In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers committed 21 turnovers as they fell to the Miami Heat 99-76. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the West champion San Antonio Spurs, both teams combined to commit just 13 turnovers. In fact, there were no technical fouls calls, no player on either side committed more than four fouls and the game was finished at a brisk time of 2 hours and 29 minutes.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what beautiful basketball looks like.
Now, I can understand if you are a fan of the Miami Heat that you don't believe that the game was beautiful. In fact, it might've made you sick to your stomach...and that's totally understandable. This is the NBA Finals, and these are the moments that make you churn with agony, or celebrate in triumph.
A couple of key points from Thursday night:
ONE: Tim Duncan will give you buckets whether you like it or not. In the second quarter Tim Duncan decided that he was about to get buckets, regardless of who was guarding him. Birdman? Sit down you weird-haired fella. Haslem? Get a shape up, brother. Bosh? Bosh, please. Using a vast array of post moves, hook shots, up and unders and spot-up jumpers with the clock running out, TD put up 12 points with relative ease. Even at age 37, Old Man River is still very capable of drowning the opposition.
TWO: LeBron James and the most forgettable triple-double in NBA Finals history. LeBron James put up 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists on Thursday night, and to be honest....there were stretches of the game where I forgot he was on the floor. Yes he was awesome, yes he did a few things that was exceptional, but this is the NBA Finals...and that wasn't enough from LeBron.
THREE: Tony Parker and inches. Tony D'Amato from Any Given Sunday gave us a famous speech about inches. You fight for that inch. You claw for that inch. In the case of Tony Parker with LeBron James guarding him, he get that shot off by an inch of his life.
One person that was rooting for the Spurs on Thursday was Eva Longoria. You know, the former lady of one Parker. How do we know this? She tweeted it of course. A little awkward, but whatever. Let Eva and her Spurs fandom cook, well...until Dick Vitale had to show up and mess things up.
Bruh...what? Dickie V....kinfolk! What were you thinking here sir? Why? Your ex is AWESOME, in all caps? I mean...all caps? Good grief.
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”
