From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2014 NBA Finals
The wordmark of the NBA Finals (2003–2017)
TeamCoachWins
San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich 4
Miami Heat Erik Spoelstra 1
DatesJune 5–15
MVP Kawhi Leonard
(San Antonio Spurs)
Hall of FamersSpurs:
Tim Duncan (2020)
Manu Ginóbili (2022)
Tony Parker (2023)
Heat:
Ray Allen (2018)
Chris Bosh (2021)
Dwyane Wade (2023)
Coaches:
Gregg Popovich (2023)
Eastern Finals Heat defeated Pacers, 4–2
Western Finals Spurs defeated Thunder, 4–2
←  2013 NBA Finals 2015 →

The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2013–14 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs, played from June 5 to 15, 2014. [1] [2] It was contested between two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat and the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. In a rematch, the Spurs defeated the Heat 4–1 for their 5th title overall. Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), receiving 10 out of 11 votes. [3]

The series served as a rematch from the previous NBA season, the 12th in Finals history, but only the fifth since the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. [4] This was the first NBA Finals since 1984 to use the 2–2–1–1–1 format after the Board of Governors agreed to change the format from 2–3–2, which was used from 1985 to 2013. [5]

In 2023, the Spurs were joined by the Denver Nuggets as the only former ABA franchises to win an NBA championship. The 2023 Finals series also involved the Heat on the losing side in five games.

Background

Miami Heat

Led by their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Miami Heat made their fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals, following two back-to-back wins in the 2012 and 2013 playoffs.

They were the first team since the 1987 Boston Celtics to make it to four straight NBA Finals, and only the fourth team in NBA history to achieve that goal, besides the 1966 Boston Celtics (as a matter of fact, ten straight appearances), 1985 Los Angeles Lakers and the 1986-87 Boston Celtics. From 2015 to 2018 the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James also achieved the same feat. They were seeking to become the first NBA team to three-peat since the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers. Heading into the postseason, the Heat had an 11–14 record in the last 25 games. In the first round, they eliminated the Charlotte Bobcats and won 4–0. In the Conference Semifinals, they eliminated the Brooklyn Nets and won 4–1, despite being swept by Brooklyn in the regular season. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they again played the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. Miami won the series 4–2, eliminating the Indiana Pacers from the playoffs for the third straight year.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs had a deep roster, with no player averaging 30 minutes during the regular season. Their offense relied on ball movement, being called "one of the most beautiful-to-watch teams in the NBA" by USA Today. [4]

This was the San Antonio Spurs's sixth appearance in the NBA Finals, and they headed to the postseason with the best record in the NBA and a franchise record 19-game winning streak, ending with a 22–4 run in their last 26 games. In the first round, they faced their Texas rivals, the Dallas Mavericks, who surprised the Spurs by taking the series to seven games despite the Spurs sweeping the Mavericks in the regular season for 2 consecutive years. San Antonio won 4–3. In the Conference Semifinals, they eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers and won 4–1. In their third consecutive Conference Finals, they eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder and won the series 4–2, despite being swept by Oklahoma City in the regular season, and for the first time, they qualified for back-to-back Finals appearances.

