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CLEVELAND – They call this place the Mistake by the Lake, so the NBA Finals is fitting right in.

If ratings weren't so horrible already, they'd be dropping by the missed layup and fumbled pass. As it is, the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing their best to follow in the footsteps of so many other heartbreak moments in this long-suffering sports abyss.

The San Antonio Spurs are one victory away from their third NBA championship in five years and their fourth in nine.

When – and there's no longer an "if" – the Spurs close out this series, the trophy will look just dandy to them and their fans. But to the rest of the world, style points are missing, and the game bears no resemblance to the one played so gracefully by so many players, past and present.

One of those players was supposed to be LeBron James. And there he was, passing the ball away to a clueless teammate, Anderson Varejao, with scant seconds remaining. James may have passed away the only chance the Cavaliers had to get back into the artistically challenged series.

"We set the Western world of offensive basketball back 10 years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

So what you get is a 75-72 San Antonio win that has produced a 3-0 series lead. No team has come back from that deficit in NBA playoff history. And nobody would bet on anybody from Cleveland being the team that breaks that run.

The last sports championship of any kind in Cleveland was from the Browns, who won the NFL title in 1964. They since have been victimized by "The Drive," the John Elway creation that stopped a would-be Super Bowl appearance.

And then there was Michael Jordan, who immortalized Craig Ehlo with the jump shot that pushed Chicago over Cleveland and is replayed on a regular basis in advertisements and NBA promos.

To that list, add Tony Parker, who splashed home a 3-pointer with a minute to play that put the Spurs up, 72-67, and essentially sent Cleveland into a panicky finish.

The Cavs had two late chances to tie, but Varejao pulled a boneheaded move with an attempt of a scoop shot that was off the degree-of-difficulty chart. Then James misfired on a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer, a play on which Bruce Bowen tried to foul him before the shot, but couldn't.

It was fitting that this game would end not with a made shot, but a miss.

The Cavaliers, with their crowd at Quicken Loans Arena pumping them up, were livelier than they had been in the opening games at San Antonio. But they shot 36.7 percent, missed 16 of 19 3-point attempts and couldn't stop some of the Spurs' fringe players.

While Bowen is relied upon for defense, he also had 13 points and nine rebounds. Brent Barry came off the bench for nine points. Parker had 17 points and helped make up for Manu Ginobili's three-point, 0-for-7 shooting night.

Getty Images

Nothing has come easy for LeBron James (center) and the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

But in the end, the Spurs won the way they like to win – by mucking up the game with a stymie style of defense.

"These three games, this is the best defense we've played all season," Popovich said. "Without a doubt."

But it was a game only a coach could love. Or a winning team.

The one player who could save both the Cavs and the watchability of this series is James. But he had an ugly offensive night – then again, who didn't – until he threw down 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Then came the final minute and his pass to Varejao, which came when the Spurs double-teamed James.

"Oh, absolutely," James said when asked if he wanted the ball back in that situation. "I had been aggressive in the fourth quarter. I was definitely going to get it back from Andy. But Andy made a good move."

Uh, not so much. But it's hard to fault Varejao. A passer he's not.

And so, James and the Cavaliers are all but done.

On the bright side, perhaps the Spurs will finish the sweep Thursday and put this series, and the rest of us, out of our misery.