NBA
Finals Game 1: Miami Heat - San Antonio S. 88-92
Date: June 6, 2013
Seven months later, the San Antonio Spurs, all of the Spurs, at last arrived in Miami — healthy, rested and fully engaged, without dispute or controversy or any need for a scolding from the commissioner. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked spry, and the Spurs looked more than ready for the task of dethroning the defending champion Heat, taking a 92-88 victory in the opener of the N.B.A. finals. Parker scored 21 points to lead the way, including a seemingly impossible leaning jumper that clinched the game in the final seconds. Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds in his first finals appearance since 2007. The Spurs struggled to score at times, shooting 41.7 percent from the field, but they dominated inside and overcame a triple-double from LeBron James, who finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. This was presumably what the Spurs had in mind all those months ago, when Coach Gregg Popovich sent Parker, Duncan and Ginobili home rather than play them in a nationally televised regular-season game. He wanted them fresh for June, for a title chase and perhaps for a showdown with this Heat team. After trailing for most of the night, the Spurs seized control in the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run, sparked by Parker. Danny Green capped the rally with a 3-pointer, giving the Spurs an 88-81 lead, their biggest of the night. Miami cut the deficit to 90-88 on James’s two free throws with 31.3 seconds to go. Parker then put the game away with a basket on a possession that looked as if it should have died three times. Parker slipped but kept his dribble, rose and flung an awkward shot that bounced off the backboard and the rim before falling through at the shot-clock buzzer. Referees had to review the play on video to confirm that Parker released it in time. “It seemed like a 26-second possession,” said Erik Spoelstra, the Heat’s coach, adding: “He made a tough play. You have to give him credit for that.” Dwyane Wade missed a layup at the other end, effectively sealing the game. He finished with 17 points but did not score in the fourth quarter. The Heat were unusually clumsy in the fourth quarter, committing four of their eight turnovers in the period. “It’s elite basketball right now, and there’s not a large margin for error either way,” Spoelstra said. The Heat shot 5 for 18 from the field in the fourth quarter. The Spurs committed only four turnovers, tying a record low in the finals set by the Detroit Pistons against San Antonio in 2005. “We played an O.K. game,” Ginobili said. “We didn’t play great.” He added, “I think the most important thing we did offensively is not turning the ball over.” Because the Spurs rested their stars in November and the Heat did the same in March, these teams had not faced each other at full strength in two years, leaving no road map for what the night, or the series, would bring. “You don’t have no rhythm of what they’re going to do,” James said before tip-off. “They don’t have a rhythm of what we’re going to do. So it’s like the first test we’ve had with one another in a while.” There were few surprises as the game unfolded. Miami did what it does best, spreading the floor with shooters, letting James orchestrate and, whenever possible, taking advantage in transition. The Heat hit 8 of 25 3-pointers but scored only 9 points in transition. The Spurs did what they do best, scoring inside (40 points in the paint) and on second-chance points (21), essentially picking up where the Indiana Pacers left off in the Eastern Conference finals. This opener was as close as expected. Neither team led by more than 9, although the Heat held a continuous, modest lead through the second and third quarters. The Spurs pushed ahead, 77-76, with 7 minutes 46 seconds left on Parker’s free throws, their first lead of the second half. Parker followed with a driving layup past Norris Cole and a 20-foot jumper, giving the Spurs an 85-79 advantage with 3:30 left. This series could come down to how well the Spurs contain, or at least challenge, James and Wade. It might take the entire roster. By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs had used three players, of varying sizes, to check James: Kawhi Leonard (6-foot-7, 225 pounds), Danny Green (6-6, 210) and Boris Diaw (6-8, 235). When James easily backed down Green, the Spurs sent in two more bodies, leaving half the floor open. Later, James plowed through Green, driving for a layup and then looking at Green as if to say, “You cannot possibly guard me.” James had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists by halftime, methodically building toward his triple-double. The Spurs had not played in nearly 10 days, since sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals. There figured to be a little rust in their game. The Heat had the opposite concern, having survived a taut, seven-game series against the Pacers that ended three nights earlier. There figured to be a little fatigue in their game. As it happened, the Spurs looked sharp in taking a 9-2 lead. And the Heat looked spry in roaring right back, tying the score at 9-9 and eventually