Steven Mercado
Cramp, not again
Wow, that game was quite the heated exchange.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat and the temperature heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 110-95 thanks to a big fourth quarter from the Spurs and a game-sealing cramp by LeBron James’ leg.
LeBron cramped up with approximately 3:50 left to play in the game and had to be helped off the court. He did not return to the game.
I find it quite strange that the best player in the NBA has such a big problem with cramping. In Game 4 of the 2012 Finals, he became the hero that fought through cramps to lead his team to victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and in Game 1 of last year’s Finals against the Spurs, he cramped up again.
Don’t the trainers stretch him out before the game? Is he not taking care of his body? Something seems off. It just seems odd that cramps continue to haunt a player that is one of the best athletes in the world.
Many believe a big contributor to the King’s cramps could be the excruciating playing conditions. The air conditioning in the AT&T Center broke and the players had to keep playing basketball in temperatures that jumped into the 90s.
If this were indeed a contributor, there should have been several people limping off the court because of cramps last night.
Perhaps it was the tights he was wearing. A lot of NBA players like wearing tights for fashion or whatever other reasons, but this had to allow the heat in the arena to affect him a little more than normal.
The game was a back and forth battle for the first three quarters and neither team went on any sizeable runs until the Spurs beat Miami 36-17 in the fourth quarter and kept their composure while the Heat melted away.
James and Dwyane Wade combined for 4 points in the fourth quarter. Regardless of the situation, most times this happens for the Heat, they are going to lose, especially when playing a team that will make them pay for their mistakes.
What is ironic is the Spurs turned the ball over 22 times. Their turnovers put them behind in the third quarter, but they were just too good in the fourth.
Up until the fourth quarter, Danny Green was 0-5 with 2 points. Kawhi Leonard had 3 points and 2 rebounds. I mentioned last week that the success of this Spurs’ duo is crucial to the team’s overall success.
With 5:33 left to play, Green hit back-to-back threes and dunked past Rashard Lewis on a fast break a minute later to cap off his self-manufactured, minute-long run. This was exactly what the Spurs needed to push them over the top.
Let’s not forget Manu Ginobili’s performance. Last year, his Finals performance raised a lot of eyebrows, but he is off to a good start with 16 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds.
There were many bright spots in the Heat for this game. Lewis scored 10 points for the first time in who knows how long. Chris Bosh went 7-of-11 from the field for 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Ray Allen put up 16 points and grabbed five steals and went back in time in order to regain the ability to go coast-to-coast for a dunk.
And of course, LeBron led all scorers in the game with 25 points. If the Heat can continue to play how they did today and LeBron can stay cramp-free, this series will keep us all on the edge of our seats.
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