The Miami Heat have capped off what was an exciting NBA final, and playoffs in general, by winning their second straight NBA title with a 95-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Lebron James started slowly, but really ramped things up with the game on the line, finishing with 37 points and 12 rebounds on the way to picking up his second straight NBA Finals MVP award. However, while Lebron was the leader, he didn’t do things alone. Dwayne Wade picked up 23 points and 10 rebounds. While the third member of Miami’s Big 3, Chris Bosh, had a disappointing scoreless night. However the Heat got a huge clutch contribution from Shane Battier who hit six 3-point shots to finish the night with 18 points. Meanwhile the Spurs got a big performance from Tim Duncan but his 24 points and 12 rebounds were not enough.
“I work on my game a lot throughout the offseason,” said James, who talked about his five threes and good jump shooting night and series, “I put a lot of work into it and to be able to come out here and (have) the results happen out on the floor is the ultimate. The ultimate. I’m at a loss for words.”
Things weren’t easy for the Heat though. The team struggled at times through the postseason and had hardfought series with Chicago, Indiana, and finally San Antonio before taking the title.
“It took everything we had as a team,” Dwyane Wade said. “Credit to the San Antonio Spurs, they’re an unbelievable team, an unbelievable franchise. This is the hardest series we ever had to play. But we’re a resilient team and we did whatever it took.”
For the Heat the question now becomes how they turn their two championships into a three-peat. The team looked vulnerable at times, especially when facing teams with good big men. The Heat will look to address this vulnerability in the off-season, just as they added sharp shooter in Ray Allen last year. Allen’s big 3 pointer at the end of regulation in game 6 was absolutely crucial to the Heat’s big comeback win.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Spurs, who seemed to have a fifth NBA title in their grasp in game 6. While most of game 7 was close, the Heat pulled away late in the fourth quarter, and so the game didn’t have the same drama as the overtime classic that was Game 6. Following the game, many of the Spurs acknowledged how difficult this game was.
“Being so close and feeling that you are about to grab that trophy and then seeing it vanish is very hard,” Ginobili said. “I think that if we would’ve lost both games like this, I would be a little more up. But it’s a tough feeling.”
For the Spurs, the questions surround whether the team that has 4 championships and was looking for a 5th has one more run in them. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli certainly aren’t getting any younger, and Ginobli’s contract is set to expire. He is still a useful player, but is not the same type of game changer he was in his prime. Tony Parker remains one of the best point guards in the game, and Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green emerged during the playoffs and the finals as potential future cornerstones in a retooled Spurs team.
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