MIAMI — It was over right?
Miami Heat fans were leaving the arena. The Spurs led by four points and had two free throws to come with 28.2 seconds remaining. In the last 15 seasons, teams leading by five points with 20-30 seconds left have won nearly two thousand NBA games. There is a 98.6 per cent winning percentage at 1850 wins against only 27 losses.
It was over right?
Manu Ginobili made one of two free throws, it was an 8-0 run by the Spurs and the NBA “poobahs” sent the yellow rope out to cordon off the area for the presentation of the Larry O’Brien trophy. The big gold prize was just off the court in the wings ready to be rushed to the platform. The league was gathering the media’s ballots to tabulate who would be the Finals MVP.
It was over right?
Oh wait, the rope was like the Heat were seeing their own blood. As Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh said, when you see that yellow rope along with the trophy and it’s not for you, something about the finality of it all sets in and you dig a big deeper. Miami mounted a comeback. Fans tried to get back into the building but the sign on the arena door says “No Re-Entry”. It turned into the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets Game 6 circa 1986.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich went John McNamara. He made decisions that will be questioned because his team didn’t win.
In the post-game media conference, Popovich remarked that fouling the Heat before they could shoot a three-ball was not an option. Miami needed to hit a trey at some point and with the anticipation of long-range bombers being on the floor for the Heat, Popovich left Tim Duncan on the bench. A sound move and strategy that he had used all season but this time it didn’t work. The Spurs were set up to switch all screen-and-roll situations and chose not to run the Heat off the three-point line and funnel them into the paint for a contested shot or a tough midrange jumper..
Duncan had a performance for the ages with 30 points and 17 rebounds that will be remembered as a loss. Rebound No. 18 would have secured a fifth NBA title and left him, and the Spurs, undefeated in the Finals. But it was Chris Bosh securing the rebound of the James errant three-pointer and finding the NBA’s all time leader in three-point field goals made, Ray Allen to tie the game.
In Allen’s words, “luck was shining on my side.”
Following Allen’s triple, Popovich was upset that the officials stopped the game to review the shot to ensure it was indeed a three-point field goal. He wanted his team to push the ball up the floor and try to catch the Heat scrambling in transition.
Initially, there were thoughts that he wanted it reviewed ostensibly for confirmation but in reality to get a time out during the confirmation. That was not the case.
The Spurs threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Miami and it only grazed the Heat. Miami is still alive and now the trend swings in the Heat’s favour.
Winning Game 7 on the road has only happened three times in the history of the Finals. Boston defeated the Lakers in 1969 and turned the trick again in 1974 in Milwaukee against the Bucks. The last time a visiting team won Game 7 in the Finals was 1978 when the Washington Bullets defeated the Seattle Supersonics. Home teams are 14-3 in game seven at home in the Finals.
The loss is devastating for San Antonio in a number of ways. Not only did Miami survive the knockout punch, the physical and psychological toll could be huge on the Spurs. Kawhi Leonard played 46 minutes, Tony Parker logged 42 minutes and Danny Green 41. Duncan played more than 44 minutes and threw a gut punch at Miami attacking their weakness full bore with exquisite inside play on the block. San Antonio was less than 20 seconds from holding the trophy and now it will take at least another 48 minutes.
Every San Antonio player talked about the devastating nature of the defeat. They treated that contest like their own Game 7 and came up short. Luckily, they have another chance. But following an effort like the one put forth in Game 6, just how resilient are the Spurs and how much of their respective mental and physical reserves remain? Popovich will have to show his mettle as a coach to emotionally prepare his team and the Spurs must have short memories. On the other side of the coin, the Heat survived, but fans won’t remember Tuesday’s win if they come up short in Thursday in their own barn.
It was over right?
No it wasn’t and no it isn’t. The yellow rope will come out again as there will be a Game 7 and if the Spurs don’t win, like the Red Sox in 1986, people may talk more about what could have been.
The trophy will be awarded after the next game. Only then will it really be over.