THE FACTS: LeBron James had 37 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 95-88 victory against the San Antonio Spurs Thursday in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, capturing their second straight championship.
James shot 12-for-23 from the field and also had 12 rebounds and four assists. Dwyane Wade added 23 points and 10 rebounds. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
James and Wade were too much for San Antonio down the stretch. They scored 10 of the Heat's final 13 points.
The Spurs' best threat came when they pulled to within 90-88 on a 3-pointer by Kawhi Leonard with two minutes left. They got no closer because of missed opportunities and turnovers. After James hit a jumper with 27 seconds left, he sealed it by stealing the Spurs' inbound pass on the next possession.
QUOTABLE: "It became time. [James] always rises to the occasion when it matters the most, when the competition is fiercest. It was odd, all year he had been best perimeter jump shooter in the league though he's an attacker and got to the rim, to the free-throw line."
--Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
THE STAT: Wade and James combined for 60 points. Upping their game allowed the Heat to make up for Chris Bosh going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting. Bosh did make a strong defensive contribution, though, challenging Spurs shooters all night.
TURNING POINT: With an 88-85 lead, Wade hit a jump shot from the wing that gave the Heat just enough breathing room.
QUOTABLE II: "The obvious word is disappointing. Tough end to the game. Made some bad decisions., missed some tough shots. I don't know what to say. Just give credit to the Miami Heat."
--Spurs center Tim Duncan
HOT: James and Wade carried the load. They combined to shoot 23-for-44 from the field. They took turns hurting the Spurs from the perimeter, which was the key to their success.
NOT: Another tough night for Danny Green. So much for him being the dark-horse candidate for Finals MVP. Green shot 1-for-12 from the field after being seemingly unstoppable through five games.
GOOD MOVE: With the game on the line, the Heat went to their star. It was James who made the tough shots in the closing moments. His jumper with 27.9 seconds left all but sealed it for the Heat.
BAD MOVE: Once again, the Spurs had their share of mistakes at the end. Leonard missed an open 3-pointer and Duncan came up short on two short baskets in the final minute.
UP NEXT: The offseason.