Over what proved to be seven games, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs battled and battled.

Momentum swung wildly back and forth, and ultimately, one of the most exciting things in sports was required to separate the teams and determine the ultimate champion: Game 7.

The winner-take-all contest didn't disappoint, and at the end of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Lebron James and the Heat made enough plays to outlast Tim Duncan and the Spurs.

James finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and five 3-pointers, and the Heat emerged with a 95-88 victory over San Antonio Thursday night.

Dwyane Wade added a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. When asked
what it took to win the title, Wade's answer was simple.

"Everything," he said. "It took everything we had as a team."

Both teams started off very sloppy Thursday night, as it seemed like they
were paralyzed by the excitement in the air. Passes were off-target; poor shots
were attempted; and the ball-handling was shaky.

The Spurs took an early lead, but two 3-pointers from Miami's Shane Battier
quickly erased the deficit. With both teams shooting less than 40 percent, the
Heat ended the quarter with a two-point lead.

Battier started the second quarter still hot from beyond the arc, as he
quickly knocked down his third 3-pointer of the night, pushing the Heat lead to
five.

After getting six quick points from James, it seemed as though the Heat were
ready to break the game open. But Miami got into foul trouble, and through 14
free throws, the Spurs were able to tie the game with the second quarter winding
down.

Wade had the answer however, knocking down a mid-range jumper at the end of
the half to put the Heat up 46-44.

Wade sparked Miami in the first half by scoring 14 points and grabbing six
rebounds. James added 15 points.

Duncan led the way in the first half for San Antonio, scoring 13 points,
grabbing five rebounds and snagging four steals. Kawhi Leonard attacked the
glass well, scooping 10 rebounds.

The Spurs only shot 35 percent from the floor in the first half but outscored
the Heat in the paint 24-14.

Early in the second half, James drained back-to-back 3-pointers, and it
seemed as though the Heat would finally start breaking away. But the Spurs
continued to stay with Miami.

Manu Ginobili scored a layup with five seconds remaining in the third quarter
to put the Spurs up by two, but once again the Heat had an answer as Mario
Chalmers banked in a long 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter with
the Heat leading, 72-71.


The fourth quarter started out rocky for the Spurs, as they had four
turnovers. The Heat continued to capitalize with big shots by Wade and James.
And with Battier's sixth 3 of the game, it looked as though the game would be
out of reach for the Spurs.

Duncan answered back however, drawing the foul, and making the tough bank
shot, cutting Miami's lead to three.

After trading buckets between Wade and Leonard, Duncan missed a tip-in that
would have tied the game. Instead, the Spurs gave the ball back to Miami with 39
seconds left.

The following possession, LeBron came off a screen and drained an open
jumper, putting the Heat up by four with 27 seconds left.

After James' clutch jumper, Ginobili made a poor pass, which resulted in the
Spurs having to foul Miami until the clock expired.

In the losing effort, Duncan finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while
Leonard added 19 points and 16 rebounds.

By prevailing, the Heat successfully defended their championship and secured
their third title in franchise history.

It's also James' second title, further cementing his place in history.

"I work on my game a lot throughout the offseason I put a lot of work into
it," said James, who was named the finals MVP. "And to come out and to be able
to come out here, and the results happen on the floor ... it's the ultimate.

"I'm lost for words," he later added.

By Mitch Kunzler
For the Deseret News

The San Antonio Spurs have won 4 NBA Championship Titles in their franchise history. They have won titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007. All years that end with an odd number. They are also undefeated in the Finals. The Miami Heat have won 2 Titles in 2006 and 2012. Both years end with an even number. They lost in 2011 to the Dallas Mavericks but returned the next year to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will the odds and even streak continue tonight? 


The most impressive statistic coming into Thursday's Game 7 has to be the fact that the Spurs are 4-0 this postseason after suffering a loss.

In those four wins, San Antonio has won easily, by an average of 18.5 points per game. But Tuesday's Game 6 loss was unlike any of the other losses the Spurs have been dealt in these playoffs.

