(narrator) Few professional teams have ever enjoyed
an extended run of excellence quite like that
of the NBA's model of consistency, the San Antonio Spurs.
(announcer) For the third time in five years
and the fourth time in their rich history,
the San Antonio Spurs are NBA world champions.
(narrator) At the core of their success is a fiercely loyal friendship
forged in the heat of battle between three franchise icons
and their celebrated coach with a no-nonsense approach.
(Gregg Popovich) Play everything out there, and that means with your teammates.
They got talent, we gotta beat them with all of us.
(narrator) But even the most successful of organizations
can have doubt cast upon it.
And at that critical moment, all that's left to rely on
is the courage of conviction
and the capacity to honor a commitment to the team.
(announcer) Hang on... San Antonio Spurs!
[cheering]
(announcer) San Antonio now 28 seconds away from a championship.
They lead by five.
Everybody knows how close we were a year ago.
Right down to the wire and within 30 seconds
of actually winning a championship.
Being that close, at a point where you almost touch it.
(narrator) After failing to secure a rebound,
the Spurs' five-point lead, with 28 seconds to go,
was reduced to two.
(announcer) James another three-- it's good!
(narrator) And when Kawhi Leonard split a pair of free throws
on the ensuing possession,
San Antonio was still one defensive stop away
from capturing the fifth championship in franchise history.
Let's go, we got time to get this thing done, let's go.
(announcer) No timeouts left, so Miami needs a good three.
They've got time to set it up.
James catches, puts up a three.
Won't go! Rebound, Bosh.
Back out to Allen. His three pointer-- bang!
Tie game!
(narrator) In the extra session, the Heat would snuff out any hopes
for a Spurs celebration on their home floor.
(announcer) Green blocked by Bosh!
Game over!
I guess the obvious word is "disappointing."
(Tony Parker) I was devastated.
I wanted to cry.
I never felt like that in a basketball game.
We were a few seconds away from winning the championship.
And we let it go.
(narrator) Two nights later, the Miami Heat
would win a decisive game seven and the 2013 NBA title
while the San Antonio Spurs were forced to come to terms
with one of the most devastating collapses in championship history.
To plot a path forward in the road to redemption,
coach Gregg Popovich instinctively knew what needed to be done
as the Spurs prepared for the upcoming season.
We started our training camp by watching that game,
every frame of it.
Pop wanted us to see it again, to feel it, to realize what happened.
(Boris Diaw) You guys know we lost in the last 20 seconds,
but that's not where we lost the game.
That was like a zero tolerance type of tale for Popovich.
We have to pay attention to details.
We can make no mistakes.
(Gregg Popovich) You're in control of things.
You don't blame it on the basketball gods or anything like that.
What can we do better?
And either we will or we won't.
But we show the fortitude to stick together
and try to get another opportunity
or we break apart.
(narrator) It would be back to the basics for the Spurs
as Pop opened camp at the United States Air Force Academy,
where the former cadet would reinforce what mattered most
in strengthening the bonds of his unit.
We want to thank you, the Academy, for being here.
You guys have been great.
And you're going to find out that they're hard workers just like you all are.
We hope you enjoy yourselves this evening.
It was about just getting better.
Blessed with a great group of guys.
They came together and they enjoyed each other and loved each other.
And they loved playing with each other and they show it.
Obviously you can't erase last year and what happened
or the thoughts of what happened last year,
but to be back on the court with these guys
and to see us starting another journey is great for us.
(narrator) A glorious journey had already been shared
for more than a decade by San Antonio's big three.
And Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker
appeared to be just as cohesive and just as productive
when the new campaign got underway.
(Tim Duncan) Those guys are the ultimate competitors.
They've changed their game just like I've changed mine.
and adapted to what Pops asked us to do.
And we continue to find ways to win.
(narrator) Every year you write them off.
They're too old? No.
They never age for some reason.
(Manu Ginobili) With the years, get a level of trust,
confidence, respect, appreciation.
(announcer) Spurs have won ten in a row.
(Manu Ginobili) The goal is always the common one.
What we want to do is win.
(announcer) San Antonio matches the best start in franchise history,
the twelfth consecutive game.
(Tony Parker) To be able to play all those years together
in professional sports, it doesn't exist.
I appreciate every moment because I know
one day I'm gonna play without those two guys.
(Gregg Popovich) They are the heart and soul and core,
but they've allowed us to add other players around them.
They brought them into the family,
helped us teach them their roles, and it's worked out.
(narrator) The Spurs would also learn to rely
on an up and coming star in the making: Kawhi Leonard.
(Gregg Popovich) He's got a great work ethic.
His development is really important.
Little did we know that he was going to progress as quickly as he did.
(announcer) ...and he's only 22, an emerging star.
His will to be a great player and to begin it with defense and boards
makes him pretty special.
(announcer) Leonard-- got it!
(Danny Green) We all know what he's capable of.
And they've been pushing him to be more aggressive.
And throughout the year he's done that.
And we trusted him to guard the best players in the world.
(announcer) Kawhi Leonard is the future of the San Antonio Spurs.
He don't really speak a lot.
Almost never.
But you can see it from his eyes that he really want to win.
(announcer) He is competing on every single play.
Look at that, Kawhi Leonard. Thompson chasing.
Wraps him up-- And one! Oh, mama!
Just to play with this guy, for me, is an honor
because he's gonna be the future of this team.
(narrator) While Kawhi Leonard capably shouldered more of the load,
Tim Duncan carried on like the franchise cornerstone
he'd been for the 16 previous seasons.
