Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver

BOSTON -- Jimmy Butler played a starring role as the Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals by routing Boston 103-84 on Monday, denying the Celtics a historic comeback after trailing the playoff series 3-0.

Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Caleb Martin added 26 points and 10 rebounds to spark Miami, which will visit Denver on Thursday to begin the best-of-seven championship final.

Miami recovered from a gut-punch of a game-six defeat, where they fell on a last-second tip-in, to win the Eastern Conference final 4-3, silencing a loud Boston crowd.

Taking full advantage of an injury to Boston star Jayson Tatum in the opening seconds and a cold-shooting Celtics start, the Heat avoided becoming the first team in 151 attempts to lose a playoff series after leading 3-0.

"We stayed together as a group," Butler said. "We talked about going to get a tough one on the road and we did just that.

"But we're not satisfied. We're happy. We're ecstatic. But we've got one more to get."

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he never doubted his resilient squad could win game seven.

"Sometimes you have to suffer for the things you really want," he said. "This group has shown fortitude when there are inevitable let-downs and failures, but had that perseverance to pick yourself up, that collective spirit to keep on forging ahead."

The Heat, seeking a fourth NBA title and first since 2013, last reached the NBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nuggets, into the NBA Finals for the first time, swept the Lakers in the Western Conference final.

It was a determined effort by a Miami squad that lost to Boston in seven games in last year's East finals. Miami also lacked any momentum after squandering their 3-0 edge to set up a winner-takes-all road game.

"When the ship gets rocky, just stay together and keep believing in one another," said Miami's Bam Adebayo, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Spoelstra said last year's loss had weighed on the team. "They made us get better. We thought about it all season long," he said.

Butler said his teammates enabled him to sink key shots and shut down Boston comeback bids.

"They give me so much confidence to hoop at a high level," he said. "They're the reason we're here. I know how good a team we are and we made it happen."

- 'A shell of myself' -

Tatum, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, turned his left ankle landing awkwardly after a baseline jumper in the opening seconds. He grimaced often and took only one shot in the first 17 minutes.

"It swelled up," Tatum said. "I was like a shell of myself. It was tough to move. It was frustrating especially that it should happen on the first play."

Miami stretched the lead as high as 17 points in the second quarter but Boston pulled within 59-51 early in the third.

Caleb Martin sank a baseline jumper to put Miami ahead 76-66 entering the fourth. Martin sank a three-pointer to ignite a 7-0 Miami run to open the fourth quarter for an 83-66 edge.

"Not shooting the ball well had an effect on us," Tatum said. "And it kind of snowballed."

The Celtics went nearly four minutes without scoring and never again threatened, finishing a woeful 9-of-42 from three-point range.

"They gave it everything they had," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "That's the most important thing to take from this. We failed, but it's not because the guys didn't have a sense of togetherness and character."

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 19 points but had a career-high eight turnovers while Derrick White added 18 points.

"We failed. I failed," Brown said. "We let the whole city down."

An 18-6 Heat run to close the first quarter gave Miami a 22-15 lead with the Celtics matching their season low for first-quarter points.

Boston went 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first quarter, missing the first 12 from beyond the arc overall, and made only 6-of-23 from the floor in the opening period.

Agence France-Presse

NBA Finals: LeBron, Davis spark memories of Kobe-Shaq Lakers pairing

LeBron James and Anthony Davis delivered a fearsome one-two punch for Los Angeles on Friday, sparking more memories of Lakers legends Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

James and Davis combined for 65 points in the Lakers' 124-114 victory over the Heat, which put Los Angeles halfway to victory in the best-of-7 championship series.

They're the first Lakers duo to score 60 points in a Finals game since O'Neal and Bryant achieved the feat in 2002 -- when they claimed a third straight title.

After O'Neal departed the Lakers -- his relationship with Bryant famously soured -- Bryant won two more titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

James, playing in his 10th title series and with championships with Miami and Cleveland on his resume, recalled watching the Kobe-Shaq pairing when he was a high school star.

"Obviously we knew the force that Shaq brought to the table, but the elegance and force that Kobe played with, as well," James said. "They were very dominant in what they did on the floor, on both sides of the floor. So to be in the conversation with those two guys, myself and AD -- is just very humbling, because I know I grew up watching those guys."

