For the second straight game, the San Antonio Spurs took control early and never looked back. Fast-rising forward Kawhi Leonard led the way with 20 points and 14 rebounds as the Spurs cruised to a 107-86 victory Thursday night in Miami.
The Game 4 performance gives San Antonio a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Game 5 will be played Sunday night in San Antonio, where the Spurs can wrap up their fifth championship in 15 years and avenge last season's Finals loss to Miami.
"I'm pleased that they performed as well as they did while we've been in Miami, and that's about as far as it goes," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Now we've got to go back home and play as well or better."
Tony Parker added 19 points, Tim Duncan finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds as all 13 players on the Spurs roster scored. The Spurs used ball movement, good shot selection and aggressive defense to take a 55-36 lead at halftime.
Duncan surpassed Magic Johnson form most playoff career double-doubles Thursday night. He now has 158, Johnson finshed with 157. Duncan also moved ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most career playoff minutes played -- 8,870 to 8,851.
"They smashed us," Heat star LeBron James said. "Two straight home games we got off to awful starts. They came in and were much better than us in these last two games. It's just that simple."
James, a shadow of himself during the first half, came alive in the third quarter, scoring 19 of Miami's 21 points, but it was not enough to slow the dazzling Spurs, who made 57 percent of their field-goal attempts.
James, a four-time NBA most-valuable player, led the Heat with 28 points, with Chris Bosh next highest with 12.
San Antonio put on a sensational offensive show in Game 3 by shooting an NBA Finals record of 76 percent in the first half of that runaway win.
They put themselves in position to avenge last year's agonizing, seven-game Finals loss to Miami with another sublime display of ball movement and motion that produced uncontested 3-point chances as well as open layups and dunks.
The Spurs led by nine after the first quarter, 19 at the half and 24 heading into the fourth quarter.
Two other less heralded Spurs stood out through their contributions.
Backup guard Patty Mills scored 14 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and power forward Boris Diaw had a great all-round game with eight points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
It would take a record comeback for Miami to claim a third straight NBA crown. No team has ever prevailed in the NBA Finals after falling behind 3-1.
"We put ourselves in a position where it is about making history," James said.
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