(Gregg Popovich) Everything begins with Tim.
But frankly, we almost take him for granted.
And then when you see him play and you look at the film
and you say, "My gosh, he's still doin' the same thing."
(announcer) Tim Duncan, one of the greats of all time.
When you are 38, that's very hard to do.
Because on the other side, you got kids that don't stop running or jumping.
And they hit you.
But he did it day in, day out, always being a super-pro
and making us better.
And showing leadership in moments where we needed him the most.
(announcer) Timmy, for the win-- got it!
(Peter Holt) I love that guy, and he's changed his whole game.
For a guy that has as many minutes and as many miles on his legs,
it's unbelievable.
(announcer) Turn back the clock!
During the summer I was working with the him and I was like,
"Wow, this guy's running more than me and I'm feel ashamed."
(announcer) He's better now than he was two years ago.
(Aron Baynes) The first game I watched, he was dominant.
And every game I've been in here,
he's just been as dominant as the first time I saw him.
It's crazy how he maintains that level of playing.
It's an honor to be able to play alongside him.
(narrator) Tim Duncan may be the foundation that these Spurs were built on,
but he was just one of the many moving pieces.
Maximizing their depth, San Antonio would become the first team in NBA history
to play an entire season with no player averaging as many as 30 minutes a game.
(Kawhi Leonard) Our bench is very important.
Because they'll come in and play great.
(announcer) They just roll guys out there and they look like they're all NBA.
They could be a start-on-fire team in the NBA.
They could beat a lot of teams.
(announcer) San Antonio, they're ten deep.
And they play a system and play with a discipline
that is just remarkable.
We are not a team that's gonna have
somebody scoring 40 every game that we can rely on.
So, we need contribution from everybody.
(announcer) There goes that bench again.
(Gregg Popovich) Everybody had an opportunity.
It gave guys great confidence to come in and play well.
(announcer) Danny Green!
You had different guys emerge and play great roles throughout the whole season.
It shows how deep our bench is.
All 14 guys can play.
(narrator) That may be because San Antonio leaves no stone unturned
searching for unique talent in diverse regions.
It's cool to come from all different part of the Earth.
(Tiago Splitter) Everybody's from another place.
Like a fish out of the water.
(announcer) Belinelli fires-- Mama mia!
Marco Belinelli!
(Boris Diaw) We all got different culture.
At the same time, we all got the same passion of basketball
and that's what kinda bring us back together.
(announcer) If you love basketball, you have to appreciate the Spurs.
All different styles and experiences of play come together.
To put that onto the court, it makes it very exciting.
(announcer) Belinelli out to Patty Mills-- 4-3.
You backed it out of here.
(narrator) It would all translate
into success in the standings.
And San Antonio closed the campaign
by rattling off a franchise record winning streak.
(announcer) San Antonio's won 13 in a row.
Spurs' fifteenth consecutive win.
And the Spurs with 18 straight wins.
(narrator) Although they had compiled the association's best record,
the Spurs had also had provided ammunition for their doubters and detractors.
(announcer) KD, fire in the hole!
The Thunder defeat the Spurs.
We struggled with the top teams in the league.
(announcer) The Houston Rockets storm into the Alamo City and defeat the Spurs again.
And we lost to every team that was a championship contender.
(announcer) So the Portland Trail Blazers pick up a game on the Spurs.
We needed to figure out what we needed to do to fix that.
A lot of people didn't believe in us.
They thought we were too old, like always.
This ain't no regular season game.
They lost here. That memory come back when they walk in here.
(Kawhi Leonard) We just kept hearing that we couldn't beat any top team in the NBA.
(announcer) Bad pass and that's what it leads to as James throws it down.
Everybody was concerned about when we get to the playoffs,
we wouldn't be able to compete with elite talent.
(narrator) The 62 regular season wins would be reduced to a footnote in history
if the team could not work together to achieve their much loftier goal.
At the end of the regular season, we knew that it was now business time.
And what we'd done throughout the regular season was great,
but we hadn't achieved anything yet.
(narrator) After climbing to the top of the Western Conference,
the San Antonio Spurs entered the playoffs as the number one seed.
They would be tested immediately by a familiar foe
with an impressive playoff pedigree of their own
in Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
We knew just because we were the one seed and Dallas was the eight seed
didn't mean the series was a gimme.
They have championship experience.
They're a great team led by one of the all-time great players in Dirk Nowitzki.
And everybody starts zero and zero come playoff time.
(narrator) The sweep of the season series and the Spurs' victory in the opener
offered little comfort after Dallas delivered a wake-up call.
(announcer) Nowitzki, contact-- Gets it!
And hits!
The Dallas Mavericks with a definitive statement in game two.
(narrator) If the Mavericks had not yet gotten
the Spurs' full attention, all that was about to change.
(announcer) Who will be the hero? Calderon throws it in.
Carter in the corner-- Got it away!
Dallas has stunned the number one seeded San Antonio Spurs.
It's always tough. He made a great shot and they got the win.
So, of course it's disappointing.
You know, we are not out.
We lost a tough one.
We gotta just play a little better.
Before the series started, Dirk, he was our main focus.
But then everybody started to play well for them.
(announcer) Ooh, quick, 29 for Monta Ellis.
Dallas forced us to get on track.
You know, really play Spurs basketball
and execute to the highest level on both ends of the floor.
(announcer) Kawhi Leonard-- What a block
and they're playing with a kind of desperation, that urgency early.
Are you playing? Are you playing?
A little bit of ugly, okay?
