NBA Finals 2013: Spurs blow out Heat with 3-point barrage

Over the past two decades, comparisons to Michael Jordan have become amateur basketball’s version of death and taxes. They’re inevitable and inescapable for too many gifted young perimeter players with boundless athleticism, a gaudy points-per-game average and a warm smile.

Go back and read Grant Wahl’s iconic SI cover story on the life James was living as a 16-year old in 2002 and it isn’t hard to see why. Not only was James’ body and skill set incredibly advanced by the time he was a teenager, but the same meticulously crafted marketing scheme that made Jordan a worldwide phenomenon was already set in motion. Before LeBron would become a senior in high school and before Jay-Z would release “The Black Album,” the two were already close.

Things began rolling in the Spurs’ direction when they landed the most polished child on the planet to sing the national anthem. Like, this kid with smooth as hell:

The eruption of role players like Neal inspired the stars to make some of the little, hustle plays. Duncan laying out for a loose ball and landing in a court-side woman’s lap inspired said woman to FREAK OUT:

This performance comes after Green was one of the few bright spots in an ugly Game 2 loss. Green made all five of his threes in Game 2, meaning he has made 12 of his last 14 from deep. For the series, he’s 16-of-23.

Green is currently leading the NBA Finals in scoring with 56 points, which is quite the feat considering where he was just a couple of years ago. If Green continues his hot shooting, he may just find himself holding the NBA Finals MVP trophy in a few days.

Basketball is a game of instinct, developed by mundane repetition of both team and individual drills. It moves so quickly that you rarely have time to stop and actually consider your options. You have to turn those options into routine, much like how a normal human being rolls out of bed and automatically goes into the shower.

San Antonio’s scheme is disarming. It’s not unusual for teams to give James space at the top of the key, but the Spurs are taking it to an extreme, basically daring him to shoot jumpers. Look at the space James is being given in these screenshots.

Green had a slightly better pedigree as a McDonald’s All-American and a four-year player at North Carolina, but his path was anything but secure. A second-round pick by Cleveland in 2009, he played a grand total of 207 minutes his first two seasons in the league and was cut twice by the Spurs before finally earning a rotation spot last season.

“He talked to Danny about being confident and about going after a job like he really wanted it,” Popovich said. “Not to be in float, but just to go after it. Take no prisoners, so to speak. Act like somebody is trying to something away from you.”

“We’ve done a great job helping each other on team defense,” San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green said after the game. “But obviously we know what kind of player LeBron is. We know he’s not at his best right now. He missed a lot of shots he normally makes. We’re sure in Game 4 he’s going to come out a lot different.”

The strange stat line for James begins with just 15 points on 7-of-21 shooting from the field while going just 1-of-5 from the three-point line. Incredibly, he didn’t get to the free throw line all night, the first such instance since December 2009.

Danny Green just had the game of his life, so he’s allowed to sit down for a press conference in any manner he pleases, thank you very much.

With Game 3 officially in blowout mode, Jeff Van Gundy used garbage time to say what the entire country is thinking about the New England Patriots’ decision to sign Tim Tebow, and the media swirl around it.

The Spurs couldn’t miss on what was a magical evening in San Antonio. They shared the ball with ease and executed flawlessly throughout the game to give themselves high-percentage looks throughout the night.

The first half was an effective chess match that saw each team counter the other’s best shot. For the Spurs, it was stellar defense on Wade and James that forced them out of easy looks inside. They rotated and put several bodies on James down low and forced him to kick the ball out to the outside. Miller kept them in the game and hit three of his long-range looks in the first 24 minutes.

San Antonio shot a blazing 61 percent in the first quarter, including 2-of-3 from the three-point line. Duncan got off to a hot start, scoring six points on 3-of-6 from the field in 11 minutes. They jumped out to a four-point lead in the first 12 minutes,which could have been larger if they had not committed four turnovers and allowed Miami to score four points off those giveaways.

James was relatively quiet early as he got a feel for the game. Obviously, he can do whatever he wants on a basketball court, and he’s letting the game come to him to decide whether he’ll serve as a primary scorer or facilitator. Miami shot 43 percent from the field, but the encouraging sign for them through the first quarter was the fact that they only committed two turnovers and managed to match the Spurs in rebounding as both teams had eight apiece.

There’s plenty of outside noise at an event like the NBA Finals, but LeBron James seemed locked in his own world before the start of Game 3.

A great singer in a matador Mariachi suit? San Antonio has thrown the gauntlet down for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Your response, Miami?

There are no two sadder words in sports. For all he did and all he accomplished, there was always something missing. His Magic squad was supposed to be the next great team with McGrady and Hill, but injuries wiped out Hill and Duncan decided to stay in San Antonio where he won more championships and added to his legend.

The Magic eventually traded T-Mac to Houston where he and Yao teamed up with Jeff Van Gundy, but again, injuries cut short what should have been something special. Then his knee gave out and that was effectively that.

HAVE YOU HEARD? In 12 NBA Finals series that have gone 1-1 during the 2-3-2 era, the winner of Game 3 has won the series 11 times?! Fascinating. And of those 11 winners, eight did not have home court advantage for the series. How incredible.

Cool factoid, bro. But there’s no damn magic to a Game 3, or to the 2-3-2 format. To wit: