Missed the game? See Dave Martin’s game analysis here
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End of Fourth Quarter, Heat 109 Spurs 90
Dan: Wade and James combined for 65. Lead win for the Heat tonight.
Andy: The series is tied up again. How will each team respond? Can the Spurs regain their grittiness? Can the Heat handle success?
Zachary: The only way to see is to tune in to our live coverage on Sunday!
Fourth Quarter, 45.8 left Heat 106 Spurs 90
Dan: A team can change so much between games. No more criticism for the Heat’s Big 3 for now.
Zachary: For now.
Fourth Quarter, 2:15 left Heat 102 Spurs 90
Dan: Seems like series will finish sometime in Miami. Heat in 6?
Zachary: Ginobili makes a shot, brings the Spurs within 12. Still, it’s hard to see the Spurs coming back; all the starters are on the bench.
Andy: Popovich pulls the starters, he sees that they aren’t going to mount the miracle comeback. Maybe changing up with the end of the bench will change something in the flow--fodder for the next game only, in reality.
Fourth Quarter, 3:55 left Heat 102 Spurs 87
Andy: 18 turnovers for the Spurs, tough to overcome. And who adjusted better? The scoreboard is telling that tale.
Zachary: The Heat big 3 were the big 4 tonight: Ray Allen chipped in 14 points and lots of court presence.
Fourth Quarter, 4:27 left Heat 102 Spurs 87
Andy: the Heat have taken control, and Wade is still going crazy.
Dan: Is it time to empty the Spurs bench?
Zachary: Tony Parker has 0 points in the second half after 15 in the first half. Big difference.
Fourth Quarter, 5:30 left Heat 98 Spurs 85
Dan: So..guessing no Birdman tonight?
Zachary: Or McGrady?
Dan: Heat’s Big 3 living it up. Spurs Big 3 more like Big 3 - Manu Ginobili. Looks like Heat will even it up 2-2.
Zachary: Is this game over?
Fourth Quarter, 6:04 left Heat 96 Spurs 85
Zachary: Much more competitive game than the last two, but the Spurs need to step up in these last minutes!
Dan: What’s going right for the Heat: Ball movement, steals, blocks, shots going in.
Andy: The Big 3 have shown up tonight for the Heat, and it’s made the game completely different from Tuesday’s.
Zachary: They really have--especially James and Wade, but notably Bosh has made some of his jumpers. Still think he should be going inside more.
Fourth Quarter, 6:46 left Heat 94 Spurs 83
Dan: Wade eurosteps over Gary Neal. 30 points for Wade.
Zachary: Wade is looking really good this game! Soft shot in the paint...then a dunk on a steal! Then a jumper! Wade is getting everything.
Dave: Who was yelling on that free throw?? Vintage Wade dunk. Duncan on Wade now?? What gives??
Dan: Maybe Gary Neal should replace Manu in the Big 3.
Andy: The tone so far in the 4th definitely favors the Heat. But there’s still a lot of time. and the Heat are still finding their way to the paint.
Fourth Quarter, 8:46 left Spurs 79 Heat 86
Dan: Wade and James each have 24. Bosh and Ray each have 14. Big 2 and 2.
Zachary: Game is still pretty slowed down, and lots of the players look tired. Maybe time for some fresh legs in there? Birdman? McGrady?
Dave: Should have been a charge on Splitter....
Fourth Quarter, 10:00 left, Spurs 79 Heat 84
Dave: What a three by Ray-Ray!! Neal’s was even better!!
Dan: Parker and Duncan both on the bench beginning the 4th.
Andy: Can the Spurs find a way to slow down the two Heat superstars, James and Wade? Can the Heat keep pounding it inside and pounding the boards? Can the Spurs get more looks for their 3-point shooters? Can the Heat overcome their history of failure in San Antonio?
Andy: Heat will go with Ray Allen taking a quick 3 any time.
Andy: the Heat are challenging the Spurs way out high, so Green and Neal are taking their shots further out--and making them
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Missed the Third Quarter? See Dave Martin’s recap here
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End of Third Quarter Spurs 76 Heat 81
Dan: Parker does his famous spin-move at the buzzer as the 3rd closes and he misses.
Zachary: 3 guys collapse on Parker and Green makes ANOTHER 3! He is shooting tremendously. James gets a strong rebound on the other end after several misses from Allen and Cole.
