Here's what's happened so far in the Heat/Spurs series (home teams listed first):
June 6: Miami 88 - 92 San Antonio
June 9: Miami 103 - 84 San Antonio
June 11: San Antonio 113 - 77 Miami
June 13: San Antonio 93 - 109 Miami
June 16: San Antonio 114 - 104 Miami
June 18: Miami 103 - 100 San Antonio (OT)
So the teams have split two close games (games 1 and 6), and they've split the four blow-out games (2 through 5).
The last road team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals was the 1978 Washington Bullets, who shocked the Seattle SuperSonics for a 105-99 victory. Since then, Game 7's in the Finals have gone as follows (home teams listed first):
June 12, 1984: Boston 111 - 102 Los Angeles
June 21, 1988: Los Angeles 108 - 105 Detroit
June 22, 1994: Houston 90 - 84 New York
June 23, 2005: San Antonio 81 - 74 Detroit
June 17, 2010: Los Angeles 83 - 79 Boston
So there's not a lot of history here, but what history there is suggests that this will be a slugfest that should be won by the home team. Sure enough, the folks in Vegas say that Miami will win by 6 1/2 points and that the total number of points scored will be 190. That would work out to something like a 98-92 win for the Heat, which would actually be the most entertaining Game 7 we've seen for a long time.
First TV timeout: Spurs lead 11-6 with 6:18 left in the 1st quarter.
ReplyDeleteSpurs up 15-10 with 2:12 left in the 1st quarter. This is not inspired basketball so far. The Spurs are shooting 35 percent from the field; the Heat are shooting 30 percent.
ReplyDeleteHeat comes out of the time-out and goes on a little run punctuated by two three-pointers from Shane Battier. Heat lead 18-16 after one quarter.
ReplyDeleteJack Nicklaus and Bill Russell are both at this game.
ReplyDeleteOh, good for them. Were they sitting together?
DeleteMiami calls time. They lead 21-20 with 9:55 to go in the 2d quarter.
ReplyDeleteWith 6:40 to go in the second quarter, the game is tied at 27. Both teams are 11-30 from the field. Shane Battier leads all scorers with 9 points.
ReplyDeleteMiami makes a small run, and they lead 37-34 with 3:02 left before half.
ReplyDeleteThese teams are not going to score 190 points tonight unless this game goes to double overtime.
The game got much better toward the end of the second quarter. Miami leads 46-44 at the half.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good game, although the Spurs are playing somewhat better. Spurs lead 65-64 with 2:18 to go and Ginobli headed to the line.
ReplyDeleteThe third-quarter ends with a blizzard of baskets from both sides. Miami leads 72-71 with one quarter to go.
ReplyDeleteLeBron has 28 points and 7 rebounds.
Duncan has 17 points and 9 rebounds.
They've scored 143 points so far, so there is actually a pretty decent chance they get to 190 after all.
ReplyDeleteBattier hits another three -- he's 5-5 for the game. Miami leads 75-71 with 11 minutes to go.
ReplyDeleteHeat lead 77-73 after a free throw by LeBron. He made another free throw, but it was waved off because of a lane violation by Chris Andersen. The Heat aren't happy about that.
ReplyDeleteI forget that they don't have alternate-possession in the NBA. Parker and Wade have a jump ball against each other with 9:18 to go. Wade wins the tap. Heat still lead 77-73.
ReplyDeleteBattier was open for a three-pointer that would have put San Antonio in a big hole, but he misses.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio responds with a basket from Duncan.
Heat 77, Spurs 75. 8:34 left in the season.
Miami calls time.
Chalmers hits a layup to put the Heat up 79-75 with 8:15 to go.
ReplyDeleteDanny Green misses a three for the Spurs. (He's 1-11 in the game. Reports are that he doesn't feel well).
ReplyDeleteChalmers misses a three for the Heat.
San Antonio turns it over, and Wade goes down with cramps. LeBron was fouled. So Miami takes the ball out of bounds.
Wade is fine, and play will continue.
On the ensuing possession, Wade hits a jump shot. Heat lead 81-75 with 7 minutes to go.
ReplyDeleteAnd now San Antonio throws it away!
This game is almost over.
But Chris Bosh is called for an offensive foul, and Ginobli comes back with a floater to make the score 81-77 with 6:26 to go. That was a huge exchange.
ReplyDeleteI listened to this fourth quarter in our fancy new 2002 Odyssey on the lonely, dark, other-side-of-the-moon drive along I-69 between Henderson and Madisonville. I heard that six-point Miami lead, and then things got momentarily fuzzy on both of the AM stations I was bouncing between. I was certain next time a signal came in that the Heat were going to be up 12; alas, the signal on one of the stations came back just in time to hear the aftermath of Ginobli's score here.
DeleteThe two stations I was picking up the game on were 1000 AM, a sports radio station out of Chicago, and--still unbelievable to me, after all these years--1200 AM WOAI, a San Antonio station and the flagship for Spurs broadcasts. My dad and I used to pick up this same station late at night sometimes and listen to George Gervin, Larry Kenon, etc. It was always so fortunate to pick up one of these games because the NBA was so hard to find in the 1970s in Paducah, and, being a Bullets guy, getting to hear a homer broadcast of the divisional-rival Spurs made me feel like I was figuring out where the Nazi U-boats were in the Atlantic.
