Posted on 06/13/2014 7:53:28 AM PDT by laotzu
The Heat looks like a team out of answers, and worse, out of belief. The Heat looks like a team out of hope, and just about out of time.
Miami’s dream of a third straight NBA championship is expiring, and it is not doing so nobly, but rather wrapped in something uncomfortably close to embarrassment. This is not ending as much as it is crashing with the sound of something broken. Something shattering.
You heard booing in the downtown bayside arena Thursday night as the Heat was crushed 107-86 in a Game 4 Finals loss that put the Spurs in 3-1 command heading back to San Antonio.
A two-time defending champion chasing a three-peat, booed by its own fans, in its own building, in an NBA Finals. The booing was neither sustained nor loud, but you heard it, and it was a jarring sound, like heckling in church.
Miami must now make history to win this series and keep its budding dynasty intact. No team in league history has overcome a 3-1 Finals deficit to win. None. Not once. And the Heat must now win three games in a row – two in San Antonio – against a Spurs team that just dominated Miami at home for a second straight game.
Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., who sat courtside, reportedly lost $2.6 million on Thursday night by betting on Miami to win.
“They smashed us,” said LeBron James.
“Whipped our butt,” said Dwyane Wade.
And it was too obvious to ignore that James came here from Cleveland to get away from the very situation that enveloped him Thursday night:
Being a superstar alone.
Having no help.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Three more games left. Plenty of chances to come back ...
Although I have not yet seen any team winning a 7 game NBA finals being down 3-1.
But hey, history can be made....
Last year, the Spurs tried to play Miami’s game: pushing all the focus on Duncan. This year, it’s all about the teamwork that got them here. I love it when my gut feeling is better than the official predictions.
What an idiot. He must have placed that bet before Game 3.
I suppose the Heat theoretically have a chance. But after the way they had their asses handed to them by the Spurs these past two games it's clear they are being outcoached, outhustled & outplayed by a much better T-E-A-M.
Its over.
Even if the Heat win game 5 it’s over.
The Spurs team that emphasizes ‘team’ basketball with one of the greatest coach in Pop and having dominated and put on a clinic in 3 out of the 4 games and wanted Miami again for revenge from last year where they were seconds away from a championship are not going to lose 3 straight.
This is one of the reasons why spectacularly successful atheletes end up broke by the time they are 40-45 despite earning millions during their career. In the boxing world Mike Tyson comes to mind.
My favorite sport is College Backetball. My least favorite is the NBA. I cannot understand why anyone would pay to watch an NBA game.
Doesn’t hurt to be able to shoot the lights out.
San Antonio is a better shooting team. They are also a better defensive team.
Give Lebron his 30 and shut down the rest.
Others: “They smashed us,” said LeBron James. “Whipped our butt,” said Dwyane Wade.
Who should we believe?
And a coward. He could have silenced all critics by simply signing to fight Manny Pacquiao. All his talk would have been ignored if he would have put his ass on the line.
But he knows he would lose so he's been ducking Manny relentlessly and making excuse after excuse. He'll only fight Manny after Manny is past his prime if at all.
LeBron is quitting on Miami like he quit on the Cavs in his last game there.
Because not everyone's team sucks.
Happy for Duncan.
It's not the teams. It's the game. NBA ball differs vastly from the college game. Slam dunks should be a 1 point score. Either that or the rim should be at 12 feet. The personality disorders that go on display by overgrown adolescents before, during and after the games are cringe worthy at the very least. I could go on but if you love the NBA experience, you'll still be unconvinced.
LeBron had 19 points in the 3rd quarter of last night's game, when the Heat were down by 20. He needs some help from Wade, Bosh, and others to win another game in this series. I'm not a big fan of LeBron’s, but he didn't quit last night until it was clear, with about 6 minutes left, that he wasn't getting enough out of his teammates to close the gap.
Having said that, I take considerable pleasure from watching an “old school” team like the Spurs whip up on a flashy “dream team.”
I love college basketball but the past few years it has been horrible. Most of the kids can’t score and its not because of great defenses around the country, its a lack of fundamentals. The NBA has drastically improved over the years and that’s a fact and the games have typically been exciting for the most part in the playoffs. Yes they are super athletes that can dunk over one another but if you don’t have fundamentals in the NBA then you are either sitting on the bench most of the time or not playing in the league at all. People tend to half a nostalgic view of the NBA in the 80’s and mid 90’s but the past few seasons are not far behind saved for the weakeness of the Eastern Conference
Fair enough. I grew up in San Antonio, and watched the ABA Spurs play in Hemisphere Arena.
It is not so much that I love the NBA experience, but heh, the Spurs make the playoffs(or better) every damn year.
Except for the one season before we fired that freak Rodman, the Spurs have always been low key, gentlemanly ball players.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of thugs . . .
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