The Miami Heat forced a Game 7 in the 2013 NBA Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 103-100. Game 6 went to overtime as the Heat came from behind in improbable fashion as they were losing with 28.2 seconds left in a two-possession game.
For the Spurs, their biggest fault was lineups, matchups and free throws. Though Gregg Popovich has always been praised for his great work as a head coach, he appeared to have trouble placing the right guys on the floor. Tony Parker sat out in the final play, while Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan were on the floor simultaneously for the Spurs as they were down by three points.
The free throws would have iced the game, not allowing the Heat to tie the game in desperation. With the score 91-89 in favor of the Spurs, Manu Ginobili hit two free throws. In the next possession, LeBron James turned it over and Ginobili visited the line again, but he only hit 1 of 2 free throws. The scoreboard read 94-89, but James hit a three-pointer to make it 94-92. Kwahi Leonard made 1 of 2 free throws and then Ray Allen tied the game, leaving only :05.2 seconds on the clock.
Had the Spurs done the little things, like hit their free throws and rebound, then they would have been drinking champagne, discussing vacation plans and possible retirements. With the Heat's victory, James is able to keep his hopes of earning his second championship alive.
Staying alive is something the Heat have done well, especially in this series. The Heat have had trouble winning as of late. They breezed through the first round undefeated, but were surprised by the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. After losing the first game of the series, the Heat bounced back to win. The same pattern followed as the Heat are 6-6 in their last 12 games. Those six victories have come after losses, improving their record after a loss in the 2013 NBA Playoffs to 7-0.
So much for not being a closer, James was able to dig deep and bring his team back as they trailed by as many as 13 points and 10 at the half. He finished the game with 32 points, completing the triple-double with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Chris Bosh finished with a double-double scoring 10 and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Mario Chalmers stepped up big as he led the team in scoring for a good portion of the game before James decided to take over. Chalmers was the most efficient Heat as he scored 20 points on 7-11 shooting, going 4-5 from three-point range. Miami hit 11-19 from beyond the arc compared to the Spurs' 5-18 from three.
Danny Green became a non-factor as Bosh was able to complete his promise. Green had trouble getting open and he finished Game 6 with only three points. Tim Duncan's 30-point performance went to waste and the Heat now know that they would rather give Duncan a lot of points than have Green murder them from three.
Game 7 will be played on Thursday, where Miami will look to make the Big 3 worth while. Here are both team's playoff records before we play the final game of the 2012-2013 NBA season as a champion will be crowned on Thursday.
San Antonio Spurs- 15-5
vs. Los Angeles Lakers: 4-0
vs. Golden State Warriors: 4-2
vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 4-0
vs. Miami Heat: 3-3
Miami Heat- 15-7
vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 4-0
vs. Chicago Bulls: 4-1
vs. Indiana Pacers: 4-3
vs. San Antonio Spurs: 3-3
As you can see, the Spurs have been the better team in the playoffs. However, it's about the team who can get to 16 wins first and both teams will have a chance to capture the championship.
