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Miami snapped a three-game losing streak in dominating fashion, rallying from a 14-point deficit to blow out the Spurs, 120-98.
There hasn't been a lot of positive things said about Tim Duncan this season as the longtime lifeblood of the San Antonio Spurs has began to show his age. Duncan turned back the hands of time in an impressive 24-point, 11-rebound effort his last game out, however, and will look to continue that resurgence on Tuesday night against the Miami Heat.
Duncan is on the wrong side of 35, but the former Wake Forest Deamon Deacon has been the most consistent player in the NBA over the past 15 seasons. It seemed he was finally declining this season, but Pounding the Rock's Matthew Tynan recapped his excellent performance from Sunday with some fawning words most didn't expect to read regarding the Big Fundamental this season.
Still, it was a pleasure to watch. As refreshing as it is seeing the Spurs' youth mature, there's still greatness they're all far from achieving. Luckily for them, that greatness is right in front of their eyes, teaching by example. Education systems don't get much better, and tonight they had a chance to learn. After several games watching the bench do most of the damage to its opponents, the Spurs' starting five did its job tonight with the Big Fundamental leading the way. Whether he was crossing over between his legs to set up a baseline fadeaway or spotting up for what has become an automatic jumper (well, "jumper" ... more like "stander") Duncan was feeling it tonight. Despite his age and increasing minutes in the absence of Ginobili, the 15-year vet is looking spry on both ends of the floor. As Pop said after the game, both he and Nash are models of dedication.
As far as LeBron James and the Heat are concerned, they enter Tuesday night's home game as losers of three straight games. Peninsula is Mightier's David Dwork points out news more troubling than that, however, regarding the injury status of Dwyane Wade (Happy birthday, Dwyane!).
Miami may have to begin the tough stretch without Dwyane Wade, as his availability is uncertain due to an ankle injury sustained in Denver on Saturday night. That injury comes after he already sat out 3 games due to a bruised left foot. Wade sat out the teams practice on Sunday and while Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is being very secretive about his top guards status, my guess would be that D-Wade is going to rest for a few days and give his injuries some time to heal.
Both teams picked up 30 point victories at home over the other when they met last season, but it's obviously quite different circumstances this season.
For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For a bit on the Heat, Peninsula is Mightier has the blogosphere covered. For all things NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.
The San Antonio Spurs looked anything but old as they rolled to a victory behind 24 points and 11 rebounds from Tim Duncan their last time out, but Tuesday night's game might be a bit more difficult. The Spurs are in South Beach to play the struggling Miami Heat in a game scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on NBA TV.
Duncan and the Spurs are off to a 9-4 start this season, an impressive fact considering the advancing age of San Antonio's players along with the loss of Manu Ginobili due to injury. The 35-year-old Duncan has been inconsistently solid, but he and Tony Parker seem to be able to step up when necessary while fellow veteran Richard Jefferson has looked better than his previous seasons in San Antonio.
The Heat could be without Dwyane Wade as he recovers from a sprained ankle suffered last week, but that decision likely won't be revealed until closer to game time. Even with Wade, however, the Heat haven't looked amazing this season as their current three-game skid will show.
For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For a bit on the Heat, Peninsula is Mightier has the blogosphere covered. For all things NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.
Spurs Vs. Heat: Miami Dominates Late, 120-98, Ends Losing Streak
Trailing by 14 at halftime against the visiting San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat looked well on their way to extending their losing streak to four games. Instead, they opened the second half with an absolutely dominating third quarter, maintaining their intensity in the fourth for a surprising 120-98 win.
LeBron James led the way with 33 points and 10 assists, while Chris Bosh scored 30 with eight rebounds. The Heat were missing Dwyane Wade, sidelined with a sprained ankle suffered last weekend, but Mike Miller helped pick up the slack off the bench with 18 points, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from behind the arc.
The Heat came out of halftime a completely different team, obliterating San Antonio's first-half lead with a 39-12 third quarter. Miami dominated on both ends of the court, making 15 of 20 shots (75 percent) while holding San Antonio to just 4 of 19 (21.1 percent).
In fact, James outscored the entire Spurs' roster in the quarter with 17 points. He didn't score again the rest of the game, but he didn't have to. Miller came alive in the final quarter with 15 points, nailing all five of his three-point attempts to help the Heat to a 32-23 advantage.
The always candid Gregg Popovich didn't hold back when assessing his team's performance after the game:
After combining to score 44 points in the first half, San Antonio's starters were held to just seven after halftime, with no one scoring more than two. Tony Parker finished the game with 18 points and three assists in 25 minutes, while Tim Duncan managed just eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. Danny Green led all scorers for the Spurs with 20 points off the bench.
The Heat improved to 9-4 with the win, sitting a game back in the Southeast Division. The Spurs dropped to 9-5 and still sit alone atop the Southwest. MIami hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday while the Spurs play again on Wednesday in Orlando.
For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For a bit on the Heat, Peninsula is Mightier has the blogosphere covered. For all things NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.
Jan 17 10:52p by Matt Watson - 0 comments