NBA: Heat ready for another shot at Nuggets

DENVER -- Miami are confident they can turn up the Heat against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The Nuggets dominated in a 104-93 game-one triumph in the best-of-seven series on Thursday, when Miami's chances were doomed by their inability to connect on shots -- including a 33.3% success rate from three-point range.

Max Strus was 0-for-10 from the field, Caleb Martin 1-of-7 and Duncan Robinson 1-of-6.

But Heat talisman Jimmy Butler -- himself held to 13 points -- said he has a simple message for those teammates, who have played a key role in making Miami the second eighth-seeded team ever to reach an NBA Finals.

"Stay aggressive, because you've been the reason that we have won so many games before," Butler said Saturday as the team practiced in Denver in preparation for Sunday's game.

"You are going to be the reason that we win games now. and that's never going to change."

The Heat collectively agreed -- in the immediate aftermath of Thursday's defeat and after studying game video -- that they had plenty of good opportunities in game one.

"We did see some things that we liked and we got some great looks, myself included," Strus said. "We've got to knock those down, and we've got great shooters on our team, and we will knock those down."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it wouldn't take much to open the floodgates.

"In terms of the shooters, that's pretty simple," Spoelstra said. "Let it fly. Ignite.

"Once they see two go down, it could be three, it could turn into six just like that," he added with a snap of his fingers. "As long as we are getting those clean looks, that's what matters."

Butler said there are other adjustments to be made after a game in which the Heat got to the free-throw line just twice -- a record low for an NBA playoff game.

"I think I've got to be more aggressive putting pressure on the rim," he said. "I think that makes everybody's job a lot easier."

And Butler said there was no sense of panic in a Heat team that saw a 3-0 lead against Boston evaporate before Miami finished off the Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference finals.

"We're OK, we really are," he said. "We are very calm. We are very collected. We have so much confidence, still.

"It's not going anywhere. We're going to believe in one another, always, no matter what, home or away -- And we're still going to get four (wins)."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: 'Psychotic' Butler driving Heat in playoffs

LOS ANGELES—Three years after leading the Miami Heat to the brink of an NBA championship, Jimmy Butler is once more inspiring his team on an epic playoff journey.

The 33-year-old NBA star produced the latest in a series of jaw-dropping performances on Wednesday to send the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks crashing out of the postseason in the first round.

Butler's 42-point masterpiece in Milwaukee was the sort of inspirational display that has earned him multiple nicknames over the years that reflect his unerring knack of delivering under pressure, from "Playoff Jimmy" to "Jimmy Buckets."

On Wednesday night, Butler forced overtime with a sensational alley-oop, draining an acrobatic two-pointer while falling backward in mid-air under pressure from two Bucks players.

"The game plan was simple: Get the ball to Buckets and let him do what he do," was how teammate Gabe Vincent described Butler's tying shot.

Incredibly, Butler's game-winning performance came just two days after another of his logic-defying displays, a 56-point gem in game four.

In the five playoff games against Milwaukee, Butler averaged 37.2 points, with 4.8 assists and six rebounds.

Butler, who endured homelessness as a teenager before eventually being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2011, is the figurehead of a Miami team that has proven fearless in adversity.

Their last two wins over Milwaukee were earned after overturning double-digit leads late in the game.

"We're a resilient group. We stick together through everything," Butler said on Wednesday.

"We're a good group of basketball players and we're out there having fun playing basketball the right way. Good things happen when you do that.

"We just play hard. We know what we're capable of. We don't listen to the outside noise. We're going to do what we do, learn from our mistakes and get better."

'DESPERATE, MANIACAL, PSYCHOTIC'

Asked to explain his own incredible run of form, Butler reflected: "I'm just in a groove, in a rhythm. I've been shooting the ball an incredible amount in this series, but I feel like they're shots I can make – and my teammates keep telling me: 'Shoot the ball, shoot the ball.'

"When push comes to shove, I always remember why I do what I do. For my kids, for my family, for my guys. I know if I'm doing things the right way they have to follow suit."

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra meanwhile says Butler is the personification of the Heat's team culture.

"I've said it many times -- he is us and we are him," Spoelstra said after Wednesday's win.

"I just respect him so much being such a unique, world-class, elite competitor. A lot of guys play the game of basketball in this league. He competes to win. And that's a different language.

"He's desperate, and urgent, and maniacal, and sometimes psychotic, about the will to try to win. He'll make everybody in the building feel it.

"And that's why he is us and we are him. We needed every bit of every play that he made tonight."

Butler's indomitable spirit has been a recurring feature of his NBA career.

In the NBA Finals in 2020, Butler went head-to-head with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a do-or-die game five that ended with a 111-108 victory.

The enduring image of that encounter was an exhausted Butler, doubled up on the side of the court near the end of a game in which he played almost the entire 48 minutes, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

"I left it all out there on the court," said Butler, who would ultimately see his hopes of a championship end in a 4-2 series defeat to the Lakers.

Spoelstra meanwhile said Butler should be an example to every young player entering the NBA.

"Every young player coming into this league should study footage of Jimmy Butler, a definition of a two-way player competing on both ends," Spoelstra said at the time. "His will to win is remarkable."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Bucks push win streak to 13 despite Giannis injury

LOS ANGELES -- The Milwaukee Bucks shook off the first-quarter exit of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat the Miami Heat 128-99 on Friday and push their NBA winning streak to 13 games.

Antetokounmpo, who started despite concern over a wrist injury he suffered in the Bucks' final game before the All-Star break, departed late in the first quarter with a right knee injury.

The Bucks, who out-scored the Heat 42-32 in the first to seize control, didn't miss a beat as Jrue Holiday scored 24 points to lead six Milwaukee players in double figures.

Bobby Portis, back after an 11-game injury absence, added 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks, who are just half a game behind the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I thought it was really excellent, the whole group had a good focus coming out of the break, both ends of the court, pushing themselves to be their best," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Budenholzer, who had to call a timeout when Antetokounmpo indicated he was hurt to get his star out of the game, said he didn't see when the injury occurred.

"I haven't gotten the full breakdown, but I'm pretty sure that either on a drive or a screen or something like that, that he knocked knees with somebody and just wasn't able to return," Budenholzer said, adding that he had no immediate information on the severity of the injury.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 23 points. Bam Adebayo added 18 and Tyler Herro had 14. But Miami connected on just nine of their 40 three-point attempts

The Bucks made 19 three-pointers on the way to their biggest margin of victory this season.