A little bit of contact.
A little bit of ferociousness. It's the playoffs.
... it's money time.
We just did a good job of turning around that Dallas series with our defense.
(announcer) Harris on the run on a top pass right through the back court.
Nowitzki didn't see that coming.
Good numbers.
Kawhi went flying from the free throw line.
(narrator) Responding to the challenge, the Spurs pulled ahead three games to two,
but could not close out the series in Dallas.
And suddenly, the long journey back to the NBA Finals was in jeopardy
long before they had reached their desired destination.
Dallas was really important for us because they were tough.
But we had to make adjustments in that first series
to help us become better.
Fortunately, we had home court advantage and played well in game seven.
Aggressive and play together.
Play for each other. That's what it's all about.
It's just another basketball game if you play with each other.
One, two, three, defense.
(announcer) Nowitzki against Splitter.
Splitter knocks it away from behind.
Two on one. Parker to Leonard for the flush.
Spurs are picking and rolling to death these Mavs.
As dominant a first half as you can have,
San Antonio still shooting an incredible 72% from the field.
It's a 27-point lead.
(Gregg Popovich) Great job on Dirk.
It's all about the defense.
That was some of the best defense I've seen all year.
Taking away the three, getting back down, not falling,
keep up with the D in the board.
(announcer) And they turn it over.
The Spurs put in their best performance in game seven.
A dominant victory for San Antonio.
But it's now on to face Portland.
And after the series against Dallas, everything was better for us.
Our focus was better.
Portland, we play immediately a great basketball game.
(announcer) Parker, again he cannot be stopped by the Blazers.
He's got 20. This is a complete demolition.
(announcer #2) For people that still think the Spurs are boring,
they haven't been watching.
A thing of beauty on offense.
Defense is ruling the day.
The defense is ruling the day, it's fueling everything.
(announcer) It's a grabbed one from the Blazers.
Don't go there. To Leonard, who drops the anvil!
(narrator) The veteran crew had found their rhythm.
And their relentless assault would prove to be overwhelming
for the less experienced Portland Trail Blazers.
Going to make him guard by attacking.
Find the open man or go yourself.
(announcer) There's Ginobili with Splitter.
And the dunk!
(narrator) With surgical precision,
the Spurs would oust the Trail Blazers in five games.
(announcer) San Antonio goes to the Western Conference Finals
for the third consecutive year.
(narrator) Next up was another date with the electrifying offensive attack
of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the Oklahoma City Thunder,
a team that had dominated the Spurs in the regular season series
by winning all four games.
As each series progressed, we really got better.
Playing some teams that had their way with us during the year.
(Danny Green) OKC's a very tough matchup for us.
And we lost to them in the conference finals two years ago.
So we felt this is our chance to redeem ourselves.
(narrator) The Thunder entered shorthanded
with three-time NBA all-defense first-teamer
Serge Ibaka sidelined by a calf injury.
The Spurs were quick to capitalize,
exploiting every opportunity in the interior.
(announcer) The Spurs are absolutely dominating the paint.
Kawhi Leonard on a tired Kevin Durant with the spin move.
Great drives, great drive, that's what it's all about.
(announcer) What a move by Tony Parker!
These guys don't miss.
And I want a smarter quarter here.
Better execution. Play like you know how to play.
(announcer) Green left free and takes advantage of another three-pointer.
And it is a commanding victory for the San Antonio Spurs
as they go two games to nothing in this best of seven.
First two games we won pretty good.
They didn't have Serge.
Game three he comes back-- an emotional game for him.
They had their home crowd behind them.
(narrator) When the Thunder got back to OKC,
they also got back to full strength
and fed off the energy injected by Ibaka's return
to draw even in the series.
(announcer) They rout the Spurs tonight, 105-92 in game four
to deadlock this thing at two apiece.
OKC was one of the toughest teams for us to play.
And so we knew it was going to be a battle.
We knew we had to play our best basketball to beat them.
Game five came in with a different mindset.
That's when we started moving the ball even better
because we had to.
They're so athletic.
And the only way to get them to move or tire them out
is to move the ball and get open shots.
(narrator) In a pivotal game five performance,
San Antonio reasserted themselves as the superior squad
by playing with passion while paying attention to detail.
We gotta move these athletes around.
We can't keep it on one side.
We can't have any ball stoppers.
(announcer) Diaw gets it down low. Here's Duncan inside.
The Spurs, offensively, are back.
117-89, all Spurs.
They take a three games to two lead.
It was very important to keep our foot on the gas pedal
and not let them back in it.
At the time, nobody won on the road.
We knew we just had to come out with twice as much focus
to hopefully get that win.
Let's match their aggressiveness.
Let's match that right off the bat. Let's go get after them.
Make them feel you.
One, two, three, defense.
(narrator) The return trip to the finals was within San Antonio's grasp.
But first they'd have to shake off an apparent ankle injury
that had sent Tony Parker to the bench.
An explosive third quarter staked the Spurs to a double-digit lead.
But the Thunder came roaring back.
(announcer) First lead of the fourth quarter for the Thunder.
Looking to take it to a game seven back in San Antonio.
Leonard plagued by Westbrook.
Ginobili for three. Yes!
(narrator) As the battle raged into overtime,
it was Tim Duncan in the twilight of his career
who once more would deliver the decisive blow.
(announcer) The San Antonio Spurs on their way
to the NBA Finals for the second straight season.
What does it mean to you to get back to the finals
and get another shot at Miami?
You know, it's unbelievable to regain that focus
after that devastating loss that we had last year.
