Bob Donavan/USA SPORTS

SAN ANTONIO — Those basketball purists who despised how the Miami Heat were assembled were able to watch in pleasure Sunday night as they were embarrassed by a team that has been built through the draft, with its players accepting pay reductions to remain in San Antonio.

After blowing Game 6 of the NBA Finals and a chance at a championship a year ago, the Spurs took full advantage of their second chance with a brilliant display of teamwork and perimeter shooting, reducing the Heat to a group of aging or unprepared cohorts that surrounded four-time MVP LeBron James.

James couldn’t carry the Heat in Game 5 as the Spurs used a 37-point swing over two quarters to seal their fifth NBA title in 15 years with a 104-87 win over Miami at AT&T Center.

San Antonio won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, cementing its dominance of the NBA over the past decade and a half and perhaps ending Miami’s Big Three Era. In four years together, the trio of Dwyane Wade, James, and Chris Bosh reached four NBA Finals, winning two.

Kawhi Leonard, a third-year forward who did not make the All-Star team, was named Finals MVP, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Manu Ginobili added 19 and Patty Mills scored 17.

James, who has an opt-out clause in his contract this summer, finished with 31 points but just 14 after Miami’s impressive first quarter. James was 10-for-21 shooting with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Bosh, Wade, and ex-Celtic Ray Allen were a combined 9-for-35 shooting, giving Miami no chance to overcome the streaking Spurs.

Miami’s momentum lasted only one quarter as it reverted to the same confused and lethargic team in the second period as it was in Games 3 and 4. The Spurs chipped away early in the quarter but then went on an impressive 14-0 run, catching the Heat after a Leonard 3-pointer for a 37-35 lead at the 4:47 mark.

The run ended with a resounding Ginobili dunk on Bosh that invigorated the crowd and gave the Spurs a 7-point lead. Following a James basket, Ginobili responded with another 3-pointer. He scored 14 points in the first half.

The Heat scored 11 points in the period on 4-for-15 shooting and James was limited to just a 3-pointer. Meanwhile, Leonard and Ginobili teamed for 29 of San Antonio’s 47 first-half points while Tony Parker and Danny Green went scoreless, a testament to the Spurs’ success despite a lack of balance.

The Heat players not named James were 7-for-21 shooting in the first half with 20 points, making their quest to win three consecutive games appear bleak.

As promised, the Heat started off with the passion and fire not seen since Game 2, jumping out to an 8-0 lead behind 6 points from James, who had that same look he carried in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago at TD Garden, when he scored 45 to beat the Celtics.

He showed no emotion in scoring on the Spurs at will while his cohorts were giving him some assistance, unlike the two games in Miami. Rashard Lewis canned a 3-pointer, followed by a James conventional 3-point play and then a Ray Allen 3-ball at the 5:04 mark and the Heat raced to a 22-6 lead.

San Antonio, hearing for the past two days about its greatness and brilliance after two impressive wins in Miami, looked confused and disheveled. A Leonard 3-pointer was the Spurs’ lone field goal through the first 7:12 of the game.

Instead of relenting, the Spurs responded in the best way they know how: the 3-pointer. After a Ginobili 3-point play, he came back with a trey, followed by long balls from Leonard and Patty Mills for a 12-0 run to slice the deficit to 22-18. The crowd at AT&T Center, very comfortable in the fully air conditioned arena, went into a frenzy.

James couldn’t allow too much excitement. He hit a 28-foot 3-pointer followed by two free throws. The Heat looked like the two-time defending champions for most of the first quarter, yet led just 29-22 with the Spurs having hit just six of their 21 shot attempts.

While it appeared the Miami supporting cast would provide James some relief, they didn’t follow through. James finished the first period with 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting while the rest of the Heat were 4 for 12 with 12 points.

Four of San Antonio’s six field goals in the first quarter were 3-pointers and the starting trio of Boris Diaw, Green, and Parker did not score.

The third quarter was merely a culmination of the Spurs’ dominance in the series. Realizing they were outmanned, the Heat appeared to relent, looking frustrated as the Spurs returned to their ball-whipping ways, resulting in open shots.

After neither team scored for the first 3:08, the Spurs went on a game-defining, 18-4 run to extend the lead to 65-44. By then, desperate Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was inserting Michael Beasley, who did not play in previous four games, and Mario Chalmers, who was benched in the first half. They did little to help.

The third quarter was a showcase for Patty, who scored 14 points in the period on 5-for-5 shooting, four 3-pointers. The Spurs led by as many 22 in the period and the Miami Big Three were relegated to helpless onlookers.