Any memory of Bryant has a special resonance for the Lakers this year. The club icon died in a January helicopter crash that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter and seven other people.

The Lakers wore their Bryant-inspired Black Mamba kit on Friday and remained unbeaten in four playoff games when wearing it.

James said that his and Davis's roles in the team can't be precisely compared to those of Shaq and Kobe.

"But I guess all four of us, we have a winning mentality," he said.

Davis agreed that any likeness was more to do with attitude than style of play.

"They both had a competitive spirit with themselves to will their teams to win," said Davis, who is in the championship series for the first time in his career.

"I think me and Bron are the same way. We are two guys who want to win no matter the circumstance. We both want to make sure that we do whatever it takes to help our team win."

Agence France-Presse

Heat find team spirit by checking egos at the door

MIAMI - When the Miami Heat assembled their 'Big Three' four years ago skeptics wondered if head coach Erik Spoelstra would be able to mold all that talent into an effective team or if they would end up a squabbling set of egos.

With the two-time defending champion Heat set to compete in a fourth consecutive NBA Finals starting on Thursday, Spoelstra has silenced the cynics in the clearest way possible.

No one would now suggest that All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh cannot play as a team nor is their a serious argument that the Heat's supporting cast isn't up to scratch.

The likes of Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Ray Allen have all made vital while men with lesser minutes, such as Udonis Haslem and Rashard Lewis, have also stepped up when needed.

Strangely, Spoelstra still gets little recognition for his achievements but his technical and tactical skills as a coach have been matched by his man-management skills.

Miami had their troubles during the 2013-14 regular season, particularly during the home stretch and moments in the playoffs where not everything went according to plan.

But each time Spoelstra, 43, has drawn on the depth he has available to him on his roster and the abundance of options at his disposal.

For Spoelstra, much of Miami's success can be put down to the team spirit that has emerged throughout their time in the spotlight since James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, joined them.

"We have a group that's earned a lot of trust with each other. There's a lot of equity of going through pain, of going through joy, of going through everything in between. I mean, this is your extended family," said Spoelstra.

"Even the guys that haven't been with us for the four years, what we say to them when they join our team is you inherit all of the experiences we've had before. All the pain, all the joy, you inherit that, and you're part of the family."

Surprisingly for a team that has such star quality there have been very few, if any, hints of discord in the Miami locker room and plenty of resilience during the tough patches.

"If you have that trust, when you go through tough times and you're going at it, you actually gain something from it. When we were going through some of the rough stretches this regular season, I kind of liked it," said Spoelstra.

"It wasn't as I think we're often portrayed as - that we're just waiting for the postseason. That couldn't be further from the truth. There's a lot of passion and frustration when we were dropping 10 of those games in the fourth quarter, where we had fourth-quarter leads.

"Guys wanted to win. We had to deal with some injuries and different lineups and all those type of things and the struggle of closing out games. Ultimately, I think that helps you grow."

It helps, of course, when you have the game's best player of the current era in James, three-time NBA champion Wade, nine-times All-Star Bosh and the NBA's all-time three-point leader in Allen.

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel, whose team lost the last two Eastern Conference finals to Miami, has no doubt that Miami are among the best teams the sport has seen, even comparing them to the Chicago Bulls team that won six championships during an eight-season stretch of the 1990s.

"We were playing against the Michael Jordan of our era, the Chicago Bulls of our era," he said after the 4-2 series loss.

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Heat recover to take 2-1 lead over Pacers in East final

MIAMI - The Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals after coming back from 15 points down in the second quarter to win 99-87 on Saturday.

Miami's habit of making a slow start was particularly acute - they trailed 17-4 in the first quarter and were 37-22 behind midway through the second as the Pacers made them pay for some loose turnovers.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra shuffled his pack however and Miami came out strong in the third quarter though and took the lead for the first time on the night with a LeBron James dunk putting them 52-51 up with 7:36 left in the quarter.

The game turned decisively in Miami's direction when Wade made a superb steal and set up a three-pointer from Ray Allen and put the Heat eight points ahead.

Allen (16 points) had three other three-pointers in the final quarter for the Heat while James made 26 points and Dwyane Wade 23.

