What's ABC's matchup to watch in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Tim Duncan vs. Anderson Varejao?
Game 1's ballyhooed matchup of Duncan vs. LeBron James wasn't exactly one for the ages. Duncan was Duncan, scoring 24 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks. James laid an egg big enough to hatch an elephant, scoring 14 points, missing 12 of 16 shots with six turnovers as the Spurs cruised to an 85-76 win over his Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
James missed his first seven shots before making one with 7:15 left in the third quarter. He didn't reach double figures until the last 6:54, with the Spurs, who had been up 18 points, coasting in.
"I didn't play extremely well," definitely," said James, unfazed, not to mention understated, as ever. Not just shooting the ball, but the six turnovers was uncharacteristic of me in the postseason."
That's what the Cavaliers are hoping, anyway, but they're not in the Eastern Conference anymore.
Before Thursday, their postseason foes were the 41-win Washington Wizards, the 41-win New Jersey Nets and the aging, bickering 53-win Detroit Pistons.
These were the Spurs, who won 58 games in the Wild West, going on a late 21-3 spurt before rolling through the first three rounds of the Western draw at 12-4.
The Spurs are used to defending against high-powered teams such as the Phoenix Suns, who have scoring threats spread out all over the court.
So guarding James without having to worry unduly about anyone else didn't represent the challenge of their lives.
"Stars carry teams," Duncan said. " … It helps a little bit to have somebody like Bruce [Bowen.]"
This was the standard, formidable Spurs defense, the one they throw against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant with Bowen crowding James, trying to make him drive into their big players, backing him up.
Of course, this is nothing new for James, who has been drawing more attention all postseason.
"They're doing what Detroit tried to do to us," Cleveland Coach Mike Brown said. "They're selling out on LeBron.
"When he has the basketball, he plays pick-and-roll, they're putting two guys [on] him. And they're pulling a third guy over.
"And if he gets into the paint, they've got three guys around him. So what they're doing is saying, 'Hey, somebody else beat us.' "
And who would that be?
James, the most heralded teenager ever and a coming star, opened eyes with a 48-point breakout in Game 5 of the East finals. Unfortunately, if he rarely shoots that well from the outside, it just dialed up the hype that follows him everywhere to heights even he hadn't seen before.
Nevertheless, with no teammate likely to beat anyone, as opposed to making some shots, they're deep in the playoffs to trying to beat anyone one-on-five.
The Cavaliers actually got good contributions from supporting players. Daniel Gibson, a rookie second-round pick who has emerged this postseason like a rabbit from a magician's hat, came off the bench to make seven of nine shots, leading them with 16 points.
The problem was in their stars. James was awful. Duncan squashed gawky Zydrunas Ilguaskas, who missed seven of eight shots and scored two points. Larry Hughes, who's lost trying to play point guard and doesn't have an outside shot to complement James, missed four of his five and scored two points.
Rusty after a nine-day layoff, the Spurs were as ugly as the Cavaliers, who led, 25-22, midway through the second quarter.
Yes, this was some classic, all right.
"We didn't play for a long time," said Spurs guard Tony Parker. "The first half, we were just trying to get our wind back."
Parker got enough back to lead all scorers with 27 points, most of them on his trademark drives.
"Tony gets to the rim all the time and that's no knock on anyone, the Cavs or anyone else," said Duncan. "But with his quickness, his ability to finish in the lane, he gets in there almost at will."
That's another adjustment Brown said the Cavaliers have to make. With all the adjustments they need, it's a good thing they have two days before Sunday's Game 2 but it may not be enough.Labels: baseball, basketball, news |
