San Antonio Spurs 'devastated' over coughing up Game 6
The championship stage had been set — literally — and was being pulled into position for the most unexpected of San Antonio Spurs celebrations. The yellow tape that only comes out in title time was being unraveled, officials at American Airlines Arena planning to block the many Miami Heat fans who may have grabbed LeBron James by the shoulders and asked him how he let this happen. And then Ray Allen happened, his scissor-kick three from the right corner with 5.2 seconds left in regulation sending the crew, the tape and the stage back into hiding in what would become the Heat's 103-100 overtime win in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
The Spurs may not be far behind them.
Gregg Popovich has a habit of reminding the masses that this truly is a game of centimeters, that one play can be the difference between being the champion or merely the final victim. On that one play that led to overtime, that miracle shot that kept the Heat's dream alive and eventually forced a Game 7 on Thursday, everything the Spurs had fought for was compromised by the smallest of failures.
GAME 6: Heat rally in fourth, overtime
LEBRON: Headband off, he takes over
Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili stood for a moment too long as James' three-pointer caromed off the rim, with Chris Bosh grabbing the rebound and finding Allen alone in the corner. Tony Parker rushed his way a little too slowly, rising up along with Allen but unable to get a finger on the shot that changed everything.
These were but a few of the items on San Antonio's laundry list of lost opportunity, the moments that will haunt them in the coming months and years if they aren't able to respond on Thursday for Game 7. A five-point lead with 24 seconds left should be enough, but here they are faced with so much frustration and doubt. And, as Ginobili admitted after, his Game 6 was as disastrous as his Game 5 had been dominant, a good, old-fashioned crisis of confidence.
"I was very insecure — well, I had a career high in turnovers (eight) in a really bad moment," Ginobili said. "It really helps to make me feel terrible. Even with all that, we were so close of winning it. So it's one of the many things I'll be thinking tonight.
"I have no clue how we're going to be re-energized. I'm devastated. But we have to. There's no Game 8 afterwards."
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