But we're back here. And we're excited about it.
And we got four more to win. We'll do it this time.
One, two, three, drive!
(narrator) After claiming their second consecutive Western Conference crown,
the San Antonio Spurs got exactly what they wanted.
We were ready last year and we just couldn't get over the hump.
But we're happy to be back here this year.
We're happy to have another opportunity at it.
And we're happy it's the Heat again.
Hopefully we'll be ready to sink it this time.
(LeBron James) They don't like us. I could sense it from Timmy's comments.
They wanted us and we'll be ready for a challenge.
(narrator) The two-time defending NBA champions
who were chasing their own place in history,
had steamrolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
(announcer) Miami is saying, "You are not beating us."
(narrator) After dispatching the Charlotte Bobcats and the Brooklyn Nets,
the Heat would meet up with their closest rivals in the East
for a second consecutive time at the conference finals.
They wanted home court all year.
Be careful what you wish for, man.
(narrator) Indiana had set the pace for much of the year.
But they proved to be no match for Miami.
(announcer) Allen, again for three!
And the Heat just pouring it on.
(narrator) As the Heat became the first team in more than two decades
to make their way to the NBA Finals four years in a row.
This is how we do.
We know we still got work to do.
But we're going to four straight finals.
And we aren't gonna take tonight for granted. We gonna enjoy this.
I didn't look at it like revenge, you know?
I look at it more like a rematch because I have a lot of respect for Miami.
But we were very happy to play them
because we wanted to get another shot at it.
[clamoring]
Let's go, let's get this party started.
Go Spurs, go, let's go, baby!
Let's beat the Heat! Let's go!
(announcer) It's a finals rematch here in 2014
with the Miami Heat looking to become the first to three-peat
since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers.
(Dwayne Wade) Game one of another great series.
Felt like we were gonna see the Spurs.
Spurs felt like they were gonna see us.
So that's what we're ready for.
(Patty Mills) The passion and determination that was on everyone's face,
really wanting it so bad to correct what we messed up last year.
Spurs on three! One, two, three, Spurs!
(LeBron James) We put ourself in a position to compete for what we want to get.
And we're here now, so make it count.
Every game is a game seven and treat it that way.
Let's make a statement.
One, two, three, get 'em. Four, five, six...
(narrator) Much has been said and written about the San Antonio Spurs
wanting to get revenge against the Miami Heat for a bitter loss
in last year's NBA Finals.
All they know is they are four wins away from an NBA title.
And the two-time defending champs are standing in the way.
(Dwayne Wade) Greatness is power!
Greatness is blood, sweat, and tears!
Greatness is every inch!
We gotta take every inch. Let's be great tonight.
All right, let's be who we are.
Let's be champions.
Me and you, huh? Again, huh?
I just gave the media something to talk about.
And the 2014 NBA Finals are underway.
Back up, hands, hands!
(narrator) By his own admission, Manu Ginobili had been haunted
by his subpar performance at the 2013 finals.
He wasted little time in exorcising those demons
to set a different tone for this series.
(announcer) Manu Ginobili with a triple has given San Antonio a lead.
We're playing the NBA champion and we want what they have.
That means we can't turn it over.
It means we can't let up for a second, physicality-wise.
(announcer) To Parker up the floor.
Spots Ginobili trailing on the left side.
And he plants another three-pointer!
Manu with back-to-back threes.
(Gregg Popovich) He was a driven man.
And the competitor that he is,
this is like the pinnacle for him.
Especially to help erase, you know, last year.
(narrator) But the two-time defending champions
would storm right back.
(announcer) A 6-0 run for Miami. Nice answer.
And they go up by one.
They're gonna pick it up now. Let's be ready for it.
(announcer) Here's Wade who already has three championship rings at home.
Trying to garner another.
(Gregg Popovich) Nothing can be lazy.
Every cut, every screen, every curl, everything's gotta be strong.
(narrator) Spearheading the Spurs' attack in the first half
was their future first-ballot hall-of-famer.
(announcer) Diaw on the drive, inside to Duncan.
And that will end the first half of game one.
LeBron James with 13 points to lead the Miami Heat.
Tim Duncan, six of seven, fifteen points to lead San Antonio.
(narrator) When the second half got underway,
the contest would heat up, literally.
(announcer) An electrical failure
for the power that runs the AC unit is malfunctioning.
(announcer) A hot AT&T Center to say the least, hot and steamy.
(narrator) And as the temperature inside continued to climb,
the Miami Heat began to surge.
(announcer) Here comes Allen.
Allen pushes off Belinelli and throws it down!
The Spurs, very sloppy.
That's there 17th turnover.
(announcer #2) I agree that the heat has had an impact,
but it's the Heat defense that has created turnovers by the Spurs.
(announcer) James for three-- that's good!
LeBron James' second three-pointer. He's got 23.
It's okay.
Let's make these last ten minutes
the execution we've had the whole playoffs.
Let's make these last ten minutes
really sharp passes to the open man.
Not forcing it, not being in a hurry, all right?
Let's get after it.
(announcer) Ginobili picked up by Andersen.
Green will try again. Hits the three!
Danny Green's first field goal of the game.
He was 0 for 4 from downtown.
And the Spurs back within one.
Diaw looking. Green again.
Bang!
Spurs up by two.
And what a marvelous fourth quarter comeback for San Antonio.
(narrator) But with the outcome still to be determined,
it would be the Heat who wilted in the extreme conditions.
(announcer) James' crossover move drives to the rim and finishes.