Road to the Finals

San Antonio Spurs ( Western Conference champion) Miami Heat ( Eastern Conference champion)
Western Conference
#Team W L PCT GB GP
1z- San Antonio Spurs *6220.75682
2y- Oklahoma City Thunder *5923.7203.082
3y- Los Angeles Clippers *5725.6955.082
4x- Houston Rockets5428.6598.082
5x- Portland Trail Blazers5428.6598.082
6x- Golden State Warriors5131.62211.082
7x- Memphis Grizzlies5032.61012.082
8x- Dallas Mavericks4933.59813.082
9 Phoenix Suns4834.58514.082
10 Minnesota Timberwolves4042.48822.082
11 Denver Nuggets3646.43926.082
12 New Orleans Pelicans3448.41528.082
13 Sacramento Kings2854.34134.082
14 Los Angeles Lakers2755.32935.082
15 Utah Jazz2557.30537.082
1st seed in the West, best league record
Regular season
Eastern Conference
#Team W L PCT GB GP
1c- Indiana Pacers *5626.68382
2y- Miami Heat *5428.6592.082
3y- Toronto Raptors *4834.5858.082
4x- Chicago Bulls4834.5858.082
5x- Washington Wizards4438.53712.082
6x- Brooklyn Nets4438.53712.082
7x- Charlotte Bobcats4339.52413.082
8x- Atlanta Hawks3844.46318.082
9 New York Knicks3745.45119.082
10 Cleveland Cavaliers3349.40223.082
11 Detroit Pistons2953.35427.082
12 Boston Celtics2557.30531.082
13 Orlando Magic2359.28033.082
14 Philadelphia 76ers1963.23237.082
15 Milwaukee Bucks1567.18341.082
2nd seed in the East, 5th (tied) best league record
Defeated the 8th seeded Dallas Mavericks, 4–3 First round Defeated the 7th seeded Charlotte Bobcats, 4–0
Defeated the 5th seeded Portland Trail Blazers, 4–1 Conference Semifinals Defeated the 6th seeded Brooklyn Nets, 4–1
Defeated the 2nd seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, 4–2 Conference Finals Defeated the 1st seeded Indiana Pacers, 4–2

Regular season series

The regular season series was split 1–1, with each team winning at home:

January 26, 2014
San Antonio Spurs 101, Miami Heat 113
March 6, 2014
Miami Heat 87, San Antonio Spurs 111

Series summary

Game Date Road team Result Home team
Game 1 June 5 Miami Heat 95–110 (0–1) San Antonio Spurs
Game 2 June 8 Miami Heat 98–96 (1–1) San Antonio Spurs
Game 3 June 10 San Antonio Spurs 111–92 (2–1) Miami Heat
Game 4 June 12 San Antonio Spurs 107–86 (3–1) Miami Heat
Game 5 June 15 Miami Heat 87–104 (1–4) San Antonio Spurs

Game summaries

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time ( UTC−4)

The Spurs rebounded from their seven-game loss to the Heat in the 2013 Finals to win the series, 4–1, for the franchise's fifth NBA championship. After winning their first four over nine seasons, this was their first since 2007. They defeated Miami by margins of at least 15 points in each of their four wins [6] and also outscored them by an average of 14.0 points per game in the series, which was the largest differential in Finals history at the time. [7] [8] The Spurs finished the playoffs with 12 wins by 15 points or more, the most ever in the postseason. Miami had won 11 straight playoffs series, which was the fifth longest in league history. [6]

The Spurs' Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals MVP after leading the team in scoring in each of the final three games, averaging 23.7 points and shooting 68.5 percent, after scoring just nine in each of the first two games [6] [9] Overall, he averaged 17.8 points on 61.2 percent shooting in the series, [10] the highest field goal percentage of any Finals MVP, [11] and shot 65 percent when guarded by LeBron James in the series. [12] Leonard also led the team with a 57.9 three-point field goal percentage. [7] Leonard was the third-youngest recipient of the award (22 years and 351 days old) since its inception in 1969, [9] and the youngest since Magic Johnson in 1982. [13]

Tim Duncan of the Spurs led all players in the series with 50 rebounds. He was followed by teammate Boris Diaw (43), who was inserted into the starting lineup beginning in Game 3. Diaw led all players in the series in assists (29). [14] [15]

Game 1

June 5
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 95, San Antonio Spurs 110
Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 29–28, 29–20, 17–36
Pts: LeBron James 25
Rebs: Chris Bosh 9
Asts: Norris Cole 5
Pts: Tim Duncan 21
Rebs: Duncan, Diaw 10 each
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 11
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees:
  • No. 48 Scott Foster
  • No. 8 Marc Davis
  • No. 41 Ken Mauer