San Antonio led by five points with under 30 seconds left to play, a game the Spurs win 99 out of 100 times. An overtime loss at this stage is gut-wrenching without a doubt, but the Spurs' most recent defeat falls under the category of demoralizing

Plus, the Spurs will be putting their stat up against some overwhelming history. You have to go all the way back to 1978 to find the last time a team won Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road

Will Tony Parker and company become the first squad in 35 years to win a championship-clinching Game 7 in hostile territory, or will the Heat join the list of teams over the past four decades who have secured the crown on their
home floor?

A win in Game 7 would give the Heat back-to-back NBA titles, providing them with their own special place in NBA history as one of only a handful of teams to win consecutive championships.

Individually, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would all add another ring to their Hall of Fame resumes. Wade would become a three-time champion and James would be just four titles shy of Michael Jordan. 

LeBron would also join another very short and impressive list with a win.
 
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BLACKHAWKS BOUNCE BACK

The Blackhawks had plenty to celebrate after splitting two games in Boston. Chicago will host Game 5 on Saturday with the series tied at 2 instead of being in a 3-1 hole. The Blackhawks also atoned for their listless performance in a 2-0 loss in Game 3 on Monday. Chicago had six shots on goalie Tuukka Rask before the Bruins had any. The Blackhawks also came out hitting and never let up, showing grit that was lacking in the previous game. While the Bruins rallied to
tie it three different times, the Blackhawks never trailed. "They keep coming. They're a hard-working team. They have skill on all their lines," Chicago coach Joel Quennville said. "They have a mobile and active D. They have big shots. Defensively you're always going to get challenged and tested. But I thought we did a better job of our offense putting some pressure on their D."
 
 


OT AGAIN

Maybe the 48-game lockout-shortened schedule was a good thing, because the
postseason is getting stretched to the max. Last night's game was the 27th
overtime game of this year's playoffs, one short of the record set in 1993. That
was also the last time three games in the finals went beyond regulation, with
Montreal taking all three while beating Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.
"It's exciting. Everybody worked so hard tonight. Everybody's worked so hard
through the playoffs," said Brent Seabrook, who scored on a slap shot 9:51 into
OT. "We're all contributing. It doesn't matter if I score or anybody else
scores, it's nice to get the win and move on to the next day." The Blackhawks
are 5-2 in OT during the playoffs and the Bruins are 5-3, losing for the first
time in an OT game in Boston in these playoffs.
 
RASK ROUGHED

Boston goalie Tuukka Rask's remarkable postseason run stalled, and his shutout
streak of more than 129 minutes was long forgotten by the time it was over. Rask
had allowed seven goals over the previous seven games before the Blackhawks
cracked him in the largest offensive outburst of the series. Chicago had just
five goals in the series entering Game 4, and the teams had combined for just 12
before striking for 11 yesterday. The final one came on Seabrook's slap shot as
captain Jonathan Toews provided a bulky screen in front of Rask as the puck got
past him and tucked inside the far post. "We were just around the net. We were
getting inside and found the rebounds," said Toews, who had gone 10 games
without a goal before he scored early in the second to put Chicago up 2-1. "Ugly
goals, we don't care. We'll find a way. It's something we need to keep doing."
Boston coach Claude Julien did not blame Rask for the loss in his postgame
comments, but didn't exactly rush to his goalie's defense, either. "I don't
evaluate the players publicly here," Julien said. "I look at our whole team and
tell you our whole team was average. You can take what you want from that. I
think we can be a lot better. We have an opportunity to be better next game.
Hopefully, if anything, that makes us even hungrier."  
 
NO GLOVE
 
The Bruins made it a long night for Chicago goalie Corey Crawford as well,
finding a vulnerable spot on his glove side and targeting it all game. All five
of Boston's goals were to Crawford's glove side, and the Bruins tested him there
one final time in OT on a snap shot by Rich Peverley. Crawford juggled the puck
slightly, but held on to it and forced a faceoff. Seabrook scored 19 seconds
later and Crawford had another win in the finals despite allowing five goals.
"Corey has been great for us all year, all playoffs. He just moves forward,"
coach Joel Quenneville said. "Commend him. We got the win. You know, he'll be
fine."

