• Tweet

• Tweet

Before the San Antonio Spurs took the floor at AT&T Center to host the Miami Heat Thursday, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he’s been “not quite as impressed” as his team’s recent roll may suggest since its dominance has only been against weaker competition.

Well, it looks like Pops’ theory can officially be disavowed.

The Spurs shot lights-out (53.2%) while enjoying a huge third quarter with able assistance from Tim Duncan, and San Antonio beat a winning team for the first time in a month with a 108-78 victory over Miami – the most lopsided Spurs victory this season.

The first quarter wasn’t at all indicative of the final outcome as both teams fought it out, with the Heat taking a 6-point lead on a Michael Beasley layup with 4:48 left in the period, but Duncan’s jumper with 46 seconds remaining briefly gave the Spurs a 26-24 edge before settling for a 26-26 standstill entering the second quarter. San Antonio took control as they put together a 11-4 run, which put them up 37-30; Manu Ginobili’s three-point play, courtesy of a technical foul assessed to the Heat’s Quentin Richardson, gave San Antonio a double-digit lead. A Dwyane Wade dunk would send the Heat into halftime down by nine at 58-49.

A tip-in by Duncan off a missed George Hill free throw would extend San Antonio’s advantage to 84-61; although Duncan scored 13 in the first quarter, the Spurs didn’t need him much, especially after halftime as he shot 10 of 13 from the field and didn’t play in the fourth quarter. San Antonio, as you’ve probably suspected already, took their regulars out of the game and brought in the reserves for the bulk of the fourth quarter and coasted to  the victory.

Duncan was the Spurs’ high scorer with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while Ginobili added 18 with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals; Tony Parker chipped in 15 with a rebound and 9 assists. The Heat had only two players in double-digits, led by Beasley with 26 points, 8 rebounds and an assist while Wade added 16 with 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, but committed 7 turnovers.

San Antonio (19-11) plays again on Saturday when they travel to Washington to take on the Wizards while Miami (16-14) returns home to host the Charlotte Bobcats – also on Saturday night.