Tim Duncan scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 110–95 win in Game 1. The game featured the AT&T Center's malfunctioning air-conditioning system, which caused temperatures in the arena to exceed 90 °F (32 °C) in the second half. The conditions caused Miami's LeBron James to dehydrate and experience cramps, limiting him to just five minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter. [16] [17] [18] With James on the bench, San Antonio went on a 16–3 run in the game's final four minutes, and outscored the Heat 36–17 in the fourth quarter. [16]

James, who also had cramps in the finals two years earlier, finished the game with 25 points while playing only 33 minutes. Manu Ginóbili had 16 points and 11 assists and Tony Parker contributed 19 points and eight assists for the Spurs, who shot 59 percent for the game despite committing 23 turnovers. [16]

The Spurs shot 14/16 in the 4th quarter. The Spurs' 87.5% conversion rating in the 4th quarter was the most efficient field goal conversion rating for any team in any quarter in NBA Finals history.

Game 2

June 8
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 98, San Antonio Spurs 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 24–17, 34–35, 21–18
Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: Wade, Chalmers 4 each
Pts: Tony Parker 21
Rebs: Tim Duncan 15
Asts: Tony Parker 7
Series tied, 1–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees:

James rebounded from cramps in Game 1 with 35 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami to a 98–96 win to tie the series. Bosh made the go-ahead three-point field goal on a pass from James with 1:18 remaining in the game, as the Heat won their 13th straight following a postseason loss. Temperatures in the AT&T Center were comfortable for the game after a broken circuit breaker was repaired following Game 1. [19]

After enduring criticism for not finishing the previous game, James started slowly in the first quarter, shooting 1-for-4 with three turnovers. Meanwhile, the Spurs began the game making 10 of their first 15 shots. James then made 11 of his next 13, and finished 14-for-22 while played a game-high 37 minutes. [19] [20] He had 11 points in the second quarter, when the Heat overcome an early 11-point deficit. The score remained close through the remainder of the game. The Spurs held a two-point lead with 6:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Miami's Mario Chalmers elbowed Parker in the midsection for a flagrant foul. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan then combined to miss four straight free throws. [19] James scored 33 in the final three quarters; he had 22 in the second half, when every shot he made was from 18 feet (5.5 m) or further. [20] He also made a key strip of Parker late in the game. [19]

Bosh finished with 18 points, and Wade and Rashard Lewis added 14 for Miami. Parker had 21 points and Duncan scored 18 points with 15 rebounds for the Spurs, who had won eight consecutive home games by at least 15 points. Parker passed Michael Jordan for eighth place on the NBA's all-time playoff assist list. [19]

Game 3

June 10
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 111, Miami Heat 92
Scoring by quarter: 41–25, 30–25, 15–25, 25–17
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 29
Rebs: Tim Duncan 6
Asts: Parker, Mills 4 each
Pts: James, Wade 22 each
Rebs: James, Andersen 5 each
Asts: LeBron James 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,900
Referees:

The Spurs took a 2–1 lead in the series after a career-high 29 points from Leonard and a Finals-record 75.8% shooting effort from the team during the first half. Leonard, limited to only 18 points in the first two games, made his first six shots and was 10-of-13 for the game. San Antonio led by as many as 25 and were comfortably ahead most of the game, including 71–50 at the half. [21] The 21-point margin was the largest halftime lead in the Finals by a road team since Game 3 in 1996 by the Chicago Bulls against the Seattle SuperSonics. [22] The Heat scored 10-straight points in the third quarter to bring the score to 81–74, the closest they would get to the Spurs the rest of the game. [21]

San Antonio's insertion of Boris Diaw into the starting lineup created more ball movement, as the Spurs achieved the first 70-point first half in the Finals since the Los Angeles Lakers' 75 from Game 2 in 1987 against the Boston Celtics. The Heat, who had been 8–0 at home in the playoffs, were led by James and Wade with 22 points apiece. [21] Miami's 20 turnovers were their playoff-high, with James committing his Finals career-high of 7. [23]

Game 4

June 12
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 107, Miami Heat 86
Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 29–19, 26–21, 26–29
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 20
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 14
Asts: Boris Diaw 9
Pts: LeBron James 28
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: Mario Chalmers 5
San Antonio leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,900
Referees:
  • No. 17 Joe Crawford
  • No. 24 Mike Callahan
  • No. 49 Tom Washington