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Bruins scored a pair of power-play goals, the Blackhawks scored once while a
man up and another down a man as special teams finally were a factor. The
Blackhawks were scoreless in 11 power plays through the first three games and
mired in a 0-for-29 drought before Patrick Sharp scored to put Chicago up 5-4
with 9:41 left in regulation. The goal came just after a 5-on-3 advantage for
Chicago expired, but before Boston's Jaromir Jagr could get from the penalty box
into the play. The Bruins had killed 27 straight penalties entering the game. 

Insiders say it really depends on the performance of the Blackhawk's Captain Jonathan Toews. The Winnipeg native has been relatively absent in the Post Season.

With his team trying to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole in the Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville seems prepared to reunite Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the same line for Game 4 on Wednesday night.


The two have rarely played together at even-strength over the first three games of the series against Boston but were back on a line with Bryan Bickell during Chicago's pre-game skate at TD Garden on Wednesday.

Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didn't want to talk about the injury that forced him to scratch forward Marian Hossa from the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins.

And why not?

``I think that's self-explanatory,' Quenneville said, once again declining to explain the secrecy that is as much a part of the NHL culture as playoff beards and Zambonis.

Hossa's surprise scratch from Game 3 and the one-word explanation - ``upper' - for the part of his body that was injured is part of a long-running cat-and-mouse game NHL teams play. The theory goes that any revealing information about injuries could become a competitive disadvantage.

Hossa is expected to play in Game 4, Quenneville said Tuesday, but only after making it clear that ``I'm not going to get (into) exactly what the injury is or where it occurred.'

``It's sort of a secret society in the hockey world and in the injury world,' Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland said. ``You don't want other teams having any injury information at all.'

Asked if he had seen Hossa or had a chance to talk to him, Bolland said, ``I don't know.'

You don't know if you've seen him or talked to him?

``I don't know if I've seen him,' Bolland repeated with a sly smile.

Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots from the depleted Blackhawks to help the Bruins win 2-0 on Monday night and move two wins from their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons.

Game 4 is Wednesday night in Boston before the series returns to Chicago for a fifth game.

Hossa's mysterious injury may have been a turning point in Game 3, but it's hardly unusual in the secretive world of hockey injuries. Players and coaches say they just don't talk about what's hurting, partly because they don't want to seem weak in a sport where they hit each other for a living.

But mostly they don't want let the other team know where to aim.

``If I'm going out to battle and I have an injury to any part of my body, I don't want the other side to know what it is,' Bruins forward Shawn Thornton said.

Injury information can also help the opponent strategize. Quenneville was so concerned about giving the Bruins advance notice of even a few minutes that he didn't let substitute Ben Smith skate in the warmup even though there was a chance he would need to play.

``I just didn't want to tip our hand that there's something going on,' the coach said.

``Ben was ready. I knew he was doing everything,' Quenneville said. ``We were hopeful that Hoss was playing, and Ben was doing everything to get ready. He was ready.'

No hard feelings, Bruins coach Claude Julien said. After all, he would do - and has done - the same thing.

``I respect that from other teams. When you're playing against each other, you know exactly where everybody is coming from,' Julien said.

``There's times where you have to protect your players, and I understand it. I know it's frustrating for you guys as media. You're trying to share that information. The most important thing for us, we can take the heat for that, is protecting your players.'

So, how to tell if an injury is minor? When a team actually admits it exists.

``I'll share one with you: Yesterday in a warmup, Zdeno Chara fell down, got a cut over the eye,' Julien said, to laughter, of the injury to his captain that had already been confirmed and reported. ``I'll let you know about that. That's not a hidden injury.'

The Bruins also confirmed without delay the broken leg that knocked Gregory Campbell out of the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh. But that was only because Campbell was out for the season after taking a shot to his leg on national TV and struggling to get off the ice.

``If it's something that doesn't put your player in danger, I don't see why you shouldn't talk about it,' Julien said.

