Miami Can’t Take The Heat in San Antonio, Fall to Spurs 110-95

The NBA Finals rematch between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat got underway with Game 1 on Thursday night. Prior to the game there was much discussion about whether or not the sequel could ever live up to the original seven-game drama, and so far it looks like a distinct possibility.

Though it was close through the first half, the Spurs maintained a lead of as much as five points, which was the margin at halftime. The Heat played a little sloppy on the road early, giving up nine turnovers, which led to 12 points against.

In the second half the heat—not the Heat—became a factor. The air conditioning at the AT&T Center in San Antonio malfunctioned, which caused the temperature to climb into the 90s by the fourth quarter. A quick look at the fans in the stands furiously fanning themselves was enough to tell the story.

Of course the real story played out out on the court. Miami looked best suited to take advantage of the extreme conditions early in the second half. They quickly closed the gap and even played with a slight lead through much of the third quarter.

But midway through the fourth quarter things began to unravel for the Heat, particularly after LeBron James was sidelined with cramps. The Spurs went on a 29-9 run to end the game, easily besting the Heat by 10 points at home.

San Antonio will look to build on their lead against Miami in Game 2, which is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 p.m.