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Spurs rattle Heat to claim 5th title
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TIM Duncan and Tony Parker won titles in their second seasons. Manu Ginobili was a champion as an NBA rookie.
Success came so quickly and frequently for the Spurs’ Big Three, but San Antonio couldn’t keep it up after winning its last title in 2007. And just when they were on the verge of being back on top again last year, the Miami Heat practically snatched the championship rings right off their fingers.
So when they finally celebrated again on Sunday, players wrapping themselves in flags from around the world in a reminder that the Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, Parker had no trouble deciding where to rank this title. “That’s why I say it’s the sweetest one,” the Frenchman said, “because it’s just unbelievable to win seven years ago, and to be so close last year, it was very cruel. But that’s the beauty of sport. Sometimes it’s tough. And sometimes it can be beautiful like today.”
The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth National Basketball Association championship, ending the Heat’s two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games.
Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Heat, this victory party was worth the wait. “We got to this spot and we didn’t let it go,” Argentine Ginobili said.
San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami for the fourth time in the series. A year after the Spurs suffered their only loss in six finals appearances — a heartbreaking seven-game defeat — they turned the rematch into no match at all.
“We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and that’s why they’re the champions in 2014,” said LeBron James, who led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who added this title to the ones they won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 by shooting a finals-record 52.8 percent in the series.
“They played exquisite basketball this series and in particular these last three games,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
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