Is it possible for an individual player to tally 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game and have that performance be considered lackluster? If you’re LeBron James, and your Miami Heat are playing the most consistently elite team of the last 15 years in the San Antonio Spurs, the answer is yes. Despite his gaudy triple-double, James never took over Thursday night’s marvelous series opener (the teams combined for a mere 12 turnovers, only four of which were committed by the Spurs), in which San Antonio prevailed 92-88 after a circus bank shot by Tony Parker with the 24-second clock winding down put the game out of reach.
The Spurs led for a flicker in the first quarter, and didn’t reclaim the pole until the fourth. In terms of splits, Miami won the first frame by a point, the second by two, and played the Spurs to a draw in the third. But something was amiss. Through three quarters, Miami was playing a perfect game, and yet they only led by one possession despite the fact that Kawhi Leonard and Gary Neal couldn’t hit wide open jumpers to save their lives. James was able to be Magic instead of Michael because Dwyane Wade, for the first time in the playoffs, actually played like Dwyane Wade — until he didn’t. In the fourth quarter, Wade all but disappeared, and to make matters worse for Miami, a marginally effective Chris Bosh suddenly fell in love with the elbow three. Luckily for the Spurs, such amorous overtures were not reciprocated, as the Boshstrich finished 0-4 from long range.
This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2013.