Zachary: Thoughts at the end of 3rd quarter?
Andy: This game, like Game 1, is really up for grabs--unlike Games 2 and 3.
Zachary: True, it’s good to see both teams so motivated to win, and much more entertaining than both those games.
Dan: Green is 3-4, Neal 2-3 from downtown. Miller and Allen have 0.
Third Quarter, 1:14 left Spurs 73 Heat 79
Dave: Vintage Wade play there with the shot and foul.
Andy: Spurs look like the 3’s are coming back, but Heat answers with Wade inside. That’s only half of the formula from Game 3.
Dan: Wade counters with a layup, and-one.
Zachary: Neal hits a 3 while Wade comes back with the strong drive, makes it and goes to the line. Both teams are getting to the free throw line a lot more than the first half. The game plods along.
Third Quarter, 1:58 left Spurs 70 Heat 76
Zachary: James gets a lob inside; should have pump faked, but still drew the foul. Only makes 1 of 2 free throws.
Zachary: Green finally misses a 3! Splitter cleans up and gets to the line, makes both free throws. The game overall has slowed a lot from some of the quick bursts in the second quarter.
Third Quarter, 2:35 left Spurs 68 Heat 74 (time-out)
Dave: What a block by James....
Zachary: Chalmer is taking bold shots, and he finally gets a 3.
Andy: This looks like two different teams from the two that played Tuesday.
Third Quarter, 3:56 left Heat 69 Spurs 66 (time-out)
Dan: So I’m curious, are both team’s D so good that Danny Green and Mike Miller can’t shoot what they do best?
Zachary: Miller doesn’t need to shoot because James and Wade are playing well, and the Spurs are definitely keen to limit his shooting either way. Green looks to be getting a few more shots, and has hit both 3-point attempts.
Andy: Leonard with the big-league drive and finish against the taller Bosh. Great body control.
Zachary: Leonard playing strong! Gets an “and-1”
Dan: Bosh gets 2nd chance after James misses, then Bosh fouls Leonard.
Third Quarter, 4:39 left Spurs 63 Heat 67
Dave: Wow, quick 7-0 run by Miami. Spurs committed their 11th turnover when James stole the pass.
Zachary: Green hits another 3, Spurs 5 for 9 on the game. Heat just hacked Duncan, about three different players at the same time.
Third Quarter, 6:43 left Spurs 58 Heat 60
Dan: Good D by Bosh as he blocks Parker after spin move.
Andy: This is proving to be a highly competitive Finals. Neither team giving an inch. Defensive intensity, never giving up.
Zachary: Game is getting rough again! Both teams are really in this game. Bosh got a great block and a very physical series on the other end ends with the Heat with the ball, and James getting a shot in.
Third Quarter, 7:33 left Spurs 58 Heat 58
Dave: Dangerous pass from Chalmers....
Dan: Ball don’t lie. Duncan misses FT on clean block by Wade.
Zachary: Need Chris Andersen in there to guard Duncan!
Andy: Chalmers had a wide open shot, and he can hit those, but the miss gives the long rebound going the other way.
Third Quarter, 8:39 left Spurs 53 Heat 56
Zachary: Wade takes Duncan to the hoop for an “and-1!”
Andy: Good things happen for Miami when they go to the rim.
Third Quarter, 9:00 left Spurs 53 Heat 53
Zachary: Bosh finally makes a jumper!
Dan: Wade and James go for a transition layout. Both miss.
Dave: First Splitter and now Diaw on Wade?? Interesting matchups to say the least.
Zachary: Not a good start to the second half for either team.
Andy: Chalmers taking a jumper, that’s not what the Heat need. Keep storming the hoop, gents.
Start of Third Quarter Spurs 49 Heat 49
Dan: Chris Bosh’s Big Dunk at the Buzzer sent the message through right before halftime. Can Bosh lead again with Wade and James?
Dan: Heat have kept Spurs with only 4 three’s. Danny Green shot once.
Dave: Heat should be up a lot more, considering how intense they were. Need to be able to not let up on defense in the second half.
Andy: Here we are, tied at the half. Miami dominated the middle of the first half, taking it to the hoop and stifling the Spurs on defense, getting turnovers. But the Spurs started quick with a 15-5 lead, and then they closed fast, making up a 9-point deficit. Will we see the return of the Rain of Threes from the Spurs? Or will Miami shut that down.