Players say they don't have to be told not to discuss injuries; they grow up with the culture in junior and minor leagues. Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said he doesn't remember when he first learned the subject was off-limits, but it was long before he reached the NHL.

And hockey players are not alone.

``It's not just here,' Thornton said. ``I don't think Bill Belichick is (listing) all the injuries they have, either.'

But even the notoriously uncommunicative New England Patriots coach is required by NFL rules to say what body part is injured. NHL coaches have to narrow it only to ``upper body' or ``lower body,' which means a player with a concussion and one with a broken finger would have the same diagnosis.

During the playoffs, information is even more scarce.

``It's that time of year where everybody's kind of battling. I would say that not just injuries, strategy, all that kind of information we're not going to talk about,' Sharp said. ``It's all part of being this close to the ultimate goal.'

And does he have any injuries he cares to mention?

``No comment.'

Losing his headband but keeping his cool while playing the entire second half and overtime, James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, making the go-ahead basket with 1:43 remaining in the extra period.

"If we were going to go down tonight, we're going to go down with me leaving every little bit of energy that I had on the floor," James said.

Tim Duncan scored 30 points for the Spurs, his most in an NBA Finals game since Game 1 in 2003, but was shut out after the third quarter. He added 17 rebounds.

Game 7 will be here Thursday, the NBA's first do-or-die game to determine its champion since the Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010.

"They're the best two words in sports: Game 7," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Spurs looked headed to a fifth title in five chances when they built a 13-point lead with under 4 minutes left in the third quarter, then grabbed a five-point edge late in regulation after blowing the lead.
But James hit a 3-pointer and Ray Allen tied it with another. Just 5.2 seconds remained in regulation. The Heat were that close to the edge.

James was just 3 of 12 after three quarters, the Heat trailing by 10 and frustration apparent among the players and panic setting in among the fans.

Nothing to worry. Not with James playing like this.

He finished 11 of 26, even making a steal after his basket had given Miami a 101-100 edge in the OT.

Before that, he was 12 minutes from hearing the familiar criticisms about not being able to get it done, from having to watch a team celebrate on his home floor again.

Then he changed the game and erased that story.

The Heat, who haven't lost consecutive games since Jan. 8 and 10, had too much defense and way too much James for the Spurs in the final 17 minutes. They are trying to become fourth team to win the final two games at home since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format for the finals in 1985.

James came in averaging 31.5 points in elimination games, highest in NBA history, according to a stat provided through the NBA by the Elias Sports Bureau.

This wasn't quite the 45-point performance in Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference finals in Boston, but given the higher stakes may go down as more important — if the Heat follow it with another victory Thursday.

The Heat were in the same place as they were in 2011 at the end of their Big Three's first season together, coming home from Texas facing a 3-2 deficit in the finals.

This is a different team. And oh, what a different James.

They said they welcomed this challenge, a chance to show they how much mentally tougher they were than the team the Dallas Mavericks easily handled in Game 6 that night.

James made sure they did, looking nothing like the player who was so bad in the fourth quarters during that series.

He was simply unstoppable down the stretch of this one.

Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker had 19 points and eight assists, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field.

The Spurs had one final chance down 103-100, but Chris Bosh blocked Danny Green's 3-pointer from the corner as time expired.

Bosh had said Green wouldn't get open the way he has all series — and he didn't.

Green finished 1 of 5 from behind the arc after going 25 of 38 on 3-pointers (65.8 percent) in the first five games.

The Heat, the NBA's 66-win powerhouse during the regular season, will be playing a seventh game for the second straight round, having needed to go the distance to beat the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

"See you in Game 7!" the public address announcer hollered as Heat fans either left with or tossed their usual white T-shirts that hang on chairs in the arena. These read "First to 16 Wins," meaning the number of victories it takes to win the championship.

The race will go down to a final day.
The Heat are 13-0 after losses over the last five months, though this was nothing like the previous 12 that had come by an average of nearly 20 points. Nor was it like the previous four games of this series, which had all been blowouts after the Spurs pulled out a four-point victory in Game 1.

