The San Antonio Spurs crushed the Miami Heat, 114-104, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. It was a surprising performance by Manu Ginobili, who started his first game of the 2013 season, that sparked the Spurs' run. He finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds to grab a double-double in the Spurs' victory. With the win, San Antonio has a 3-2 series lead and are now just one win away from winning the franchise's fifth championship.
This game was all about runs. The Spurs started the game on top, opening up a double-digit lead early in the game. No run came bigger than their 19-1 run to close the quarter as Ginobili led the way in possibly his last game at home. He scored seven of the points in the run as he was driving to the hoop and hitting high percentage shots.
San Antonio found a way to always increase their lead whenever the Heat threatened to get closer in this game. It was a historic night for Danny Green as he went 6-10 from three to break the NBA Finals record for most threes in a series. He hit a three over Allen to tie the record and then in the third quarter, as the Heat were making a run, Green broke the record.
Green played a huge role in this game since his threes came at crucial periods. With Miami trailing by one point in the third quarter, Green hit a three from way beyond the arc. For the third time in the playoffs, Green hit at least five threes in a game. Green has made 25 threes in the NBA Finals so far and there are still two games left on the schedule.
The Spurs imposed their will early on as they shot 63 percent from the floor. They took advantage of the Heat's shooting drought and over the final five minutes of the first quarter, outscored Miami 15-2. Kwahi Leonard closed the quarter off with a three-pointer to give the Spurs a 13-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Miami was shooting 27 percent from the floor at one point in the second quarter, but they scored 12 consecutive points as the Spurs mishandled the ball and couldn't hit shots. By the time the game went to halftime, thanks to the Heat's lack of discipline on defense, he Spurs were able to go to the line and increase their lead. The Spurs took breathing room as Ginobili made a difference with great passing and shooting. Parker drove to the bucket to finish the half with a layup, giving the Spurs a 61-52 lead.
The Heat had their chances in this game as they continued to rally back after finding themselves down by double-digits. However, their offense evaporated in the third quarter as their defense could not contend with the Spurs' offense.
James finished with 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Wade scored 25 points and had 10 assists, while Bosh added just 16 points and six rebounds. The Heat made a run late in the game as they cut a 20-point lead down to single digits with minutes remaining. Allen played a huge role in the quarter as he scored 15 of his 21 in the final quarter of the game.