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Missed the second quarter? See Dave Martin’s recap here
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Stats at halftime:
Leading scorers:
Heat: LeBron James (15), Dwayne Wade (14), and Chris Bosh (8) and Ray Allen (8)
Spurs: Tony Parker (15) and Tim Duncan (7), Gary Neal (7), and Boris Diaw (7)
Rebounds:
Heat: James, Wade, Chris Bosh, and Udonis Haslem (4)
Spurs: Kawhi Leonard (4)
Assists:
Heat: Wade and Norris Cole (3)
Spurs: Parker (6)
End of Second Quarter, Spurs 49 Heat 49
Andy: Parker a little extra rest at the end of the half, fresh legs for the defensive stand...
Dan: It’s tied now. So is it the 3rd quarter that we see another blow-out?
Zachary: Good move by Bosh despite it not counting. He needs to move like that more!
Andy: Bosh dunks it too late. Usually it’s the right thing to finish it off and go to the hoop, but in the final seconds, sometimes you gotta let the ball go sooner.
Second Quarter, 10.1 left, Spurs 49 Heat 49
Dan: Come on Norris Cole. You got blocked and then now its tie-game.
Dan: Heat have 3 3P-attempts. 0%.
Dan: Surprised its a close game now. Spurs have no Offensive Rebounds.
Dave: Diaw for three?? Unbelievable.
Zachary: Another jumper for the Heat missed, they need to drive and pass more! Allen is so solid, but at the same time he’s barely there. Parker, meanwhile, is definitely there.
Andy: Tony Parker with the prayer-and-hoop, and then the pass that misses the mark.
Andy: Diaw, who didn’t play in Game 3, comes in and gives them a big lift with 5 quick points.
Make that 7!
Second Quarter, 3:20 left, Spurs 38 Heat 45
Dave: James is definitely on tonight.
Dan: 5-0 run by the Spurs. That’s why Heat called timeout..
Zachary: This is a game of runs. One team gets hot, then the other. Good left by James! Bosh gets big at the other end with a block on Green! Bosh is playing a lot better tonight.
Andy: So the question for the Heat: where’s Chris Andersen tonight?
Second Quarter, 5:03 left, Spurs 36 Heat 41
Dan: That’s right Tim Duncan. Block and Score.
Dan: Wade leads game-high with 14. What did everyone say about Wade again?
Andy: Aggressive, taking it to the hoop. The formula is not complicated tonight for the Heat, and with the total talent they can put out there, this is the result.
Andy: Spurs did something in the timeout.
Second Quarter, 6:07 left, Spurs 32 Heat 41
Dave: Duncan didn’t even argue?? Must be correct call.
Dan: Wade is back in after the hit in the thigh.
Andy: Spurs missing two many free throws. Could come back to haunt them later if it’s close.
Zachary: Ginobili gets 3rd foul!
Second Quarter, 6:35 left, Spurs 32 Heat 41
Dave: Neal will be fined for flopping tomorrow. Maybe it’s worth it though.
Dan: Gary Neal picks to learn flopping from James.
Zachary: James and Wade have tons of energy tonight. Where the Spurs looked calm the other night, they look a bit apathetic tonight.
Andy: Good things happen when you take the ball to the hoop, and that’s the story on offense for the Heat tonight.
Second Quarter, 7:26 left, Spurs 31 Heat 39
Dave: Duncan leads with knee on the dunk should be offensive foul.
Dan: That Wade on Duncan dunk almost looked like James on Splitter
Zachary: Wade down! Normal stretching or something worse? He got a good partial block (foul) of Duncan there. Duncan’s first field goal comes a little later.
Andy: The Spurs defensive game plan is not working tonight. Wade and James are getting into the paint and operating unimpaired. And now Bosh is, too.
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NEW article: Wade Still Looking for Complete NBA Finals Game
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Second Quarter, 8:52 left, Spurs 28 Heat 37 (time-out)
Zachary: Mike Miller hasn’t played much after starting, but it hasn’t mattered because others are hot.
Andy: The Heat have answered the bell, after a quick start by the Spurs. “Aggressive” is the word Spoelstra used between quarters, and if they continue this way, the Spurs will have a steep hill to climb up.
Dave: Parker looks like natural coach. Nets should have hired him instead of Jason Kidd.....