taking a 5-point lead in the quarter. Duncan had a rough start, missing his first five shots and picking up two fouls in the first 11 minutes, sending him to the bench. He recovered nicely, hitting 5 of 7 shots in the second quarter, including a 20-footer at the halftime buzzer that cut the Heat’s lead to 52-49. It was a promising start to what promised to be a compelling finals, pitting the league’s premier glamour team (the Heat) against its greatest small-market success story (the Spurs). Between them, the Spurs and Heat have six championships, nine finals appearances and at least five probable Hall of Famers. You could call it a matchup made in N.B.A. heaven, a nice send-off to David Stern before he steps down as commissioner next February. “A heck of a series,” Stern said in his pre-finals address, “probably the best that I could possibly expect for my last finals.” Courtesy of: nytimes.com
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
Finals Game 1: Miami Heat - San Antonio S. 88-92
Date: June 6, 2013
Seven months later, the San Antonio Spurs, all of the Spurs, at last arrived in Miami — healthy, rested and fully engaged, without dispute or controversy or any need for a scolding from the commissioner. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked spry, and the Spurs looked more than ready for the task of dethroning the defending champion Heat, taking a 92-88 victory in the opener of the N.B.A. finals. Parker scored 21 points to lead the way, including a seemingly impossible leaning jumper that clinched the game in the final seconds. Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds in his first finals appearance since 2007. The Spurs struggled to score at times, shooting 41.7 percent from the field, but they dominated inside and overcame a triple-double from LeBron James, who finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. This was presumably what the Spurs had in mind all those months ago, when Coach Gregg Popovich sent Parker, Duncan and Ginobili home rather than play them in a nationally televised regular-season game. He wanted them fresh for June, for a title chase and perhaps for a showdown with this Heat team. After trailing for most of the night, the Spurs seized control in the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run, sparked by Parker. Danny Green capped the rally with a 3-pointer, giving the Spurs an 88-81 lead, their biggest of the night. Miami cut the deficit to 90-88 on James’s two free throws with 31.3 seconds to go. Parker then put the game away with a basket on a possession that looked as if it should have died three times. Parker slipped but kept his dribble, rose and flung an awkward shot that bounced off the backboard and the rim before falling through at the shot-clock buzzer. Referees had to review the play on video to confirm that Parker released it in time. “It seemed like a 26-second possession,” said Erik Spoelstra, the Heat’s coach, adding: “He made a tough play. You have to give him credit for that.” Dwyane Wade missed a layup at the other end, effectively sealing the game. He finished with 17 points but did not score in the fourth quarter. The Heat were unusually clumsy in the fourth quarter, committing four of their eight turnovers in the period. “It’s elite basketball right now, and there’s not a large margin for error either way,” Spoelstra said. The Heat shot 5 for 18 from the field in the fourth quarter. The Spurs committed only four turnovers, tying a record low in the finals set by the Detroit Pistons against San Antonio in 2005. “We played an O.K. game,” Ginobili said. “We didn’t play great.” He added, “I think the most important thing we did offensively is not turning the ball over.” Because the Spurs rested their stars in November and the Heat did the same in March, these teams had not faced each other at full strength in two years, leaving no road map for what the night, or the series, would bring. “You don’t have no rhythm of what they’re going to do,” James said before tip-off. “They don’t have a rhythm of what we’re going to do. So it’s like the first test we’ve had with one another in a while.” There were few surprises as the game unfolded. Miami did what it does best, spreading the floor with shooters, letting James orchestrate and, whenever possible, taking advantage in transition. The Heat hit 8 of 25 3-pointers but scored only 9 points in transition. The Spurs did what they do best, scoring inside (40 points in the paint) and on second-chance points (21), essentially picking up where the Indiana Pacers left off in the Eastern Conference finals. This opener was as close as expected. Neither team led by more than 9, although the Heat held a continuous, modest lead through the second and third quarters. The Spurs pushed ahead, 77-76, with 7 minutes 46 seconds left on Parker’s free throws, their first lead of the second half. Parker followed with a driving layup past Norris Cole and a 20-foot jumper, giving the Spurs an 85-79 advantage with 3:30 left. This series could come down to how well the Spurs contain, or at least challenge, James and Wade. It might take the entire roster. By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs had used three players, of