Leonard had 20 points and 14 rebounds in another rout of the Heat, as the Spurs won 107–86 to take a 3–1 lead in the series; no team had ever come back from a 3–1 deficit in the Finals until two years later. San Antonio again built a large lead on the road before halftime, taking a 55–33 lead in the second quarter after scoring seven consecutive points, culminated by a soaring dunk by Leonard. The Spurs defense held Miami to just 35 percent shooting in the first half after allowing the Heat to shoot 50 percent overall in the prior game. The Heat had followed their prior 13 playoff losses with a win. [24]

The Heat struggled to defend the Spurs' crisp ball movement, orchestrated by Diaw and his game-high nine assists. San Antonio made 57 percent of its field goals, with Parker scoring 19 points, and Duncan adding 10 points and 11 rebounds to surpass Magic Johnson for the most double-doubles in NBA Playoffs history (158). Duncan also eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's previous mark (8,851) for most postseason minutes played. [a] [25] Miami was led by James, who had 28 points and eight rebounds, but their other starters combined for only 28 points on 32 percent shooting. Wade made only 1 of 10 from the field through three quarters, finishing with 10 points. [24]

Game 5

June 15
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 87, San Antonio Spurs 104
Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 11–25, 18–30, 29–27
Pts: LeBron James 31
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: LeBron James 5
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 22
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10
Asts: Boris Diaw 6
San Antonio wins NBA Finals, 4–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees:
  • No. 48 Scott Foster
  • No. 8 Marc Davis
  • No. 41 Ken Mauer

The Spurs won 104–87 to win the championship in five games and avenge last season's loss to the Heat in seven games. Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, and was named the Finals MVP. James had 17 first-quarter points for the Heat, who got off to a fast start in building an early 22–6 lead. San Antonio bounced back to outscore Miami 37–13 from the beginning of the second quarter through the middle of the third. [6]

Ginóbili had 19 points and four assists, and Patty Mills scored 17 points off the bench for the Spurs. [7] James finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Bosh had 13 points and Wade added 13 but shot only 4-for-12 from the field. [6]

Rosters

San Antonio Spurs

2013–14 San Antonio Spurs roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F/C 11 Ayres, Jeff 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1987–04–29 Arizona State
F/C 16 Baynes, Aron 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1986–12–09 Washington State
G 3 Belinelli, Marco 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1986–03–25 Italy
F/C 15 Bonner, Matt 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1980–04–05 Florida
F 23 Daye, Austin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1988–06–05 Gonzaga
F/C 33 Diaw, Boris 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1982–04–16 France
F/C 21 Duncan, Tim (C) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1976–04–25 Wake Forest
G 20 Ginóbili, Manu 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1977–07–28 Argentina
G/F 4 Green, Danny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1987–06–22 North Carolina
F 7 James, Damion 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1987–10–07 Texas
G 5 Joseph, Cory 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1991–08–20 Texas
G/F 2 Leonard, Kawhi 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1991–06–29 San Diego State
G 8 Mills, Patty 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1988–08–11 Saint Mary's
G 9 Parker, Tony 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1982–05–17 France
C 22 Splitter, Tiago 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1985–01–01 Brazil
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 13, 2014

Miami Heat

2013–14 Miami Heat roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 34 Allen, Ray 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1975–07–20 Connecticut
F/C 11 Andersen, Chris 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1978–07–07 Blinn
F 31 Battier, Shane 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1978–09–09 Duke
F 8 Beasley, Michael 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1989–01–09 Kansas State
F/C 1 Bosh, Chris 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1984–03–24 Georgia Tech
G 15 Chalmers, Mario 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1986–05–19 Kansas
G 30 Cole, Norris 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1988–10–13 Cleveland State
G 0 Douglas, Toney 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1986–03–16 Florida State
C 7 Hamilton, Justin 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1990–04–01 LSU
F/C 40 Haslem, Udonis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1980–06–09 Florida
F 6 James, LeBron 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1984–12–30 St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)
G/F 22 Jones, James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1980–10–04 Miami (FL)
F 9 Lewis, Rashard 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1979–08–08 Alief Elsik HS (TX)
C 20 Oden, Greg 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 273 lb (124 kg) 1988–01–22 Ohio State
G 3 Wade, Dwyane (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1982–01–17 Marquette
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: March 23, 2014

