Journeymen Green and Neal steal NBA Finals spotlight
Danny Green #4 and Gary Neal #14 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrate in the second quarter while taking on the Miami Heat during Game Three of the 2013 NBA Finals at the AT&T Center on June 11, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas. (Getty Images)
Danny Green and Gary Neal put on a three-point clinic in game three of the NBA finals as the journeymen seized the limelight on a stage usually reserved for the league’s brightest stars.
The San Antonio Spurs made an NBA finals record 16 three pointers en route to a 113-77 scorching of the Miami Heat on Tuesday to take a 2-1 series lead over the defending champions.
Green finished with 27 points on seven-of-nine shooting from beyond the arc while Neal shot six-of-10 from three-point range and scored 24 points for the Spurs.
“Danny was having a solid game. Reliable as always. And he was incredible in the fourth quarter,” Manu Ginobili said during the Spurs’ practice on Wednesday.
“Gary was just outstanding the whole game. Pushing the ball, finding his teammates.
“So the type of game they both had was incredible and, of course, the main reason why we were up 30 points.
“We were playing a good defensive game, but what made us really good was their performance.”
Game four is Thursday at ATT Center arena in San Antonio.
The last time San Antonio was in the finals, Neal and Green were both playing in college.
Green had a superb collegiate career which including winning championships. But since turning pro he was cut twice by the Spurs and once from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talked Tuesday about the two occasions he cut Green, and had to be convinced by an assistant coach to give him another chance this season.
“We brought him back this year. He is a pretty confident young man right now,” Popovich said.
On Tuesday Green finished one three pointer short of the Spurs playoff franchise record which was set by Michael Finley in 2007.
“Our being at home will help us the next couple of games. We have to take advantage of it,” said Green, who was a perfect five-of-five from beyond the arc in game two.
Neal came off the bench in game three to set a career postseason high with 24 points. He fell just five points shy of his overall career high 29 points that he posted against Houston earlier this year.
Neal said at Wednesday’s practice this should be a big confidence boost for him going forward.
“That’s kind of been my role since I’ve been a Spur,” he said of coming into the game off the bench. “Play with no fear and be aggressive and shoot the ball and attack.
“Last night was kind of me putting it all together on the highest stage.”
Neal was an undrafted guard from a small US college. Like Green, he bounced around since turning pro even spending some time playing hoops in Italy.
The Spurs scouted him at a summer league in 2010 but it wasn’t an easy decision for him to go to a tryout in Las Vegas.
He had promised his new wife a honeymoon in the Bahamas but that got put on hold.
“I had to smooth that one over,” Neal said.
On Tuesday they helped San Antonio transform a six-point halftime lead into one of the most lopsided wins in NBA finals history.
The 36-point margin was the third-largest victory ever.
The Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz by 42 points in game three of the 1998 finals and in 2008 the Boston Celtics thumped the Los Angeles Lakers by 39 points in game six.
“We have to face the next game as if it’s going to be a really close one,” Ginobili said.