NBA Playoffs Blog – Page 53 – NBA Blog

NBA Finals Game 7 will help define legacy for Heat, Spurs

Game 7s do more than settle championships. They define legacies.

No matter what happens Thursday night, LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs have already won NBA titles and secured a place in history. Now is their opportunity to elevate it.

The truly memorable teams won the hard way, and that will be the case for the one celebrating at center court this time. It’s either a Heat repeat, possible only after James led Miami back from what seemed certain elimination in the closing seconds of Game 6, or the Spurs shaking off as gut-wrenching a loss as a team can have to become just the fourth club to win a Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road.

“I want to go down as one of the greatest. I want our team to go down as one of the greatest teams. And we have an opportunity to do that,” James said.

Reported by the Associated Press

Tim Duncan is used to pressure

After 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), San Antonio Spurs evergreen power forward Tim Duncan has already seen it all.

The 37-year has scaled the heights of the NBA, winning four titles and two league Most Valuable Player awards, and nothing fazes him, not even the prospect of facing the top-seeded Miami Heat in a decisive seventh game of the championship series.

While many players, including Miami’s LeBron James, have confessed to feeling nervous about Thursday’s do-or-die encounter, Duncan was nonchalant about the enormity of the contest.

“I prepare for every game exactly the same,” he said. “That’s why I feel every game is exactly the same. Obviously the pressure is there, the stage is there, the energy is there but preparation doesn’t change.”

— Reported by Julian Linden of Reuters

Chris Bosh wants early-exiting fans in Miami to not attend Game 7

This season has been the most vocal for Miami Heat center Chris Bosh in the media.

He got even louder during Wednesday’s interview session when the topic turned to fan behavior. Bosh voiced his displeasure with the fans who left Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA Finals with the Heat trailing by five with 28 seconds remaining.

Miami rallied to tie before winning in overtime to force a Game 7 Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“For all those guys who left, make sure they don’t come to game 7,” Bosh said. “We only want the guys that are going to stay in the building for the whole game. You never give up. People gave up on us. They can stay where they are and watch the game at home.”

Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Late Ray Allen 3-pointer keeps Heat alive

Danny Green left his man and lunged for the rebound. Tony Parker was a step late in recovery.

Together, the breakdowns gave Ray Allen a half-a-breath of space.

More than enough to play the hero — and save the Heat’s season.

Allen’s game-tying, physics-defying — and possibly career-defining — shot happened fast.

The scramble for a loose ball. Allen’s moonwalk to the perfect spot, just beyond the three-point line. And his impossibly quick catch-and-release.

Yet, as he told it later, the bucket was the result of a lifetime of practice.

“Believe it or not, I work on it quite often,” said Allen, who finished Miami’s 103-100 Game 6 Houdini act victory against San Antonio with 9 points, including two critical free throws in overtime. “I try to put my body in precarious situations coming from different parts of the floor, different angles to try to get my momentum going forward.

“When it went in, I was ecstatic,” he added. “But at the same time I was expecting to make it.”

Reported by Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald

NBA Finals Game 6 delivered amazing action in Miami

What a game, and how lucky we all were to witness it. LeBron James called it the best game he has ever played in. For me, it was the greatest game I’ve ever covered and I felt honored to be there covering it for The Herald and South Florida sports fans. James’ triple-double, his fourth in an NBA Finals, seemed like a minor footnote when it was all over. That’s how amazing and layered and thrilling Game 6 felt. James finished with 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He had 23 points in the second half and 16 in the fourth, carrying the Heat all the way to the finish line and setting the stage for Allen’s heroics.

James’ two turnovers in the final minute will be a focal point, but don’t let that take away from his amazing effort. After three-pointers by Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller to begin the fourth quarter, James willed the Heat back into the game. There were so many incredible moments tonight, but, for James, his block against Tim Duncan in the fourth will be a cherished moment if the Heat wins Game 7.

If the Heat wins Game 7…That’s what it’s all about now. Game 6 was unbelievable but Game 7 of the NBA Finals will top it just by simply being a Game 7. These moments come around once in a lifetime, Heat fans. Enjoy it. Savor it. Seriously, who’s going to sleep between now and then? Probably not me.

Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (Blog)

Dwyane Wade hurts knee again, pushes through in Game 6

LeBron James had to dig deep to help salvage the Heat season and ward off another offseason of undeserved vitriol, and he had to do it mostly without his right-hand man, Dwyane Wade.

Despite a shaky first three quarters, James finished with a triple-double of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Heat to a wild 103-100 overtime victory and force a Game 7 for the NBA championship on Thursday.