(announcer #2) And hobble up, he's cramping up again, Mike.
(announcer) And he can barely-- can't even make it down the floor.
(announcer #3) He is looking over at the training staff and saying he can't move.
Reading his lips, he said he can't move.
They're literally gonna carry LeBron James over to the Miami bench.
(narrator) A severely dehydrated LeBron James was reduced to a witness
as San Antonio completed their charge.
(announcer) Thirty to nine run San Antonio since trailing 86-79.
It's Green-- again, Danny Green from downtown!
The San Antonio Spurs take game one of the 2014 NBA Finals.
[clamoring]
We did it baby, one down, three to go!
We won the first one and we're gonna
come in here on Sunday and hopefully play better.
And come out with another one.
(announcer) Welcome to game two of the NBA Finals.
The urgency for Miami and the game's most scrutinized star
is dialed up.
Let's win. It's automatic.
Whatever it takes to win.
For the Spurs, they split the first two games of the finals last year.
And now they'll do everything in their power
to win two in a row and hold on to home court advantage.
I don't think they've ever been down 2 and 0 in any series.
It's the reason why they're defending champs.
This is a big game.
Let's go, boys.
From Wake Forest, number 21, Tim Duncan!
[cheering]
(announcer) All right, let's get this game under way.
Great pass from Splitter and Duncan throws it down.
Turn back the clock!
Oh, Duncan on the follow!
He's four for five already.
Pace is great.
No holding, the ball does not stick.
(announcer) Parker takes it swerving down the right side between two defenders.
Goes up and under with it scoops.
A little French kiss for Tony Parker off the glass.
Spurs have been able to pretty well do what they want
offensively here in the first quarter.
Come on, come on, hard, hard, hard, let's go!
(announcer) Good ball movement to James, got in deep.
Goes to the gap and sends it in with a snap right-hand jam.
All the muscles look good!
Move it, move it!
Come on, be aggressive!
(announcer) Wade picks it up to Bosh.
He sways back and hammers down a two-hand jam.
We are tied at the half.
Spurs 43, Heat 43.
Is this great or what?
This is how it's supposed to be.
But now what's important is who's gonna handle their emotion?
(narrator) Desperate to avoid falling into a two-game hole,
the Miami Heat made the most of an opportunity
to swing the series in their favor.
(announcer) Cole, left side, turns the corner.
Hands it off to LeBron. LeBron left open for three.
And James finds the basket.
Always the saving grace-- give it to the best ball player on the planet.
James starting to go from the perimeter-- another three.
That's good! LeBron James.
So many people questioning his toughness, his greatness.
He has responded.
Time out. [whistle blows]
It's a critical part of the game right now, don't lighten up.
(announcer) Now the left wing Belinelli.
Down low to Splitter, got it by Andersen.
Finds-- Ginobili cutting inside. The South American connection.
Splitter to Ginobili.
And that will end a wild third quarter.
We've had 16 lead changes.
Each possession so huge, critical plays.
In such a pivotal game here as these two teams battle for a championship.
Fourth quarter, game two, NBA Finals. Great stuff.
Offensively, let's make this our best quarter as far as pace.
(announcer) Three minutes remaining. Game two hanging in the balance.
Ginobili on the drive back out to Parker. Parker for three.
It's good! Time out Miami, Spurs up by one.
(narrator) The Spurs had valiantly gone toe-to-toe with the champs,
but were unable to slip the final blow.
(announcer) James kicks it out corner to Bosh, an open 3!
Got it from downtown!
Chris Bosh gives Miami a two-point lead.
Finish it strong.
(announcer) Bosh, shot clock down to eight.
Bosh gonna go to the rim.
Inside, Wade lay-up and good!
What a comeback by the Heat!
And that's the ball game.
The Miami Heat even the series.
(Tony Parker) We were up one with one minute and a half to go
and we just couldn't make the shot to go to come up on top.
You know, we had a great opportunity.
This is always a tough place to play.
You know, it's all about how you respond, so we do what we're supposed to do.
Now we gotta go and protect home court.
(announcer) Welcome to Miami, game three of the NBA Finals.
Let's go Heat!
Let's go Heat, let's go Heat!
There was no panic after the loss.
You know, we lose game two, but we know we're playing a great team.
And we're a great team too.
(announcer) The Heat have yet to lose at home in the post season.
Eight in a row.
(LeBron James) When teams come here to play, we've always said we're gonna protect
this home court no matter what happens.
(announcer) The Heat, they have been dominant at home
throughout the post season, but remember this--
The best road team in the NBA all season long was the San Antonio Spurs.
(narrator) To seize the momentum and the squandered home-court advantage,
the entire team would have to perform better.
Perhaps no Spur had more pressure on him than Kawhi Leonard,
who had struggled at the offensive end in games one and two
while having his hands full trying to defend
the league's four-time most valuable player.
As we do this, 15 guys together.
All right, just keep that in your mind.
How important is it to us tonight?
Number six, LeBron.
- [cheering] - Let's go!
(narrator) Backed by a raucous home crowd,
the Miami Heat came out and battled with a ferocious intensity.
(announcer) James throws it down, and a foul.
He's got their last 12 points, 14 here in the first period.
The defensive effort can't stop.
The boards can't stop.
Moving the ball can't stop.
(narrator) Led by a resurgent Kawhi Leonard,
the Spurs would put on one of the most spectacular displays
of offensive efficiency in NBA Finals history.
(announcer) That's a three-- Kawhi Leonard.
Parker against Chalmers, popping out Leonard against Wade.