While James and Wade top-scored, James was quick to praise the contribution of some of Miami's less heralded players.

Norris Cole brought energy and aggression to defense and was able to provide some penetration on offense while Rashard Lewis provided some valuable work to frustrate the Pacers' offense.

"Those guys off the bench they did it for us, they've got the game ball for sure," said James, who was annoyed with the team's first quarter.

"We started the game with mental turnovers and mental breakdowns.

"We don't want to keep digging holes, we hate the way we played. We have to start the game like we are down 15.

It was Allen's brilliance from the corner, where he provided a reminder of why he is the league's all-time three-point scorer, that proved to be the difference at the end.

"You can ask anybody in that locker room, there are so many years of pain that he caused us (playing for Boston) and it is great to have him on our side," said Spoelstra.

"It is not just the made baskets. It is the spacing, the movements and he gives you another layout to the offense."

The win tied the second largest playoff comeback in the Heat's history - equalling their performance against the Boston Celtics in the 2012 finals.

But Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said there was no question of the defeat harming his team's confidence.

"We are very early into the series. They took care of their business on home court now we have to come out and get Game Four," he said.

Game Four of the best of seven series will take place in Miami on Monday.

(Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Heat beat Raptors, take over top spot in East

Heat 93, Raptors 83
LeBron James had 32 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the Miami Heat earned an important win in the battle for the top record in the Eastern Conference, defeating the Toronto Raptors.

By virtue of the win and the Indiana Pacers' loss to the San Antonio Spurs earlier Monday, the Heat (51-22) lead in the loss column in the competition for the best record in the East.

The Pacers (52-23) are in second place by percentage points.

Toronto (42-32) was led by shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who had 16 points, but they had their three-game win streak snapped despite Miami playing without Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen and Greg Oden.

- - -

Grizzlies 94, Nuggets 92
Zach Randolph scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and guard Mike Conley added 19 points, including a key 3-pointer in the final minute, as the Memphis Grizzlies held on to beat the Denver Nuggets.

After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, the Grizzlies (44-30) are just trying to make the playoffs this year. They pulled even with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in a tie for seventh in the West with eight games remaining for each.

Denver (32-42) was trying to bounce back from a 31-point home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

- - -

Bobcats 100, Wizards 94
Kemba Walker had 21 points and 10 assists, and center Al Jefferson had 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Charlotte Bobcats rallied to beat the Washington Wizards.

The Bobcats (36-38), sixth in the Eastern Conference, came back from a 60-44 halftime deficit and won by outscoring the seventh place Wizards (38-36) 19-4 over the last 6:43.

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James triple-double leads Heat over Pistons

DETROIT - LeBron James notched his first triple-double of the season to lead the short-handed Miami Heat to a 110-78 NBA rout of the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

James scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 12 assists for the 37th triple-double of his career but his first of the current campaign.

"He was aggressive," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who rested James in the fourth quarter.

Spoelstra wanted to be sure James got some rest with the Heat facing a quick turnaround for Saturday's game against Milwaukee, and James made it all work out by pulling down his 10th rebound with just under two minutes to play in the third period.

He helped the Heat bounce back in a big way from an 84-83 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday that let the Pacers regain a three-game lead over the reigning NBA champions in the Eastern Conference standings.

That physical contest between the Eastern Conference powerhouses featured a couple of ejections and saw Miami's Chris Bosh miss a potential game winner at the buzzer.

On Friday, Heat guards Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers, and center Greg Oden, sat out the contest with various injuries.

Wade, who started Wednesday at Indiana despite a sore Achilles tendon, was out with a hamstring injury.

Chalmers has a bruised quadriceps and Oden was sidelined by back spasms.

Udonis Haslem, who started in place of Oden, scored 17 points and Bosh contributed 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Heat connected on 54.4 percent of their shots, including eight of 19 from three-point range.

"What we liked about it was there could have been a lot of excuses," Spoelstra said. "But it was about a collective response from the other night."

Meanwhile in Washington, the Pacers couldn't build on their emotional win over the Heat, falling 91-78 to the Wizards.

John Wall scored 20 points and Marcin Gortat added 17 points and 12 rebounds as Washington led from start to finish.

