Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals 2014 Game 1 live stream free on ABC will start at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 5, 2014. The Heat will play against the Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Information on how to watch the Heat vs. Spurs or Spurs vs. Heat on live stream free can be found below.
Entering the 2014 NBA Finals, the defending championship team Heat defeated the Nets 4-1 and the Pacers 4-2. While the Pacers led the league in defense, the Heat had a much stronger offense, where James has led his team to the four NBA Finals in the last seven years and fifth including the upcoming Finals against Spurs.
The Spurs beat the Thunder in four wins and two losses. The last game played Saturday ended with Spurs 112 and Thunder 107. While Thunder won two games, but could not stop the Spurs' starters, who each were shooting at over 48 percent accuracy in the series and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were efficient in finding their teammates for open shots. Spurs led the league with 25.4 assists per game on average during the regular season.
San Antonio's coach Gregg Popovich has made shrewd moves that dramatically propelled his team with more than 20 points wins during the series against Thunder. In Game 2, the Spurs completely dominated the game by winning 112-77, a 35 point win.
Spurs shot over 50 percent in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals and won the Thunder by a combined 52 points. But San Antonio continued playing against Oklahoma while remembering how in 2012, Thunder fell behind Spurs 2-0 in the Western Conference finals before winning the series 4-2.
The Spurs were able to win the match despite Thunder's star players Kevin Durant, who won the 2014 MVP, and Russell Westbrook. But could San Antonio's big three Tim Duncan, Parker, Ginobili create plays to out-score the defending NBA champion Miami Heat's LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in the upcoming Finals?
The Spurs dominated the series against Thunders 4-2 and the Portland Trail Blazers 5-1, and almost every win, San Antonio led by double-digits. Aside from Spurs offensive plays, Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter defended their basket relentlessly.
Durant attributed Spurs' success to the genius of Gregg Popovich, the league's Coach of the Year.
"Their system, they plug guys in and out," he said, according to AP. "They always stick to their same system. They get guys who fit. And they've got a great coach who gets those guys prepared."
The Spurs lost to Heat in last year's NBA Finals, and Tim Duncan said he is glad they get to have a rematch.
"We're happy it's the Heat again. We've got that bad taste in our mouths still," he said, according to ESPN.
In response to Duncan and Popovich's comments, James understood the message being sent, but remained level-headed entering the Finals.
"[Duncan's comments] don't bother me. Once you get on the floor, you've got to play. We're confident. We're not shying away from them. We want them, too," he said, the ESPN reported. "I don't think it's personal. Like they said, we left a sour taste in their mouth."
"They've been preparing for this moment, we have as well," said the four-time NBA MVP player. "No one is entitled. There is no one's championship. It isn't ours, it isn't theirs, it's two teams fighting for it."
Related: Most Watched NBA Finals in History About to Begin: Spurs vs. Heat Playoff
Below is a look at NBA Finals 2014 By The Numbers.
Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs
- 16 and 25 - First time in 16 years that The Finals features the same two teams squaring off in consecutive years (Bulls vs. Jazz - 1997, 1998). It also marks the first time in 25 years that two teams played a seven-game Finals and then repeated as conference champions the following season (Lakers vs. Pistons: 1988, 1989).
- 4 - The Heat is just the third franchise in NBA history to make four or more consecutive Finals appearances (Celtics - 1957-1966, 1984-1987; Lakers - 1982-1985).
- 6 - San Antonio's Gregg Popovich joins an exclusive club of coaches that have taken their teams to The Finals at least six times (Phil Jackson - 13, Red Auerbach - 11, Pat Riley - 9, John Kundla - 6).
- 7 - The Heat and Spurs have a combined seven NBA Finals MVP awards (LeBron James - 2012, 2013; Tony Parker - 2007; Dwyane Wade - 2006; Tim Duncan - 1999, 2003, 2005).
- 113 - San Antonio's Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan have combined for 113 postseason wins together - most in NBA history by a trio - after recently passing the Lakers' Michael Cooper, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson (110).
- 8 - Players on Finals rosters boast NBA D-League experience: San Antonio's Aron Baynes, Austin Daye, Damion James, Patty Mills, Danny Green and Cory Joseph; and Miami's Chris Andersen and Justin Hamilton.
Heat's Radio Broadcast Stations are AM 790 The Tickets/104.3 for the regular season and playoffs. In addition, the team's Spanish radio broadcast can be found on WRTO Mix 98.3 FM. Online radio stations can be accessed here.
Spurs' flagship radio station is AM 1200 WOAI, and its radio station affiliate is KCOR AM 1350. Spurs online radio stations can be accessed here.
Heat vs. Spurs Finals Game 1 will be televised nationally on ABC and TSN, and HD quality online live streaming can be watched on ABC's website. ABC will use 36 high-definition cameras to deliver crisp game action.
Here is the complete schedule for the NBA Finals:
Game 1 - Thursday, June 5, Miami at San Antonio, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2 - Sunday, June 8, Miami at San Antonio, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3 - Tuesday, June 10, San Antonio at Miami, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4 - Thursday, June 12, San Antonio at Miami, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5 * Sunday, June 15, Miami at San Antonio, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 6 * Tuesday, June 17, San Antonio at Miami, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 7 * Friday, June 20, Miami at San Antonio, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
*If necessary
