by Marcel Mutoni / @ marcel_mutoni
With their backs pressed firmly up against the wall, the Miami Heat turned to the stars who joined forces in the summer of 2010 with the stated goal of winning multiple NBA championships.
Down 2-1 in the NBA Finals, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were called on in a must-win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, and the Big Three delivered a 109-93 victory.
The trio combined for a Playoff-best 85 points, grabbed 30 rebounds, blocked eight shots, snatched 10 steals, and only coughed up the ball twice. The Heat have now regained momentum in the series.
Per the AP:
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison had a message as he walked to the winning locker room. “The death of the Big Three was overrated,” he said.
“It was on our shoulders,” James said. “We had to figure out how to win the game for us and play at the highest level. When all three of us are clicking we’re very tough to beat.” James had 33 points and 11 rebounds after failing to break 20 points in any of the first three games of the series, and Wade scored 32 points, 11 more than his previous high this postseason. Bosh matched his playoff high with 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, he and Wade supplying the baskets that finally put the Spurs away for good midway through the fourth quarter.
The Miami Heat are now 12-0 after a loss since January 10. Dwyane Wade was the catalyst, as he looked explosive for the first time in the series, and LeBron said that his co-star was back to his “Flash” days.
The NBA Finals are now a best 2 out of 3, and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich knows his team is in trouble if the South Beach Big Three continue to play like this:
“When Bosh, Wade and James score the way they did tonight and shoot it the way they did tonight, a team is going to have a difficult time if you help them like we did,” Popovich said. “When those guys are playing like that, you better be playing a perfect game.”
Game 5 is set for Sunday night in San Antonio.