Andy: The 3 pointers aren’t there for the Spurs since early in the game. They have to find another way.
Zachary: Battier is playing gritty D
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MISSED THE FIRST QUARTER? Recap here
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Second Quarter, 9:44 left, Spurs 28 Heat 35
Dave: No-call on the Parker-Cole collision????
Dan: Wade’s D has been on point!
Andy: The subs for the Heat are even more aggressive than the starters on defense, not minding getting called for some hard fouls.
Zachary: Game getting physical! The Heat actually care this game!
Start of Second Quarter, Spurs 26 Heat 29
Andy: The Spurs are not taking shots that give them the chances for offensive rebounds, which they’ve been cleaning up on so far in the series. Let’s see how they come out in the second quarter, with offensive adjustments.
Zachary: Not only that, they mostly aren’t going inside, especially when Duncan’s not in there.
End of First Quarter, Spurs 26 Heat 29
Andy: The difference so far is the defensive intensity of the Heat, they’ve forced more turnovers and had some transition buckets. And, of course, James is untracked.
Zachary: Wade is looking really, really smooth today. He’s not afraid of a little contact but is also making moves so as to avoid as much contact as possible.
Dan: James is doing great, Wade is doing great. Doing good, but where’s Rio’ in the rotation?
First Quarter, 25.1 left, Spurs 26 Heat 27
Dan: Hey Coach Spol, when’s Birdman coming to his nest?
Dave: Miami is pretty quick on defense today. A change from Game 3.
Zachary: Flop by Battier? Pure irony against Ginobili, the master flopper.
Andy: Battier with the successful acting job! A non-flop, drawing the foul.
Zachary: Game is getting physical, and Battier and Ginobili are in the middle of it.
First Quarter, 42.9 left, Spurs 24 Heat 25
Dan: LeBron is making a difference! Finally! Parker’s been hitting the floor--hamstring okay?
Dan: Ray Allen floats; 16-6 run by Spurs. James is going by his words “I’ll be better tomorrow.”
Andy: The Heat are more aggressive this game, and in shows on the scoreboard.
Zachary: James takes same shot he’s been missing but makes it; then Parker back on the other end with a quick lay-up and free throw!
First Quarter, 2:54 left, Spurs 21 Heat 19
Dave: Great full court fast break back-to-back layups by LeBron.
Zachary: Heat play good D and get rewarded with a bucket with a fast break on the other end. Heat are looking good!
Dan: Back to Back for LBJ. No one stop him in the lane. Finally getting active
First Quarter, 4:00 left, Spurs 19 Heat 15
Zachary: Bosh inside! Rare to see!
Dave: Must have been the right travel call on Duncan or he’d let the refs know.
First Quarter, 4:40 left, Spurs 19 Heat 13
Dan: Spurs take early lead. What are yall’ guesses?
Zachary: 8 points in this series in the second half of games for Dwayne Wade.
Andy: First three games, the first halves have been inconclusive. The decision was made only in the 4th in Game 1, and then in the third in the last two games.
First Quarter, 5:11 left, Spurs 17 Heat 9
Zachary: Wade’s aggressive offense gets Popovich to call a time-out, trying not to let Wade get momentum.
Dave: Spurs miss a three??
Andy: You know, when I saw Tracy McGrady on the Spurs bench, I said, “That looks like Shawn Elliott!”
Dan: Spurs timeout after Wade crosses Green and goes for that layup.
First Quarter, 5:42 left, Spurs 17 Heat 9
Dave: LeBron with a nice lay-in....Parker is ridiculously hot.
Zachary: Heat pick up a couple of much needed buckets after the time-out.
Zachary: Know who hasn’t showed up this series? Bosh.
First Quarter, 7:42 left, Spurs 15 Heat 5
Dave: Miller’s defense is clearly why he doesn’t normally start.
Dan: David Lee tweets about Danny Green vs. Mike Miller. The king of threes but where’s Ray? other three of the Spurs have all buried their first 3’s: Green, Neal, and Leonard.
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Encore! NBA Crowd Cheers 11-Year Old Mariachi
SAN ANTONIO—An 11-year-old Latino boy whose singing of the national anthem at the NBA Finals set off a barrage of racist tweets earned a roaring ovation in an encore performance Thursday night.
Sebastien De La Cruz, a mariachi singer, was congratulated by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra at midcourt afterward.
