Plaudersofa! » vote of encouragement from coach Canadian

MIAMI -- History would suggest they did everything right. Oops. Since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up for the "Big 3" era with the Miami Heat, there had been some absolute truths when it came to their home playoff games. When they shot at least 48 per cent, they were 18-0. When they made at least 10 shots from 3-point range, they were 12-0. And in this post-season, they were a perfect 8-0 in their building. No more. On any count. No Miami miracle this time, either. A blowout got interesting for a few minutes, but in the end, it wound up as a blowout -- and the road to a third straight NBA championship for the Heat got considerably tougher. Down by a staggering 25 points at one point in the first half, the Heat whittled their way within single digits. But they never got all that close to the San Antonio Spurs and wound up falling 111-92 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night. The Spurs lead the series 2-1, and need only to hold serve at home to end Miamis reign as NBA champions. "What it feels like is the finals," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And you have to deal with all the emotions there are in the finals -- frustration, anger, pain, elation, all of it, and it can swing back and forth. Its a long series. We have to be able to manage this and it starts with tomorrow, owning it. Thatll be the process we all have to go through together." James and Wade each scored 22 points, Bosh didnt miss a shot, they connected on 52 per cent of their tries from the floor, and they still got drilled. Rashard Lewis scored 14, Ray Allen had 11 and Bosh had only nine -- getting just four shots in 34 minutes. "We will get better from tonight," James said. "We hate the performance that we put on. But its 2-1. Its not 4-1. Its 2-1, and we have to make some adjustments, come in and learn from our mistakes as we always do after a loss." So far, these finals are just like the 2013 version: Spurs win Game 1. Heat win Game 2. Spurs blow Heat out in Game 3. Only this time, Miami doesnt have the luxury of potentially having a Game 7 at home. "We have to take this one on the chin," Bosh said. "We are kidding ourselves if were going to win a championship with that kind of effort, home or away." Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 29 points. Danny Green and Tony Parker each scored 15 for San Antonio and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs. The signs of trouble for the Heat were obvious from the get-go. James had 14 points in the early going, and Miami was still down by seven. The Heat gave up 41 points in the first quarter, defence nowhere to be found. At one point in the second quarter, it was Spurs 55, Heat 30. That matched the largest deficit Miami has faced at home at any point in the Big 3 era, tied only with the 25-point lead Oklahoma City held over the Heat during this regular season. The numbers were absurd. Out of San Antonios first 21 shots, the Spurs missed two. Yes, two. They were shooting 91 per cent for the game at one point in the second quarter. They made 11 straight shots in one stretch. They had the best-shooting first half by any NBA team since ... well, them, more than three years ago against Detroit. "That will never happen again," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I mean, thats crazy." Predictably, the Heat locker room was not the worlds happiest place at halftime, with Miami down 71-50. "We had every conversation," Allen said. "We yelled at each other. We encouraged each other. We went through a range of emotions trying to find a spark." A spark, they found. But they needed an inferno. Miami got within seven in the second half, and the 19,900 white-clad fans in the building had to be thinking of the ridiculous finals comeback last season against the Spurs. The Heat were down by five with 28.2 seconds left in Game 6, then rallied to not just save the game, but save their title hopes. "We knew they were going to make a run," Duncan said. Thats all it was, just a run. The outcome was never really in doubt. And the building was just about empty when the final buzzer sounded. "Little frustration," Wade said. "But thats the nature of the playoffs. Its not always good." Nike Zoom Sale . According to the CFL Scouting Bureaus January rankings, four of the top five Canadian prospects line-up on the offensive side of the trenches, which is good news for Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. With only one selection in the first two rounds — Walters sent his second-round pick to Saskatchewan in the days ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — the No. Nike Zoom Wholesale . - The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent centre Brian de la Puente. http://www.nikezoomclearance.com/. Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. Nike Air Zoom Cheap .ca. Kerry, In the first period of Saturdays Montreal-Ottawa game, Brendan Gallagher is called for goaltender interference. Craig Anderson is outside the blue paint trying to make the save. Nike Air Zoom Outlet . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list.Morgan wins gold at Commonwealth Games@ THE CANADIAN PRESS@ GLASGOW, Scotland -- Gymnast Scott Morgan of North Vancouver, B.C., won gold in the rings competition Thursday at the Commonwealth Games to add to the silver he won earlier in the day in the floor event. It was a 1-2 finish for Canada in the rings as Kevin Lytwyn of Stoney Creek, Ont., took the silver. "It was spectacular to get up there on the podium and hear the Canadian anthem," said Morgan."Its something you dream about as an athlete." Lytwyn admitted he had some doubts about how competitive he would be coming into the Games because of nagging injuries and a hand infection, but a vote of encouragement from coach Canadian national team director Tony Smith paid off. "I competed with some pain in my hand but with all the adrenalin pumping it didnt really hamper me," said Lytwyn, who was the last competitor in the rings finaal.dddddddddddd "Its nerve wracking competing last but exciting. Im eager to get out there and do it again." Daniel Purvis of Scotland won bronze. Max Whitlock of England won gold in the floor event and David Bishop of New Zealand earned the bronze. Canada also won a silver in the womens vault competition at the SSE Hydro venue. Ellie Black of Halifax finished second behind Englands Claudia Fragapane. Indias Dipa Karmakar won the bronze. "Ive been a little bit disappointed with my previous performances but that always helps you to keep going and be stronger," said Black, who also finished fourth in the uneven bars final. "I just tried to have a good attitude coming in to the finals today and it definitely worked." Rounding out the Canadian results, Maegan Chant of Waterdown, Ont., was fourth on vault and Anderson Loran of Saskatoon, finished seventh on pommel horse. ' ' '