Spurs making no mistakes this year after heartbreak last time round.
The San Antonio Spurs took another step towards an NBA championship on Thursday night with a second consecutive comfortable road win over the Miami Heat.
Miami will now need to make the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history in order to defend their crown, but Spurs point guard Tony Parker insists that there is still one more win to collect and the Western Conference champions are not celebrating anything yet.
Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and 14 rebounds which guided the Spurs to a 107-86 win to take a 3-1 series lead, and San Antonio can now win their fifth NBA championship with a victory at home in Game 5 on Sunday and avenge their loss from last year.
“I’m pleased that they performed as well as they did while we’ve been in Miami, and that’s about as far as it goes,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Now we’ve got to go back home and play as well or better.”
LeBron James had 28 points and eight rebounds, but Dwyane Wade was just 1-of-10 through three quarters and finished with 10 points as the Heat failed to put up the level of scoring required to be competitive against their rivals.
In addition, with many expecting a reaction after their loss in Game 3, there seemed to be a distinct lack of energy and effort on the defensive end, with some critics suggesting that the reigning champions are running out of steam after a gruelling fourth campaign in a row.
No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, and given the way in which the Heat have been beaten in the last two outings, it remains to be seen whether or not they have anything left in the tank to get themselves out of this hole.
Parker added 19 points, Tim Duncan had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who ended a run of 13 consecutive wins for the Heat after a post-season loss.
NBA Results:
San Antonio Spurs 107-86 Miami Heat
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