Fakes right, drives left into the paint, all the way in.
(announcer #2) He scooped it up, it hung on the rim,
and it fell for Kawhi Leonard.
And one. Come on, man!
(announcer) That's one thing Pop wants.
He wants Kawhi Leonard to be aggressive on the offensive end.
(narrator) Although Leonard had struggled to score in games one and two,
he never lost his confidence in his ability to contribute.
(Kawhi Leonard) Well, I was really never down on myself.
I stayed even-keeled.
You know, my team have confidence in me still.
And, you know, coaching staff and the players
telling me that like, this is your time when you go and get it.
(announcer) Mills, he'll penetrate.
Bounce pass, left corner, Leonard.
Great ball movement by the Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard loads up and knocks down a three!
38-23, Spurs by 15.
Yeah.
Great execution! Great execution!
(narrator) The Spurs were firing on all cylinders
because they were playing their brand of basketball.
(announcer) This is a Spurs team that is running the offense to perfection.
(Gregg Popovich) You know, we looked at the film of those first two games
and we realized that we were gonna have to play
a really high level of basketball,
which is gonna entail passing and moving,
if we were gonna be able to do anything with their defense, which is really good.
(announcer) It's like the movie The Hoosiers.
It's gotta hit five sets of hands and then let's get going looking for our shot.
We really love to move the ball,
and I think that's our secret.
(narrator) San Antonio connected on 19 of their first 21 attempts,
eventually establishing a Finals record for accuracy
by sinking nearly 76% of their first half shots.
(announcer) Leonard finishes strong with a right hand.
It has just been one of the great offensive starts in NBA playoff history.
(narrator) Although it looked like the game might be over at half time,
the Heat did not intend to concede a thing.
(announcer) Now LeBron, top of the circle against Leonard.
Inside, Wade lay-up, missed.
Got his own rebound. Put back-- good! Dwyane Wade.
13-point game. 75-62.
Parker right to the basket-- rushed him.
Guard it, guard it!
Now to Chalmers, down the floor.
LeBron, free one and a right-hand lay-up!
Finally Miami converting something.
The Spurs are sucking wind right now, let me tell you, with this pace.
Drive him!
(announcer) Seven on the shot clock, Cole, trying to turn the corner.
Cole, the drive, tip toes, reverse, he banks it in!
Seven point game!
(Gregg Popovich) They've made a hell of a run.
Let's get back to the defense we play
and moving the basketball-- hit the open man.
(narrator) Led by the unselfish play from their highly decorated floor general,
the Spurs would play flawless team basketball
to put the contest out of reach.
(announcer) Along the wing to Green. Green, nowhere to go.
Off to the corner, Leonard will drive base line all the way in.
Slam dunk!-- Kawhi Leonard.
Sometimes everything goes just right.
And tonight that's the way it is for the Spurs.
Green on the drive, James guarding him.
Left-handed and one.
What a beautiful shot for Green.
(announcer #2) The crowd is quiet here in Miami.
LeBron with it, goes to work, he flattens Mills.
Throws to Chalmers, try to feed it back to LeBron,
Jabbed away by an alert Mills.
Diving for it, pokes it ahead Ginobili in the open court, nobody near him.
Cruises to the glass for the two-hand jam.
Great leadership.
You didn't get 30.
Use great leadership and solid, solid play with the ball
and your teammates, great job.
I have to trust my teammate in this series.
(Popovich) Exactly.
(announcer) The Spurs with a huge response here in game three.
And now lead the 2014 NBA Finals two games to one
with a resounding road win here in Miami.
(Kawhi Leonard) He was beating me up right there. [laughs]
He really wasn't saying nothing. He just kept hitting me.
[laughing]
Just wanted me to play the game.
Go out there, be aggressive, but don't think so much.
And just go out there and leave it all on the floor.
I don't think we'll ever shoot 76% in a half-- ever again.
It's the NBA Finals.
You can't just be mediocre out there if you want to win a game.
Everybody's gotta play well.
(LeBron James) We will get better from tonight.
You know, we hate the performance that we put on.
We'll come in and learn from our mistakes
as we always do after a loss.
(Eric Spoelstra) We have to deal with all the emotions that happen in the finals--
frustration, anger, pain, elation-- all of it.
And it can swing back and forth.
It's a long series. We have to be able to manage this.
And it starts with tomorrow, owning it.
- Did I get him, did I get him? - Yeah.
(Gregg Popovich) Big shot.
Stay ready. Stay ready.
Everybody with a ball. Everybody's a point guard.
Go sit down, get off your legs.
You're good, save it for tomorrow.
Save it for tomorrow.
(LeBron James) Verse the Spurs, any little minor mistake that you make,
they will make you pay.
Once they got into the groove, there was no slowing them down.
(Tim Duncan) We have a game plan in place
and it's about the five guys on the floor, whoever it may be,
Just making sure that we make as little mistakes as possible.
(narrator) It's game four of the NBA Finals
and the pressure's on the Miami Heat.
The two-time defending champs desperately need a win
to avoid heading back to San Antonio in a 3-1 hole.
(Dwayne Wade) We gonna get it back tonight.
We gonna get it back from the start-- the way we know how.
The way champions do, man, we respond.
Let's see what we're about.
(announcer) Well, they've been down this road before,
having won 13 consecutive games after a post-season loss.
Green finds Splitter, beautiful feed to Diaw in the finish.
Move it, move it, move it.
(announcer) San Antonio has a double-figure lead here in game four.
They've had a double-figure lead in each game of the series.
Oh, what a beautiful look from Boris Diaw.