varying sizes, to check James: Kawhi Leonard (6-foot-7, 225 pounds), Danny Green (6-6, 210) and Boris Diaw (6-8, 235). When James easily backed down Green, the Spurs sent in two more bodies, leaving half the floor open. Later, James plowed through Green, driving for a layup and then looking at Green as if to say, “You cannot possibly guard me.” James had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists by halftime, methodically building toward his triple-double. The Spurs had not played in nearly 10 days, since sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals. There figured to be a little rust in their game. The Heat had the opposite concern, having survived a taut, seven-game series against the Pacers that ended three nights earlier. There figured to be a little fatigue in their game. As it happened, the Spurs looked sharp in taking a 9-2 lead. And the Heat looked spry in roaring right back, tying the score at 9-9 and eventually taking a 5-point lead in the quarter. Duncan had a rough start, missing his first five shots and picking up two fouls in the first 11 minutes, sending him to the bench. He recovered nicely, hitting 5 of 7 shots in the second quarter, including a 20-footer at the halftime buzzer that cut the Heat’s lead to 52-49. It was a promising start to what promised to be a compelling finals, pitting the league’s premier glamour team (the Heat) against its greatest small-market success story (the Spurs). Between them, the Spurs and Heat have six championships, nine finals appearances and at least five probable Hall of Famers. You could call it a matchup made in N.B.A. heaven, a nice send-off to David Stern before he steps down as commissioner next February. “A heck of a series,” Stern said in his pre-finals address, “probably the best that I could possibly expect for my last finals.” Courtesy of: nytimes.com
 MIAMI HEAT (coach: Erik Spoelstra)88 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 1 | ziBRs, vRmQIj | 38 | 1-66 (03.0%) | 6-0 (85%) | 4-3 (90%) | 8 | 61 | 62 | 65 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 62 | 43 | 5 |
| 4 | WidR, gTFijR | 41 | 9-60 (31.9%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-3 (90%) | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 68 | 5 |
| 6 | mIsh, ChQas | 40 | 1-68 (05%) | 5-3 (5%) | 6-8 (05%) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 64 | 9 | 5 |
| 60 | ChilBRQs, biQaI | 89 | 6-3 (80%) | 8-1 (44.4%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 43 | SllRj, eiF | 83 | 5-5 (5%) | 4-3 (90%) | 3-0 (25%) | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 64 | 68 | 5 |
| 64 | ballRQ, baVR | 85 | 6-6 (655%) | 6-8 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
| 45 | CIlR, XIQQas | 69 | 6-4 (44.4%) | 6-6 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 35 | HislRB, tdIjas | 69 | 6-6 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| SjdRQsRj, ChQas | 64 | 4-0 (15%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6-8 (05%) | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | |
| 46 | miUUaRQ, AhijR | 1 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-4 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -6 | 5 |
| 05 | SjUhIjF, zIRl | 4 | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| 88 | zIjRs, ziBRs | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | vRTas, eishiQd | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 81-04 (37.6%) | 2-80 (48.5%) | 68-69 (95.1%) | 7 | 49 | 31 | 85 | 68 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 76 | |||
 SAN ANTONIO S. (coach: Mitch Johnson)92 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 7 | OiQVRQ, wIjF | 35 | 7-62 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-3 (90%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 86 | 62 | 5 |
| 86 | gujZij, waB | 49 | 2-67 (38.6%) | 5-5 (5%) | 3-3 (655%) | 4 | 66 | 63 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 85 | 83 | 5 |
| 8 | vRIjiQd, KiTha | 40 | 4-0 (15%) | 5-3 (5%) | 3-3 (655%) | 8 | 2 | 65 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 63 | 5 |
| 3 | GQRRj, gijjF | 43 | 5-5 (5%) | 3-7 (33.3%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 66 | 5 |
| 85 | GajIMala, qBijuRl | 45 | 8-1 (44.4%) | 8-0 (35%) | 4-3 (90%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 64 | 9 | 5 |
| 88 | AplaUURQ, waiDI | 80 | 4-1 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6-8 (05%) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 63 | XRil, GiQF | 88 | 8-3 (05%) | 6-0 (85%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 5 |
| 44 | gaiT, mIQas | 7 | 6-6 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 60 | mIjjRQ, biUU | 9 | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| zIsRph, CIQF | 8 | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -6 | 5 | |
| 2 | balls, OiUQaZV | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| 30 | mliaQ, gRzuij | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| bZGQidF, wQiZF | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 82-16 (30.7%) | 9-84 (45.3%) | 60-62 (24.4%) | 1 | 46 | 49 | 61 | 68 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 78 | 22 | |||
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