There was another lopsided result in Atlanta, where the Hawks shook off any uncertainty lingering after coach Nate McMillan was fired on Tuesday with a 136-119 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And the Chicago Bulls embarrassed the Brooklyn Nets 131-87.

Trae Young scored 34 points for the Hawks, who were guided by interim coach Joe Prunty, who had been McMillan's top assistant.

Cleveland, coming off a loss to Denver on Thursday, grabbed a quick lead, but the Hawks had gained control by the end of the first quarter and surged away -- out-scoring the Cavs 49-34 in the second period.

They led by as many as 32 points and were up by 23 with two minutes to play.

- Randle leads Knicks -

Darius Garland led Cleveland with 33 points. Donovan Mitchell added 19 for the Cavs, who dropped a third straight game.

In Chicago, Zach LaVine scored 32 points to pace the Bulls -- who never trailed and led by as many as 50 against a Nets team that scored just 29 points in the first half.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle matched his career high with 46 points in a 115-109 victory over the Wizards in Washington.

Randle drained seven three-pointers and helped the Knicks erase an early 19-point deficit on the way to a fourth straight victory.

Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis scored 23 points apiece for the Wizards.

Washington's Bradley Beal made a three-pointer with one minute remaining to tie it at 109-109.

Jalen Brunson responded by driving through traffic for a go-ahead layup and the Knicks pulled away from there to remain ahead of the Miami Heat for sixth in the East -- the last direct entry spot into the playoffs.

The Wizards, meanwhile, remained in 10th -- the last spot good for a play-in berth.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Adebayo steps up as Heat battle past Celtics to take series lead

BOSTON -- Bam Adebayo delivered a 31-point masterpiece as the Miami Heat dug deep to defeat the Boston Celtics 109-103 on the road and take a crucial 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference finals series on Saturday.

After an injury forced Miami talisman Jimmy Butler out of the game at half-time, Adebayo stepped up with a superb all-round display to hold off a ferocious Boston fightback at the Celtics' TD Garden.

Adebayo, who had averaged just eight points a game in the first two fixtures of the best-of-seven series, finished with 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in addition to his 31-point haul.

That helped Miami close out a thrilling battle which had seen the Celtics claw their way back from a whopping 26-point first-half deficit to get within one point with just under three minutes remaining.

"Those last couple of games, my team depended on me and I didn't show up," Adebayo said afterwards. "I took it upon myself to lock in and get the win."

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra praised Adebayo's readiness to fill the void created by Butler's second-half absence.

"He did his version of what Jimmy does in doing what is needed in the game," Spoelstra said of Adebayo. 

"He was assertive in key moments. And it wasn't just the scoring -- he did so many things in terms of getting us organized, facilitating, defending against a team that presents a lot of challenges. He's a winning player.

"He really is the heart and soul of our group... When Jimmy was out in the second half, he stabilized us because it got a bit gnarly out there."

- Costly turnovers -

Boston, who had routed the Heat to level the series in Miami on Thursday, were left counting the cost of 23 turnovers that led to 33 opposition points.

"We didn't match them from the start," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. "It looked like we were kind of wilting to the pressure, and complaining to the refs. 

"It took us out of the game from the start. Disappointing to come out that flat in a conference final game. When you turn the ball over 23 times and gift them 33 points, you dig yourself a hole."

Boston's Jaylen Brown produced a magnificent scoring performance with 40 points, but Miami's P.J. Tucker successfully bottled up Celtics star Jayson Tatum to deprive the home team of a crucial offensive weapon. 

Tatum finished with just 10 points from 3-of-14 shooting.

Although the game went down to the wire, it looked early on as if the Celtics were headed for a painful drubbing as the Heat roared into a 46-20 lead early in the second quarter.

But with the prospect of a blowout looming, the Celtics rallied, going on a 10-0 run to close the half which trimmed the Miami lead to 15 points.

The return of Kyle Lowry at point guard also changed the offensive balance for Miami, giving Boston another headache in addition to the resurgent Adebayo.

Until the late second-quarter rally, Boston had struggled to cope with the movement of Miami's offense, and also were left ruing 11 first-half turnovers.

A chaotic start to the second half saw Miami confirm that Butler was ruled out of the remainder of the game with right knee inflammation.

Soon afterwards Boston suffered what looked like a cruel blow when Smart twisted his right ankle in a collision with Lowry and hobbled to the locker room.

Incredibly, Smart returned to the fray to deafening roars and promptly drained a three-pointer to get Boston back to within 10 points of Miami.

Boston kept chipping away at the lead and moved within nine of Miami at one stage, but the Heat weathered the storm and took a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Again Boston edged back with Brown's three-pointer making it a one-point game.

But a huge Max Strus three-pointer and an Adebayo bucket pulled Miami back clear as the Heat hung on for the win.

Game four of the series takes place in Boston on Monday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Knicks rally to beat Heat while NBA Sixers rip Clippers

New York reserve guard Immanuel Quickley scored 20 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to spark the Knicks over NBA Eastern Conference leader Miami 111-103 on Friday.

R.J. Barrett added 18 as the visiting Knicks rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter, closing the game on a 38-13 run to beat the Heat.

"We had to battle back for sure," Quickley said. "We just stuck with it. Thibs (Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau) was real calm in the locker room. Guys were staying together.

"That's just what we want to do. We want to stay together and try to get a win so I'm really proud of the guys."

The Heat, led by 30 points from Jimmy Butler, fell to 47-27, only one-half game ahead of defending champion Milwaukee and Philadelphia and one game in front of Boston.

Philadelphia's James Harden had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists -- all game highs -- to spark the 76ers over the host Los Angeles Clippers 122-97.

"As long as I'm aggressive, the plays open up for themselves," Harden said. "Tonight was one of those nights where I had it going for four quarters."

Combined with Cameroonian big man Joel Embiid, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Harden led a two-man domination as the Sixers took their fifth victory in six games.

"Our 1-2 punch is still a work in progress," Harden said. "We have to find that balance but I think we're getting there," said Harden. "We're building every single day, trying to figure each other out."

New York improved to 32-42 but remained five games behind Atlanta for the final East play-in spot with only eight games remaining in the regular season.

Charlotte and Atlanta, holding the last two East play-spots, took home triumphs over top Western Conference clubs to solidify their spots.

