Spurs cautious as series shifts to Cleveland for Games 3, 4

**T Park** · 06-12-2007

CLEVELAND — Tim Duncan knows about Sunday's fourth quarter and the confidence the Cleveland Cavaliers might have gained from their rally. He knows Quicken Loans Arena will be loud and unfriendly tonight.
He knows what happened to the Dallas Mavericks last season when they won the first two games of the NBA Finals, then hit the road, and he certainly hasn't forgotten what happened two years ago when the Spurs nearly met the same fate in Detroit.

But Duncan knows something else, too. How he and his teammates feel heading into Game 3 of the Finals.

"We're confident," Duncan said. "We're going in there to get to four. However long it takes."

Four would be the number of victories needed to win the Finals. That the Spurs are halfway to that total — holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series — explains why they not only feel good, but cautious, about their position.

While the Spurs led for all but 1 minute, 41 seconds of the 96 minutes in the first two games, they were similarly impressive while taking a 2-0 lead in the 2005 Finals against the Detroit Pistons. After walking into the Palace of Auburn Hills, they lost the next two games by 17 and 31 points. Only Robert Horry's heroics in Game 5 prevented them from returning home in a 3-2 hole.

"It was really embarrassing," Manu Ginobili said. "So, hopefully, especially the guys that were in those Finals, learn from that and we are more humble going into these games."

The Cavaliers also have some experience to lean on. They lost the first two games of this season's Eastern Conference finals in Detroit before winning the next four.

Cleveland also has lost just once in eight playoff games at home this season. As the Spurs recently learned from the Utah Jazz, teams new to the playoff stage can quickly find their confidence once they step onto their own floor.

"You know, we've got to just dig within," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Again, I don't have anything magical. I'm not that smart. I wish I was. I wish I had something to give them.

"But the bottom line is we've been through this before. ... The one thing I kept preaching to our guys is it's one day, one game at a time, and we've got to continue to play the right way."

The Cavaliers hope to take something from the way they played in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 27 to start, they needed only a little more than seven minutes to reduce their deficit to eight.

LeBron James, largely held in check for the series' first seven quarters, had a much easier time getting to the rim in the fourth quarter as the Spurs' defense softened. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich blamed himself for changing the defensive scheme, and some of the players later said the team was experimenting with different adjustments — little of which worked.

"When you get a big lead, you're not playing with the same intensity," Tony Parker said. "You don't go after the loose balls, and we can't play like that. We can't let them outwork us."

The Spurs have had similar trouble this postseason. Sunday was the eighth time in 18 playoff games that they led by at least 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter only to watch their opponent draw within single digits in the closing minutes.

In only one of those eight games, however, did the Spurs lose: Game 4 of their second-round series against the Phoenix Suns. As a result, Duncan was quick to remind reporters Sunday night to look at the game's final score and not just the 30-14 advantage Cleveland enjoyed in the fourth quarter.

"We won the game, didn't we?" Duncan asked. "Isn't that the point of the whole thing? We won the game.

"They made a run. We held them off. They made some shots. The whistles were blowing and they were making some plays. And we held them off and won the game. That's all that matters."

The Spurs won because they received another strong effort from Parker, who averaged 28.5 points in the two games while shooting 58.1 percent. James opened Sunday's game defending Parker but picked up two quick fouls on reach-in calls against Duncan and had to go to the bench for the final nine minutes of the first quarter.

"He's very good, probably the second-best point guard we've played in this postseason," James said. "Jason Kidd is one. I think Tony Parker is two.

"No matter what you do, he's going to find a way to get into the paint. He can finish over big guys, finish over small guys. They have a great one in Tony Parker, for sure."

James expects the Cavaliers to get a boost from their fans and thinks tonight's atmosphere will be "electrifying." The Spurs don't doubt it. They've faced hostile crowds in Phoenix and Utah, and expect Quicken Loans Arena to be just as loud.

Which is why the Spurs bunkered themselves in their downtown hotel here Monday evening. They unpacked and stretched their legs, knowing they will be here for at least two games, if not three.

"We're not worried about a sweep," Duncan said. "We're not worried about finishing it (in Cleveland).

"We're worried about getting two more wins. However long it takes."

**TDMVPDPOY** · 06-12-2007

spur-taaa is fearless....we strike fear in u

**MI21** · 06-12-2007

The Spurs have had similar trouble this postseason. Sunday was the eighth time in 18 playoff games that they led by at least 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter

That is an amazing stat in itself, especially considering the quality of opposition.

**johngateswhiteley** · 06-12-2007

i am going to be furious if they lose game 3 b/c of a lackluster performance...come out fired up you s.

**SAGambler** · 06-12-2007

I think rightly so, Pop took the blame for the downfall in the 4th.

Hopefully he learned this lesson. The Finals isn't the place to experiment with different defensive schemes. If it ain't broke (and it hadn't been for 7 quarters) don't try to fix it.

I look for the Spurs to again go into the 4th with a double digit lead. They can't keep Tony out of the paint (but then again, who can), they can't keep Tim from scoring, and Manu seems to be zoned in on his shots.

The only way the Cavs keep it close is to shut down one of our big 3, and at the same time have James put up some huge numbers. And that is asking a lot of both James and the team.

Then they have Fin and Bruce to contend with. If either of them get zoned in from 3 point land, it really doesn't matter if they shut down one of the big 3. Bottom line is the Spurs just have too many weapons to throw at them.

I really believe the Spurs win tonight and close this thing out Thursday. They smell another trophy. They are focused on their job and they are impossible to shut down as an entire team.

Any other year, I would say they might just mail one in, but somehow I just don't see that in their at ude this year. It started with the semi celebration of winnning the West. The main theme seemed to be "Well, this is great, but we have a lot more work to do to reach our goal".

You know all these guys have to feel like they let one slip away last year, and they are determined not to let that happen again.

And that is why I think this is over Thursday.