2014 NBA playoffs: Miami Heat during the Big Three era
June 5, 2014
The Cramp Game
The temperature in the AT&T Center in San Antonio reached uncomfortable levels midway through the first quarter of Game 1. That's when everyone in attendance, including the players, knew the air conditioning in the building wasn't operating properly. In a game this big, in conditions this extreme for an indoor event, with a Heat bench so limited, there was one thought going through the minds of a handful of people: LeBron's gonna cramp up.
It's happened to him before, and those were under normal conditions. This time, after playing in an arena with an on-court temperature hovering around 90 degrees for more than an hour, things would be worse. LeBron asked out of the game in the fourth quarter, but he still returned.
With 4:15 remaining in the game and his team trailing by four, LeBron drove for a layup but immediately motioned to the bench afterward. He was in tremendous pain and couldn't move his left leg. His muscles were useless at that point, but that wouldn't keep people from questioning his toughness as he watched the final four minutes from the bench.
San Antonio put together a near flawless finish to win by 15. Drained of fluids yet still dripping sweat, LeBron could only watch the Spurs' destruction of his Heat, a theme that would continue throughout the series.
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