Trey Young scored 33 points and passed off 15 assists while Clint Capela had 19 points and 13 rebounds to spark Atlanta over the Golden State Warriors 121-110.

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 37 points and Jordan Poole added 24 points and 10 assists to lead the Warriors, third in the West at 48-26.

Miles Bridges scored 26 points and passes off 11 assists and Terry Rozier added 25 points to spark the Charlotte Hornets over visiting Utah 107-101.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 26 points and French center Rudy Gobert grabbed 19 rebounds for fourth-place Utah, which fell to 45-29, three games behind Golden State and level with Dallas, which missed a chance to move ahead with a road loss as well.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points to lead seven double-figure scorers and also grabbed nine rebounds to spark the Minnesota Timberwolves over visiting Dallas 116-95.

Luka Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, who fell to 45-29, trailing Utah on tiebreakers.

Minnesota improved to 43-32, one-half game behind Denver for sixth place and the last automatic playoff berth in the West.

Kristaps Porzingis sank the go-ahead basket with 29 seconds remaining and Deni Avdija added two free throws in the dying seconds to give Washington a 100-97 victory at Detroit. 

Rodney McGruder missed a tying three-point try and Porzingis grabbed a final rebound to seal the Wizards' triumph.

Latvia's Porzingis had 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead Washington while Avdija added 21 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Jalen Green scored 23 points to lead the NBA-worst Houston Rockets to a 125-106 home victory over Portland.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Miami pulls away for double-OT win over Hornets

Jimmy Butler hit a pair of jumpers in the final 66 seconds of the second overtime as the Miami Heat pulled out a 111-107 road victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night in the last game for each team prior to the All-Star break.

Kyle Lowry scored 25 points, Duncan Robinson tallied 21 points and P.J. Tucker, Bam Adebayo and Butler all had 15 points for the Heat. Omer Yurtseven added 10 points off the bench.

Miles Bridges racked up 29 points and Montrezl Harrell posted 24 points for the Hornets. Kelly Oubre Jr. and P.J. Washington both had 15 points and LaMelo Ball notched 14 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for a triple-double.

Miami was up 107-102 after Butler's late baskets. Bridges countered with a 3 for the Hornets before Lowry's lay-in at the 21.1-second mark.

The Heat didn't score for almost four minutes to begin the fourth quarter, allowing Charlotte to stretch its lead to 78-64 behind seven straight points from Harrell.

Miami came back from an 11-point hole with five minutes in regulation to play to go up 86-85 on a pair of Jimmy Butler with 1:57 remaining. Until Harrell's tying dunk at the 24.6-second mark, Charlotte didn't have a field goal since going up 84-77 with 3:50 to play.

In the first overtime, Harrell made the first free throw but missed the second with 1.7 seconds left, forcing another overtime at 97-97.

Adebayo had 13 rebounds, and Tucker and Butler both pulled in 10 boards.

The biggest key for the Hornets might have been getting sustained defense, and that put Miami in a bind at times.

The Heat was up, 37-30, at the end of the first quarter, shooting 75 percent from the floor. Bridges had 13 points for the Hornets through the first quarter.

Charlotte surged ahead in the quarter, when Miami was stuck with just four points for nearly the first 7 1/2 minutes of the quarter. The Hornets led 54-47 at the break, boosted by eight 3-pointers -- and Oubre had four of those on the way 15 first-half points.

-reuters

NBA: Luka Doncic, Mavericks storm back for win over Miami

Luka Doncic had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, helping the Dallas Mavericks rally past the host Miami Heat, 107-99, on Tuesday night.

Miami consistently double-teamed Doncic, who shot 5 of 19 from the floor. However, the Mavs made two huge three-pointers in the final two minutes, by Jalen Brunson and by Maxi Kleber. 

Each of them scored 19 points, and that was a season high for Kleber.

In addition, Kleber had a game-high five blocked shots.

Dallas rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit as the Mavericks snapped Miami's five-game win streak. Dallas is 5-1 in its past six games.

Miami was led by Jimmy Butler, who had a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds. Miami's Bam Adebayo added 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Heat's home record fell to 19-7.

Miami entered the game leading the NBA in three-point percentage (37.6). But Dallas held Miami to 7 of 27 on three-pointers (25.9 percent).

Dallas shot 18 of 41 on three-pointers (43.9 percent).

Tyler Herro, Miami's second-leading scorer on the season, missed his third game out of the past four due to a right knee contusion.

The Mavs were without several injured players, including two of their top six scorers: Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot) and Reggie Bullock (hip).

However, Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans -- acquired last week in a trade for Kristaps Porzingis -- made their Mavericks debuts. Bertans had 12 points. Dinwiddie had four points and five assists.

In the first quarter, Miami shot 57.1 percent and led, 28-23. Miami's Omer Yurtseven went 4-for-4 and had eight points in four minutes off the bench.

The Heat held Doncic to four points on 1-for-5 shooting in that first quarter, but Dallas stayed in the game by making five of nine attempts from beyond the arc.

Miami stretched its lead to 59-51 at halftime. Miami shot 52.3 percent in the first half and had a 26-15 rebounding edge.

Butler led all first-half scorers with 13 points. Doncic had 10 points at the half despite shooting just 2 of 9.

Doncic had 11 points in the third quarter as the Mavs took an 81-78 lead. Miami made just 1 of 10 three-pointers in the third.

Dallas kept coming in the fourth quarter, taking a 96-85 lead with 6:56 left, and Miami never recovered.

-reuters

NBA: Anthony Edwards leads Timberwolves past Heat for fifth straight win

Anthony Edwards had 33 points and a career-high 14 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves won their fifth straight game, beating the visiting Miami Heat, 113-101, on Wednesday.

Malik Beasley made five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 29 points for Minnesota, which has won five in a row for the first time since 2018. D'Angelo Russell scored 20 points and Jarred Vanderbilt had eight points and grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds.

Bam Adebayo scored 18 points for Miami, while Jimmy Butler recorded 16 points and eight rebounds against his former team. Duncan Robinson scored 17 points, Tyler Herro had 16 and Gabe Vincent 14.

Miami trailed by four heading into the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to 102-99 before guard Kyle Lowry fouled out with 5:29 remaining.

Minnesota responded with nine straight points and moved ahead, 111-99, when Jaden McDaniels scored with 2:25 left.

