2013 NBA Finals Game 7 vs Spurs

Lore & Background

The Heat's late rally in Games 6 and 7, which included Ray Allen's clutch 3-pointer in Game 6 to force overtime, has made it one of the greatest Finals of all time.

In Their Own Story

The arena air was thick enough to choke on. Eighty-eight points each. The clock ticking down from five seconds. Tony Parker drove hard left, drawing the crowd into a collective gasp as he went up for what looked like an easy bucket. But Chris Bosh, fighting through contact, tipped the ball away. It spiraled through the air, landing in the hands of Shane Battier, who didn't hesitate. He launched it toward the corner, where Ray Allen stood rooted to the spot. The world seemed to slow as the orange sphere left Allen's fingertips, arcing high against the bright lights of Miami. It swished through the net just as the buzzer sounded. For a split second, there was silence, then absolute pandemonium.

Reader's Guide

The series began on June 6 and concluded on June 20. The Heat had home-court advantage with a league-best regular season record of 66–16. This was the last NBA Finals series to use the 2–3–2 format.

Did You Know?

• LeBron James was voted NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.
• Four former NBA Finals MVPs played in the series: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James.
• The 2013 Finals set a record for most international players on either Finals roster (10).