#8 - 2013 Finals Game 4 - San Antonio Spurs (A)
Miami Heat 109, San Antonio Spurs 93
Before the 2013 finals was won, it was very nearly lost …
but not just in the way everyone remembers. The Heat had to win a game in San
Antonio down 2-1 first, to even get to that memorable game 6. And what a
performance it took to win it. LeBron nearly always turned up in playoff games *not including the 2011 finals), but by 2013 Heat fans began to appreciate the
nights when Wade would turn up as well. He battled injury in the 2013 playoffs,
and had considered dropping himself from the team ahead of the game 7 against
Indiana. The doubts about Dwyane Wade were a daily concern for Heat fans, but it made it all the more sweet when Wade and LeBron could combine to force a
win, especially when the stakes were at their highest, on the road. As
usual, in a game in which Wade’s performance was the focal point, LeBron still
outscored him. But Wade had 32, and Bosh contributed with 20, with the big 3
combining for 85 of the team’s total points. These were the nights the fans of the
big 3 treasured, and the nights which had become harder and harder to come by.
But they provided it when it mattered. This was a tougher win. But a great
performance. A game that had you fist pumping every minute. Every game of the
spurs-heat 2013 finals were of incredibly high quality. But this one was a special night for Heat fans. A black cape game, in
enemy territory, adding to the big 3’s legacy of rebounding after a loss.
The reasons:
- Speaking of first pumping, none more so than this Wade dunk. And it was nice to see LeBron reacting the same way that we all did at home. This youtube clip doesn’t have the ability to capture what the play meant at the time, in the midst of a finals battle where every layup was a struggle. And Wade breakaways had become excuses to flail out your arms and cry foul as you threw the ball against the backboard. This throwdown in traffic had the weight of the best Vince Carter windmill.
- A few glorious wade layups at the rim.
- A vintage big 3 performance. A vintage road playoff win. And a seemingly non stop barrage of big plays when it mattered.
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