San Antonio had an 11-0 run in the first half, then a 13-3 burst in the third quarter for a 71-58 lead, and a final flurry late in regulation that seemed to have them ready to walk off with another title.

Parker's 3-pointer over James tied it at 89 with 1:27 left. He then came up with a steal, spinning into the lane for a 91-89 lead with 58 seconds to go. Miami coughed it up again and Manu Ginobili made two free throws, and he made another after a third straight Miami turnover to put the Spurs ahead 94-89.

James nailed a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, and the Heat had one more chance after Leonard made just one to give the Spurs a 95-92 edge. James missed but Bosh got the rebound out to Allen, the league's career leader in 3-pointers, who made another one from the corner to even it up.

The Spurs went ahead by three again in overtime, but James found a cutting Allen for a basket, then scored himself to put the Heat on top. They clinched it when Bosh blocked San Antonio's final two shot attempts.

Bosh finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Thiago Alcántara struck the first ever hat-trick in a one-off Under-21 final as Spain beat Italy 4-2 to retain their UEFA European U21 Championship title.

Julen Lopetegui's masterly Spain side came into the decider unbeaten in 25 competitive encounters, and though Thiago's early opener looked to have set them on course to increase that tally, Ciro Immobile soon struck back for Italy. It proved a false dawn for Devis Mangia's team, who fell behind again just after the half-hour.

The two previous finals between these nations – in 1986 and 1996 – had been won on penalties, so it was fitting that spot kicks from Thiago and Isco ultimately settled matters in Jerusalem. Fabio Borini's 80th-minute riposte was too little, too late.

Considering these two sides had conceded a solitary goal between them in Israel, few could have foreseen such a helter-skelter encounter. Álvaro Morata, the adidas Golden Boot winner with four goals, had been Spain's go-to man in their opening four fixtures and, six minutes into the showpiece, again came up trumps. This time he played the role of provider, shimmying his way to the byline before standing the ball up for Thiago to head in from close range.

If that was typical tiki-taka from Spain, the Azzurrini's equaliser came in more direct fashion. Immobile brought down Matteo Bianchetti's long pass with one exquisite touch before dinking the ball over David de Gea – bang went Spain's tournament clean sheet.

Francesco Bardi soon got down swiftly to deny Morata and Koke, thus keeping his team level. De Gea, making his 27th appearance to equal Santi Denia as Spain's most-capped U21 international, was in action himself before the half-hour. Alessandro Florenzi raced on to Borini's pass, bamboozled Marc Bartra and volleyed goalwards – De Gea was well placed.

It proved a turning point for Spain, who restored their advantage when Thiago wriggled free, took Koke's ball down on his chest and squeezed a shot through Bardi's legs. The Italian did not get quite so close to preventing La Rojita's third, Thiago slotting past him from the spot after Giulio Donati felled Tello.

The FC Barcelona midfielder so nearly made it four after the interval but his low effort was thwarted by Bardi. De Gea should also have been required not long after, Lorenzo Insigne and Florenzi both snatching at half-chances. Isco soon followed suit at the other end, putting his first-time finish narrowly wide following a lightning-fast counterattack from Cristian Tello.

Though Tello's pace was now proving a frequent thorn in Italy's side, it was the man behind him who teed up Spain's fourth, Martín Montoya pulled down by Vasco Regini after racing forward from right-back; Isco made no mistake.

Despite the early scare it seemed that, finally, Lopetegui's assertion that "the final is in our hands" had come to fruition. Though Borini prompted brief cause for alarm with a fine finish, Lopetegui, mastermind of Spain's U19 triumph last summer, could join a record crowd at Teddy Stadium in watching his team lift Spain's fourth U21 title in consummate fashion.

Manu Ginobili had 24 points and 10 assists in a surprise start to spark the San Antonio Spurs to a 114-104 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, pushing the Spurs one victory away from their fifth championship.

Danny Green scored 24 points and broke Ray Allen's finals record for 3s in a series with 25. Tony Parker had 26 points for San Antonio.