In one sequence, Wade went for a streaking baseline dunk but was promptly snuffed by Tiago Splitter, which exemplified Wade’s struggles in the final two games of the series. The Spurs went on a 59-22 run over two-plus quarters and led, 77-58, after that third period, and the home faithful were beginning to smell champagne.

by: Gary Washburn

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard dunked while being defended by the Heat’s Chris Bosh                     Steve Mitchell/USA Sports                                                      Steve Mitchell/USA Sports

MIAMI — If there was any doubt about the mastery and brilliance of the San Antonio Spurs or whether they are improved from the team that was seconds from a championship a year ago, they erased any skepticism with their stellar performance Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Two days after overwhelming the Miami Heat to take the series lead, the Spurs did it again with much of the same defensive execution and offensive prowess, using the passing of Boris Diaw, playmaking of Tony Parker, and strength of Kawhi Leonard to race to a 107-86 victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

San Antonio has a commanding three games to one lead and can win its first championship in seven years Sunday evening at home. And it appears the once-mighty Heat, with the game’s most dominant player and potentially four Hall of Famers, have nothing left.

No NBA team has come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.

“I mean, they smashed us, two straight home games, [we] got off to awful starts,” James said. “They came in and were much better than us in these two games. It’s just that simple. We’re still a confident bunch, even though our heads are lowered down right now.”

The Spurs were the model of teamwork and balance, with no player scoring more than 20 points (Leonard), but six scoring at least 8 points. On a night when the Spurs needed scoring from the backcourt, Parker delivered with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and Patty Mills constantly burned Miami with open 3-pointers, adding 14 points and four 3-pointers.

After trailing by 19 at halftime, James opened the third quarter by scoring 10 of Miami’s first 12 points, cutting the deficit to 61-48. After a San Antonio timeout, the soldout crowd sensed a major rally and were ready for the vintage Heat to arrive.

They didn’t make the trip. The Spurs restored order with a 7-0 run, then picked apart the Miami defense behind skilled swingman Diaw, who either delivered pinpoint passes or scored on the post against an overwhelmed Wade.

“Yeah [the Spurs] just, they played great,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And I can honestly say I just don’t think any of us were expecting this type of performance. They were great, you have to give them credit for that. We just couldn’t get into a rhythm on either side of the ball and then it just went from there.

“I’ve got to do a better job for my team. San Antonio is playing great. They’re moving the basketball. They’re exploiting where we’re normally good, so we have to do a better job. Even when we’ve made adjustments, they’ve still been able to stay in a rhythm and go from there.”

Wade looked lethargic the entire evening, missing nine of his first 10 shots. The Spurs pulled away in the third quarter, extending the lead to 24 points behind the mastery of Parker and hustle of Leonard, who has scored 49 points in the past two games.

The Spurs have spent the past 72 hours giving the Heat a lesson in fundamentals, ball movement, and unselfish play. Of San Antonio’s 40 baskets Thursday, 25 were assisted and nine Spurs registered an assist.

The Heat relied strictly on James through the first three quarters, as he amassed 28 of his team’s 57 points. Through three quarters, James was 1o for 15 from the field; his teammates were 10 for 36. A team that has relied on talent and balance the past four years is sputtering.

“It’s not on my shoulder, it’s not,” James said. “I understand I get the limelight in the press and all that but it’s not all on my shoulder. I take a lot of it, but I do it for my teammates and I want them to put a lot of pressure on me in that sense.”

While Wade looked rejuvenated through the first three games (21-for-39 shooting, 18.3 points per game), he appeared to labor throughout Game 4, lacking his normal lift and missing shots near the basket.

“I just missed them; you know I’m a very accurate shooter, so I don’t like missing,” Wade said. “I’m not used to missing around the basket. But law of averages, man. The ball just didn’t go in. But I’ll take those same opportunities the next game, for sure.”

The Spurs are still smarting over losing Games 6 and 7 in Miami last season, and losing the series, so they were hardly giddy over the workmanlike victory. With the revived 2-2-1-1-1 Finals format, San Antonio returns home for Game 5 with a chance to end the series.

But they have a healthy respect for the Heat.

“We didn’t want to rest and say, hey, ‘We’ve got one and let’s just rest on that.’ We came in here tonight and had great focus, put a great game together, and came out with two,” center Tim Duncan said. “[But] they’re a very, very good ballclub. Obviously, they’re the champions, and they’re going to come out and show a lot of fire and come with a lot of energy. We’re going to use our home court and we’re going to come with the same focus that we did in these last two games, and hopefully close it out at home.”

by: Gary Washburn