Game 5 of the 2013 NBA Finals is in the books. The San Antonio Spurs ran out winners over the Miami Heat, defeating the reigning champions 114-104 in another exciting game. While Tony Parker led all scorers with 26 points, the game belonged to Manu Ginobili, who scored 24 points and dished 10 assists. Ginobili has looked a shell of his former self so far this series, but tonight he rolled back the years. The series now shifts back to South Beach for Game 6, but first, here are our individual player grades for Game 5.
The return of Manu Ginobili; what a great Game 5 he had. (Photo: Flickr user Killbucky).
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs were back to their best tonight. The ball movement was great; shooters were knocking down shots and Boris Diaw was playing LeBron James like a beast. Wait, what? Yeah, that’s how crazy this game was.
Tony Parker – A
The Frenchman got some of his verve back tonight and silenced those who felt his injuries would hinder him. Parker executed brilliantly when running the offense — often not even using the pick and going the other way, directly attacking either Norris Cole or Mario Chalmers before driving to the hoop. Miami’s lack of rim protection meant Parker was getting the rim and finishing well. Twenty-six points and five assists to show for a good night’s work from Parker.
By the way, as much as I love Danny Green this series, if they win Tony Parker is the MVP. He is the center of their offense.
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 17, 2013
Manu Ginobili – A+
It’s official: The old Manu is back. Well, he was for Game 5 at least. At times, he hasn’t been able to bring the ball up the floor this series, yet today he flipped a switch. Ginobili was awesome. The crafty Argentinian showed why he’s a future Hall of Famer. And for those who doubted him — me included — hang your head in shame. Twenty-four points and 10 assists made him the MVP of Game 5.
Ginobli!!! One of the best finishers in the leauge. He changing the game
— Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) June 17, 2013
Danny Green – A
Danny Green’s legal name is being changed to Danny Gr33n. The man can’t miss. The former D-League player that has been cut twice by the Spurs again staked his claim for Finals MVP with 24 points off 6-for-10 from behind the arc. Green is putting on a shooting masterclass; there are no two ways about it.
Danny Green has hit more 3s this series than Dwyane Wade made ALL season.
— Frankie Hobbs (@Frankie_Hobbs) June 17, 2013
Kawhi Leonard – B+
Another very solid game from Kawhi. For a small forward, he rebounds the ball so well; allowing the Spurs to go small and actually play him at the 4. His defense on LeBron has been impeccable. Leonard’s stock continues to rise. A 6-for-8, 16-point effort means the boy continues to turn into a man on the biggest stage of them all. Does anything faze him?
Tim Duncan – A-
Tim Duncan only shot the ball 10 times in Game 5. Yet, he still scored 17 points; such was the efficiency of San Antonio. Duncan was very solid at both ends of the floor, but his highlight of the game came when he threw down a monster dunk on Mario Chalmers.
Miami Heat: B-
The Heat’s defensive intensity was not there throughout the 48 minutes of the game. They defended the pick-and-roll poorly, and their lack of shot blocking really hindered their chances. Offensively, they weren’t bad, but we need to see some more of Chris Andersen in Game 6. Over to you, Spo.
Mario Chalmers: D
Mario Chalmers is a player that has risen to the big stage throughout his career — think back to the NCAA championship game where he sunk the clutch shot to send it to overtime. Sunday night, he was far from clutch. Simply put, Rio was embarrassed by Tony Parker. Five fouls and miserable 2-for-10 shooting made it a frustrating 27 minutes for Chalmers.
Mike Miller: C-
Mike Miller only attempted one field goal in the entire game. He also played 25 minutes. What exactly was he out there doing? Who knows. He must demand the ball more.
Dwyane Wade: B
Dwyane Wade had an inefficient night; 10-for-22 shooting makes for miserable reading, but he was the best player in the black uniform of Miami. He dished out 10 assists, scored 25 points and even grabbed two offensive boards. Not his worst night, nor was it his best.
LeBron James: B-
Get ready for an overreaction from certain members of the press — I’m looking at you, Skip Bayless. LeBron James failed to assert himself in the third and fourth quarters, only scoring nine points in the second half. He didn’t look for his own shot enough. One positive to take for the game was that he did actually get to the line nine times — something he’s been struggling with recently.
LeBron James' final stat line: 25 Pts, 8 Ast, 6 Reb, 4 Stl.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 17, 2013
A caveat: he finished 2 for his last 10 FG.
Chris Bosh: B
Chris Bosh was the most efficient member of the Big Three, hitting 7-of-11 from the field. It felt like he was having a very good game, not only with his jump shot but with posting up Tim Duncan. I felt he didn’t get nearly enough plays called for him. Bosh gets the least credit of the Big Three, but tonight he was arguably the best of the bunch.
Conclusion
LeBron James is the best player in the league. It’s time to start playing like it.
Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
So there we have it; Game 5 is in the books. All eyes switch to the American Airlines Arena for Game 6. The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from winning an NBA championship and LeBron James is one loss away from being 1-3 in NBA Finals. I think we’re going seven.