Tim Duncan was otherworldly in his mastery of all aspects of the game to help lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 50-44 halftime lead in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night.
Spurs vs. Heat score update, NBA Finals Game 6: Tim Duncan goes off to give San Antonio 50-44 lead at half
Tim Duncan carved up the Miami Heat defense and played a near-flawless half of basketball to give the Spurs momentum going into the locker room.
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Duncan’s extraordinary first-half line consisted of 25 points, eight rebounds and one steal.
Despite the Heat to shooting 42 percent from the field, the Spurs forced six Heat turnovers and kept their opponents out of the paint. If Miami wants to close the game out, they'll have to rely less on outside shooting (they're currently 5-of-10 from beyond the arc) and attack the basket.
LeBron James finished the first half with nine points and five assists. Mario Chalmers led the way for the Heat in the scoring department and finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Our own Rodger Sherman previewed Game 6 and, as always, asked the right questions beforehand. Here’s a quick look back at them:
1. Can anybody stop the rain?
Green only took one shot in the first quarter as the Heat keyed in on him early. But he hit his first look of the second quarter early on. Still, he’s been a relative non-factor through the half. The good news for him is that his teammates have picked him up. Will he rekindle some of his Finals magic to cap off an amazing series?
2. Do we see the same lineups?
Small ball continued on Tuesday, with Mike Miller drawing the start again for the Heat. After a quiet Game 5, he got himself going by hitting his first three-pointer of the night from the wing. He was a non-factor after that in the first, and was a victim of this unfortunate attack from Leonard:
On the other side, head coach Gregg Popovich rode the hot hand and stuck with Manu Ginobili, who's also struggled to this point. This game has been all about stars, as Duncan and James are serving as catalysts for both offenses.
3. Can the Heat guard everybody?
Not Tim Duncan.
In Game 6, the Heat have effectively taken Danny Green out of the game, but the Spurs adjusted by pounding the ball inside to Duncan and Leonard. Their ability to adjust behind the brilliance of Popovich is keeping them alive.
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