The Miami Heat tied the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals after winning Game 4, 109-93. With the victory, the series is tied 2-2 and the Heat couldn't do it without their Big 3. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh played like true leaders as they provided most of the key plays in Game 4.
Wade didn't finish with the game-high, but his 32 points were huge as 10 of them came while James was on the bench in the fourth quarter. Wade did such a great job when he was in charge; all James had to do was ensure that the Heat didn't turn the ball over. James took home the game-high honors by dropping 33 points and mercilessly putting the game away as the Spurs were prideful enough to continue playing until the final whistle.
Quietly, Bosh was a big story in this game. Having Wade and James score 65 points is huge, but Bosh's 20 were extremely helpful. Bosh's 20 points came efficiently and out of nowhere. He shot 8-14 from the floor and was constantly around the glass as he finished with 13 rebounds. Bosh played a huge role in the Heat winning the battle of the boards, 41-36.
The Heat's offense was responsive as they knew they couldn't let the Spurs win Game 4. Had they lost, Miami would be facing elimination in Game 5. Similar to their Game 2 attack on both sides of the floor, the Heat roared back and played well on both ends. The Spurs began the night shooting well, but ultimately, the Heat's defense became unbearable. San Antonio shot 44 percent and committed 21 turnovers.
There is no way the Spurs are going to win this series if they turn the ball over consistently. This fed directly into the Heat's gameplan as they were able to run the floor and get to the paint before the Spurs' defense was set. Six of the Spurs' turnovers came at the hands of Wade as he interrupted passing lanes.
Another part of the Heat's game that lead to fastbreak opportunities was their blocking. Chris Andersen didn't play a minute in this game, but Miami only needed Bosh, James and Wade to take care of the blocking. The Heat finished Game 4 with seven blocks and the Big 3 finished with five of these stops.
Give credit to Heat coach, Erik Spoelstra, for trusting his instincts and mixing up the lineups in Game 4. As mentioned earlier, Andersen didn't get any playing time and Spoelstra also had Wade leading the lineup on the floor at the beginning of the fourth quarter. In Game 1, Spoelstra had another awkward lineup that featured no Wade or James and that cost the Heat as Mike Miller, Bosh, Anderesen, Ray Allen and Norris Cole were on the floor. However, on this night, the Heat played united and on both ends of the floor.
Game 5 will be Sunday and the question is, Can the Heat repeat this performance in Game 5? If they do, this series will quickly be over. However, the Spurs are getting great play for Gary Neal and he could get more time in the series as it will come down to just three more games.
Spurs vs. Heat Standings
Spurs Win Game 1 92-88
Heat Win Game 2 103-84
Spurs Win Game 3 113-77
Heat Win Game 4 109-93
