SAN ANTONIO -- There are certain advantages to actually being here while covering the Heat in the NBA Finals. For example, if I were not here, I would not have seen all of those “MISSING PERSON” posters plastered across town bearing the likeness of Spurs guard Manu Ginobili.

Manu’s bad series is one reason the Finals are tied 2-2 entering Sunday night’s Game 5 here. A bigger reason is that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh magically turned from the Smallish 3 back into the Big 3 just in time for that crucial, perhaps season-saving Game 4 victory that assured the Finals will end back in Miami on the Heat’s home court.

Bosh, by the way, was fined $5,000 by the league for flopping in Game 4. Can only imagine what Ginobili should be fined for being a flop this entire series.

Being in San Antonio this past week also has allowed me to enjoy the pregame national anthem as performed by 11-year-old Latino mariachi singer Sebastien De La Cruz. He has become sort of a Spurs good-luck charm, just like young Julia Dale is at Heat home games.

I hear the two clubs are working out details of a duets album, preparatory to an arranged marriage.

• Happy Father’s Day to all my fellow padres. I can’t wait to open the gifts my sons bought me with the money they borrowed that I’ll never get back.

• Reports are that pending NBA free agents Chris Paul and Dwight Howard want to play together. Trying “the Big 5” on for size. Welcome to Miami, fellas!

Chicago vs. Boston is NHL’s first “Original Six” matchup in a Stanley Cup Finals since 1979, and Game 1 drew the highest TV ratings for a Finals opener since 1997. Hockey is about as hot as a sport played on a block of ice can get.

The Marlins won a 6 1/2-hour, 20-inning game at the Mets. The way Miami’s season has gone, shouldn’t that count for two wins?

• Marlins rookie second baseman Derek Dietrich got to meet actor Daniel Day-Lewis while on the recent road trip in New York. Day-Lewis subsequently won an Oscar for best chance encounter.

• There are rumors the Marlins might deal starter Ricky Nolasco before the trade deadline. No surprise the Marlins might be sellers. It’s just too bad club owner Jeffrey Loria won’t be a seller.

•  Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams won French Open titles. Also, twins Bob and Mike Bryan won the doubles title, but nobody cared, because it was doubles.

• Palace Malice won the Belmont Stakes to end another Triple Crown racing season without a Triple Crown. We may now go about our business of ignoring horse racing for the next 10 months.

•  Tim Tebow signed with the Patriots. “Belichick owed me a favor,” explained Jesus.

• Facing a suspension in the Biogenesis clinic mess, Alex Rodriguez has hired the same lawyer who helped get Ryan Braun’s test-positive overturned on a technicality. The attorney? Al Loophole.

•  Don Shula finished third behind Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh on an ESPN list of greatest NFL coaches. I guess winning more games than anybody else and having the only Perfect Season are overrated.

•  Brett Favre has accepted his share of blame for his ugly breakup with the Packers. In other news, Favre is expected to decide soon whether he is retiring.