Miss any of Tuesday's action? Get caught up with our first half recap of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
After a historic shooting performance (75.8% from the field) by the San Antonio Spurs in the first half, the Miami Heat desperately needed an answer to make a dent in the Spurs' 71-50 lead.
They got that answer straightaway out of the break, going on a 6-0 run in the first 45 seconds to slice the deficit to 15. The spurt was keyed by an aggressive Wade and-one, followed by a Mario Chalmers dime to Chris Bosh for a 25-foot triple. 71-56 Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard would continue his amazing night for the game's next two, dropping in a 13-footer to make it 73-56. Seven-of-eight from the field for Kawhi.
The Heat find an opening from there, picking up two freebies on a shooting foul, followed by drawing Danny Green's fourth foul on the Spurs' next touch.
Two Tony Parker charity shots and a Dwyane Wade floater keeps it at a 15-point margin after the next two touches, 75-60.
Duncan and Chalmers then trade turnovers, with Mario Chalmers' offensive foul giving the Heat their 11th turnover of the game.
The Spurs couldn't capitalize though, even with winning two jump balls on the offensive end of the floor. The Spurs could not find an open look from there, committing a 24-second shot clock violation.
A Dwyane Wade layup on the Heat's next touch awakens the crowd, with the Spurs' lead down to 13. Tim Duncan would quiet them for a moment though, hitting a jumper on a Diaw dime. 77-62 Spurs.
Both teams trade two failed possessions (with the Heat missing two wide open threes), but James gets the disadvantage back down to 13 with an easy transition bucket. 77-64.
Kawhi Leonard would miss a contested 25-footer on the Spurs' next trip, giving the ball right back to LeBron with momentum. However, that momentum carried on and through Boris Diaw for an offensive foul. Heat full timeout with 6:09 left. Spurs by 13.
The Spurs had possession coming out of commercial and convert on a Patty Mills cut and float in the lane. Spurs by 15, 79-64.
On what looked like a defensive foul, LeBron James can't convert down low on a bunny hook. The Spurs wouldn't score on their next trip, but Patty Mills would draw an offensive foul on Mario Chalmers to give San Antonio the ball back.
Manu Ginobli took it from there, extending the lead to seventeen on a driving lay-in.
Two Birdman free throws would cut the San Antonio lead again down to 15. The Spurs would fail to convert on two shot clocks worth of possession on their next touch, leading to Ray Allen quickly drawing a shooting foul for the Heat going back. Two freebies and it's 81-68.
The Spurs would again have trouble finding a good shot next trip, as Duncan had to force a contested one-hander late in the clock. A miss would again lead to Heat free throws shortly after, as Dwyane Wade draws a foul on Duncan. He hits his two to drop the deficit to eleven, and Duncan was not happy.
Duncan takes a seat, and it just gets worse for the Spurs. Wade hits a wide-open signature runner after a Spurs miss. Spurs fail to score once again. Norris Cole hits. Lead down to seven, 81-74.
Marco Belinelli puts a bandage on things for the Spurs next trip down, hitting a crucial 25-foot three on a Diaw assist to bring the lead back to ten.
Birdman would get fouled going back for the Heat, picking up one of two at the stripe to make it a nine-point game.
That would become eleven quickly, though, as Diaw drains a rhythm 12-footer.
Norris Cole would clank one for the Heat on their subsequent touch, and the Spurs would get a chance to run out the clock with one last possession. A Green miss at the buzzer would end the quarter, making it 86-75 Spurs at the end of three after a big comeback by the Heat in the third.
Back to the Miami Heat Newsfeed