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There were less than 10 seconds on the clock at Miami. The Spurs were up by two and the ball belonged to Tony Parker. He could not waste time as the shot clock was running out as well. Miami would have the final shot but the Spurs needed assurance. Parker loses balance, trips to the ground and the Heat looked to have salvaged the play. LeBron James did not blow the coverage either and played almost perfect defense. His hands were steadily covering Parker’s sight.
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Suddenly, Danny Green of San Antonio went open but Ray Allen caught up with him. The Miami Heat was taking its defense quite too seriously. Why wouldn’t they? It is the NBA Finals – the biggest game series in World Basketball.
As the clock winded down to less than 5 seconds, Parker would be forced to take the shot. He had no choice, no player to pass the ball to. Least expected then from Miami’s point of view, Tony Parker broke the perfect man to man coverage to make the shot. The ball made the bucket. And the game was over even though the Heat would make the final play.
Just when Miami thought they did everything perfectly, Tony Parker proved why he is the most on-streak player in the game today. On any other day, Parker may not have taken the shot but the day belonged to him. He is on course to becoming the Playoffs most valuable player and he did not want to surrender his perch either. The game ended 92-88 to the San Antonio Spurs. Miami Heat just blew part 1 of their home court advantage. Heading into Game 2 at the American Airlines Arena, Spurs would not be evaluated as underdogs in Miami anymore.
The Miami Heat now know who their biggest threat is. Till Game 1, it was the Heat’s title to lose. Now, they need to halt the Tony Parker express – well on course to winning San Antonio’s fourth NBA title under the Greg Popovich tenure. If the Heat thought outplaying Kevin Durant in 2012 and Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 were its biggest challenges, they now need to reset their eyes straight on another man. Someone who could quantify to be rated as the league’s best point guard.
But how can they stop this man? He makes shots out of nowhere, creates opportunities from the brink of lost hope and generates turnovers like no man’s business. Can the Miami Heat actually swindle Tony Parker? The answer is yes, but indirectly.
The Heat does have the game’s elite defenders in its ranks. While LeBron James, the game’s best player, may not be expected to stick to Tony Parker the entire game, Heat can find ways to limit the Spurs production. The first way is to ensure the other players surrounding Tony Parker’s aura in the Spurs line up, do not feature as prominently. That includes confining the likes of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard from dropping one bucket after another. Tony Parker is an exceptional basketball phenomenon but he is not going to win the NBA single-handedly. Neither could LeBron James. So the Heat has got to believe in restricting numbers from others players on the Spurs line up. If Parker cannot seem to find space, he is prone to taking unnecessary shots. This could tip sides into Miami’s favor.
Another worrying stat for the Heat was the number zero highlighted in Tony Parker’s turnover column from Game 1. Nobody wins a game in today’s NBA if they do not manage to cause the opponent’s point guard to turn the ball over. Tony Parker might be the game’s most feared point guard but he is not perfect either. His inhumane instincts will cause him to keep the score ticking but he is only human enough to be prone to a steal or miss pass. The Heat has got to work on that. This also means they need not just put LeBron steadily on Parker. Just like it was mentioned earlier, to cover other players in the Spurs line-up, Heat have got to pick steal after steal or force the ball out of a San Antonio hand. Increasing pressure will beckon Tony Parker’s surrender, which could be ever so vital in deciding the outcome of the NBA Finals.
Next, the Heat has got to mount pressure on the Spurs more effectively from the offense. While the Heat’s defense can be questioned for its lack in luster during the playoffs, boasting the likes of the NBA’s three best known shooters in LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh could do the deal for South Beach franchise; and having the greatest three point shooter in the history of the game in the team’s roster works even more in Miami’s favor. Ray Allen could prove decisive in sneaking valuable points onto the scoreboard, and the same could be said for capable shooters in Norris Cole, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers. The team has got to realize that this is not the regular season anymore. Neither is it a less talented or injury plagued Eastern Conference franchise they have come up against. It is the San Antonio Spurs and Mr. Tony Parker is leading it. Holding onto a lead is much easier than chasing one. Letting your opponent do the talking is less difficult in a game than forcing yourself to make the final claim. The Heat has got to live by these fundamentals from now onwards.
While it is easier said than done, the Miami Heat does have a huge task up its sleeves. Even if they shut every other player, Tony Parker could still produce magical digits on the court. But only from starting to climb around the mountain, can the Heat ascend to the top. Game 1 is over and the boys from the Magic City have got to believe Parker’s last second shot was lucky. Game 2 is whole new story. If this team wants to stake its claim to be one of the best in history, then Miami need to first forego of the past and come back strong from Game 2. Only then do they have a real chance in lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy once again.
