NBA Finals

Mid-June: the heart of the NBA Finals. This year’s matchup is a repeat of last year: the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Miami Heat. This season’s Finals format is 2-2-1-1-1 (the original format), starting with two home games for the Spurs, whereas the previously used format for the past 29 seasons (since 1985) has been 2-3-2. The Spurs currently lead the series 2-1.

In Game 1 in San Antonio, AT&T Center’s air conditioning malfunctioned, causing “heat” to take on a whole new meaning. Despite scorching temperatures above 90° in the arena at one point, the Spurs managed to pull off a win, beating the Heat 110-95. Lebron James scored 25 points but battled cramps and limped out of the game in the 4th quarter. The Spurs then went on a 15-4 run. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 21 points. Manu Ginobili and Danny Green also helped the Spurs by scoring 16 and 13 points respectively.

In Game 2, Lebron was back to the superstar “Lebron” silencing critics with 35 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Heat to a 98-96 victory over the Spurs. The Spurs played a drastically different 4th quarter in Game 2 compared to their Game 1 performance. Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and both Chris Bosh and Rashard Lewis scored 14 points, helping to lead Miami to its victory.

In Game 3 in Miami, the Spurs defeated the Heat 112-92. The Spurs scored 71 points in the first half alone, shooting just under 76% and setting an NBA Finals record for shooting in a half. Miami shot just under 56% in the first half which is good offense, but this note is overlooked due to the Spurs’ spectacular performance. The Heat were able to bring the game as close as 81-74 in the third quarter, playing aggressively in an attempt to close the gap. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade each scored 22 points and Chris Bosh scored 9. Kawhi Leonard, small forward on the Spurs, was the star of the night, scoring a career-high 29 points.

Game 4 takes place in Miami at 9:00pm on June 12. The Heat usually come out aggressive following a loss and tonight’s game cannot be an exception if they want to remain competitive and have a shot at going all the way for the coveted Three-peat.