Tony Parker scored 17 points and Tim Duncan had 14, but Ginobili had just three — all free throws in the final 10.4 seconds — to hold off the Cavaliers and crush the hopes of the home crowd, who had never before seen their team play a finals game in person.
Bruce Bowen, the defensive stopper who scored 13 points, emerged as an unlikely offensive star as the Spurs now take a commanding 3-0 lead in a series few are watching.
No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit. It doesn’t look like the Cavaliers will be the first, but they may become the first finals sweep for the Spurs, who are shooting for their fourth title since 1999.
Cleveland’s chances ended when LeBron James, who led the Cavaliers with 25 points, was short with a 3-pointer in the final seconds.