LeBron James scored 25 points on 8-for-22 shooting for the Heat and Dwyane Wade had 25 points and 10 assists. But the Heat missed 21 of their first 29 shots to fall behind by 17 points in the second quarter of another uninspired performance.

Game 6 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Miami.

Whirling through the defense like the Manu of old, Ginobili shrugged off a postseason full of disappointment to deliver a performance that the Spurs have never needed more desperately. He hit 8 of 14 shots and had his highest points total since June 4, 2012.

Tim Duncan had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Green was 6 for 10 from 3-point range, and Parker gutted through 36 minutes on that tender right hamstring. Kawhi Leonard had 16 points and eight rebounds, and the San Antonio shot 60 percent to overcome 19 turnovers.

Allen scored 21 points and Chris Bosh had 16 points and six rebounds for the Heat, who were stunned by a vintage Ginobili performance early and never really recovered.

Miami missed 21 of its first 29 shots and Green hit three straight 3s in the middle of the second quarter to tie Allen's record of 22. The Spurs led 47-30 on Duncan's two free throws before the Heat finally showed some fight.

A 12-0 run got them back within striking distance at 47-42 and the Heat surged out of the halftime gates to cut San Antonio's lead to 61-59 in the first 1:17 of the third.

San Antonio pushed right back, getting a jumper from Parker, a 3-pointer from Green that broke Allen's record and a lefty layup from Ginobili to get a little breathing room.

Ginobili closed the third with a twisting, off-balance, left-handed runner and a right-handed drive to the bucket to bring cheers of ''Manu! Manu!'' from the delirious crowd.

Nowhere to be found in the first four games, and for most of these playoffs, Ginobili had his fingerprints all over the opening of Game 5. He hit a step-back jumper, had two pretty assists on a backdoor cut from Green and a thunderous dunk from Duncan and knocked down two free throws for an early 9-4 lead.

Ginobili's 3-pointer from the wing made it 15-10, bringing the nervous crowd to its feet. The awakening was a welcome sign for the Spurs, who desperately missed their playmaking daredevil.

The Heat reclaimed momentum in Game 4 thanks to a shuffle of the starting lineup by coach Erik Spoelstra, who moved sharp-shooter Mike Miller into the starting lineup in Udonis Haslem's place, giving Miami a smaller lineup that spaced the floor better and gave James and Wade room to operate.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a move to match that on Sunday night, putting the struggling Ginobili in for center Tiago Splitter. Ginobili was averaging 7.5 points in the first four games and shooting 34 percent. In the final year of his deal, the soon-to-be 36-year-old was asked about retirement on Saturday.

The crowd roared for Ginobili when he was introduced last, with one banner reading ''We still Gino-believe!''
Wade had endured a similarly quiet start to these finals before erupting for 32 points and six steals in Miami's Game 4 victory that evened the series. That carried over to the opening quarter of Game 5, when Wade's assertive play helped Miami withstand Ginobili's initial haymaker.

Wade's trademark euro-step on the break and two free throws kept the game tight and James hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 17 with under 5 minutes to play in the period.

The two teams entered Game 5 riding a pendulum of momentum that was swinging wildly back and forth over the previous three games. A classic, air-tight Game 1 victory by the Spurs gave way to three blowouts - Miami by 19 in Game 1, San Antonio by 36 in Game 3 and the Heat by 16 in Game 4.
The volatility made it difficult for either team to feel like it had a grip on expectations heading into the pivotal Game 5, but the Heat did appear to finally assert themselves with a dominant performance from their three All-Stars on Thursday night.
James, Wade and Bosh broke out of a series-long malaise to combine for 85 points, 30 rebounds and 10 steals, finally finding a way to get to the rim against the paint-clogging Spurs defense.

But for a team as talented and experienced as they are, these Heat have shown a maddening inconsistency over the last month. The team that won 27 straight during the regular season came into the game having going 11 straight games without winning two in a row.

