Spurs crush Heat to seize 2-1 series lead

For the first two games of the NBA Finals Kawhli Leonard was M.I.A.

On Tuesday night in Game 3 the San Antonio Spurs found Leonard responding with a career high 29 points, and the San Antonio Spurs shooting an NBA Finals-record 75.8 percent of their shots in the first half to cruise to 111-92 victory over the Miami Heat to take a 2-1 lead. The Spurs made 19 of their first 21 shots and finished 25 of 33 in the first half, bettering the 75 percent shooting by Orlando against the Lakers in the 2009 finals.

“I don’t think we will ever shoot 76 percent in a half ever again” Spurs head coach Greg Popovich

San Antonio used the historic shooting display to score 41 points in the first quarter, on their way to taking a commanding 16 point lead.

Leonard came into the game as the most talked about no-show in the series.

In Game 3, he led the offensive charge with 18 first-half points to equal his point total of the first two games combined. He scored 13 of them relatively quickly on 5-of-5 shooting which included two 3-pointers in the first quarter.

“I was able to get in a rhythm tonight,” Leonard said at his post-game press conference. “In game 1 and 2 I got subbed out early because of foul trouble and tonight I got into a quick rhythm and was able to knock down some shots early.”

After shooting over 50% themselves in the first half, Miami would make a patented run and outscore San Antonio 25-15 in the third quarter to enter the fourth down by only 11. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would both score 22 points to lead the Heat in scoring while registering seven and five turnovers apiece, leading in turnovers as well.

After scoring 25 points even in each of the first three quarters, Miami would only score 17 in the fourth quarter. San Antonio would crank of their intensity on defense to send the Miami faithful to the exits early.

“You never know what is going to happen when you come out aggressively and that’s how we want to play the rest of the series.” Danny Green who led the team with 5 steals said. “If we keep putting pressure on them and making them feel us we will be solid like we were tonight.”

With the NBA scrapping their ridiculous 2-3-2 format this season in which the lower seed played three consecutive home games in favor of the more traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format, Thursday’s Game 4 is a must win for Miami. Teams who win Game 3 when a series is tied at 1-1 when the series 83% of the time.

A Game 4 when by San Antonio would give them a chance to wrap up their first NBA championship since 2007 in San Antonio Sunday.

Kendrick Johnson writes for a daily newspaper and is an independent print journalist and sports television reporter who has covered the NBA Finals, NFL, NCAA football, MLB, NHL, championship boxing and UFC Fights, and done numerous one on one’s with some of the biggest names and personalities in sports. He can be reached at kendrick_e_johnson@yahoo.com or on Twitter @kendrickjohnso