Edwards, who had six assists and three steals, sealed the victory with a layup with 39 seconds to play. Minnesota shot 18 of 55 (32.7 percent) from 3-point range and 19 of 21 (90.5 percent) from the foul line.

Lowry recorded seven points, six rebounds and five assists for the Heat, which fell to 1-2 on its four-game road trip.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds, headed to the bench after picking up his third foul with 7:28 left in the first quarter and did not return in the first half.

Edwards and Beasley scored nine points apiece in the opening quarter to give Minnesota a 30-27 lead.

Miami opened the second quarter on a 16-5 run and moved ahead, 43-35, when Adebayo scored with 7:15 left in the half.

Adebayo scored 14 points in the first half for Miami, which held a 62-54 advantage at the break.

The Wolves outscored Miami by 12 in the third quarter and moved ahead, 86-82, on Russell's 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the period.

Minnesota forward Patrick Beverley exited in the first quarter with a left leg injury and did not return.

-reuters

Analysis: LeBron James has done it again, and did it his way

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — He went to Miami and became a champion.

He went back to Cleveland and won another title.

He went to Los Angeles and now the Lakers are back atop the basketball world.

LeBron James, love him or hate him, is in his own category now. He has led three franchises to NBA titles, something nobody has ever done. His legacy was complete long before Sunday night, when the Los Angeles Lakers became NBA champions for the 17th time by beating the Miami Heat and winning the title to cap a season like none other, in a bubble like none other.

But that legacy is just a bit shinier now.

“I guess, as Frank Sinatra would say, I did it my way,” James said earlier in these playoffs.

That’s not up for debate.

He’s got four titles. He’s a four-time NBA Finals MVP, the second to win that many. He’s done it all with the NBA’s biggest target on his back, with every action and every word scrutinized and often criticized.

James has become the epitome of the independent superstar athlete, something many try to be but few even have a chance of pulling off. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants and makes it work. Bill Russell will forever have more rings and Michael Jordan will forever be the choice of many as the NBA’s greatest player. And that’s OK with James, who has forged his own path.

“The game of basketball will pass me by,” James said as the title loomed. “There will be a new group of young kids and vets and rookies throughout the course of this game. So, I can’t worry about that as far as on the floor. How I move, how I walk, what I preach, what I talk about, how I inspire the next generation is what matters to me the most.”

He’s never forgotten that he was once a broke kid from Akron, Ohio. If he’s not a billionaire yet, he’s trending that way. He’s on a Wheaties box now, saying its unveiling last week was “one of the best moments of my life.” He founded a school and stays involved with matters there. He’s actively trying to get more people, particularly Black people, to vote than ever before.

“I just hope I make my guys proud and that’s all that mattered to me,” James said. “I make my guys proud, make the fan base proud, my family back home, I can’t wait to get back home to them. Akron, Ohio, we did it again — and that’s what it’s all about.”

Oh, if that wasn’t enough, he delivered a championship to a Lakers franchise that went 10 years without one and did so in a year when they needed it most, letting them cry tears of joy after all the tears of anguish that followed the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash in January.

“I think it’s remarkable what LeBron is still doing at his age,” Denver coach Michael Malone said of James. “The minutes he’s playing, how effective he is on both ends of the floor, and the impact he has on both ends of the floor, his will to win is just incredible.”

The 35-year-old James finished this postseason with 580 points; no one at his age had ever done that. He had 184 assists; no one at his age had ever done that. If he’s slowing down, he’s not showing it; he had 32 points in his first playoff game 14 years ago, he exceeded that six times in this postseason run.

“He’s shown why he is the player that he is, why he’s had the career and the legacy that he’s continually building,” Miami’s Jimmy Butler said.

James is 4,148 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the regular-season scoring lead, meaning he’ll have to play at least two more full seasons to reach that mark. Sunday was his 260th career playoff appearance, passing Derek Fisher for the all-time record. He was All-NBA for the 16th time this season, a record. He started his 16th consecutive All-Star Game this season, yet another record. More fans picked him as MVP this season than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the award.

There’s nothing left to prove on the basketball court.

Then again, there’s been nothing left to prove for a while now.

“I think the story will be told how it’s supposed to be told and be written how it’s supposed to be written,” James said. “But I don’t live my life thinking about legacy. What I do off the floor is what means more to me than what I do on the floor.”

What he’s done, on and off the floor, is how legends are defined.

“I just think it is a true testament to his greatness to be able to sustain this type of success year in, year out,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Different uniforms. New players and new teams going after him. It’s a real testament to that commitment. He’s seen everything. At this point in his career, it’s just about winning.”

Others have won more. But nobody in the NBA has won the way James has.

His way.

___

Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. 

-Associated Press

Lakers offense limited after Davis runs into foul trouble

Anthony Davis is used to shouldering much of the scoring load for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he says getting in foul trouble early in game three of the NBA Finals took away his effectiveness.

“It had an impact. I picked up two (fouls) early, come back in and get the third. So it takes away the aggressiveness on both ends of the floor that I’m used to playing with,” said Davis. “It definitely took me out and put too much pressure on the other guys.”

Davis, who is playing in his first NBA Finals, scored a combined 66 points in games one and two against the Miami Heat, but finished with just 15 points in 32 minutes in Sunday’s game three defeat.

Davis finished with four fouls and five turnovers as the Lakers blew a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold 3-0 lead by losing 115-104 to the Heat in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.

“The turnovers, I had four (actually five). I missed communication on some passes, but I just have to be better overall.

“We’ll be fine. We made shots. We didn’t defend at all tonight. They made big shots. Made some good plays. Trust me, we’ll be fine.”

Davis picked up his first foul on an offensive charge with just under five minutes left in the first quarter. He had four turnovers in the first quarter, including three in a 66-second span.

“I just have to be better at both ends of the floor,” he said. “The team relies on me to bring the energy to start the game and when you pick up two fouls, guys come in earlier, things like that.”

Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel said the fouls disrupted the Lakers’ offensive flow, but they should have been able to rise above it.

“I think that impacted us some, but we’ve been in foul trouble before, and you have to play through it,” Vogel said.

“That’s part of the game. We see that all throughout the course of the season and in the playoffs, and you have to be able to adapt and adjust.

“Probably had a small factor on our offensive rhythm, but we’ve just got to be better overall on both ends.”

Davis said he can see plenty of room for improvement in the Lakers’ defense in game four on Tuesday.

