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Spurs cramp Heat’s style in opener
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San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) shoots over Miami Heat center Chris Bosh during the first half in Game 1 of the NBA finals Thursday in San Antonio.
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO
The Spurs beat the Heat. Miami couldn’t beat the heat.
And there was the story of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
With LeBron James unable to play in the final 3:59 because of cramps, and on a night where an air conditioning failure inside San Antonio’s arena had temperatures hovering near 90 degrees, the Heat simply withered in the final minutes. With their four-time MVP reduced to a spectator, Miami watched as San Antonio pulled away in the final minutes for a 110-95 win on Thursday night in the opener of the title series.
James scored the last of his 25 points on a layup that got Miami within two. That was the end of his night; he stood still on the baseline afterward, unable to move his left leg because of cramping.
His night was over, and soon, so was the game. The Spurs outscored the Heat by 13 the rest of the way, and took the series-opener for the second straight finals.
The Heat were outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and Ray Allen scored 16 for Miami. Rashard Lewis added 10 for the Heat.
Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker added 19 points and Manu Ginobili finished with 16 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which improved to 10-1 at home in the playoffs.
James was affected throughout the second half, asking for breaks more than once, and some players placed ice bags on the backs of their necks in an effort to combat the temperature.
Duncan said the heat was a significant factor in the game. “I don’t know what happened to LeBron, but I think all of us were feeling the heat. We were all dehydrated,” he said.
“They’re trying to smoke us out of here,” James told teammates during one stoppage in play. With 1:14 left, he limped out, not long after throwing a towel to the court in frustration.