-While hugely disappointed by the result – not just because
I’m quietly rooting for the Spurs but also because that game was blown by San
Antonio more than it was won by Miami – last night’s Game 6 was undeniably
amazing. Seriously, it was one of the better basketball games in recent years
and just so happened to take place on the biggest of stages, Game 6 of the NBA
Finals. The dramatic turnarounds, from LeBron throwing away what seemed like
the Heat’s final possession (still not sure if it was a shot or just a horrible
lob pass/idea in the area of Chris Bosh) and Championship aspirations, to a
scowling Bosh moments after the forgotten Big sealed the deal with a block on
Danny Green’s desperation three (on which, by the way, he was definitely
fouled). If people are wrong when they
say only title-winning games are remembered, last night’s Game 6 won’t soon be
forgotten.
-With all that said about the game’s brilliance, I simply
can’t escape that the game was over, that the Spurs had the thing won and lost
in the end not because James and company were brilliant down the stretch but
rather because San Antonio couldn’t get out of its own way. When the game was
on the line, LeBron missed both big shots he took and committed two horrible
turnovers. If Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobli or Tony Parker could make free throws
down the stretch, if the Spurs could have rebounded either of Miami’s two
missed desperation threes in the closing seconds…if any of those things happen the
game’s over, the Spurs are NBA Champs. And LeBron knew it, even in the moment.
The look on his face seconds after the missed lob to Bosh (for which LeBron
completely blamed Chris) was unmistakably one of defeat.
-In many ways, this series has been defined by tremendous
play from role players and at times underwhelming performances from the stars.
Speaking of the latter, two marquee guys struggled in big ways last night. The
first that comes to mind, Dwyane Wade, was not only average from an individual
standpoint, but also a major reason his team struggled. At this point it’s
pretty well documented that San Antonio is driven to clog the lane in an effort
to slow LeBron, and that James and the Miami offense respond better to that defensive
strategy when they can spread the floor. It’s no coincidence, then, that Miami
went on huge runs last night in the fourth and in Game 2 when Ray Allen and
Mike Miller were in the lineup and Wade wasn’t. And it’s not because either of
those guys are better basketball players than Wade (though Allen’s been
sensational in this series, a true difference maker), it’s because they are
significantly better long-range shooters. When the Spurs have to follow Miller
and Allen to the corners, the paint opens wide from LeBron. When the Spurs
defenders stick to LeBron, Miller and Allen have killed them. Of course, for
all Wade does well, he’s never been a great shooter, especially from three, and
his inability to spread the floor against the Spurs has really hurt James in
particular and the Heat in general. The other “star” that needs to be mentioned
here is Manu Ginobli, who has absolutely killed his team all series. He had a
nice Game 5, but who’s to say San Antonio doesn’t get that one without him
considering they won going away? In every other game, he has been horrendous,
and that includes his EIGHT turnovers last night and his ill-advised attempt at
a last shot in regulation (most are focusing on the fact that Manu was fouled,
but he took close to five steps before any contact arrived). I’m not one to use
hindsight to question great coaches, and going with Ginobli in Game 5 worked
well for Popovich, so it’s hard to criticize him for going back to the well in
Game 6. But there’s also something to be said for in-game adjustments, we use
them to define our football coaches all the time, and at some point Pop had to see
Manu was closer to his Games 1-2-3-4 form, that at this point Game 5 was an
aberration. Again, Pop is an amazing coach, arguably the best in the game, and
taking out a former star is hard for a coach because of the “what he may do”
factor, but Ginobli’s kind of bad Tuesday went way beyond considerations like
that.
-I guess while I’m criticizing Pop I should also mention I
disagreed with his decision to rest Duncan and Parker for so long in the
fourth. The Spurs had the Heat on the ropes wit the title on the line. In those
instances, you throw your haymaker…you don’t dance around the ring waiting for
your opponent to recover. Many will argue Pop’s move was smart, that he of
course knew Game 7 was a possibility and took a calculated risk in Game 6 to
guarantee his team would be fresh in a potential final outing. That logic,
though, doesn’t make much sense to me. At the time, there was one quarter and
one game left in the entire season, with months of nothing but rest to follow.
Not to mention they have Wednesday off before Thursday’s Game 7. If playing
five extra minutes on a Tuesday means you won’t be ready to compete for an NBA
Title on Thursday, you aren’t a champion, plain and simple. Also, I think
Duncan has to be in the game late when you know rebounding will be key (and
while he may not match up well with Miami’s shooters, his height helps him
close out on threes, just as it helped Bosh later in the night). In Duncan’s 44
minutes of action, Miami managed a measly eight second-chance points. In his
nine minutes on the bench, the Heat owned the paint with nine points off
rebounds, including six in the waning seconds.
-I’ll make this fast, but I hate when “big moments” late in
games are called differently than every other moment in said big game. Really,
it shouldn’t be allowed. Rules are rules. Baskets should be baskets…whether
they come in the first quarter or in the fourth. The implication here is that
certain possessions carry more weight than others and should thus be officiated
accordingly, but how is that fair? Who’s to say the “late-game” rules won’t
benefit one team and hurt the other? And how are the players and teams supposed
to account for rules that don’t actually exist? Bosh’s shot block on Danny
Green is an obvious foul in at least the first three quarters, but apparently
wasn’t in last night’s overtime. But how is that fair when softer foul calls
went in favor of the Heat earlier in the same game? The points Miami received
in those earlier moments counted in the score just the same…they were no less
important than would have been the three free throws Danny Green deserved. So
why did the refs approach those moments with less discretion?
-I’ll close by admitting that I actually enjoyed watching
the fair-weather Heat fans leave last night’s game early. It only further
confirms the perception that Miami sports fans take a spoiled, bandwagon approach
to their teams. They sort of reminded me of my father, who in attempts to beat
traffic has missed countless classics. He’s more neurotic doctor (with a
bedtime) than fickle fan, however. Last night wasn’t just any game, of
course. It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals and, at the time, looked to be the last
minute in Miami’s third consecutive memorable season. As a fan, at best you
were going to see a classic NBA Finals comeback victory, at worst you were
going to support YOUR team, one that by way has been good to you as
basketball’s most exciting for three straight years. You stay because those are
your guys and that’s what supportive fans do. Of course, those same fans will
be back in “diehard” form for Thursday’s Game 7, which I expect to be another
classic.
OK, that’s all I’ve got for now, but if you’re interested in doing
so, you're more than welcome follow me on Twitter @BrainTrain9.
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