“We were getting confused on a lot of things,” he said. “They had wide open looks.

“We let Jimmy (Butler) get into a strong hand too many times, getting to the basket, or getting to the free-throw line. We were letting guys get to the rim easily with no contact.

“We didn’t play well defensively late in the game. They made us pay.”

Agence France-Presse 

Heat win a wild one, escape 76ers in OT

MIAMI — They were down by five points twice in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. They wasted two chances to win in the last second of regulation, then found themselves trailing on two occasions in overtime.

No problem.


Nothing seems to faze the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler had 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, plus the go-ahead free throw with 2.3 seconds left in the extra session, and the Heat found a way to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-116 on Saturday night to improve to an NBA-best 15-1 at home.

“We never give up,” Butler said.

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“We always fight back,” Miami’s Goran Dragic said.

Correct on all counts. The Heat moved back into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference and assured themselves of no worse than a split of the four-game regular-season series with Philadelphia — after both teams went through a first in their franchise histories.

Miami, which topped Indiana on Friday, won one-point games on back-to-back days for the first time. Philadelphia, which fell in Orlando on Friday, lost one-point games on back-to-back days for the first time. The last time the 76ers lost consecutive games — ones that weren’t on a back-to-back — by exactly one point was in January 1995.

“To do lots of good things and then just at the end to make some plays you wished you had back makes it difficult to swallow,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.

Dragic scored 19, while Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson each had 16 for Miami. The Heat improved to 6-0 in overtime games and 8-1 in games decided by five points or less.


Joel Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, which has lost 10 of its last 14 on the road. Former Heat guard Josh Richardson had 17 points in his first time in Miami as an opponent, and Ben Simmons had 15 points and 11 assists.

Butler got fouled by Al Horford on Miami’s final possession, then made the second of his two free throws for what became the game-winner. Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris had a good look at a corner 3-pointer as time expired, but it bounced off the rim.

That alone was plenty of drama. But there was oodles more.

The end of regulation was wild, with Philadelphia twice holding five-point leads in the final 1:47 and not being able to finish things off off — then Miami missing a box-out that would have won the game in the last second.

With Miami down by two, Butler punched the ball away from Embiid with 12 seconds left in regulation. It went to Herro, who made a 3-pointer with 6.9 ticks remaining to put Miami up one. Another free throw pushed the lead to two, when Richardson went to the line to tie the game.

He missed the first and intentionally missed the second. Simmons swooped in to grab the rebound and score in one motion to tie the game. Miami had a chance to win it right there but misfired on an inbounds pass and to overtime they went.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Simmons said, after Philadelphia fell to 1-2 against Miami this season and 4-10 in its last 14 road games. “There are lots of things we have to work on as a team.”

TIP-INS
76ers: Brown used his challenge with 1:53 left in the first half, arguing that Simmons did not commit what would have been his third foul against Bam Adebayo. He was correct. … Embiid took off his sweaty jersey for a fresh one at the scorer’s table before checking back in with 3:41 remaining in regulation.

Heat: Butler was 1 for 6 in the first half, his only make coming with 1:10 left before intermission. … Robinson started 6 for 6, including four makes from 3-point range, but committed his fifth foul with 5:16 left in the third. … Miami has reached 100 points in all 16 games at home this season, tying the second-longest such single-season streak in team history. The Heat had 23 consecutive home games of 100 or more points from Dec. 7, 1991 to March 13, 1992.

FAUX FIGHTS
Richardson and Adebayo remain extremely close friends and got playfully rough with one another. Richardson made a 3-pointer in the second quarter while getting fouled by Adebayo, then gave his former teammate a swat on the backside before finishing off the four-point play. So in the third quarter, when Richardson fouled Adebayo to save what likely would have been a dunk, the Heat center had a few good-natured words and animated points toward him. “That’s my guy,” Adebayo said.


QUICK TURNAROUND
Philadelphia scored 16 points in the game’s first 8:55. It scored 17 points in the next 3:02, quickly turning an early eight-point deficit into a five-point lead after the opening quarter.

UP NEXT
76ers: Visit Indiana on Tuesday.

Heat: Visit Washington on Monday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Celtics hold on to no. 4, drop Heat to 9th in East playoff race

MIAMI — Gordon Hayward is playing his best basketball of the year, and his timing could not be better for the Boston Celtics.

Hayward scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving added 23 and the Celtics pulled away in the final minutes to beat the Miami Heat 112-102 on Wednesday night to hang on to the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It was the sixth consecutive double-figure scoring game for Hayward, his longest such streak of the season.


“Everyone made big-time plays for us,” Hayward said. “We want to be playing the best we can be going into the playoffs.”

Hayward had 15 of his 25 points after halftime, made 12 of 13 shots from the foul line and added eight rebounds and five assists. Al Horford scored 21 and Jayson Tatum scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Celtics, who went on a 10-2 run over a decisive three-minute late stretch to turn a two-point lead into a 10-point edge.

“Guys did a good job on both ends,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

Aron Baynes had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which remained tied with Indiana for the fourth-best record in the East. Those teams meet in Indianapolis on Friday, with the winner getting the No. 4 spot in the conference with two games left.

Dion Waiters scored 21 points for Miami, which was potentially playing the next-to-last home game of Dwyane Wade’s career. Hassan Whiteside came off the bench to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds for Miami, and Wade scored 17 for the Heat.

“Kind of like a playoffs kind of game,” Wade said. “It was a good basketball game. They held us at bay. Every time we tried to make a run and get close, they made something happen.”

Detroit and Brooklyn also lost on Wednesday, meaning the race for the No. 6 spot in the East is even more muddled than it was entering the night. Detroit is sixth at 39-39, Brooklyn and Orlando (which beat New York) are 39-40, and the Heat fell to ninth at 38-40 — a half-game out of eighth, a game out of sixth, but running out of time.


It could be a doubly costly loss for Miami. Josh Richardson returned from a three-game absence with a sore heel, and left early in the third quarter with a leg injury. He’ll get an MRI on Thursday and the Heat are concerned.

“They got us into some tough looks and when we were open, we missed some of those,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team shot 41 percent and went only 12 for 20 from the foul line. “It was a combination of everything. You have to credit their defense.”


Boston led for the overwhelming majority of the first three quarters — the Heat led for 5:36 of those 36 minutes, yet the Celtics never really seemed in full control of the game until the final moments.