His second act followed an outpouring of support following disparaging tweets about Latinos during his nationally televised performance before Game 3 this week.
Popovich bemoaned “idiots” who posted bigoted comments. He called De La Cruz “a class act.”
Other celebrities and politicians are also rallying behind De La Cruz. They include San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and actress Eva Longoria, formerly married to Spurs star Tony Parker.
Castro introduced the boy Thursday night.
First Quarter, 7:10 left, Spurs 15 Heat 5 (time-out)
Dan: Parker with the hesitating makes Miller turn 360.
Dan: LeBron had his first FTA since game 2.
Dave: Missed one though.
Andy: Spurs continue to concede the outside shot, and the Heat can’t make them pay consistently.
Zachary: Heat passing a lot, but maybe too much.
Dave: James should be much more assertive in the post against Leonard.
First Quarter, 9:12 left, Spurs 10 Heat 5
Dan: James had the ball run into him. Good transition.
Andy: To the hoop for Parker. Maybe he’s not the gimp after all.
Zachary: At one point, the Spurs were unsure if Parker was playing today. Read more about that uncertainty here.
First Quarter, 10:00 left, Spurs 7 Heat 2
Dan: Mike Miller with first miss in the series. at
Andy: the 3’s strategy resumes for the Spurs. Still wondering if they’re falling in love with it too much.
Zachary: Green hits another 3, he’s ready to play!
First Quarter, 11:13 left, Spurs 2 Heat 2
Dave: Splitter on Wade??
Dan: Miami Turns it over on first possession.. in 2 seconds!
Andy: Parker had a 2 on 1 fast break, but didn’t push it. Hamstring?
Dan: LeBron - “I’m ready for this opportunity we have tonight.” via @Miamiheat
Zachary: Wade needs to beat Splitter, the Spurs center who is guarding him. Ah, looks like he just went out now.
First Quarter, 11:24 left, Spurs 2 Heat 0
Andy: Which Lebron will show up? The 2007 and 2011 underachiever, or the 2012 conqueror?
Dave: Even after several subpar games, I think he’ll show up tonight and lead the Heat to a win.
Zachary: The Heat are back!
It’s Thursday already and we’re back, live blogging Game 3 of the NBA Finals! Zachary Stieber, Dave Martin, Daniel He, and Andy Thomas will be live blogging.
Missed Game 3? Catch up by scrolling through our live blog from Game 3 here.
Here’s a look at a few articles we’ve posted today that look at different aspects of the finals.
Big news! Mike Miller is starting for Udonis Haslem for the Miami Heat.
Also, David Robinson, former Spurs legend, said he would love to see Tim Duncan win another title.
Read about Robinson’s thoughts here
Also, we’ve listed our keys to the game for each team:
Tonight’s Keys to Game 4
For the Heat:
1) Offensive rebounds. In Game 3, the Heat had only nine while the Spurs had 19. The Heat will make changes tonight, and it will depend on the team, namely LeBron James to come up with the right adjustments. “I will be better tomorrow”, LeBron said during the Finals News Conference after Game 3. “I’m putting everything on my chest and on my shoulders.”
2) The screen-and-roll may not be the best way for LeBron to get the ball. Instead getting the ball on the move may be a key to attack the defense.
3) Mike Miller has been hot this series. He’s missed just one three-pointer. Miller had 15 points last game. If he can get more looks, MIller will keep it up. Miller must play good defense since he’s starting tonight.
For the Spurs:
1) Find Duncan in the Post: In the Spurs’ Game 2 loss, Duncan had just nine points as the Heat were able to push him outside his comfort zone.
2) Get a hand in Mike Miller’s face: Miller is nine for ten this series from beyond the arc and has thus far been the Heat’s lone ray of hope this series.
3) Find Danny Green on the perimeter: Miller may be shooting 90 percent from three-point land, but Green is 16 for 23 and has been the best offensive weapon for San Antonio, thus far.
Andy’s Key Questions for Game 4:
1) Will Lebron get into his “Cleveland mode?” And if he does, will that help his team or hurt them?
2) How is Tony Parker’s hamstring, and can the Spurs compensate for it--because they *will* have to compensate if Parker is not 100%.
3) Will the Spurs be a little complacent, subconsciously, after the Tuesday blowout? Pop won’t let them, but you know they’re still thinking a little about the record rain of threes.
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