The NBA Finals are now tied 1-1 heading back to Miami for two more games.
NBA Finals Game 1
This game is now being called “The A/C Game” after the air conditioning unit in the AT&T Center had a malfunction prior to the game. This caused the temperature on the the floor to be between 89-102 degrees during the course of the game.
At the end of the first half of play the Spurs lead 54-49 after what was mostly an evenly matched half. In the 3rd quarter the Spurs collapsed with nine costly turnovers and produced only 20 points. The poor quarter allowed Miami to take a 78-74 lead heading into the 4th quarter.
After Miami made a little run to open the quarter they took an 86-79 lead with only 9:38 to play and it seemed like San Antonio would cough up Game 1 to the Heat. But with 7:31 left Lebron James asked out of the game to get a breather (which lasted three minutes). With James on the bench, the Spurs went on a 10-4 run to cut the lead to just one point. When James checked back into the game with 4:33 to play and he quickly made a drive to the basket, laid it in and stood on the baseline limping with cramping in his body. He was carried off and taken to the locker room.
Lebron James leaving the game with cramps became a major storyline as up to that point Danny Green who was being guarded by James had been held to only 2 points. The defensive assignment on Green was switched to Dwyane Wade, a much smaller defender, and Green went OFF! He hit three 3 pointers in the final minutes and had a break away dunk which really opened things up on the scoreboard and led to a big Spurs victory, 110-95. After the game many media members were focused on the A/C malfunction and some even accused the Spurs of cheating and sabotaging the air-conditioning. However, both sides were affected equally and it happened to be a coincidence that James cramped up and left the game. I believe San Antonio would of won the game even if James finished the contest, they were coming on even before he left the game.
NBA Finals Game 2
In the first half the two clubs again looked evenly matched as it was knotted up at 43. But the hungrier, more prepared Miami team, with their star Lebron James leading the attack, came on strong in the second half. James was back and better than ever as he dropped 35 points including going 3/3 at the 3-point-line and shooting 14/22 from the field. He topped it all off by also grabing 10 boards.
Outside of Lebrons offensive explosive, the Heats supporting cast of Wade, Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis, and Ray Allen showed up and hit pivotal shots late in the game including a dagger three by Chris Bosh with a 1:17 left to give Miami a two-point advantage.
As the game progressed I felt like the Spurs lost the game more than the Heat won the game. San Antonio shot just 12/20 from the charity stripe and was held to 18 points in the 4th quarter. When Tony Parker went to the line and bricked two free throws after a flagrant foul and then Tim Duncan goes to the line on the very next posession and bricked two more free throws, I saw that as a major moment leading to the Spurs loss.
On top of it all Miami beat San Antonio in points in the paint 44-34 and shot nearly 10% higher from the field. Miami went on to win with a solid Game 2 performance 98-96.
As the series shifts back to Miami I still fill very confident in my pre-series pick, Spurs in 6. Don’t forgot San Antonio had the best road record in the NBA during the regular season, leading the rest of the league by 5 games going 30-11. Another point of interest is, the Spurs nearly won three games in Miami in last years finals. They did win Game 1 and were a hair away from winning Games 6 & 7. So I’m fully confident the Spurs can win one of the next two in Miami and regain home court advantage.
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