Wade misses. But on the ensuing possession, the Spurs throw it away again! Bad pass by Ginobli.
ReplyDeleteThen Miami works the clock for awhile, and LeBron nails a jump shot to put Miami up 83-77 with 5:37 to go.
Spurs call time.
Here's roughly how the WOAI commentator sounded on this turnover:
Deleteuh-NOTHER. jih-NOBLY. turn-OVER.
Yeah, he killed them in the fourth quarter.
DeleteMiami has outscored San Antonio 11-6 in this quarter so far.
ReplyDeleteOnly five players have scored for Miami: LeBron (31 points), Wade (20), Battier (15), Chalmers (14), and Andersen (3). Chris Bosh is 0-4 with 4 fouls in 21 minutes -- but he did his part at the end of Game 6.
ReplyDeleteOut of the timeout, Duncan shoots over Bosh. He misses.
ReplyDeleteAt the other end, Bosh is wide open for a three-pointer -- but he shoots an airball. That turns into a runout for the Spurs, and Duncan is fouled.
Duncan makes both free throws, and Miami leads 83-79 with 4:48 to go.
But LeBron runs down the clock and makes another jump shot to put Miami up 85-79.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Ginobli then hits a quick 3 to make the score 85-82.
Then Danny Green steals the ball! Green shoots a 3 for the tie -- but misses. Green is 1-12.
Several frantic possessions go nowhere, until Battier ends up with the ball in the corner. He makes his sixth three of the game! Miami leads 88-82 with 3:20 to go.
ReplyDeleteBut then Duncan comes back with an old-fashioned three-point play! He draws Chris Bosh's fifth foul, and Miami's lead is 88-85 with 3:11 to go.
Miami calls time with 3:06 to go.
This is great stuff.
ReplyDeleteLeBron has 33 points and 10 reobunds.
Duncan has 24 points and 11 rebounds.
I think this is a better game than Game 6, which was much more mistake-filled.
Out of the timeout, Wade makes a spectacular basket in traffic. Miami leads 90-85.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Duncan misses a hook shot. But at the other end, LeBron misses a jumper -- and Kawhi Leonard nails a 3 to cut Miami's lead to 90-88.
1:49 to go.
Leonard has 19 points and 16 rebounds.
ReplyDeleteOn the next possession, Chalmers drives into the lane and is fouled. BUT HE MISSES BOTH FREE THROWS!
One of the radio stations said Chalmers was making 80 percent of his free throws in the playoffs before those shots.
DeleteAlso, before those shots, one of the radio stations said Chalmers was making 80 percent of his free throws in the playoffs.
DeleteWith 1:25 to go, Leonard has a 3 for the lead -- but he misses.
ReplyDeleteAt the other end, Wade misses. James gets the rebound. Battier misses a 3. Ginobli gets the rebound.
With 45 seconds left, Duncan takes a little hook shot right over Battier -- BUT HE MISSES! Miami gets the ball. They lead 90-88 with 39 seconds to go.
Miami calls time.
Thanks to all those missed shots, we probably won't get to 190 points in this game unless we go to overtime.
ReplyDeleteDuncan is furious with himself for missing both the hook shot and a tip-in, as he should be.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was tough.
DeleteWith 27.9 seconds to go, James takes another pull-up jump shot -- AND MAKES IT!
ReplyDeleteHe is devastating when he makes his outside shots.
The Heat lead 92-88 with 27.9 seconds to go.
What I thought was especially devastating about this particular shot was how early James attempted it in the shot clock, given that Miami was trying to run out a lead. The rule is that you milk the clock with a lead so late, but the rule is also that, if you get an open opportunity to take a shot you can make, you take it. LeBron James was playing by the more aggressive rules.
DeleteAs we predicted at the HP, UNC beat NCSU 7-0 in the College World Series. NCSU is eliminated by the Heels, and again I wonder why anyone bothers to root for NCSU.
ReplyDeleteLeBron now has 35 points and 12 rebounds.
ReplyDeleteAnd on the ensuing play, San Antonio tries a play where Ginobli is supposed to drive to the basket and throw back to Duncan -- BUT LEBRON STEALS THE BALL! He's fouled by Duncan, and now this game is over.
LeBron makes both free throws, and the Heat lead 94-88 with 23.5 seconds to go.
Ginobli has four turnovers in the fourth quarter.
With 19 seconds to go, Ginobli tries a desperate 3, which misses. Wade gets the rebound, and the celebration is on in Miami.
ReplyDeleteLeBron has 37 points in this game, which ties the record for the most points in an NBA Finals' Game 7.
Wade made the first FT, and missed the second -- but Miami got the rebound and ran out the clock.
ReplyDeleteMiami wins 95-88, and they are the 2013 NBA Champions -- just as we predicted.