NBA Finals Game 5 Schedule Date and Preview 2014: San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat; Spurs One Home Win Away from Title
The first four games of these NBA Finals have surprised many and disappointed others as what was expected to be a 2-2 series tie (like last year) is instead a commanding 3-1 series lead for the San Antonio Spurs over the defending world champion Miami Heat.
The Spurs won Game 1 in late game dramatic fashion, but it came with skepticism. The air conditioning unit wasn't working properly causing four time MVP LeBron James to miss much of the fourth quarter. Chris Bosh hit a corner go-ahead three-point shot in the closing minute of Game 2 to tie the series.
But that evenly paced style of play wouldn't last much longer. The Spurs dominated Games 3 and 4 by 19 and 21 points.
Heat on Ice?
So, this is it for the two-time defending champions Heat. Miami has won the last four Eastern Conference titles and have looked unstoppable this season until now. Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers are just minutes away from having their face placed on a milk carton because of their disappearing performances.
James has been playing well but not at the elite level he is capable of, especially in the fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra must put sharpshooter Ray Allen in the starting lineup to open the court and eliminate the double teams in the paint area. Maybe putting in Chris "Birdman" Andersen would be a good idea for physicality and rebounds.
Spurs' Extraordinary Machine Keeps Rolling
For the Spurs, they don't need to change much, especially at home. Kawhi Leonard has been playing fantastic lately even on the offensive side of the ball. In the critical Game 3, he scored a career-high 29 points and has been the best defender in these finals. The big three of Manu Ginóbili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan continue to play at a high level against the best competition. Duncan is the leading rebounder in the Finals, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.
Parker has been quietly exceptional through five games, shooting 51 percent and averaging over five assists per game.
Never before has a coach devised a scheme so wisely through a season as Gregg Popovich has. Watching him orchestrate his lineups through a game and manage his bench has been a thing of beauty. He knows he has an older team, so rest is pivotal. It's also very important for the younger players to pick up the pace and carry the load.
Never before has an NBA team won a championship with no players averaging over 30 minutes per game in a season, but San Antonio could be the first. No Spurs player averaged 30 minutes per game this season; in contrast, three Heat players averaged over 30 minutes per game.
Again, it's all about balance for this Spurs team.
If the Heat are going to extend the series and head back to South Beach, the big three of Wade, Bosh and James are going to have to play at an elite level. Ray Allen is going to have to hit timely threes, and the entire team must play great defense.
Schedule, Date and Time
Game 5 will be played in San Antonio Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ABC
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