Little spurts were enough. Goran Dragic tied the game for the sixth time with a pair of free throws to open the fourth quarter, and Boston scored the next six to go up 89-83 with 8:55 remaining. The Celtics held the lead the rest of the way.

“I think we’re doing a great job right now just being patient, taking the shots that are afforded and being aggressive,” Irving said.

TIP- INS

Celtics: Boston, which jumped out to a 17-2 lead over Miami on Monday, started this game on a 9-0 run. … Jaylen Brown missed his second consecutive game with back spasms, and Marcus Morris was out with a sore left knee. … Irving has now played in 11 games at Miami; his Cleveland teams went 0-7 on the Heat home floor, and his Celtics teams are now 2-2.

Heat: Justise Winslow (thigh, nine games missed) and Rodney McGruder (knee, eight games) returned from injuries. … Miami has now used 26 starting lineups this season. … Heat legend Chris Bosh sat courtside.

SPECIAL ANTHEM

The national anthem was performed pregame using “The Instrument of Hope,” a trumpet made from bullet casings — a project by students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The trumpet has been on tour for the past several weeks, part of the students at the Parkland, Florida, school’s quest to continue the conversation about gun violence.

WADE AT HOME

Wade played for the 574th time at home in a Heat uniform. He’s assured of only one more game in Miami — the Heat close their home regular-season schedule on Tuesday against Philadelphia.


UP NEXT

Celtics: Visit Indiana on Friday.

Heat: Visit Minnesota on Friday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Olynyk’s big night helps Heat past Knicks

MIAMI — A big lead was slipping away, so the Miami Heat called upon their best offensive option: The 3-point shot.

Just like that, the rout resumed.

Tyler Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter to spark the run that put Miami in control for good, Kelly Olynyk finished with 22 points and a career-high 10 assists and the Heat rolled past the New York Knicks 119-98 on Wednesday night.

Miami was 5 for 7 from 3-point range in the third, 15 for 34 from beyond the arc for the game, and is now only three makes away from the franchise record of 808 set last season.

“They’re shooting the right ones,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I get that analytics question all the time: ‘Do you just want to shoot a bunch of 3s?’ It depends. You’ve got to have the right guys and you’ve got to shoot the right ones.”

Wayne Ellington scored 16, Justise Winslow added 15, Goran Dragic had 14 and Josh Richardson finished with 12 for the Heat, who remained seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They’re now 1 1/2 games ahead of No. 8 Milwaukee after the Bucks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, and 6 1/2 games clear of No. 9 Detroit.

Olynyk’s previous high for assists was eight, done twice. He scored 52 points, had 16 assists and grabbed 13 rebounds in Miami’s brief two-game homestand, with the Heat winning both outings.

“We’re just real connected right now on both ends of the floor,” Olynyk said. “Guys are playing well together.”

Led by Olynyk, the Heat bench outscored New York’s 62-28.

“Their bench destroyed,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Enes Kanter scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Knicks. Michael Beasley had a brilliant start and added 22 points on 10 for 15 shooting for New York, and Trey Burke scored 16 off the bench.

Beasley — who’s had three stints with the Heat — shook hands with Heat managing general partner Micky Arison during one first-half stoppage in play.

“I love Micky,” Beasley said. “Micky was one of my favorite people when I was here. I was just saying what’s up to him. He told me to cool off at that point.”

He did cool off, with only two points and four shots after halftime.

“The other team played with more energy,” Burke said.

Miami’s halftime lead was 64-47, before New York briefly made things interesting. Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 3-pointer got the Knicks within 72-63 with 5 minutes gone in the third, but that’s when Johnson made his back-to-back 3s to restore order.

The lead eventually swelled to 28 and the Heat emptied their bench with 5 minutes left.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Lance Thomas (family matter) remained away from the team, and Emmanuel Mudiay started despite a sore ankle. … Beasley was 4 for 4 in the first quarter. He’s only been better than that once in an opening period — 5 for 5 for Milwaukee against Detroit on Feb. 13, 2017. … New York had a two-game winning streak — its longest since mid-December — snapped.

Heat: Dwyane Wade (hamstring) and Hassan Whiteside (hip flexor) remained sidelined. Wade is close to a return, but the Heat haven’t set a timetable. … Ellington’s third 3-pointer was his 200th of the season, making him the third Heat player with that many in a season. He joins Damon Jones (225) and Tim Hardaway Sr. (203). … The 17-point halftime lead was Miami’s fourth-largest this season.

LIFE OF RILEY

Heat President Pat Riley turned 73 on Tuesday. New York won seven playoff series in his four years as Knicks coach, and has won nine playoff series in the 23 seasons since he left for Miami.

ROAD WOES

The Knicks are 8-29 on the road this season — and two of those wins were at Brooklyn, which means they’re 6-29 outside of New York.

TENNIS IN TOWN

The Miami Open started this week, and among those in the sold-out crowd for Knicks-Heat were tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Alex Zverev.

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host Minnesota on Friday.

Heat: Visit Oklahoma City on Friday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kyrie Irving’s late flurry helps Celtics top Heat

MIAMI — Kyrie Irving has done a lot of things in Miami: relaxation, offseason workouts, even the filming of an “Uncle Drew” commercial.

Something he hadn’t done there? Win.

He’s now crossed that off the list as well.

Irving took over down the stretch, scoring nine of his 24 points in the final 2:03 and the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to four games after holding on late to beat the Heat 96-90 on Saturday night.

It was Irving’s eighth time playing at Miami, and the first time he walked off the Heat home floor a winner.

“Just big possessions down the stretch (and) understanding you have to stay poised,” Irving said. “It’s unwavering in those situations like that. Winning time — so it’s pretty simple.”

Jayson Tatum scored 20 and Marcus Smart added 16 for the Celtics, who beat Miami for the eighth consecutive time. And afterward, Tatum marveled at Irving’s closing flurry.

“It was weird because I’ve seen it on TV so many times,” Tatum said. “And I just saw it in person. I liked it.”

Goran Dragic scored 22 points for Miami, which got 16 apiece from Josh Richardson and James Johnson. Former Boston forward Kelly Olynyk had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who were 7 for 31 from 3-point range.

At 2-3, and mindful of how last season’s 11-30 start cost Miami a playoff spot, the Heat already sound anxious to get things fixed.

“I don’t want to have a season like last year, when it’s late and we figure out things,” Dragic said. “We’ve got to do it now, because it’s important.”