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Bosh leads LeBron-less Heat over Trail Blazers

PORTLAND -- Chris Bosh scored 37 points, including a last-second 3-pointer for the winning basket, and grabbed 10 rebounds Saturday to lead reigning NBA champion Miami over Portland 108-107.

The Heat were playing without superstar playmaker LeBron James, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, who was benched for the night by coach Erik Spoelstra due to nagging right groin and left ankle injuries.

James had not missed a prior game of the season but Bosh stepped up to the challenge of his absence, hitting 15-of-26 shots and going 3-for-3 from 3-point range, making them all from beyond the arc in the last 4:05.

The only other game this year in which Bosh netted more than 30 points was last February at Miami, also against the Trail Blazers.

A showdown of two of the NBA's winningest teams came down to the last seconds after Bosh sank a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 101-98 edge and followed two LaMarcus Aldridge free throws with a layup for a 103-100 Miami edge.

Aldridge followed with a layup and Portland reclaimed the lead after Miami guard Dwyane Wade fouled Nicolas Batum as he attempted a 3-pointer and the French forward sank all three free throws.

After Wade pulled Miami level with a dunk, it was Ray Allen who was whistled for a foul on Batum, who put the Trail Blazers ahead 107-105 on two free throws with seven seconds remaining, setting the stage for Bosh's decisive 3-pointer with less than a second to play.

Aldridge missed a desperation tip-in attempt at the final buzzer.

Wade added 16 points and seven assists for Miami, 23-7, while Michael Beasley added 12 points and Norris Cole came off the bench to score 11. Mario Chalmers had nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Heat.

Wesley Matthews led Portland, 24-6, with 23 points while Aldridge contributed 22 points and seven rebounds. Robin Lopez had 17 points while Damian Lillard added 16 and Batum finished with 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three blocked shots.

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Former top pick Oden returns to NBA action

MANILA – Greg Oden, the top pick in the 2007 NBA Rookie Draft, played in an NBA game for the first time in four years after suiting up for the champions Miami Heat in a pre-season game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Oden, a seven-foot center out of Ohio State, was picked first by Portland in the 2007 NBA Draft but suffered from several debilitating knee injuries, and twice had microfacture surgery.

Since entering the NBA in 2007, Oden has only played in 82 regular season games. He last played a competitive game in December 2009, and was waived by Portland in March 2012. He was eventually signed by the Heat as a free agent last August.

Oden made his debut for the Heat against the Pelicans in their last game of the pre-season, entering the game in the second quarter and dunking in his very first possession, to the delight of the Miami bench.

“It’s been a long time,” Oden later said in an interview with ESPN.com. “It’s been a long road for me, just to get them off my back, my first step tonight. I’m happy I’m able to walk off this court and I’m able to play another day.”

Oden played for nearly four minutes, tallying two points to go along with two rebounds, two turnovers and two fouls, in what was his first game in 1,418 days.

On Twitter, Miami superstar LeBron James expressed his happiness for Oden, saying: “I’m so happy for GO tonight! Couldn’t imagine being away from the game for three years. Feel like a proud big brother. Determination wins.”

James also told ESPN that it was a “very special moment.” “I was so excited for him when he got on the court and he checked in – and his first basket, he gets a dunk. Can you write it any better?”

“Obviously, he’s not where he wants to be, but the process is going great,” James added.

“We are just so pleased for him,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It was just great to see him do something he loves to do. It was taken away for him for four years. We just continue to make patient, steady progress forward from here.”

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Larry Bird lauds Coach Spo's 'fantastic job' with Heat

MANILA, Philippines -- NBA legend and current Indiana Pacers president for basketball operations Larry Bird commended Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra for a job well done in leading the Heat to back-to-back championships amid intense scrutiny and public attention.

"He's done a great job. A great job," said Bird, who met with Philippine media briefly on Wednesday while the Pacers practiced for the NBA Global Games. "He's a very young coach, even though he's been part of basketball for a long time."

"He had a lot of scrutiny going on and it's been a very tough job for him, but I think he handled it as well as he possibly could," Bird added.

