd half

Call Me Boris!

  • Lets not ignore the fact that Boris Diaw did a nice defensive job vs LeBron James… There was a sequence where James went “face up” vs Diaw… In 4 attempts James only scored 1 point… Diaw did a nice job

Miami Defense Went Where?

  • Poor work locating Green
  • Late closeouts
  • Allowed 50 points in the lane
  • Lost a 32-19 1st quarter
  • Spurs ripped the Heat ‘off the dribble”
  • Help defenders left the building
  • Spurs shredded the Heat

Boring?

I almost explode with belly laughs as some people still say that the Spurs are a boring team… That conversation doesn’t warrant any more lung time from me as I never agreed with that. Watching the Spurs play is by no means boring. How one can swallow that bogus description is beyond my comprehension.

Which Miami?

  • Miami has not won two games in a row in 12 Post Season games… Remember this is the team that had won 27 games in a row during the regular season. Can they win two in a row at home to win the Title?

Game #6 will be a game that will leave flesh under the fingernails as the Spurs can close it out sending Miami into the abyss or the Heat can extend a lifeline and force a Game #7 on their home floor.

Allow me to paint the picture this way: The Heat are sitting in the chair while the warden stands by the phone waiting for the possible call that grants Miami one more shot at survival. The Heat know all it takes is one nod from the Warden and the switch gets pulled. Miami dies, and the Spurs would win the Ring.

I selected the Spurs when the season started, and, of course, one must be true to his word.

To lose Game #6 at home would strip Miami of all its credibility.

Spurs in 7


Gerry V is a 21-year NBA analyst, 17-year talk radio host, a 16-year coach, and current anchor for “Fox 8 New Orleans Morning Edition”, 5 a.m. – 9 a.m. and “Fox 8 News at Noon.” Follow Gerry V on twitter (@GVTalk).

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