The Miami Heat overcame tough defense at the rim to score 104 points, but continued to have no way to stop Danny Green’s 3-point shooting. NBA teams average 1.2 points when they attempt a 3-pointer, but the Spurs scored 10 points more than average on Green’s 3-pointers, 22 points on 10 shots, to provide the winning margin in a 114-104 win that gives them a three games to two lead heading back to Miami with a chance to clinch the NBA title.
A game after Dwyane Wade turned back the clock by being the first player in over a decade to register over 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals in an NBA Finals game, it was Manu Ginobili who repeatedly drove to the hoop for twisting shots and pulled up for smooth jumpers throughout the game to score 24 points in his first start of the season – playoffs or regular season.
The Spurs also contested hard at the wind, with Gregg Popovich yelling during one timeout caught on TV, “Beat the stuffing out of them!”
However, James and Wade were relentless in continuing to drive and pressure a game after being the first duo in over a decade to score at least 30 points each in a Finals game. Tough defense by the Spurs stopped several layups and short shots by the duo, but the Heat fought through for 104 points that they likely thought would have bene enough prior to the game.
However, it was Green who kept the lead by trading three-pointers for two-pointers as he kept his three-point shooting at 67 percent for the finals. His most important shot may have come at the 2:54 mark of the third period. Wade had just rolled around a pick by Shane Battier and drained a shot while Battier took the foul by Ginobili, going to the line to make it a three-point play and cut the Spurs lead to 75-74 with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter.
Instead, Green came right back and made his fifth three-pointer in six attempts, giving the Spurs a 78-74 lead and starting a run that gave them a double digit lead against the discouraged Heat.
| Danny Green’s 3-point attempts | Points | Spurs | Heat | Quarter | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| misses 27-footer | 0 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 5:43 |
| makes 24-footer (Boris Diaw assists) | 3 | 39 | 24 | 2 | 8:40 |
| makes 23-footer (Manu Ginobili assists) | 3 | 42 | 26 | 2 | 7:39 |
| makes 26-footer (Tony Parker assists) | 3 | 45 | 28 | 2 | 7:01 |
| misses 24-footer, Duncan rebounds, Ginobili scores | 2 | 66 | 60 | 3 | 9:03 |
| makes 25-footer (Manu Ginobili assists, sets NBA record) | 3 | 66 | 60 | 3 | 9:40 |
| makes 26-footer (Boris Diaw assists) | 3 | 78 | 74 | 3 | 2:54 |
| misses, Duncan sticks in rebound | 2 | 92 | 75 | 4 | 9:33 |
| misses | 0 | 109 | 95 | 4 | 3:11 |
| makes (Manu Ginobili assists) | 3 | 114 | 101 | 4 | 1:06 |
| Total on 10 shots, final score | 22 | 114 | 104 | Final | 0:00 |
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