Time out.
(announcer) And a time out called by Erik Spoelstra.
(Gregg Popovich) Guys you are doing a great job of moving the ball, as usual.
Now we got a lead again.
It doesn't mean being conservative.
It means we just don't need home runs.
Make them guard.
(announcer) Spurs off to a good aggressive start.
(announcer #2) That's a big strength right there.
Take the contact and finish.
(announcer) Dominant first half for the San Antonio Spurs.
See how solid we are. See how mentally tough we are right now.
One, two, three-- [all] defense!
(announcer) Inside Chalmers, "Birdman" to the rim.
Andersen blocked from behind by Leonard!
Loose balls and boards right now. It's loose balls and boards.
(narrator) The Spurs had picked up in game four
right where they had left off in game three.
As the domination continued, a hush fell over the hometown fans.
(announcer) And this crowd a bit stunned right now.
Get rid of it, get rid of it!
(announcer) Mills, not that time. Leonard on the follow!
Slam, Kawhi Leonard!
Wow, he came out of nowhere and hammered home.
Second straight game at home Miami's trailed by over 20
in the first half of a finals game.
(announcer) Need Miami to show more passion right here.
A lot more passion.
(announcer #2) It starts with your best player.
And they've got to play with more passion on both sides of the basketball,
setting the tone for everybody else.
(announcer) LeBron backs, drop steps into the base line
to the glass laid it in--
LeBron James again getting into the paint.
Gotta take it to another level.
For the rest of this quarter, we gotta commit to this end right here.
(announcer) He's already got ten points in the period
and it's a 13-point game.
James, several feet behind the arc, swishes a three.
And it's now with 25 points.
Get him moving, get him moving, get him moving!
(narrator) The Heat were looking to their superstar.
While the Spurs were simply looking for each other.
(announcer) Pass inside, Diaw to Duncan for the finish!
Once again, spectacular ball movement.
(Gregg Popovich) Everybody's gonna move the ball.
Everybody's gonna be a tough catch.
Crisp pass, jump, stop.
First five minutes of the fourth. Do you want to win?
(announcer) Patty Mills-- puts it in!
Patty Mills huge off the bench with 14 points.
The message had been the same throughout the whole year.
Nothing changed.
I think we all just really understood as a team together
what our strengths were and that we needed to go to that and keep at it.
(announcer) Once again so many possessions with multiple passes.
(announcer #2) And everybody on their roster has scored.
(announcer) Diaw to Duncan, lays it up and in.
And the Spurs can put this one in their back pocket.
Look at that bench reaction.
That is t-e-a-m-- team.
(announcer) San Antonio Spurs with another masterpiece.
And they take a 3-1 lead in the 2014 NBA Finals.
(Gregg Popovich) You know, you made some shots.
You played good D.
I couldn't be more proud of you.
You guys make five to seven passes. You can get any pass you want.
You guys practice that?
Yeah, definitely, we practice that.
We have a drill where we take two dribbles, pass, two dribble, pass.
And we do it like, ten, fifteen times.
They move the ball extremely well.
And they put you in positions that no one other team in this league does.
- (fan) Great job, Tim. - Thank you, sir.
Great position for us going back home with a closeout game.
They're the champs.
We have a lot of respect for what they're able to do.
And we don't want to give 'em any life.
So we're gonna use these two days to really get rested up,
come out on Sunday and then lay it on the line.
(narrator) The San Antonio Spurs are now just one step away
from the prize that has been their goal all season long--
the NBA Championship.
Tonight it's game five of the NBA Finals.
Go Spurs go!
It ends today! Get it done, get it done tonight!
(Tim Duncan) Last year when we were 30 seconds away,
we have it in the bag and it slips out of our fingers.
It's not over till it's over.
Our goal right now is just to win one more game.
(Tony Parker) It shows a lot of character to lose like that
and to come back the following year.
Our very motivated coach, Pop was really driven
and really passionate about winning this one.
It was like the most important thing all year long.
And it just-- everybody felt it.
One, two, three, Spurs!
(narrator) With the finish line to their year-long quest in sight,
the Spurs were hoping to get off to a fast start.
But LeBron James had other ideas.
(announcer) James on the follow!
And an 8-0 run to begin the game, it's the largest lead of the finals
for the Miami Heat.
LeBron James tracks him on radar
and flies in to rebuke the shot, spiking it out-of-bounds.
When he says, "Follow me," it's not just putting up huge numbers.
It's showing huge effort.
Two on the shot clock, James a real long three.
Got it, oh my!
That one from some 30 feet away.
On the big stage you gotta deliver.
He's delivered and they're gonna ask for an encore here.
(Gregg Popovich) Just remember, we have to do this together.
The great part is we got all night long
to take care of a bad start.
But we do it by doing what we normally do.
(announcer) The beauty of the Spurs offense, never letting the ball stick.
(announcer #2) Left wing, Boris Diaw lobs to the rim.
Leonard, a slam dunk on the alley-oop!
Great way to start the second quarter.
(announcer) How good is this Spurs team
and the way that they battle, compete, and never get rattled.
Duncan, low left, turns into the lane, sweeping right-hander up and in!
Tim Duncan going to work on Haslem.
(announcer #2) Well, the Spurs weathered that early storm.
It's starting to look like we're moving the ball a little bit more on offense.
It's all that has to be done at that end.
(announcer) James drives, can't finish, Leonard the rebound.
Leonard for three-- Bang!
First lead of the game for the Spurs.
(announcer #2) You're hearing MVP chants from the crowd.