There was so much more riding on this game for the Spurs than the Heat, who reclaimed homecourt advantage with their decisive victory in Game 4. Under the current 2-3-2 format that was adopted in 1985, no visiting team has won both Games 6 and 7 on the road in the finals.

And the Spurs played with more urgency from the start.

Now the Heat's backs are against the wall one more time. And it was Ginobili who put them there.

Three days after a three-overtime thriller in the opener, Boston and Chicago once again were tied after regulation. The Bruins then turned up their play and finally cashed in after goaltender Corey Crawford had single handily kept the Blackhawks in the game.

Daniel Paille scored at 13:48 in overtime and the Bruins shrugged off a sluggish start to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Saturday night and even the Stanley Cup finals at a game apiece.

2013 Miss USA Pageant

On Thursday, two Miss USA contestants showed their support in a photo shoot event to show off the Stanley Cup Finalist of their choice. The two contestants are Miss Illinois USA 2013, Stacie Juris; and Miss Massachusetts USA 2013, Sarah Kidd.

Miss Illinois USA and Miss Massachusetts USA will compete along with the other contestants for the title of Miss USA 2013. Miss Florida Michelle Aguirre is a big favorite to win this year's 2013 Miss USA title. Besides her looks, she can dance circles around you and goes hand fishing for catfish. Las Vegas Odds put her at (+700) while Miss Illinois Stacie Juris is a distant (+2,000). Our personal favorite is coming in as an underdog, Miss California Mabelynn Capeluj (+3,300). The winner will also earn the coveted Miss USA Diamond Nexus Crown LIVE on NBC starting at 9:00 PM ET on June 16th, 2013.

Update: Miss Connecticut Erin Brady is the 2013 Miss USA Pageant Winner!

LeBron James scored 33 points while playing with the aggression and ferocity that everyone expects of the four-time MVP, leading the Miami Heat to a 109-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night that evened the NBA Finals at two games apiece.

Each of Miami's Big 3 exceeded their scoring average from the first three Finals games in Thursday's Game 4. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each eclipsed 30 points.

James also had 11 rebounds and four assists and finally got some much-needed help from his struggling All-Star teammates. Dwyane Wadescored 32 points, Chris Bosh had 20 points and 13 rebounds and the defending champions made sure the series will head back to South Beach.

Tony Parker had 15 points and nine assists while playing through a sore right hamstring for the Spurs, who were trying to move one step closer to their fifth championship.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in San Antonio.Ray Allen scored 14 points for the Heat. Miami had 50 points in the paint after managing 32 in a 36-point loss in Game 3.

Tim Duncan scored 20 points, and Kawhi Leonard added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who turned the ball over 19 times. After setting a Finals record with 16 3-pointers in Game 3, San Antonio was 8 for 16.

James was an abysmal 7 for 21 for 15 points in Game 3, and he promised to be better in Game 4. He delivered on that the only way he knows how, hitting 15-of-25 shots and putting the team on his shoulders to set the tone early.

Every time James snatched a Spurs miss off the glass he thundered up the court, attacking the back-pedaling defense for easy layups that simply haven't been there for him this series.

He made six of his first seven shots, controlling the tempo and responding when the Spurs threatened to run away with the game in the first six minutes.

Parker strained his right hamstring during Game 3, leaving many in San Antonio to fear that the big step forward they made with their win in Game 3 came at a hefty price. But Parker deemed himself "ready to go" at the team's morning shoot-around and looked fine, save for a quick trip to the locker room in the fourth quarter.

All the old Parker tricks were there in the first quarter -- a pull-up jumper to open the game, a driving layup and then another off the pick-and-roll. Leonard then buried a 3-pointer to give the Spurs a 15-5 lead early in the game.

Then James made the move the Heat have been waiting for all series.
He took the ball coast-to-coast on two straight possessions during a run that tied it at 19. James then hit two mid-range jumpers -- an area that has been a struggle for him -- to cap the 14-2 surge and give Miami a 25-21 lead.

In an unusual move, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra decided to shuffle the starting lineup in the middle of a series. He inserted the sharp-shooting Mike Miller for big man Udonis Haslem in an effort to create more room for James and Wade to penetrate to the rim.