Wade, who despite a balky knee was coming off back-to-back games of 32 and 25 points, but clearly retweaked his sore left knee in an early first-quarter collison with Manu Ginobili.

Wade needed extended treatment during halftime and didn’t enter the game in the third quarter until 2:22 had expired with the Heat down five points. He finished with a pedestrian 14 points on 6-of-15 from the field with four rebounds, four assists and three turnovers.

“Yes,” Wade responded to a reporter asking if he hurt his knee. “Nothing, that we’re going to talk about.”

Reported by Harvey Fialkov of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Heat beats Spurs 103-100 in OT to reach NBA Finals Game 7

LeBron James saved a championship reign, canceled a celebration.

The toughest part now might be topping this performance in Game 7.

”It’s by far the best game I’ve ever been a part of,” James said.

He wouldn’t let the Miami Heat lose it – or their NBA title.

If the San Antonio Spurs want that, they’ll have to fight just a little harder to get it. One last game, winner take all.

James powered Miami to a frantic fourth-quarter rally and overtime escape as the Heat beat the Spurs 103-100 on Tuesday night to extend the NBA Finals as far as they can go and keep Miami’s repeat chances alive.

Losing his headband but keeping his cool while playing the entire second half and overtime, James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, making the go-ahead basket with 1:43 remaining in the extra period…

Tim Duncan scored 30 points for the Spurs, his most in an NBA Finals game since Game 1 in 2003, but was shut out after the third quarter. He added 17 rebounds…

James was just 3 of 12 after three quarters, the Heat trailing by 10 and frustration apparent among the players and panic setting in among the fans.

Nothing to worry about. Not with James playing like this.

He finished 11 of 26, even making a steal after his basket had given Miami a 101-100 edge in the OT…

Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker had 19 points and eight assists, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field…

Danny Green finished 1 of 5 from behind the arc after going 25 of 38 on 3-pointers (65.8 percent) in the first five games.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Heat have no room for error versus Spurs in Game 6

They lost three times in three months in one of the most overpowering stretches the NBA has ever seen.

Now the Miami Heat have lost three times in five games.

So superb during the regular season, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat have to be something even more for the rest of the NBA Finals.

They have to be perfect.

”We look forward to the challenge,” James said.

The San Antonio Spurs can finish Miami off Tuesday night in Game 6, reaffirming themselves as one of the league’s greatest franchises.

If so, the Heat and their Big Three once again go from celebrated to devastated, just as they were two years ago when they came home from Texas facing this same predicament.

”We’re going to see if we’re a better team than we were our first year together,” James said.

The Spurs took a 3-2 lead with their 114-104 victory Sunday night. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were all brilliant again, and Danny Green added to what could become one of the most out-of-nowhere finals MVP campaigns ever.

One more victory makes the Spurs 5-0 in the NBA Finals, keeping pace with Michael Jordan’s 6-0 Chicago Bulls as the only teams to make it here multiple times and never lose.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Heat now facing elimination after dropping Game 5 to Spurs

San Antonio leads the best-of-7 series 3-2 and can close it out Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Only seven teams have rallied to win the final two games, with the Los Angeles Lakers being the last to do it in 2010.

“We anticipated that [Ginobili] would probably start, or at least play a significant amount,” [Heat coach Erik] Spoelstra said. “Obviously he was very good. Not only Ginobili, but basically everybody on the team was taking turns off the dribble, getting by us and breaking ¿ down our defense.”

The Heat face their second elimination game of the postseason. They defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, but that was against a team stocked with inexperience.

“We can’t worry about Game 7,” forward LeBron James said. “We have to worry about Game 6 … being confident about getting a win, which we are. It is what it is and we’ve got a Game 6 on our floor.”

The veteran Spurs are attempting to win the fifth championship in franchise history, putting the pressure on the Heat to make the next adjustment in the series. At some point, that will have to include stopping Green and guard Tony Parker.

Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Danny Green sets NBA Finals record for 3-pointers

Danny Green once wasn’t good enough to be on the same team as LeBron James.

Now he’s an NBA Finals record-holder, and a big reason why the MVP’s chances of a second consecutive championship are in serious trouble.

Setting a Finals mark with 25 3-pointers, Green finished with 24 points and went 6 of 10 from long range in Game 5 against the Miami Heat, helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 114-104 victory Sunday night.

Deemed too raw and unpolished to remain on the roster with James and Cleveland three years ago, Green is the most prolific 3-point shooter on the NBA’s biggest stage.

Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press