(CNN) -- It was a fitting end to a tense back-and-forth series that saw several unlikely players taking key roles. But ultimately, it came down to the top basketball player in the league.
LeBron James.
He brought his talents to South Beach three years
ago. On Thursday night, he silenced his critics -- at least until October -- by
leading the Miami Heat to its second consecutive NBA title with a 95-88 win
over the San Antonio Spurs.
The four-time league MP had a series-high 37 points,
12 rebounds and four assists to earn his second ring.
"This team is amazing," he said. "And
the vision that I had when I decided to come here (in 2010) is all coming
true."
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said James was the
difference in winning and losing. He was ecstatic for the player from whom so
much is expected.
"You're always happy for guys when they're so
dedicated," he said. And we all know his work ethic. ... He always rises
to the occasion when it matters the most, when the competition is
fiercest."
James hit a long jumper with 27.9 seconds remaining
in the game to give the Heat a four-point lead then locked up the win with two
free throws after stealing a pass from the Spurs' Manu Ginobili.
Dwyane Wade chipped in 23 points for the Heat, who
won their third
title overall.
"This was the hardest series we ever had to
play, but we're a resilient team and we did what it took," he said.
Reserve Shane Battier made six 3-pointers and had 18
points for Miami. James also had a team-high 12 rebounds in winning his second
crown.
Tim Duncan scored 24 points for the four-time
champion Spurs.
"LeBron was unbelievable; Dwyane was great. I
just think they found a way to get it done," he said.
Duncan said he'll be haunted by two missed shots in
the last minute, either of which would have tied the score.
Spurs guard Tony Parker, who went 3-for-12 in Game 7
and scored just 10 points, had no excuses, saying he just couldn't get a good
shooting rhythm.
"Tonight we did a great fight," he said.
"We just couldn't get over the hump. ... It's tough to come so
close."
The Spurs' Danny Green, who in the first five games
set a NBA Finals record for 3-pointers, went 1-for-12 from the field in Game 7.
Only five players scored for the Heat but four of
them -- James, Wade, Battier and Mario Chalmers -- outscored the Spurs.
SCROLL DOWN TO LEAVE A COMMENT
No comments:
Post a Comment