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NBA Finals - Miami wilts under the heat, Spurs take Game 1 By Adeline Deladisma PhilBoxing.com Sat, 07 Jun 2014 SAN ANTONIO -- In a much anticipated rematch of last year's championships, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat, 110-95, in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals Thursday night at the AT&T Center. Beneath the shadow of their four NBA championship banners, and in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd of 18,581 at their home floor, the Spurs came back from an unsteady performance in the first three quarters. The Heat came out with a quick burst and scored 7 points in the first minute of the series, but the Spurs overtook them and surged 26-20 at the end of the first quarter before settling with a 54-49 halftime advantage. As the game wore on, the temperature in the arena got warmer and it became increasingly obvious there was something wrong in the air. During the break, it was announced that the air conditioning system had failed, which resulted in overheated bodies at the stands and on the floor as well. But the action on the court was just beginning to heat up. Miami came back in the third quarter with an energetic boost from Ray Allen, who showed he could still drive to the hoop with a fast break dunk at 2:12 left in the period. The Heat would lead by as many as 7 early the fourth before the Spurs asserted themselves and dominated. The tropical clime then became the focus of the evening. James left for good with 4:09 left and Miami down, 94-92. James, who finished with 25 points and 6 rebounds, was paralyzed by left leg cramps caused by extreme dehydration. "I lost all the fluids that I was putting in in the last couple of days out there on the floor," James told a pooled reporter. Dwyane Wade tallied 19 points while Chris Bosh had 18 and 9 boards but Miami's Big 3 got little support as the other two starters -- Rashard Lewis and Mario Chalmers -- combined for just 13. The Heat bench was also outscored by San Antonio's reserves, 34-20. After trailing 78-74 after three quarters, the Spurs finished the final 12 minutes on a blistering 36-17 run. They made 14 of 16 field goals (87.5 percent) and all 6 of their 3-pointers in the fourth period. Duncan led the Spurs with 21 points and 10 boards, Tony Parker had 19 and 8 assists, while Manu Ginobili added 16 and 11 dimes. Danny Green registered 13, including 11 in a torrid fourth quarter shooting display. Still, the Spurs, who turned the ball over 23 times, considered themselves "lucky" to have escaped with the win. Both teams lamented their sloppy play and vowed to clean it up for the next game. Game 2 of the NBA Finals is slated for Sunday night (Monday AM in Manila) at the AT&T Center. (AD) Photo: NBA Finals - Miami wilts under the heat, Spurs take Game 1. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Adeline Deladisma. |
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