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Both the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs finished Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals on fire. Unfortunately for the Heat, this was only true because the air conditioning system was malfunctioning in San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
Both the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs finished Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals on fire. Unfortunately for the Heat, this was only true because the air conditioning system was malfunctioning in San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
When LeBron James first left in the 4th quarter with cramps, the Heat were up by two. James came back but was only able to stay on the court briefly before experiencing more cramps and leaving the game for good. James’ cramps, which were caused by the blistering heat in the arena, helped propel the Spurs to a game-clinching 31-9 run.
With the AC repaired for Sunday night’s Game 2 (8:00 p.m. ET on ABC), Miami hopes James will be on the court late in the 4th quarter as it looks to steal one before the series shifts to Miami.
“I want to be able to finish the game but you have to have that mindset, there is no tomorrow,” James commented. “It’s challenging, but for a championship you don’t want it easy.”
With all the talk about James’ cramps, perhaps it’s the Spurs offense that should concern them the most. The Spurs shot 59% from the field and made 13 threes en route to their 110-95 win. They will try to duplicate that production come Sunday.
The Spurs’ success stems from their fast-paced, inside to outside ball movement. “You watch tape of how we played before — we are very different,” said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, explaining the team’s offensive evolution over the years. “Now we’re more mobile, move the ball much better, more passes. Everyone is feeling important. It’s more fun, more unpredictable.”
The Heat are tasked with slowing down that offense, but have shown over the years they are more than up for tough defensive challenges. However, the Spurs have a championship pedigree as well.
The current Betting spread favors the Spurs with a -4.5 line. The Over/Under sits at 198.5.
