The San Antonio Spurs frustrated LeBron James into a horrendous shooting night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and shot the lights out from 3-point land in a 36-point beating of the defending champion Miami Heat, taking a 2-1 series lead.
James had a double-double in Game 3, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, but his 7-of-21 performance from the floor was far from what Miami needed on San Antonio's home floor.
Meanwhile, Danny Green and reserve guard Gary Neal combined for an unconscious 13-of-19 from beyond the arc, doing more than enough to support their stars Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
"Those guys shot incredibly," Duncan said. "Gave us the breathing room when we needed it."
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was not surprised by the shocking blowout over the Heat, even though his team was throttled in Game 2. "It shouldn't be a surprise. These are the last two teams standing. I don't think either one of them is going to get down if they have a bad night."
James suffered through his worst game of the 2013 postseason. The Spurs dared him to shoot from long-range, at times giving him several feet of space at the 3-point line. Most times LeBron either drove into traffic, where he was stymied by San Antonio's bigs, or clanged shots off the rim. James didn't get any help from the officials either, failing to register one free throw attempt.
"Honestly, I just have to play better," James said. "I can't have a performance like tonight and expect to win."
While Chris Bosh had another double-double, and Dwyane Wade was more efficient than he has been for much of the playoffs, neither had a truly game-changing impact, and outside of Mike Miller (5-of-5 from 3-point range, 15 points), the remaining members of Miami's supporting cast were silent.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