Miami was down 11 going into the fourth, then got within two on a pair of occasions late — when Irving got rolling.

He hit a short floater to put Boston up 88-84, and after Dragic scored to cut the Celtics’ lead to two again, Irving pulled off one of his acrobatic reverse layups to restore the four-point edge.

And on a possession extended by a Boston offensive rebound, Irving’s 3-pointer with 57 seconds left made the margin 93-86.

“That’s what he is,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s a great closer in this game.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston has won five straight in Miami, matching the longest such streak in franchise history. … The Celtics aren’t sure if Marcus Morris (sore left knee) will be able to play when they return home Monday, but coach Brad Stevens thinks Morris will be ready sometime in the coming week. Morris has already missed as many games this season — six — as he did in the previous four seasons combined.

Heat: C Hassan Whiteside (bruised left knee) missed his fourth consecutive game, and the Heat still aren’t sure when he’ll return. … Miami had what became a five-point possession late in the second quarter, when Richardson made two free throws after a Flagrant-1 on Al Horford — followed by a three-point play from James Johnson. … Dion Waiters didn’t play in the fourth quarter and scored only five points.

HELLO, AGAIN

Stevens keeps a close eye on former players, and Olynyk and Jordan Mickey — former Celtics now with the Heat — are no exception. “I really root for everybody,” Stevens said. Same goes for Spoelstra, who texted injured Celtics forward Gordon Hayward words of support after the All-Star’s grotesque ankle injury in Cleveland in the season opener. Hayward considered signing with Miami as a free agent this past summer.

SCORING DROUGHT

Miami was held under 100 points for the first time this season. Boston outscored Miami 53-37 in the middle two quarters — holding the Heat to 39 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent from 3-point range during that 24-minute span. But the big problems that Spoelstra was unhappy about postgame were Boston’s edges in points off turnovers (21-13) and second-chance points (21-9).

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host San Antonio on Monday, looking to snap an 11-game losing streak to the Spurs.

Heat: Host Minnesota on Monday, the fifth game in this six-game homestand.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Blazers burn up Heat 99-83 to close on NBA lead

PORTLAND, Oregon — Portland used a big third quarter to beat Miami 99-83 on Thursday, pushing the Trail Blazers closer to the top of the NBA standings.

In the day’s other games, Charlotte won at Toronto while Houston predictably defeated New York, sending the hapless Knicks to their 14th successive loss.

Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 12 rebounds, including 10 points in the third, when the Blazers outscored the Heat 33-16 to take control of the game.

Wesley Matthews had 18 points for Portland, which moved a yawning 11 games clear in the Northwest Division and closed within 1-1/2 games of league leader Golden State.

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 23 points.

Charlotte’s Gerald Henderson scored a season-high 31 points and Kemba Walker added 29 to lead the Hornets past Toronto 103-95.

Walker made a jumper from just inside the 3-point line with 19.6 seconds to give the Hornets a six-point lead, all but securing their fourth straight win.

Kyle Lowry’s 24 points, seven assists and seven rebounds led the Raptors, who were coming off a six-game trip.

New York’s 120-96 home defeat by Houston stretched the Knicks’ losing streak to 14; their worst ever within a single season.

The Rockets beat New York for the 11th straight time and handed the Knicks their 24th loss in 25 games.

James Harden had 25 points and nine assists in just three quarters, with the Rockets already up by 24 points at the last break.

Trevor Ariza added 18 points for the Rockets.

Rookie Travis Wear scored a season-high 21 points for New York, which is closing in on its worst-ever losing streak of 20, which straddled the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron struggles but Cavs beat Heat in OT

RIO DE JANEIRO — LeBron James scored seven points while playing only 20 minutes against his former team, and the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to beat the Miami Heat 122-119 in overtime Saturday in an exhibition game in Brazil.

Kevin Love, who was acquired by Cleveland a month after James left the Heat to return to Ohio, finished with 25 points in an entertaining game in the beachfront city that will host the 2016 Olympics.

Chris Bosh led Miami with 19 points. The Cavaliers are 2-0 in the preseason and the Heat fell to 0-3.

The HSBC Arena, which will be used for gymnastics during the Olympics, had a sold-out crowd of 15,411, with the top ticket advertised at $350 and green and yellow Brazilian flags adding to the color.

James shook hands with the Heat starters at the tipoff, but made little eye contact. James said in practices in Rio there was no bad blood, which was confirmed by former teammates Dwyane Wade and Bosh.

”He’s on another team,” Bosh said Friday. ”I think he’d understand that. I understand that. We’ll have plenty of time to talk in the summer, and that’s how it is now.”

The real tension between the Heat and Cavs comes on Dec. 25, when the teams meet for the first time in the regular season.

James struggled in the first half and played little after that, but his new team carried him. James shot only 1 of 6, missed his only 3-point attempt and his first three free throws.

According to a report this week by Forbes, James overtook Tiger Woods as the most marketable athlete in the world.

It was the Cavaliers’ 32-year-old Brazilian center Anderson Varejao who got the loudest applause, upstaging James when the teams were introduced. Varejao left Brazil at 19 to begin playing abroad.

”I’ve been waiting my entire life for this,” Varejao said from an on-court microphone. ”I hope you enjoy it.”

They did.

James missed the first shot of the game, a fall-away jumper from the left wing. Moments later Varejao scored the first points of the game on the Cavs’ second trip down the floor. He finished the first quarter with eight points as the Cavs led 27-21.

Miami trailed by 20 points, but rallied against the Cavs’ reserves to tie it at 105 and force overtime. Cleveland stretched the lead to 122-119 on two free throws by Joe Harris with 13 seconds left. Miami’s Shabazz Napier missed two 3-point attempts in the final seconds.

The Cavs played without guard Kyrie Irving, who sprained his right ankle before the team left the United States.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs exact revenge, claim fifth NBA crown

MANILA, Philippines—Revenge was sweet and it was served cold.

With the air-conditioning running fine, and the San Antonio Spurs firing on all cylinders, the 2014 National Basketball Association Finals challengers exacted revenge against the defending champions Miami Heat 104-87 at the AT&T Center Monday.

Kawhi Leonard bagged the 2014 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy and paced the Spurs with 22 points and 10 boards.

San Antonio lit up in the second quarter after an arctic first period erasing a 16-point lead courtesy of a stop-and-pop three from Leonard that put the Spurs up, 37-35.

