MIAMI (AP) — Five things to note from San Antonio’s 92-88 win over Miami in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night:
LEBRON’S NIGHT: LeBron James’ stat line from Game 1 of the NBA Finals was absurdly good: 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.
It’s the second time in his postseason career that he’s finished with at least that many points, rebounds and assists in a game. And oddly, both times, he’s come out on the losing end of those games.
The first one was May 13, 2010, when he finished with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in Cleveland’s loss to Boston – notable because it was the last game he played with the Cavaliers.
The only other players in the last 20 years to finish with at least 18, 18 and 10 in a playoff game: Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen and Tim Duncan.
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NOTHING EASY: When Miami forces turnovers, it leads to fast breaks and usually LeBron James dunks.
And when the Heat get running, there is no defense.
So the Spurs did exactly the best thing possible to prevent that: They didn’t turn the ball over.
San Antonio had four turnovers – total – in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which was 10 less than its season average and three less that it had in any other game this season. The last time the Spurs had four turnovers in a game was Dec. 2, 2007, and the San Antonio starting five combined for only one giveaway in that game.
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BOSH’S SHOTS: Chris Bosh was 6 for 10 from 2-point range, 0 for 4 from 3-point range, including a miss from long range that would have gotten the Heat within one point with about a minute remaining.
The Heat have no problem with Bosh taking the long shot, though the Spurs were clearly trying to ensure that the likes of LeBron James, Ray Allen and Mike Miller did not have any good looks from 3-point land in the final minutes. Bosh was alone, the shot missed, and the Heat wound up falling in Game 1.
“No mattter what the situation is I have confidence in myself and I know my teammates have confidence in me,” Bosh said. “Every shot I shoot I expect to go in. Some do, some don’t.”
He’s now shooting 14 for 50 – 28 percent – in his last five games.
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CONSISTENT DUNCAN: Tim Duncan has been in 23 Finals games.
They all pretty much end up the same.
Usually, he gets a double-double, and the Spurs win.
San Antonio is 17-6 now in Finals games, and Duncan has gotten at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in 20 of those. He had 20 points and 14 rebounds in Game 1 against Miami, the 15th 20-10 game of his Finals career.