Empty the Bench

San Antonio 103, Cleveland 92

These Spurs are hungry. They’re focused, clicking on all cylinders, and making their opponent look like one of those wide-eyed #16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament who are just happy to be there. And though San Antonio is thoroughly taking it to the inexperienced Cavs, was there any doubt that no matter what kind of fire the Spurs had burning in their bellies, that the Cleveland LeBrons peaked last week after extinguishing the Detroit Pistons? In a city that hasn’t been gifted with a championship since the ’60s, it’s hard to knock the Cavs and its fans over the hoopla and ticker-tape parading that went on after the end of the Eastern Conference Finals. When you knock off a team that’s been there five years in a row, it’s a big deal.

But there’s a reason the celebrations in San Antonio were mostly subdued after outing the Jazz. The Spurs have been here before, and they know there’s no prize for second place. Sure, advancing to the NBA Finals is an impressive achievement that only two teams can boast about each season, but in the annals of basketball history, few ultimately remember the runner-up. And for the fourth consecutive time in the big show, San Antonio looks determined not to settle for that footnote status. They have a dynasty at stake–not their first title–and by this time next week, we could all very well be mentioning these champion Spurs teams as some of the best in NBA history. Hell, the discussion should be open already.

Last night the three engines powering the Spurs were revved up and running by the hapless Cavaliers right from the start. There was Tony Parker nailing jump shots and kicking into a fourth gear to get to the hole as he pleased. Tim Duncan looked mostly unstoppable on the block, and has flashed a fiery side in this NBA Finals rarely seen during his regular seasons. He knows that right now he’s cementing his legacy as one of the best centers to ever play the game. And though we’re not big fans here at ETB, Manu Ginobili was, yet again, one of the best players on the court, capping his 25-point, 6-rebound, and 3-steal night with an 11/11 effort from the free-throw line. Parker finished with 30 points and Duncan with 23, as these three were the only Spurs to score in double digits (not like it really mattered).

The Cavs, well, the Cavs are just getting outclassed by their opponent. It’s almost unfair. As great as LeBron is, he’s just not ready to carry an entire team on his shoulders against an opponent like San Antonio. Versus a lackadaisical Detroit team, yes, obviously. But he has stepped into havoc here, and though he helped pull his team back from embarassment in the fourth quarter (9-21 FG, 25 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, 6 turnovers), it just wasn’t enough. One gets the feeling that it won’t be enough tomorrow, either, or Thursday. For the Cavs to win just one game and go home feeling good about their showing in the Finals, James will (does this sound at all familiar?) need major contributions from his supporting cast.

And he’s going to need his coach to make a “bold” decision in benching Larry Hughes. Look, the guy is a gamer, playing through incredibly painful plantar fasciitis since the ECF. For that, he’s earned ETB’s respect. But Mike Brown cannot consciously start a guy who registered more turnovers (2) than points (0) in tomorrow’s Game 3. It’s time to go with the hot hand in rookie Daniel Gibson, who wasn’t too shabby again, scoring 15 points in 31 minutes. For better or worse, Gibson should be exclusively backed up by veteran Eric Snow, and Hughes should stay on the bench for now. He just doesn’t stand a chance right now against the much quicker, fully healthy Tony Parker.

The series shifts to Cleveland for the next three games, as the Finals follow the 2-3-2 format. There’s definitely going to be another big celebration in Cleveland either Thursday or Sunday night, but unfortunately for the Cavaliers, this time it’ll be their opponent’s party, not theirs.