National Basketball Association

Parker hits unreal shot to stun Heat

Published Jun. 5, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Did he or didn't he get off the shot?

That's the question that will linger after Thursday's thrilling Game 1 of the NBA Finals. With the shot clock winding down and the Spurs up two points, Tony Parker hit a leaning runner just over LeBron James as the shot clock expired to give San Antonio the deciding bucket in its thrilling 92-88 win over the Heat.

Parker's shot came with 5.2 seconds left to ice it for the Spurs. The shot, which barely beat the shot clock, went to review but was upheld. San Antonio outscored the Heat 23-16 in the deciding fourth quarter and committed only four turnovers in the game (zero in the fourth).

Do you think he got it off on time?

And the reaction came fast and furious.

Let's hear from the man who authored the shot.

And what did the always chipper Spurs coach Gregg Popovich think of the shot?

And of course The King had something to say about that shot.

Parker finished with 21 points and six assists, but it was the play of Tim Duncan that really gave the Spurs a lift. Duncan finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

James racked up another triple-double, finishing with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both of whom were criticized during the Eastern Conference finals, combined to score 30 points and were effective for the most part.

Wade, who opted for a more reserved ensemble for his postgame presser in Game 1, broke down the loss.

Let the analysis begin.

Back-and-forth first half

The first half is in the books and Dwyane Wade is back to being Flash. The 2006 Finals MVP showed he's still got some juice in those legs, scoring a game-high 13 points before halftime on 5-of-8 shooting from the field as the Heat took a 52-49 lead into halftime.

But the Spurs showed they can keep pace behind the ageless Tim Duncan. The future Hall of Famer came out sluggish (0 for 5, zero points in the first quarter) but rebounded quickly. Duncan went 5 for 7 in the second quarter and went into intermission with a team-high 12 points and nine rebounds.

Oh, and that LeBron James guy did some damage, too. LBJ filled up the stat sheet, going for 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

But Duncan got the last word of the half.

Focus testing

Spurs GM R.C. Buford hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves for helping put together one of the best franchises in the NBA. And when he does get some rare TV time, this happens.

Welcome to Miami, R.C.

Fun and games

LeBron James has achieved a lot during his NBA career, but one honor had eluded him. Until now.

King James, who has never been on the cover of a video game title, was chosen to be the cover athlete for NBA 2K14. The critically acclaimed basketball simulation title is set to be released Oct. 1.

Rest vs. rust

So much for rust. The Spurs, whose last game was nine days ago, came out firing early Thursday night, jumping out to a 9-2 lead. But the Heat responded behind LeBron James, who finished the first quarter with six points and four rebounds in the first frame.

King James also got a second foul on Tim Duncan, who finished the first quarter 0 for 5 from the field and scoreless in the first quarter. The Heat ended the quarter with a narrow 24-23 lead in what should be a nip-and-tuck series.  

You again?

It's a matchup of flash vs. fundamentals. But it's not the first time LeBron James and Tim Duncan squared off on the NBA's biggest stage.

The Spurs swept the LeBron's Cavs in 2007, but Duncan knew what the future held for King James.

But of course this is a different, better version of King James than the one the Spurs saw in 2007. And he knows it.

Will Duncan get the better of LeBron six years later?

Regaining their form?

It's no secret that Chris Bosh struggled against the Pacers. The Heat big man finished with five points and four rebounds in Game 6 before rebounding a little with nine points and eight boards in the deciding Game 7.

So, what should we expect from Bosh, who averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 boards vs. the Spurs in the regular season, for Game 1 of the Finals? Well, his pregame looks pretty good. Although the Heat would probably want him shooting a little closer to the basket.

And Dwyane Wade is working on his signature pump fakes. Will the Spurs bite on them?

Here's some good advice

Hey fellas, political commentator Bill Maher has a great way to get your better half to watch the NBA Finals with you.

It's a jungle out there

Even the animals at the Jungle Island in Miami have Finals fever. A white tiger cub gets some one-on-one time with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

And we know who this Cuban rock iguana is rooting for.

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