Manu into the front court. He'll drive it inside.
Manu all the way in, left-hand slam dunk!
Wow, Manu, that is why you do the voodoo that you do so well!
And the Spurs on a 14-0 run.
(narrator) After trailing by 16, the Spurs lead by 7 at intermission.
(Erik Spoelstra) We gotta bring more energy to our offense.
We gotta help each other get a shot right now.
Help each other.
(narrator) It would be the collective group effort of the Spurs
that would stop the Heat at every turn.
(announcer) Wade blocked by Splitter!
And remember last year when James blocked Splitter.
Here Splitter gets his revenge.
Ginobili finds Diaw cutting inside.
Boris to the right wing, Mills for three.
G'day mate!
Patty Mills with a three-pointer.
Back-to-back threes for the five-year veteran from Canberra, Australia!
This man can shoot.
(announcer #2) He has electrified the crowd.
Spurs running away-- a 17-point lead.
We're playing the back-to-back NBA champion, right?
Keep pounding now.
Don't let them back in.
(narrator) The Spurs year-long journey seeking redemption
had proven to be the ultimate test of their resolve.
With a final push down the stretch,
it would become clear they had passed the test with flying colors.
(announcer) Parker gets in the paint.
Tony Parker-- a beautiful hesitation and floats it in.
(announcer #2) Well, Parker was cold early.
But right now he's hot and he wants to finish off Miami.
(announcer) San Antonio did it as a team with some of the most beautiful
team basketball we've seen in a long, long time.
Spurs by 18.
Everybody on their feet at the AT&T Center.
Short jumper good.
Seven for seven in the fourth quarter for Tony Parker.
It's 96-76.
It's time to celebrate, San Antonio!
(announcer #2) The San Antonio Spurs are the world champions.
(announcer #3) The Spurs have captured their fifth NBA championship.
Thanks for pushing me. Oh, my God!
It's a crazy feeling.
That's what it's about, baby, right?
You earned it, you earned it.
(announcer) And to the San Antonio Spurs,
you showed the world how beautiful this game is.
And now let me present the Larry O'Brien Trophy
to this year's NBA champions.
[cheering]
(announcer) And they will celebrate this title in Europe, South America,
Australia, the Virgin Islands, Canada,
and especially here in San Antonio.
(announcer #2) The fans of San Antonio know how great you are
and now the whole world does.
You are the 2014 Bill Russell MVP.
We really wanted to-- to have this feeling again.
The moment where we got that lead I said, "Well, this is ours."
It was so satisfying, and with the same group.
I just enjoyed it so much.
(Kawhi Leonard) We just won the NBA championship.
I don't know, I'm just feeling very shocked right now.
Just feels like a dream right now.
Very happy to be a champion.
Very happy to represent Brazil.
Shout out to everyone in Australia for all your support back home.
You guys have been great.
I want to say thank you to the whole Italian people.
And this is for you.
I've never been more proud of the team.
Nor have I ever gotten as much satisfaction from a season.
To see the fortitude you guys displayed
coming back from that horrific loss last year
and getting yourselves back into the position
and doing what you did in the finals.
You're ready to be honored for that.
As every championship is different, and all the other ones were special
and the groups were great,
but this had to be the sweetest
just because of what we endured last year.
That joy is pure.
Hugging each other, jumping up on each other,
crying and laughing at the same time.
There's nothing else like it.
That's the sweetest championship.
That's my favorite one out of my four
because of what happened last year and it's been seven years.
We're celebrating like it's our first-- our first win.
Number one again!
- Seven years, man. - We're back.
- It's been a while. - But we're back.
Welcome back.
Not bad for a bunch of old guys.
This one was more special than any others.
The journey we've been through in the last two years.
Everything together.
And because of the time between the championships,
I appreciate every game more.
I appreciate every accomplishment,
knowing that it might be the last time I do it.
You put all those things together
and it makes this one that much more special for me.
If you've seen Star Trek, "Live long and prosper."
I will try, thank you, sir.
[laughing] Thank you, sir.
I-- I-- I can't explain.
It's-- it's-- it's amazing to be a part of this for so long.
(announcer) This is the official River Parade Celebration
of the 2014 NBA champions. [cheering]
How sweet is this one?
You love it?
Go Spurs go! Go Spurs go! Go Spurs go!
It's amazing, man-- Not only did we do it, but did you all see how we did it?
It's been great-- The last three days has been crazy,
and now we just keep going, just keep going.
(Manu Ginobili) You guys have been with us all along.
You probably struggled or suffered as much as we did last year.
So this year, having the opportunity to come back, redeem ourselves,
it was really sweet, really sweet.
(announcer) Welcome to the Spurs
2014 NBA Championship Celebration!
What's up, San Antonio?
[cheering]
(Gregg Popovich) We know it's a wonderful night for the whole city,
for all of you, for all of us.
But we want to thank you mostly for being the greatest fans in the NBA.
You've supported us really well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
(Manu Ginobili) These two guys are, of course, very, very special for me.
I never play with anybody for as long as with them.
I don't think I spend more time with my wife than I would them.
(Tim Duncan) I started with some great ones.
And then I get to spend the next 15 years of my career
growing up with these two.
Growing up as an individual and watching them grow.
I give the credit to them.
(Tony Parker) What we have is very special.
We'll have a special bond for life.
Us three with coach Pop, I don't take it for granted.
And I really appreciate every moment.
And I'm very blessed to be here in the city of San Antonio.
You make it very fun.
[cheering]
Thank you, San Antonio.