NBA: Spurs take finals Game 1 in Miami
Tony Parker puts up a shot with 5.2 seconds that hit the cords and gave the Spurs a four-point lead. LeBron James got his hand on the shot prior to Parker’s release, but wasn’t able to stop the shot.
The San Antonio Spurs outscored the Miami Heat 16:23 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, to steal a crucial road win as the best-of-seven series opens. They’ll hit the hardwood again on Sunday for Game 2 in Miami.
The win negates an 18P/18R/10A triple-double by LeBron James, but also comes off a 20P/14R double-double from the ‘old man’ in the league, Tim Duncan. The Spurs’ Tony Parker, who scored 21 on the night, proved to be the key down the stretch, dropping in a nifty spinning lay-up and an off-balance jumper with 5.2 seconds on the clock that put the game away for the Spurs. Parker’s shot was so close to a shot clock violation the officials had to review it for several minutes to determine if he had gotten the shot off in time. They ruled it had been released prior to the lights going off, thus the shot high off the glass counted, giving San Antonio a four-point, two-possession lead. Miami wouldn’t score again, and the Spurs would find themselves up 1-0.
We were very fortunate. It looked like [Parker] lost it two or three times. But he stuck with it. He kept competing. He gained control of it again. He got it up there on the rim. Great effort by Tony, and as I said, we were fortunate.
–Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
The Spurs got the early advantage getting up 2:9 before the Heat ran off seven straight to knot the score at nine. With Miami up 15:13, Danny Green knocked down a triple for the Spurs, then Boris Diaw connected on a reverse lay-up to give the Spurs a three-point lead, 15:18. James pulled Miami even with a three-pointer, then Manu Ginobili split a pair of singles. The Heat scored six unanswered to get up five, 24:19 with a minute to play in the first frame. Gary Neal hit a jumper for the Spurs with 37.7 seconds remaining, then Ginobili stole an errant Chris Andersen pass and was able to hit the cords with a jumper with 2.5 seconds to play in the first 12 to pull within one, 23:24.
Allen opened the second with a long-ball, followed up with a split set of singles from Andersen to extend Miami’s lead to five, 28:23. Ginobili hit a trey to pull back to within two, then Miami ran off seven straight to get up nine, 29:38. Duncan helped the Spurs cut the margin to two with a lay-up and a pair of free throws, as well as a three-ball from Green. Duncan and Wade traded baskets, then Wade dropped in two more deuces and Cole hit a lay-up, pushing the gap to eight, 46:38. The ‘Big 4′ of this series, Miami’s James and Dwayne Wade, and the Spurs’ Parker and Duncan, scored the final 13 points of the quarter over the last three and a half minutes, with the Heat heading into the break up 52:49, after a Duncan jumper at the buzzer.
Miami again built a seven-point margin when the second half opened with a jumper from Wade and two deuces from Chris Bosh. Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Ginobili scored to cut the margin to one, 57:58. For the rest of the third 12 the Heat’s advantage peaked at five, but a pair of Ginobili singles put the gap back as it was at the beginning of the quarter, sending Game 1 to the final frame with Miami up 69:72.
The lead changed hands for the first time since late in the first quarter with a pair of free throws from Parker, putting the Spurs on top 77:76. Bosh swung the lead back to the Heat with a jumper, then the Spurs went on a 2:8 run to get up six, 79:85 with three and a half minutes to play. James got a lay-up, then Green hit a triple to give the Spurs a seven-point lead with just over two minutes left. Again, James hit a lay-up and after Ginobili missed a three-ball, Green fouled Allen as he was shooting a three-pointer sending him to the line for three singles with a minute and a half left. Allen hit all three free throws to pull the Heat to within a deuce. Duncan took the ball down the lane and got fouled by Bosh and then hit the pair of singles to give San Antonio a four-point margin with just over a minute to play. James hit a pair of free throws after Ginobili fouled him with 31.3 on the clock. At the other end of the floor, Parker sat at the top of the key until there was 15 seconds on the clock, drove right, fell, got up, spun around James, and then got the shot off as the 24-second clock went off, putting the Spurs up four with 5.2 seconds to play. The Heat got a shot under the basket as time was expiring, but it rolled out as the buzzer sounded, giving the Spurs Game 1 and a 1-0 series lead.
Well, it’s pretty clear. There were plays to be made and our offensive inefficiency going down the stretch most of the fourth quarter probably hurt us more than anything.
–Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
Parker was game-high with 21 points, adding six assists. Duncan tallied a 20P/14R double-double, Ginobili scored 13, Green dropped in 12, and Leonard contributed a 10P/10R double/double to the win.
James’ 18P/18R/10A triple-double led the Heat, Wade added 17, and Bosh and Allen tallied 13 each.