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Jeff Ayres 3 0 2.2 1.000 .000 .750 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 1.7
Aron Baynes 3 0 2.1 1.000 .000 1.000 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
Marco Belinelli 5 0 11.8 .471 .444 .750 1.2 0.6 0.2 0.0 4.6
Matt Bonner 4 0 6.7 1.000 .000 .750 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.0 1.3
Boris Diaw 5 3 35.2 .364 .333 .500 8.6 5.8 0.8 0.2 6.2
Tim Duncan 5 5 33.1 .569 .000 .679 10.0 2.0 0.4 0.8 15.4
Manu Ginóbili 5 0 28.7 .500 .417 .875 3.0 4.4 1.0 0.2 14.4
Danny Green 5 5 21.1 .531 .450 .750 2.0 1.2 2.0 0.4 9.2
Kawhi Leonard 5 5 33.4 .612 .579 .783 6.4 2.0 1.6 1.2 17.8
Patty Mills 5 0 15.2 .543 .565 .000 1.4 1.6 0.4 0.0 10.2
Cory Joseph 3 0 2.5 .333 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
Tony Parker 5 5 35.2 .479 .417 .750 0.4 4.6 0.8 0.0 18.0
Tiago Splitter 5 2 16.8 .706 .000 .778 3.4 2.0 0.6 0.6 6.2
Miami Heat
Miami Heat statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Ray Allen 5 1 31.0 .415 .409 .857 3.0 1.8 1.6 0.2 9.8
Chris Andersen 5 0 17.9 .250 .000 .700 5.6 0.0 0.4 0.6 2.6
Shane Battier 4 0 8.2 .000 .000 .000 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0
Michael Beasley 1 0 17.0 .571 .000 .333 3.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 9.0
Chris Bosh 5 5 36.3 .549 .385 .818 5.2 1.0 0.8 0.2 14.0
Mario Chalmers 5 4 23.1 .333 .143 .778 1.4 2.8 1.0 0.2 4.4
Norris Cole 5 0 16.7 .316 .143 .750 1.2 1.8 0.4 0.0 3.2
Toney Douglas 3 0 3.4 .250 .250 .500 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 1.3
Udonis Haslem 4 0 5.6 .400 .000 .000 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.0
LeBron James 5 5 37.8 .571 .519 .793 7.8 4.0 2.0 0.4 28.2
James Jones 4 0 3.4 .571 .500 .000 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.8
Rashard Lewis 5 5 22.9 .500 .455 .500 1.6 0.4 0.0 0.4 8.6
Greg Oden 2 0 1.5 .000 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Dwyane Wade 5 5 34.5 .438 .333 .692 3.8 2.6 1.6 0.0 15.2

Broadcast

In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen (play-by-play) and Jeff Van Gundy (analyst) as commentators. Also beginning this Finals, and for the first time since 2011, Mark Jackson returned as analyst after being fired by the Golden State Warriors early in the season. [26] ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Kevin Calabro and Hubie Brown as commentators.

Aftermath

Spurs

To date, this is the Spurs' most recent NBA Finals appearance. The team made the playoffs over the next five years, the first two of which involved Tim Duncan. The Spurs won a franchise record 67 games in the 2015–16 season, including a record-tying 40 home victories (shared with the 1985–86 Boston Celtics). However, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Duncan retired shortly after. The following season, the Spurs won 62 games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the Golden State Warriors in four games. The remaining core of Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili made one more playoff appearance in 2017–18, but lost in five games to the Warriors in the first round. Ginóbili retired after the season, and Parker followed suit after playing one season with the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. The Spurs' run of 50-win seasons ended in the 2018–19 season, when they won only 48 games and lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. It was also the Spurs' most recent playoff appearance as the team gradually declined, culminating in a 22–win season in 2022–23, their worst 82-game season record under Gregg Popovich and worst overall since the 1996–97 season.

