Spurs Get Revenge, Rout Heat In Game 5 For Fifth NBA Championship

The Heat kicked off Game 5 on a 22-6 run, and LeBron James contributed 17 of Miami's first 27 points. Even though no team had won with a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, the first quarter made Heat series vaguely conceivable. But then, the Spurs provided a dose of reality, stepped on Miami's throat, and concluded the Finals in five games for San Antonio's fifth championship.

San Antonio wasn't exactly flawless—Tony Parker had 16 points on 18 shots, and Danny Green went scoreless—but Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had a superb performance with 22 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Spurs received some much-needed bench help from old-ass Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills, who combined for 36 points and shot 8-14 from three.

LeBron James had a stellar game in the first half, but as the Spurs broke the lead open, James was forced to disregard his shot selection and do anything he could to catch up. It really wasn't his fault, though. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh turned in horrendous shooting performances, and the bench provided jack. Yes, even with an activated Michael Beasley.

Now that it's over, we'll soon speculate on who's going to be in Miami next season, since James, Bosh, and Wade can all opt out of their contracts. We've got a lot of time to do that, though. For now, goodbye, Three-Heat. Hello, NBA champion Boris Diaw.