San Antonio Spurs dominates Miami Heat winning 5th NBA title
Sports |
22-year-old Kawhi Leonard named as "Finals MVP", becomes the third-youngest player to claim the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat 104-87, closing out the series 4-1 to win their fifth title in franchise history on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.
The Spurs started the game slow as the Heat gained an early 11-2 lead through their superstar Lebron James' quick nine points. With five minutes to go in the first quarter, the Heat was up 22-6 and Lebron James finished the first quarter with 17 points. That was when the Spurs locked up and quickly erased the gap, pursuing another rout of the Heat.
The Spurs outscored the Heat 25-11 to lead the half 47-40 and boosted their confidence level as they entered the last 24 minutes of the game. Patty Mills, the Spurs' substitute point-guard, went on a scoring hot streak in the third quarter, scoring 14 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting, including a 4-for-4 mark from the three-point line. The Spurs then controlled the game and got the franchise's fifth championship in 15 years.
James, last year's Most Valuable Player in the NBA Finals over the Spurs, finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, but came up short.
Kawhi Leonard showcased another solid performance with 22 points and 10 rebounds, capping off his MVP-like effort throughout the playoffs. He became the third-youngest player to claim this prestigious award, the Most Valuable Player of 2014 NBA Playoffs, after Magic Johnson and his teammate, Tim Duncan.
He averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds per game with an incredible 61% from the field and 58% from the three-point line. But the real story lies behind the meaning of the day. Leonard was named MVP on Father's Day, six years after his fathers murder.
On January 18, 2008, Kawhi's father Mark was shot and killed at his car wash in Compton, Los Angeles.
Speaking at the podium in front of fans, Leonard said "I have been with a group of guys who kept pushing me all season long. It is all surreal to me right now."
The Spurs started the game slow as the Heat gained an early 11-2 lead through their superstar Lebron James' quick nine points. With five minutes to go in the first quarter, the Heat was up 22-6 and Lebron James finished the first quarter with 17 points. That was when the Spurs locked up and quickly erased the gap, pursuing another rout of the Heat.
The Spurs outscored the Heat 25-11 to lead the half 47-40 and boosted their confidence level as they entered the last 24 minutes of the game. Patty Mills, the Spurs' substitute point-guard, went on a scoring hot streak in the third quarter, scoring 14 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting, including a 4-for-4 mark from the three-point line. The Spurs then controlled the game and got the franchise's fifth championship in 15 years.
James, last year's Most Valuable Player in the NBA Finals over the Spurs, finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, but came up short.
Kawhi Leonard showcased another solid performance with 22 points and 10 rebounds, capping off his MVP-like effort throughout the playoffs. He became the third-youngest player to claim this prestigious award, the Most Valuable Player of 2014 NBA Playoffs, after Magic Johnson and his teammate, Tim Duncan.
He averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds per game with an incredible 61% from the field and 58% from the three-point line. But the real story lies behind the meaning of the day. Leonard was named MVP on Father's Day, six years after his fathers murder.
On January 18, 2008, Kawhi's father Mark was shot and killed at his car wash in Compton, Los Angeles.
Speaking at the podium in front of fans, Leonard said "I have been with a group of guys who kept pushing me all season long. It is all surreal to me right now."