Miller was 9 for 10 on 3-pointers in his first three games of the Finals, but was scoreless in the game.

Wade was averaging 2.7 points in the second half in the Finals, but had eight in the third quarter of Game 4.

Wade then finished off the Spurs with a flurry of eight straight Heat points followed by an assist to Bosh for a 94-83 lead with seven minutes to play. The Heat's Big Three scored all but three points for Miami in the fourth.
If there was a common theme in the first three games, it was the curiously meek performance from James. He entered this series after perhaps the best season of his career, a versatile and efficient freight train that had taken the league and made it his own.

He was out to show just how far he'd come from 2007, when the Spurs dismantled his Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals and exposed the rising star as a player who could be neutralized if he was forced to settle for jump shots. James promised that he would not be so easily contained this time around, and .565 shooting percentage during the regular season, including .406 on 3-pointers, seemed to support that theory.

But the Spurs had done to him in these Finals exactly what they did to him six years ago. They've clogged the paint with two big men -- Duncan and Tiago Splitter -- and surrounded him on the perimeter with a pack of hungry young wings led by Leonard and Green.

The results had been unlike anything the league has grown used to seeing from its biggest star. James entered Game 4 averaged 16.7 points on 38.9 percent shooting. He was just 3 for 13 from 3-point range in the first three games, and even more startling, only had six free throw attempts.
"I'm putting all the pressure on my chest, on my shoulders to come through for our team," James said. "That's the way it is."

It would be hard to find much higher stakes than Game 4 for the Heat. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.

The Miami Heat find themselves down 2-1 in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs as they prepare to hit the hardwood as betting underdogs in Game 4 on Thursday night.

They might end up as favorites if Tony Parker can't go with a seriously strained hamstring. The Spurs point guard is day-to-day and didn't sound too convincing at a press conference Wednesday.

The Spurs trounced the Heat 113-77 as a 2-point home favorite on the NBA betting lines in Game 3 of the best-of-seven set on Tuesday night, with Danny Green scoring a team-high 27 points.

LeBron James was held to just 15 points in the loss for Miami and he promised a better performance, one that would put the team on his shoulders if needed for Game 4.

The betting consensus was split right down the middle as of Thursday morning and he line had moved from -2 to -1 in early wagering.

The Spurs sport records of 58-24 and 39-41-2 ATS heading into this matchup, while the Heat sit at 66-16 and 46-36 ATS on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 36-45-1 for the Spurs and 43-39 for the Heat.

Betting Line:
On the opening line for this matchup, the Spurs sat as 2-point favorites. The total had been pegged earlier by the oddsmakers at 188.5.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings have the No. 6-rated Heat taking on the No. 3-rated Spurs in this contest. Computer models indicate a possible 107-106 win for the Heat on Thursday.

How They Match Up:
The game also pits San Antonio's No. 4-ranked offense, averaging 103 PPG, against a Heat defense that ranks No. 5 at 95 PPG. The Spurs field goal percentage has averaged 48.1% so far, less than the Heat shooters have achieved on the year, 49.6% per game.

In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Heat own the league's No. 3-rated mark, allowing 94.4 points per game when playing on the road. San Antonio, on the other hand, rates No. 5 in scoring on their home court.

Miami lost its last outing, a 113-77 result against the Spurs on June 11. The Heat failed to cover in that game as a 2-point underdog, while the 190 combined points took the game OVER the total. Miami was run off the court by the Spurs on Tuesday as San Antonio blasted them 113-77 at AT&T Center.

Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing San Antonio are 6-4
After playing San Antonio are 3-7
After a loss are 10-0

San Antonio Spurs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
Before playing Miami are 9-1
After playing Miami are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

A few Heat at Spurs trends to consider:
Miami is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Miami's last 13 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 19 of Miami's last 25 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
San Antonio is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
San Antonio is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games at home

Next up:
Miami at San Antonio, Sunday, June 16
San Antonio home to Miami, Sunday, June 16