Spoelstra, the first Filipino-American head coach to win an NBA championship, led the Heat to back-to-back titles this year. Along the way, they beat the Pacers in a hotly contested seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana head coach Frank Vogel had previously said Spoelstra does not get enough credit for what he has done with Heat, especially in terms of coaching a team that features three superstars -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Today, Bird noted that the amount of talent that Miami has makes Spoelstra's job even more difficult.

"Obviously, they have a lot of talent down there," said the Boston Celtics legend. "But sometimes, the teams with the most talent are the most difficult to coach. So I think he has done a fantastic job."

Bird's Pacers will play the Houston Rockets in the first ever NBA pre-season game to be held in Manila tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Miami signs Coach Spo to multi-year extension

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American NBA champion coach Erik Spoelstra will not be taking his talents anywhere, except Miami.

The two-time defending champions Miami Heat have locked up their head coach to a multi-year contract extension.

Details of the deal were not announced, but Coach Spo is expected to get a huge raise from his current base salary of $3 million per season.

His new contract could also come with a role in the Heat’s front office.

Spoelstra started as a video coordinator for the Heat in 1995, and rose through the ranks before eventually inheriting the head coaching gig from the legendary Pat Riley, the team’s president.

Spoelstra has won 260 games against 134 losses in five regular seasons at the helm. He is 50-29 in the playoffs, including the last two NBA championships.

Aside from directing the Heat’s offense and defense, Spoelstra is also credited with meshing three superstars – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – and the rest of the team into a cohesive unit. -- Report from ANC

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'Fil-Am Coach Spoelstra a future Hall of Famer'

MANILA – After witnessing Erik Spoelstra successfully leading Miami to another title win, ESPN and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy sees the makings of a future Hall of Famer in the Filipino-American coach.

ABS-CBN's TJ Manotoc, who is covering the NBA finals in the US, said members of the international media are making sure that Spoelstra gets credit for the Heat’s latest championship victory, as most people tend to focus on Miami’s superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Manotoc said Van Gundy, a former NBA coach himself, believes the 42-year-old Miami coach has the potential of joining all-time coaching greats like Pat Riley, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich.

“[Si] Jeff Van Gundy na nag-aanalyze for ESPN and ABC Sports, sinasabi sa kanya na this Erik Spoelstra is a future Hall of Fame coach,” Manotoc reported on dzMM after the Heat defeated the Spurs in game 7.

Spoelstra joined the Heat in 1995 as the team's video coordinator. He was promoted to other positions before he was named successor of Riley as head coach of Miami in 2008.

He steered the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2011, but the team lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Heat eventually won its first NBA title under Spoelstra the following year by drubbing the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Manotoc said Miami management continued to back up the Filipino-American coach, despite the team's 2011 defeat to the Mavericks.

Riley, Miami team president, and Micky Arison, the Heat’s team owner must have seen something special in Spoelstra, said Manotoc.

“Anuman ang haka-haka ng kritiko kung magchampion o hindi, sabi nila Erik Spoelstra is our man, he will be the coach of this team for a very long time,” he said.

Van Gundy said Spoesltra has what it takes to join the likes of Jackson and Popovich.

“Hinahanay niya [si Spoeltra] kasama si Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich na multi-titled coaches na sinasabi niya na pag natapos ang career nitong Erik Spoelstra, siguradong isang Hall of Famer ang kababayan natin,” said Manotoc.

Jackson is an 11-time NBA champion, while Popovich is a 4-time NBA champion. Spoelstra’s predecessor, Riley, is also a coaching legend with 5 titles in his belt.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Role players spark Heat's offense

MIAMI - With superstar LeBron James struggling to find his scoring touch, the Miami Heat called upon their bench to pick up the slack on offense.

And they delivered brilliantly, especially veteran Ray Allen who led the charge with 13 points as the Heat reserves outscored San Antonio's bench 40-32 in game two of the NBA finals on Sunday.

"LeBron couldn't get into a rhythm early and other guys stepped up," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra of the Heat's 103-84 win which leveled the series at 1-1.

"He showed great poise and trust in not getting caught up in feeling like he had to make a score but rather either facilitate or let other guys make plays. And that is what they did.

"Mario (Chalmers) was able to make some plays. Ray and Mike (Miller) both found open gaps for shooting. Dwyane (Wade) and CB (Chris Bosh) were able to make plays in the first half."

