MIAMI — Long Island’s Danny Green was perfect last night, even if his Spurs teammates weren’t. In fact, Green set a Finals record for most 3-point makes without a miss.
Green, the Spurs starting shooting guard out of North Babylon, struck for a team-high 17 points on 6-of-6 from the field, including 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. Green’s five 3-pointers broke the previous 4-for-4 record, set by two Celtics — Paul Pierce (2008) and Scott Wedman (1985).
Green’s point total also matched LeBron James, his teammate in Cleveland when Green was a rookie out of North Carolina before James bolted for South Beach and Green got released.
“It doesn’t matter [in a loss], but hopefully I can continue to help my team next game when we move the ball,’’ Green said. “Regardless of my numbers, it was a team loss.’’
Green was 4-of-9 in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory, making him 10-of-15 in his first Finals. Before the game, Tony Parker called Green “one of the best 3-point shooters in the game.’’
“Danny shooting 5-of-5 [from 3-point range] really helped us, but Tim, Tony and me have to step up and play much better,’’ Manu Ginobili said.
Green scored the Spurs’ first nine points, hitting three straight 3-pointers. After his fourth trey, he turned to the Miami bench that was jockeying him, staring down Juwan Howard and Miami assistant coach David Fizdale.
Green scored on a floater with 3:50 left in the third quarter that put the Spurs up 62-61 — their last lead — before the roof caved in during a 33-5 Miami blitz.
“We got outside ourselves,’’ Green said. “We didn’t stick to the game plan. The biggest key is not turning it over and we did.’’
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San Antonio shot 10-of-20 from 3-point land, but just 22-of-68 on 2s. … Kahwi Leonard dogged LeBron James to a tough shooting night for three quarters and had 14 rebounds, but was just 4-of-12 from the field.
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The NBA presented the new Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, and it was won by ex-Knick Chauncey Billups, whom Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald waived via the amnesty clause the day before training camp opened after the 2011 lockout. Billups is a free agent this summer.
Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes had a storied friendship in the 1950s as teammates with the Royals. Stokes suffered an on-court injury that led to him lapse into a coma and left him paralyzed. Stokes was supported the rest of his life by Twyman, who became his legal guardian. Twyman held an annual Stokes Charity game in Monticello for years.
The Heat’s Shane Battier finished second ahead of Jason Kidd, who retired after one season with the Knicks.
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The game became such a rout in the fourth quarter even ex-Knick Tracy McGrady got minutes in the fourth quarter, playing his first Finals action of his career. The outspoken McGrady, who hooked on with the Spurs in April after a stint in China, has drawn a lot of media though he hardly plays.
McGrady said he wants college players to be forced to play two seasons before being drafted, saying the “talent is down’’ in the league now.
“You had a lot of men,’’ said McGrady, who may retire. “I played with men and now it’s a bunch of boys.’’
McGrady was drafted by Toronto — out of high school.