NBA Finals Game 7

If you missed the game last night you missed another great one. Not so much in quality of play across the board but in terms of competitiveness and emotion. It was a roller-coaster. Both teams played fairly sloppy and made a lot of mistakes but in the end the power of having the best player in the world was the difference maker for Miami. LeBron turned in 37 points and 12 boards in the 95-88 win to take their second consecutive championship. Silencing the critics once again and solidifying LeBron's place among the greatest of all time. Dwyane Wade looked like the Wade of old, going off for 23 points and 10 rebounds. Wade was all over the court making play after play. Both Batman and Robin shot the ball very well, effectively shoving the Spurs' defensive game plan back down their throats.


(Photo courtesy of: sbnation.com)

The Spurs dared Wade and LeBron to shoot the ball all series and in game 7 they answered the call. The Heat were further propelled by a lights out performance by Shane Battier who nailed 6 threes. The Spurs were hanging tough though largely due to Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard quietly turning in another great performance. Danny Green stunk it up again scoring just 5 points on 1 of 12 shooting. In game 6 and 7 he scored combined 8 points on 2 for 20 something shooting. Manu played okay but turned the ball over too much and made mental errors left and right. It just never felt like the Spurs had a chance. They employed a 6 year old strategy to try to stop LeBron ignoring the fact that the King has improved greatly in the time and the fact that their nucleus that skunked LeBron and the Cavs 4-0 has only gotten older. Daring LeBron to shoot the ball would have been fine even up to 2 or 3 years ago but not anymore. You do not dare the best player in the world to shoot a wide open jumper just so he can't drive to the basket. You do not give him any room anywhere on the court. Popovich tried his best to devise a game plan to stop the King and truly I think this was a terrible game plan but it was his best option. The Spurs don't have the athletes to stuff LeBron and Wade up and down the floor so you have to either play up and allow the drive or back off and allow the jumper. They don't have the athletes to stay in their face all around the court.


(Photo courtesy of: gamedayr.com)

The Spurs have to feel terrible right now. "Of course they just lost the finals." That's true but it is the way that they lost the finals that makes it nauseating. They were literally 5.2 seconds away from an NBA title. They were 1 free throw away. They blew it. Then the Heat capitalized. It is a shame to see Tim Duncan go down like that in what very easily may be his last chance for another ring. The West is too good and too young for the Spurs to get there again. Let's face it they lucked out this year. The Lakers were terrible. The Warriors are young and only going to get better from their loss. The Grizzlies lucked out to be there because OKC was missing Russel Westbrook. OKC, the Clips, the Warriors, the Lakers even will all improve and get younger. The Spurs are only getting older and perhaps the bright lights that once shined on them have dimmed and perhaps this was the last ride for Duncan, Manu, and Tony. The Spurs fought hard but it very well may be their time to drift into obscurity as they try to rebuild and reload. The Miami Heat on the other hand? Have a chance now to 3-peat with their incredible nucleus.


(Photo courtesy of: examiner.com)

They will have to get bigger down low for them to take another title though. Never the less congratulations to the Miami Heat for winning their second straight title and to LeBron James for his second straight finals MVP.