It marks the 17th time in 18 games in the playoffs Miami's bench has outscored the opposition.

The Heat finished with five players in double figures, including James with 17 and Chalmers who had a game-high 19 points.

"I know what we have here," James said. "I will continue to find my shooters. I will continue to put pressure on the defence. If I draw two then I will find my shooters. I have confidence they are going to knock them down."

Failing to fire on offence, James was still a defensive force.

He made one monster block on Tiago Splitter in the fourth quarter that denied the Spurs' giant centre what appeared to be an easy dunk.

James said he didn't want to get burned by Splitter and end up on the television sports shows highlights.

"Offensively it was a struggle for me. I couldn't make a shot, I missed lay-ups," he said. "I was able to protect the rim on that one. I told myself you'll end up on Sports Center where you are getting dunked on, or you are going to make the block.

"Luckily I was on the good side of the Top Ten, and not on the Not So Top Ten."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

No pain, no Dwyane - Wade ignores injury to burn for Heat

MIAMI - LeBron James top-scored with 32 points as the Miami Heat reached their third straight NBA Finals with a 99-76 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, but it was Dwyane Wade's return to form that gave coach Erik Spoelstra the most pleasure.

Wade has been struggling with a painful knee injury throughout the playoffs and it showed in his production, with the guard failing to register 20 points in any of his previous 12 games.

But his 21 points on Monday, combined with nine rebounds, gave Miami the additional boost they needed in the Game Seven decider.

The aggression was back, the confidence to drive to the rim and with it, the Heat looked a more complete unit following their Game Six setback.

"That's just Dwyane being who he is. He has an uncanny way, when you count him out and you need him most, when the competition is fiercest, he's going to be there for you," Spoelstra told reporters.

"He's six foot four (1.93m) but he has a way of making it seem like his six foot ten in games like this. It was great to see the impact he had," the Heat coach added.

Wade has been having to undergo special training routines to deal with his injury which at times, he said, had kept him up to the "wee hours" and Spoelstra praised his attitude.

"We all know what he's dealing with right now. He knew this was a moment that we had to have and somehow he was able to just will that game, despite what he is going through," he added.

SPECIAL WORK

Wade, not wanting to draw attention to himself, was unwilling to elaborate on the nature of his injury or the special work he was having to put in.

"It doesn't matter. I'm playing basketball. I will continue to do what I need to do to help my team win a championship," he said.

"I'm going to play through pain because this is my job. My team depends on me. I would love to be one of those players who never has to deal with these conversations, deal with these injuries, but that's not my path.

"I've been through so much away from the game and in the game that I will find a away. Give me enough time, I'll figure it out," Wade added.

However, the Miami guard, a surviving member of Miami's 2006 championship winning team, believes he expects more pain in the NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.

"There will be some moments in the next series where I won't be looking so great. I am sure there will be some great headlines out there about myself. But I'll continue pushing," he said.

Spoelstra said Wade had benefitted from James's decision to guard Paul George and the MVP's ability to bring him into the game early on.

"I called a couple of sets for him early in the game just to get him a feel for it and it showed throughout the whole game that he was in the rhythm," James said.

Game One in the best-of-seven finals series is in Miami on Thursday. (Editing by John O'Brien)

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Coach Spo attends fundraiser with girlfriend

MANILA, Philippines – Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra surprised a lot of people when he appeared at a fundraising event last week with his girlfriend for the first time.


Citing entertainment website Gossip Extra, the Miami Herald said the 42-year old Filipino-American coach walked the red carpet at Heat broadcasters Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino‘s annual fundraiser with girlfriend Nikki Sapp.

The report said Spoelstra has been dating Sapp, 24, who used to dance during Heat games since 2006.

According to her website, Sapp is now traveling back and forth from Los Angeles to Miami because she’s currently directing the famous Guy Hepner art gallery in West Hollywood, California.

Spoelstra made history last June when he became the first Filipino-American coach to lead his team to an NBA championship. The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to win their second title in franchise history.

He has already visited the Philippines for the past three summers to conduct basketball clinics.

His last Manila visit was in August 2012 as part of the NBA Trophy Tour.

source: abs-cbnnews.com