The last time that the San Antonio Spurs were in the NBA Finals, they knocked off Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final of a four-game sweep to win the NBA Championship in 2007. Fast-forward six years later, and the Spurs were back at it against Lebron and the Miami Heat, taking game one of the 2013 NBA Finals with a 92-88 win at South Beach. San Antonio never showed any signs of quit in a game that they trailed by three heading in to the half, and it came down to the wire with a familiar face hitting the shot that made the price per head difference in the end.
It was Tony Parker jacking up the desperation jumper with 5.2 seconds left in regulation to give the Spurs a four-point lead and eliminate any chance that the Heat could tie or win the game on the final possession of regulation. Parker finished with a team-high 21 points and six assists, while Tim Duncan added 20 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. That was enough to negate the triple-double that Lebron registered, as he scored 18 with 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Lebron had to be feeling a sense of déjà vu given the way the game went down, and now Miami has conceded the home court advantage in the series while falling behind 0-1 in the sportsbook reviews series.
For a veteran San Antonio team that was expected to be older and slower, it was quite a surprise to see them outlast the Heat. The Spurs managed to hang around until the fourth quarter, where they outscored Miami 23-16 on their own home floor to take the opening game. Manu Ginobili added 13 points in the win, while Danny Green finished with 12. The win was No. 99 for San Antonio’s big three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, and a reminder to the big three of the Heat that this will be their toughest live betting test to this point in the playoffs.
Miami appeared on the surface to be in control for most of game one, but their inability to put the Spurs away ended up costing them in the end. Dwyane Wade scored just 17 points for the Heat and was completely shut out in the fourth quarter, while Chris Bosh finished with 13 points, including just two in the final frame. That is hardly good enough for a group that expects to win multiple championships, as the big three in Miami suddenly looks a lot like the 2007 Cavaliers’ team that Lebron took on his back but came up short with. Lebron was undoubtedly the best player in the sports betting contest, but he didn’t get enough help and if that is the case again in game two then Miami is going to be in a world of trouble. For all of the latest NBA news and betting odds, be sure to check out the best sports betting sites.
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