Manu Ginobili went on a personal 9-2 run with a step-back three capping the scoring spectacle to put the boards at 45-37.

LeBron James, who bagged the previous two Finals MVP, led all scorers with 31 points, and adding 10 rebounds and six assists while 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade had 11.

Tim Duncan, a three-time Finals MVP, finished off with 14 points and eight boards


Ginobili came off the bench scorching the Heat with 19 points.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs clobber Heat in Miami for 2-1 lead in NBA Finals

MANILA, Philippines—The San Antonio Spurs outclassed the Miami Heat, 111-92, at the reigning champions’ home court to gain a 2-1 advantage in the 2014 NBA finals.

The Spurs waxed hot in the first half with brilliant 75.8 percent shooting from the field and led the Heat by as many as 25 points.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 29 points off-the-bench on 10-of-13 shooting. Danny Green and Tony Parker added 15 points each.

Sparked by Dwyane Wade, Miami trimmed the deficit down to seven, 74-81, in the third period, but San Antonio found ways to keep the Heat at bay the rest of the way.

It was the Heat’s first loss at home in the entire 2014 NBA playoffs.

Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is on Friday (Manila time), still at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Hot NBA Finals game 1 takes toll on coaches, players

MANILA, Philippines – When the first game of the National Basketball Association Finals commenced Friday at the AT&T Center, neither the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat thought that they would go up against the heat.

During the game, the air-conditioning system of the Spurs home arena malfunctioned causing temperatures to rise to 32o Celsius.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said that the malfunctioned air conditioning system was “tough” on the players, who play inside an arena with cool air blowing from the rafters.

“It was tough on both teams,” Popovich said. “They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out…It was really hot out there.”

LeBron James, who suffered cramps in the Finals of 2012, was one of the casualties of the hot temperature and asked to get replaced with under four minutes remaining for which the Spurs took advantage of with a 16-3 run to close the game.

Spurs shooter Danny Green benefitted from the rising temperatures, getting hot on his own with back-to-back three-pointers and a poster dunk on a fastbreak.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra prevented any damage to James as the two-time Final Most Valuable Player tried to get back into the game.

“James on one point, stood up, and tried to go [to the game],” Spoelstra said during the post-game press conference. “I told him ‘don’t ever think about it, you can’t move.’”

Spoelstra said that they were not making the heat as an excuse for the loss of the game saying that both teams suffered from the temperatures.

“We’re not making excuses, it’s unfortunate, both teams tried to manage through it,” Spoelstra said. “It felt like a punch in the gut when you see your leader limping to the bench like that. But we still had a chance after that.”

Spurs management said that an electrical failure was the cause of the aircondition malfunction, for which they immediately apologized, but at the same time poked fun at by playing songs with “hot” in the lyrics.

Right after Game 1, the malfunctioned air-conditioning system generated an unofficial Twitter account with the handle @ACspurs__which, as of posting time, has a total of 355 followers.

source: sports.inquirer.net

5 things to know about the NBA Finals

MIAMI — Here are five things to know as anticipation builds for the NBA Finals rematch between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. The series starts in San Antonio on Thursday night:

GAME 1 FACTS: The Spurs have never lost Game 1 of an NBA Finals. And Miami star LeBron James has never been part of a Game 1 road victory, in any round.

San Antonio — which has never played an NBA Finals game while facing a deficit in the series — has won each of its five Game 1′s in the title round, doing so by an average of 10.4 points per game.

Including his time in Cleveland, James has been on teams that opened playoff series on the road seven times. They’re 0-7, losing by an average of 12.3 points.

But in four of those seven occurrences, including all three times it’s happened with Miami, James and his team eventually won the series.

ALL THEY DO IS WIN: Over the last decade, no one has come close to matching the playoff win totals of the Spurs and Heat.

Since the start of the 2005 playoffs, including the first three rounds this year, San Antonio has a league-best 92 playoff victories, while Miami has won 89 playoff games.

No other franchise is even close: The Celtics and Lakers have both won 59 playoff games during that span.

Miami has the best playoff winning percentage in the last 10 postseasons, its mark there of .654 just edging San Antonio’s mark of .626.

There are six teams who don’t even have 10 wins in the last 10 years — the Knicks (7), Raptors (6), Bucks (4), Kings (3), Bobcats-now-Hornets (0) and Timberwolves (not just zero wins, but also zero playoff games played).

A LAST BIT OF REST: Apparently, two days without practice is a standard perk for winning a conference title in the NBA these days.

The Heat ousted Indiana on Friday night, then took Saturday and Sunday off to refresh and recharge. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra summoned his team for practice on Monday morning.

The Spurs aren’t planning to do anything officially basketball-related until Tuesday. They eliminated Oklahoma City on Saturday night, and had no practices scheduled on either Sunday or Monday — which, if nothing else, figures to give Tony Parker plenty of time to work on improving the condition of his sprained left ankle.

Parker sat out the second half of the Spurs’ West-clinching win at Oklahoma City because of the ankle problem.

RESPECT LEVEL: Oh, there will be a high level of physicality in this series, for certain.

But something like, say, blowing into an opponent’s ear, we can safely dismiss that as a realistic possibility during these NBA Finals.

There is genuine respect between the franchises, perhaps best proven by how Spurs coach Gregg Popovich warmly embraced any Heat player or coach he could reach after Game 7 ended a year ago.

Frankly, the Heat won’t miss the Lance Stephenson-antics — like blowing into LeBron James’ ear — and the endless questions about those moves.

“It’s an annoyance,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “It’s nice we don’t have to deal with that anymore. … It’s about basketball and not all of the chicanery that went on.”

MONEY AT STAKE: There’s $14 million in the league’s playoff pool this season, and as if the Heat and Spurs weren’t motivated enough by the chance to hold another Larry O’Brien Trophy, there’s also some cash at stake.

The Spurs are already assured of taking home a total of $3,268,347 from that pool, a figure that would rise to $4,104,811 by winning the NBA championship.

Miami will get a payout of $2,795,220 if it does not win the finals, and $3,631,684 if it wins the championship for the third straight year.

The pool pays out based on where teams finished in their conference in the regular season, which explains the discrepancy in what the Spurs and Heat have earned so far. There’s also a difference of $836,464 in what teams receive for winning or losing the finals.

source: sports.inquirer.net