San Antonio took care of business on Thursday night, nabbing a win over the reigning champion Miami Heat, 110-95, in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals.
Both teams came out of the gates gunning, with the Spurs' Manu Ginobili seeking retribution for his performance in last year's Finals against Miami. Things started to heat up -- literally -- in the at the start of the second quarter, as the air conditioning faltered at the AT&T Center, raising temperatures to a measured 90 degrees at one point.
LeBron James struggled with cramps all game and had to ask out in order to rest and take fluids as trainers rubbed him down with icy towels. At one point in the fourth quarter, James cramped up so bad that he had to be carried off the floor by trainers.
Meanwhile, Danny Green stepped up in the final period, shooting the lights out from deep and getting out on the break. The Heat kept it close, but without James on the floor the Spurs held the lead and found their way to a Game 1 victory on their homecourt.
For San Antonio, Tim Duncan scored 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and three assists. Tony Parker dropped 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, with eight assists and a steal. Ginobili scored 16 off the bench. Green scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
Miami was led by James, scoring 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Dwyane Wade scored 19 points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Chris Bosh poured in 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and one assist. Ray Allen scored 16 off the bench.
Game 2 is 8 p.m. ET Sunday in San Antonio.