Final Score: NBA Finals Game 1 @ MIA SA 92 MIA 88 SA leads series 1-0
Alright so welcome to my first post with a new recap style I will be doing. I will be breaking down most of the positives, negatives if necessary about the overall game and the two teams.
So let's start it off. The San Antonio Spurs, fresh off the Memphis Grizzlies sweep, steal game 1 in Miami against the Heat, who are just coming from a gritty 7 game series against the Indiana Pacers. As I said in my preview that game 1 will be the decider early and that either the Spurs exploit fatigue within the Heat or the Heat exploit rust within the Spurs. In my opinion, I think both played a key factor in this game, it was a close game overall, impartially officiated, just two great teams playing it out.
Starting with the Heat, they managed to hold onto the lead, but the Spurs defense late turned it up a notch. They were running at their pace most of the game because one quarter, the Heat had 9 fast breaks in contrast to the Spurs' whopping 0 fast breaks. I thought they exposed the Spurs' transition D well with the dynamic speed of the Wade-James duo. LeBron James had his triple-double, finishing the game with 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, on 7-16 shooting, played a solid all-around game, I thought Dwyane Wade played a good, but not great game doing the usual role of scoring and penetrating finishing with 17 points on 7-15 shooting. Surprisingly, Ray Allen came to play off the bench today, I mean all season ever since he joined the Heat, he didn't have his usual shooting form on sync. We saw the Ray Allen of old this game scoring 13 points on 3-4 shooting all beyond the arc, his specialty. Overall, outside of Wade, James, and Allen, I thought the overall team gave a huge letdown. A lot of the other players like Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier, Norris Cole, Chris Andersen, didn't get too many touches, it was a huge disappointment considering they were playing so well as key role players during the playoffs. Chris Bosh, another negative for the team, even though he scored 13 points, he was spending more time on the outside more than getting his shot inside. Here's his stat on the three point line, 0-4. My initial reaction is like WTF are you using Bosh like that Spoelstra? Sure he can make some of his threes, but give him some touches inside! He's not a pure stretch forward/center, he needs his shot outside of the paint and with space, that's his true game. Overall the Heat's D came to play, the O, not so much.
Now talking about the Spurs, I thought the Spurs came in and played with a lot of heart, after all the trio of Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan are still elite because they've been playing together for a long time, while on the opposite end, you've got a trio in Wade, James, and Bosh who are just in their 3rd year of playing together. The Spurs handled the Heat's way of playing to their tempo well, despite all the fast breaks the Heat were getting, the Spurs were still playing at their own pace and staying patient. Tony Parker was going to be the Spurs' key to beating the Heat because he can score, penetrate, and facilitate. Parker played a flawless game: 21 points, 6 assists, 9-18 shooting from the field and 0 turnovers. I thought Parker handled the Heat's swarming defense well this game because of how much the Heat like to trap. He hit a clutch shot as the shot clock, so close to being a shot clock violation had he not get it off on time, that proved to be the game sealer and the Heat were all over him. Tim Duncan showed why he is the best power forward in the game today, took the Chris' (Bosh and Andersen) to school scoring 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks to surpass Robert Parrish in playoff block shots all-time. Duncan at his age, still can get it done if Pop can keep him fresh. Biggest surprise for me was Danny Green. I mean between the new blood the Spurs have in the finals, Green showed up big time, 12 points, he didn't shoot the ball well, but made shots beyond the arc that mattered the most to keep the Spurs hanging around. Some of the negatives, Manu Ginobili is just not getting going, 13 points, but a whopping 4-11 shooting and Kawhi Leonard, even though in my opinion he did a good job guarding LeBron, managed only 10 points, and was bricking 3s that would've given the Spurs either a tie or the lead. Overall the Spurs negated their missed opportunities by adjusting their defense, limiting turnovers to transition baskets for the Heat.
Obviously it's just the first game, Pop absolutely outcoached Spo this game making the right adjustments at the right time. Spo has adjustments he needs to work on in order for the Heat to play their style of tempo, but again Pop showing that finals coaching experience and that lead to the Spurs' game 1 victory tonight.
Next Game: NBA Finals Game 2 @ MIA (06/09/13)
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