NBA Finals 2013: Inside The Mind, Game 6
Jun 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James, Dwyane Wade (3) and Chris Bosh (1) celebrate after overtime of game six in the 2013 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Miami defeated San Antonio 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
I sat on my couch, clutching my girlfriend’s hand. Powerless and emotionless.
As the third quarter neared an end in Game 6, if you were a fly on my living room wall, that’s what you would have seen. Nothing was going through my head, really. I was just siting there and simply watching. No words, no emotion.
Was this how the “Big Three” era was going end?
That was, really, the only question I kept coming back to.
Even during the Heat’s run in the 4th quarter — one that saw them take a brief lead — I remained emotionless.
6:03, Miami Leads 84-82
I remember just sitting there. This was so uncharacteristic of me. No fist-pump, no clap, no words. It was as if I knew something really special was happening and I wanted to take it all in.
Either that, or something inside me was telling me that this was far from over.
Tony Parker nails a 3, ties it at 89 with 1:27 remaining
Of course. Parker had been making the biggest shots all season long. It felt like Game 1 all over again. I took a big sigh.
Heat turnover, 1:08
Is this really happening? They’re going to come all the way back, from 13 down, take the lead and then just blow this??
Parker push-shot, Spurs lead 91-89 with 58 seconds left
Wow. Nothing else. That’s it. The NBA Finals.
Back-2-back turnovers for LeBron, Spurs lead 94-89 with 28 seconds left.
I remember looking up and down, staring into the abyss. Powerless and emotionless.
They bring out the yellow rope.
Wow, this is really going to happen.
95-95, heading into overtime
When Ray Allen hit the three to save Miami’s season, I just exhaled. I remember thinking “You’re going to have to pry the Championship out of the Heat’s cold, dead hands.” Also, wow. How did the Spurs not win this? Like, what just happened??
Spurs lead 100-97, Lawler’s Law
After what has happened tonight, that doesn’t even matter.
1.9 seconds left, Miami leads 101-100 with Allen heading to the FT line
It’s not going to be this easy. The Spurs will have a shot, a good one.
Bosh blocks Danny Green’s 3-pt attempt, Heat win 103-100. Game 7.
Finally, a fist-pump. An exhale. The Heat really pulled this off. Amazing.
Still, all this is in my head. I still haven’t said much and I won’t the rest of the night.
What we witnessed was history. I don’t know if this was the basketball version of Bill Buckner or if this was the Spurs getting in the way of destiny.
Whatever it was, it is something we’ll be talking about years from now if the Heat go on to win the Championship. It wasn’t an overreaction, if you heard the Spurs post-game comments.
This was real, almost too real.
Seconds had past, the Big Three, along with Ray Allen, congratulating each other on one of the most improbable wins in NBA Finals history.
Still, I was sitting on my couch. Clutching my girlfriends hand. Still in disbelief, powerless and emotionless, but this time, with a smile on my face.