NBA FINALS: LeBron's Bad Dream: San Antonio Trio Totals 78 Points; James Held in Check Again

Jun 11, 06:55 AM

Current Headlines: By Ken Berger, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

Jun. 11--SAN ANTONIO -- At his locker before Game 2 of the NBA Finals

last night, LeBron James spoke one more time about all the things he wanted to change after he and his team flopped in Game 1.

To his horror, what happened next was worse.

Much worse.

If Game 1 was LeFlop, this was LeLaugher.

The Spurs beat the Cavs, 103-92, last night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. It was an utter blowout until the Cavs made a late run in the last seven minutes, and an even more thorough embarrassment for James, whose first Finals have turned into his worst nightmare.

After having more than two days to mull over his 4-for-16 shooting and 14 points in Cleveland's 85-76 loss Thursday night, James needed only three minutes to take himself out of Game 2. Picking up his second foul only 2:55 into the game, he sat for the last 9:05 of the first quarter and didn't have an impact until a furious rally late in the fourth that fell short.

As if we needed it, this game was irrefutable proof that James is nothing like Michael Jordan. No way the refs were calling two fouls on His Airness in the first three minutes of an NBA Finals game.

"Not a good thing for me," said James, who had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists but shot 9-for-21 from the field. "I can't remember the last time I didn't play 40-plus minutes."

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili outscored the Cavs by themselves through three quarters and finished with 78 of San Antonio's 103 points.

Parker was unstoppable to the basket again with 30 points, though he had only two assists. Ginobili had 25 off the bench, including 4-for-6 on three-pointers and a four-point play that killed the Cavs. Duncan had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Robert Horry added five points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks.

Cavs reserve Daniel Gibson had nine of his 15 in the fourth quarter as Cleveland outscored the Spurs 30-14, which Ginobili called "irresponsible."

Said James, "We have to try to find a way to bring the intensity that we brought in the fourth quarter tonight and bring it to Game 3." That will be tomorrow night in Cleveland, which will host its first-ever NBA Finals game. The way the series has gone, there might be only one more after that.

"We don't think about sweeps or anything like that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We always plan for a long, drawn-out seven-game series."

After trailing by double-digits throughout and by as many as 29, the Cavs twice cut it to eight in the last five minutes. A spectacular three-point play by James made it 95-87 with 4:53 left and a three-pointer by Gibson made it 97-89 with 3:23 to play.

That was it. James had a turnover, Gibson fouled Ginobili on a made three-pointer for a four-point play, and the Spurs even survived Popovich getting knocked to the floor as Horry lunged for a loose ball.

Pop was OK, so the biggest problem the Spurs had to discuss afterward was how difficult it was to play with a 29-point lead and how necessary it will be not to let down when the series moves to Cleveland for Games 3-5 -- if it lasts that long.

"The place will be rockin', without a doubt," Popovich said.

"Our effort has to be better," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "Our aggression has to be higher. And we have to be able to do that while still being poised."

THE NBA FINALS

Cleveland vs. San Antonio

Spurs lead series 2-0

Game 1 Spurs 85, Cavs 76

Game 2 Spurs 103, Cavs 92

Game 3 Tomorrow, 9 p.m.

San Antonio at Cleveland

Game 4 Thursday, 9 p.m.

San Antonio at Cleveland

*Game 5 Sunday, 9 p.m.

San Antonio at Cleveland

*Game 6 June 19, 9 p.m.

Cleveland at San Antonio

*Game 7 June 21, 9 p.m.

Cleveland at San Antonio

* IF NECESSARY

TV: Ch. 7; Radio: WPEN (1050)

Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

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