Game 6 had everything you could hope for in a basketball game. Quality play, great players playing great, and a miracle finish. There were heroes and goats, sometimes one and the same.
This game looked as if it would follow the same pattern as the previous four, a close game until one team broke it open in the second half. That team appeared to be the San Antonio Spurs, on route to the franchise's fifth ever title. But it was not to be. At least, not on this day.
Key missed free throws by Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, both men played great, late in the fourth opened the door for Miami, who trailed by 13 in the third quarter, but would not go gentle into that good night.
Tim Duncan poured in 25 first half points, but only five in the second half. Danny Green finally began to misfire from the three-point land. And Tony Parker, who scored 19 points and dished 8 assists, shot terribly. Late in the game, he was taken out for defense. The Spurs got the ball, but instead of calling timeout and trusting the ball in Parker's hands, Ginobili rushed up the court and failed to score.
LeBron James scored 32 and Mario Chalmers added 20. But Ray Allen, who saw his record for most three pointers in an NBA Finals go down this series, hit a game-tying, season-saving three pointer at the end of regulation to cap off a five point comeback in the waning seconds of the game. Tim Duncan was not in the game and the Heat's Chris Bosh was able to keep the possession going.
Bosh struggled offensively, but he grabbed key rebounds and had a couple of important blocks, including the game-clinching one on Danny Green in overtime. Leonard scored 22 points and added 11 rebounds for the Spurs in a heartbreaking loss.
The Heat won 103-100 in overtime. The Heat tied the series at 3 in one of the most remarkable games in NBA Finals history.
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