Game 6 Cliffhanger: The Great Miami Heat Escape

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Ray Allen's Game Saving Big Trey 

With 28 seconds to go, defeat was staring at Lebron and the Heat. Pat Riley, the Heat's President and Hall of Fame coach, stood motionless. Around him was a sea of white shirted crowd seated in stunned silence.The Spurs leads by an insurmountable (almost) 5 points. Could this be the ghost of the 2011 Finals?

Flashback: 2011 Game 6 Finals. Dallas in Miami. The Mavs leads 3-2 in the series. Game 6 returned to the American Airlines Arena, Heat's home court. Exactly the same position Heat was in now. Back then, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks finished off the Heat. That was a painful and hurting defeat for James and company right in their home court. Will history then repeat itself?

Then James drilled in a trey to cut the lead to 2. After Lenard's ( had the Spurs won, Lenard could be the hero for his outstanding game all throughout) split, Miami was all set for their last play. It was a break or bust, there's no tomorrow situation. James fired a trey, missed, scramble for the ball, Bosh got it, passed it to Ray Allen. The veteran shot maker pulled a step back at the 3-point area and pulled a Hail Mary. Bang. T'was in. Pandemonium broke loose. The game was tied. It was heading to an overtime; giving a new lease in life to Miami. Gabo, on a quick lunch break, called up from school just as Allen threw his game changing shot. When the OT news came in to them, the whole canteen went in jubilation. Just like thousands, perhaps millions of Filipinos, the students in their school was also  monitoring the game. That's how big NBA is.

In the extension period, Duncan could barely buy a basket but still a force to reckon with. Parker and Ginobili come and go in an offense-defense substitution strategy but clearly to me a case of tiredness and exhaustion for the aging veterans. In the closing seconds, Allen scored Heat's final points when he converted his nerve wrecking foul throws, putting the Heat in a comfortable 3 point margin. The Spurs last play went muffed as Bosh blocked the desperation 3 pointer of Greene . We have a knock out Game 7 and obviously, the momentum should now shift in favor of the Heat. History is on their side. In more than 30 years, no home team lost in Game 7.

What's happening to James? I could almost label him a choker. For the first 3 quarters, he was not that aggressive. He was not the leader I thought he should be. Ironically, it was when he lost his head band in the 4th quarter that he began to take charge. The Lebron James we saw in the 4th was the Lebron James we knew who would lead the defending champs in retaining their title. He should do a repeat performance in Game 7. But for now, take a bow Ray Allen, one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Our crystal ball went murky since the playoffs. The only right thing we predicted was all about Heat. But even that, we missed. We said,  Heat in 5 or 6. It did not happen. Still, we would not mind if it is Heat in 7.

The NBA 2013 Finals: It's Not All About Lebron

Photo credit: USA Today

Since the 2013  season opened 7 months ago, no doubt the main story has always been Lebron James. Will he again carry the Heat to the finals and the championship? That was the question. He obviously did on the road to the finals. But to the championship? Not yet.

Lebron dished out a stellar performance all season to cement his billing as the best player in the NBA today. No ifs, no doubts. But worth mentioning also is the performance of another great team in the West that should pose a great obstacle to Lebron's and the Heat's quest for a repeat this year. So this finals is not all Lebron and the Heat. It's also about the star of the West, the San Antonio Spurs.

There are a number of interesting similarities on both sides. Miami has its vaunted Big 3. San Antonio has also its formidable Big 3 . James, Wade, and Bosh against Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. Youth vs. Experience. Lebron has 4 MVP's.  Duncan has 4 championships. The Spurs has a veteran champion coach in Greg Popovich. The Heat has a youthful mentor in Eric Spoelstra aiming for another championship trophy. The young Spo vs the veteran Pop. The Heat is out to build a dynasty. The Spurs is aiming for its last hurrah before its Big 3 fades into retirement. The NBA indeed never runs out of exciting finals match up.

Photo credit: National Post

Tomorrow, the world will be focused on the American Airlines Arena, the Heat' home court. That's courtesy of being the No.1 seed in the eliminations. That home advantage speaks a lot. Especially if it reaches all the way to Game 7; like the Indiana Pacers semis showdown. Veterans as they are, the Spurs surely will not like to be put in that precarious situation.

The last time James and Duncan met in the finals in 2007, the Spurs demolished young Lebron's Cavaliers. Tim consoled Lebron then, saying, "Your time will come". True enough, that time has come. But Tim could not have thought that when that day indeed would come, he still would be there to stand in the way of Lebron's coronation.

It's now time to take our pick. Before the season opened, I predicted the Heat to retain their crown. I stand by this prediction. Gabo sees it for Heat in 5 or 6. I agree.