Alright welcome in to the full recap for game 4 of the 2014 NBA Finals where the San Antonio Spurs deliver a sequel to their stunning game 3 performance in game 4 against a demoralized Miami Heat team that have not found their championship swagger not once, but twice on their home floor in the big stage.
Well first off, good to be back and healthy and getting this game 4 coverage on the blog without any setbacks. I wasn't feeling well the last two days hence why I didn't post game 3 (I still watched the game in bed though), but it is what it is. So the last few games, Miami bounced back in game 2 and with the series shifting to Miami, people must be thinking "uh-oh San Antonio's in trouble" because of how Miami has been perfect at home. But since, San Antonio took it to the champs in their home floor, twice now. That is shocking, but credit to the Spurs, they were not going to be intimidated and they were going to do what they do best and that's play Spurs basketball.
San Antonio Spurs
The Positives
Kawhi Leonard, 20 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks. Kawhi Leonard has bounced back in a big way these last 2 games. After putting up whopping 9 points in the first two games, Coach Pop gave him a pep talk he needed and he told him to be more aggressive. Leonard took Pop's words to heart, putting up 29 points in game 3 and putting up a double-double this game. His activity has been relentless on both sides of the ball since the series shifted to Miami, now he has to put up the same performance at home as the series shifts back to San Antonio.
Tony Parker, 19 points, 8-15 shooting. Tony Parker was looking to be in attack mode all game long. It kinda surprised me that the Heat didn't go big on him early to disrupt his game, but as I said, he exploited that and ran around circles around the Heat didn't matter if it was Norris Cole or Mario Chalmers defending, Parker was hurting them pretty bad in this game and that hurt the defensive game plan adjustment of the Heat in this game.
Boris Diaw, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists. He's been spectacular facilitating the ball for San Antonio the whole playoffs. Pop pushed the right button inserting in the starting lineup in game 3, then here in game 4 and the results should be pleasing for the Spurs' fans.
Patty Mills, 14 points, 5-8 shooting. If there's anybody that I like on this Spurs squad it's the Australian native Patty Mills. Regardless if he's on the bench or on the floor, he lifts the spirit of that Spurs team up either way and he shot lights out from the bench. His 3 pointers this game were back breaking when Miami looked like they were making a run.
The Negatives
None. Aside from the turnovers, I don't see any negatives at all from this Spurs team this game. The full 13 man rotation for the team scored at least some points and San Antonio never let up, which is really impressive and they've done that all season while at the same time respecting their opponents regardless if they're the best team or the worst team.
Miami Heat
The Positives
LeBron James, 28 points, 8 rebounds, 10-17 shooting. The lone bright spot for the Heat this game is none other than the 2x Finals MVP himself. Looked like he was playing with 2007 Cavaliers squad all over again, the way he carried the team this game. Aside from Bosh and Wade, LeBron put up fantastic double-digit point totals, while the rest of the team didn't even step up. The same guys that helped him power this team to 4 straight finals took an off night.
The Negatives
Dwyane Wade, 10 points, 3-13 shooting. Just a bizarre game for Wade overall. He was missing free throws, missing shots that the old D-Wade would've made. It was a shocker to see him struggle like that especially in a critical game where your team could be facing a 3-1 hole if you don't respond back. He didn't look right this game.
Team effort on both sides of the ball. The team effort for the Heat was just awful. Looking at this game, they didn't look aggressive. We grow accustomed to this Heat team being aggressive, playing suffocating defense, trying to beat you by playing lights out offensively, but credit to the Spurs, they have dominated the Heat in the last two games, especially this game on both the offensive end and the defensive end. If you're a Heat fan, where does Miami go from here? How do they get back to playing with that aggressive mentality that every game is like a game 7?
Conclusion
Overall, brilliant display of basketball by the Spurs on the road, especially at the point of adversity where they looked like they lost home court advantage blowing game 2, but they responded back in a big way to be on the verge of capturing their fifth NBA title. For the Heat how do they respond after two lackluster games at home? They could've been the ones up 3-1, but they have been deconstructed, demoralized, and dejected so far in this rematch of last year's finals. The Heat are just looking for answers now, while the Spurs, they're not happy yet. You could see in the sideline expressions of Parker and Duncan, especially with a big lead, they're not satisfied yet. Crucial game 5 on Sunday, the Spurs trying to end the depressing memory of last year, while the Heat are not thinking 3-peat, they just want to prolong this series. I'll see you guys for that game.
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