Heat

After the season, LeBron James rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading them to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and the 2016 NBA championship. Meanwhile, Miami underwent a transition phase. Chris Bosh played his last game in the 2015–16 season, retiring in 2019 due to health issues, and Dwyane Wade briefly left the Heat to join the Chicago Bulls. Wade then reunited with James on the Cavaliers, but was traded back to the Heat midway through the 2017–18 season. After the 2018–19 season, Wade announced his retirement. During this period, the Heat made two playoff appearances and won one series, a first round victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The Heat made two subsequent NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, losing both times. Udonis Haslem, who was on the roster in all of Miami's Finals appearances, retired after the 2022–23 season.

Notes

  1. ^ Duncan broke the records in his 233rd playoff game. Johnson's previous double-double record was over 190 games, while Abdul-Jabbar's mark for minutes was over 237 games. [25]

References

  1. ^ Fox Sports (March 3, 2014). "2014 NBA Finals schedule: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs | FOX Sports on MSN". Msn.foxsports.com. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  2. ^ "Miami Heat 87–104 San Antonio Spurs – as it happened!". Guardian. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  3. ^ Michael Bohlin (June 16, 2014). "Kawhi Leonard Wins NBA Finals MVP In Landslide Vote". 247Sports.com. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Joseph, Adi (June 10, 2014). "2014 NBA Finals preview, schedule: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 16, 2014.
  5. ^ "NBA owners change Finals format to 2–2–1–1–1". NBA.com. Associated Press. October 23, 2013. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Mahoney, Brian (June 15, 2014). "Spurs beat Heat 104–87 in Game 5 to win NBA title". NBA.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Spurs shake early deficit to snuff out Heat and win 5th NBA title". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 15, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  8. ^ "Highest Point Difference In A Finals Series". StatMuse. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "MVP Leonard does it all". ESPN.com. June 16, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  10. ^ "Kawhi Leonard named Finals MVP". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 16, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  11. ^ "NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award Winners".
  12. ^ ESPN Stats & Information (June 16, 2014). "MVP Leonard does it all". ESPN. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  13. ^ Scott, Nate (June 16, 2014). "Kawhi Leonard is third youngest NBA Finals MVP ever". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 16, 2014.
  14. ^ Abrams, Jonathan (June 16, 2014). "Mon Frère Boris". Grantland.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014.
  15. ^ "2014 NBA Finals". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c "Heat handle Spurs, win 110–100 in NBA Finals Game 1". NBA.com. Associated Press. June 6, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  17. ^ Young, Royce (June 6, 2014). "Air conditioning goes out in Game 1". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014.
  18. ^ Heakes, Greg (June 6, 2014). "James's cramps become hot issue, Gatorade apologizes". yahoo.com. AFP. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014.
  19. ^ a b c d e "LeBron James leads all scorers with 35 points as Heat take Game 2". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 8, 2014. Archived from the original on June 16, 2014.
  20. ^ a b Costa, Brian (June 9, 2014). "LeBron James, Miami Heat Bounce Back". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  21. ^ a b c "Spurs cruise to 2–1 Finals lead over Heat behind Kawhi Leonard's 29". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014.
  22. ^ Devine, Dan (June 10, 2014). "Spurs shoot NBA Finals-record 75.8 percent, hang 71-point first half on Heat in Game 3 win". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014.
  23. ^ Wallace, Michael (June 11, 2014). "Sloppy point play continues for Heat". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Spurs stand poised for NBA title after another blowout in Miami". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014.
  25. ^ a b Freeman, Eric (June 13, 2014). "Tim Duncan sets career playoff records for minutes and double-doubles in Game 4 win". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  26. ^ ESPN News Services (May 17, 2014). "Mark Jackson returns to ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved May 17, 2014.

External links