You know what they say here in Texas: Why is it called tourist season if we can’t shoot at them?
The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers were just barely moving targets for most of the first three quarters Sunday, and the San Antonio Spurs didn’t miss much or very often in the shootout at the I’m OK and You’re Not Corral, the AT&T Center. The Cavs eventually got it going, but the Spurs held on for a 103-92 victory, giving them a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with Game 3 in Cleveland on Tuesday.
Does the NBA have a slaughter rule?
The Cavs really are going to have to make some adjustments this time. Has the trading deadline passed? How about telling the Spurs Game 3 is Wednesday? Because the Cavs didn’t show up until it was too late Sunday.
LeBron James drew his second foul and left the game less than three minutes into it, and suddenly the Washington Generals were playing the Spurs. After all, there was a guy they call “Boobie” with them.
The Spurs jumped ahead 16-6 five minutes into the game as Tony Parker (30 points) exploded out after another Zydrunas Ilgauskas miss from about six inches and beat the Cavs down for a layup.
“I’m just trying to make some stuff happen,” Parker said. “Just being in attack mode, making sure I’m always ready to create for myself or for my teammates.”
With James off the floor, it’s difficult to take this Cleveland team seriously, and for a while it was almost as if the Spurs felt sorry for the Cavs as they missed seven consecutive shots. The way it was going, if Parker were in the East, he might be described as the next Michael Jordan.
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The Cavs closed within 16-13 on a Daniel “Boobie” Gibson three with 3:50 left in the first quarter, when it appeared the Spurs had had enough. Manu Ginobili (25 points) hit a three, Francisco Elson took a driving dropoff pass from Brent Barry for a slam, Barry hit a three, and suddenly it was a 12-0 run and 28-17 Spurs lead after one quarter.
The Cavs had been talking about their problem third quarters going into this series, though now they could add the fist and second. They managed just 35 points in the first half of Game 1 and 33 by Sunday’s halftime.
They were like the guy with one foot in a bucket of boiling water and another in a bucket of ice water and saying on average he felt comfortable.
Yeah, no problem. The Spurs are just doing well on their home court.
The Cavs shot 30 percent in the first quarter, and then it started to get really bad.
James came back into the game in the second quarter, and since everyone has decided he’s a one-man team, he agreed.
Sixteen footer: Miss. Twenty footer: Miss. Travel. Third straight free throw miss, this one barely grazing the rim.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Tim Duncan (23 points) hit a jumper and a hook. Ginobili made a three. Ginobili scored on a post-up move. Duncan spun, drew a foul and hit one of two free throws.
See, the Spurs aren’t perfect.
James finally found some room for his first dunk of the series to get the Cavs within 38-22, but here came Parker again — he had 16 in the first half. Can’t anybody stop him?
Parker drove and was fouled, and after an Ilgauskas miss he converted a reverse spinning layup that would have made a top jealous for a 45-26 lead midway through the second quarter.
You know what they say: If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
This was the Cavs without a parachute. Look out below!
Duncan rose up, as they say in Cleveland, and hit a jumper, followed by a baby hook, and the rout continued as the Spurs rolled into the half leading 58-33. They shot 55.3 percent to the Cavs’ 26.8 percent. James had 13 of Cleveland’s 33 points.
Those annoying, ineffective third quarters have been the subject of some discussion for the Cavs in this playoff run, and they were said to have practiced everything from coach Mike Brown doing Patton impersonations to the Cavs shooting layup lines standing on LeBron’s shoulders.
But those broad shoulders could only carry so much.
The Cavs opened the second half trying to move the ball around to avoid the Spurs’ constant attention to James. Drew Gooden hit a jumper, Ilgauskas rolled in for a layup and Sasha Pavlovic retrieved a miss and hit a three-pointer. Suddenly it was just a 21-point deficit.
But Parker and Ginobili hit back to back three-pointers midway through the third quarter to extend the Spurs’ lead to 76-49. The Spurs went into the fourth quarter leading 89-62. The Cavs made a late run, but never got closer than eight points.