San Antonio’s best defender in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night was their broken air conditioner.
The air stopped working in the AT&T Center early in the second quarter, causing the temperature inside the building to climb above 90 degrees. Guys were asking for breaks more frequently than usual, and LeBron James was so bothered by the high temperatures he had to come out of the game with four minutes left because of severe cramps.
After making a layup to cut the score to a 94-92 Spurs lead, James came down with a huge cramp and couldn’t even go to the defensive end of the floor. The Heat fouled to make a substitution and sent Rashard Lewis in for James. James needed to be carried to the bench.
LeBron could be seen on the sidelines sitting in clear discomfort and even went back to the locker room.
LeBron James Cramps Being Worked On pic.twitter.com/W6G1vPJNqO
— 3030 (@jose3030) June 6, 2014
LeBron James on sideline being worked on pic.twitter.com/ndO9xOLLhB
— 3030 (@jose3030) June 6, 2014
While he was out, San Antonio only needed two and a half minutes to build up a 10-point lead and go up 105-95. They won 110-95 and outscored the Heat 16-3 without James in the game.
Who envisioned the air conditioner being the biggest factor in Game 1??
