Publicizes referee calls
For the remainder of the season and throughout the playoffs, the NBA will release play-by-play reports of all referee calls and relevant no-calls in the final minutes of close games. Each play is reviewed by a senior basketball operations manager or senior referee manager. The reports will include grades for each play and whether or not the call was correct. The NBA’s Mike Bantom:
We tried to come up with a system that would allow us to provide some insight into our process and set a criteria that would allow us to be more standardized and more consistent…I think this is a solution that puts them [referees] in a much better light, doesn’t hide the fact that they are human and will make mistakes, but also points out the fact that the overwhelming majority of the calls that they get correct.
Breaks record
Thompson breaks the NBA record for most points scored in a quarter with 37. During the quarter, he doesn’t miss a shot, going 13-13 from the field, 9-9 from 3-point range and 2-2 on free throws. Thompson finishes the game with a career-high 52 points. Thompson:
It was kind of a blur. I wish I could go back and enjoy it some more, but moments like that go by really fast
3rd NBA all-time leading scorer
Bryant passes Michael Jordan and moves into third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Bryant accomplishes this in a victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he puts up 26 points. The two players who are still ahead of Bryant are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. Bryant:
I’m just honored to be here, man, to still be playing. I appreciate being able to play this long. Careers normally don’t last this long. I really appreciate the opportunity to still be out there playing and performing and doing what I do.
Wins Finals MVP
Leonard wins the NBA Finals MVP in a landslide vote. For the series, he averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting. He also had the role of guarding LeBron James. Coach Popovich:
He’s a great learner and he’s super competitive, has a drive to be the best that’s really uncommon in our league. He walks the walk. I mean, he’s there early, he’s there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man.
Leonard:
Right now, it’s just surreal to me. I have a great group of guys behind me.
Spurs 104-87 Heat Game 5
The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat in Game 5 in order to win the 2014 NBA title. For the Heat, James puts up 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. For the Spurs, Leonard puts up 22 points and 10 rebounds, and wins the Finals MVP award. James:
We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and that’s why they’re the champions in 2014.
Duncan:
It makes last year OK
Spurs 107-86 Heat Game 4
The Spurs defeat the Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals and take a 3-1 series lead. Leonard puts up 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs. James drops 28 points and 8 rebounds for the Heat. James:
They smashed us. Two straight home games got off to awful starts. They came in and were much better than us in these last two games. It’s just that simple.
Spurs coach Popovich:
I’m pleased that they performed as well as they did while we’ve been in Miami, and that’s about as far as it goes. Now we’ve got to go back home and play as well or better.
Spurs 111-92 Heat Game 3
The Spurs defeat the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2014 NBA Finals. Leonard leads the Spurs with 29 points and 4 rebounds. For the Heat, James drops 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Spurs have a phenomenal first half, shooting 25-33 from the field. Ginobili:
It’s not something you can plan for. There was no magic plays. We just moved the ball, and every shot went in.
Spurs coach Popovich:
I don’t think we’ll ever shoot 76 percent in a half ever again.
Heat 98-96 Spurs Game 2
The Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2014 NBA Finals. James leads the Heat with 35 points and 10 rebounds. For the Spurs, Duncan puts up 18 points and 15 rebounds. Duncan:
Down the end there they executed really well. LeBron made some great passes and guys made open shots. We had the same result in the first game. They kind of flipped it in this one.
Spurs 110-95 Heat Game 1
The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals. For the Spurs, Duncan has 19 points and 10 rebounds. For the Heat, James has 25 points and 6 rebounds. The arena experiences an air conditioning malfunction during the match. Spurs coach Popovich:
It was tough on both teams. They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out. … It was really hot out there.
Exits game with leg cramps
James leaves Game 1 of the NBA Finals before the match is finished because of severe leg cramping. The leg cramping is caused by extremely warm temperatures after the air conditioning in the arena malfunctions. James
It was the whole left leg, damn near the whole left side. I was losing a lot [of fluids] throughout the game. It was extremely hot in the building, you know, both teams, fans, everybody could feel it. I was the one that had to take the shot.
Wins NBA MVP Award
Durant wins his first NBA Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for the season, and led his team to a 59-23 record. During his acceptance speech, Durant thanks his mother:
You made us believe, you kept us off the streets, put clothes on our backs, put food on the table. You the real MVP.
Durant also adds:
Everything in my life, I had to take it. They’re not going to give it to you out of sympathy. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This was another case, if I wanted to win the MVP, I had to go take it. I felt that this was the year I did that.
Wins NBA MVP award
James wins his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player award. James almost has a unanimous MVP selection, garnering 120 out of 121 first-place votes for the award. James averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season. He shot 56.5% from the floor and 40.6% from 3-point range. Heat president Pat Riley on James:
Over these 46 years, I’ve had an opportunity to see some great players — and all the ones I’ve observed, watched and have seen, they’ve always gotten better. In my humble opinion, I believe the man right here is the best of them all.
Upset at finishing second
James expresses his displeasure at finishing second in the voting for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award:
It sucks. It definitely sucks, though, finishing second. Who wants to finish second?
James averaged 6.8 defensive rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1 block per game for the season, but he says the most important aspect of his defensive ability is his versatility:
I guard everybody on the floor. I don’t know if it’s one player in NBA history that’s guarded 1 (point guards) through 5 (centers). It’s over with now, but it’s cool.
Sports Illustrated cover
In an issue of Sports Illustrated, Durant expresses his frustration at playing in James’ shadow:
I’ve been second my whole life. I was the second-best player in high school. I was the second pick in the draft. I’ve been second in the MVP voting three times. I came in second in the Finals. I’m tired of being second. I’m not going to settle for that. I’m done with it.
Durant says he uses his frustration as a means to self-improvement:
I don’t watch a lot of other basketball away from the gym. But I do look at LeBron’s box score. I want to see how many points, rebounds and assists he had, and how he shot from the field. If he had 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, I can tell you exactly how he did it, what type of shots he made and who he passed to.
On their friendship:
People see two young black basketball players at the top of their game and think we should clash. They want the conflict. They want the hate. They forget Bird cried for Magic. A friend was getting on me about this recently, and I said, ‘Calm down. I’m not taking it easy on him. Don’t you know I’m trying to destroy the guy every time I go on the court?’
Scores 20,000 Career Points
James scores 20,000 career points and becomes the youngest player in the history of the NBA to reach the milestone. James is 28 years and 17 days old. The previous record holder, Kobe Bryant, was 29 years and 122 days old when he reached 20,000 points. James:
The best part about it is I was in a rhythm, too, so it wasn’t one of those forced shots. I was able to get the switch on David Lee and get to the elbow and make a shot. It’s pretty cool
Knicks 104-97 Mavericks
The Knicks defeat the defending champions Dallas Mavericks. Lin has 28 points and 14 assists in the victory. For the Mavericks, Nowitzki drops 34 points and 5 rebounds. Lin:
This is helpful to us, not just to me but to us, just to be able to see where our team can go and what we can become, and I think that’s the biggest takeaway from tonight
Mavericks guard Terry:
I think they found something in Lin, and they’re starting to piece together a team that can beat anyone
Pelicans 89-85 Knicks
The Pelicans defeat the Knicks and snap their seven-game winning streak. Lin puts up 26 points and 5 assists, but also has 9 turnovers in the loss. Ariza has 25 points and 8 rebounds for the Pelicans. Lin:
Just a lackluster effort on my part coming out and careless with the ball, and so nine turnovers is obviously never going to get it done from your primary ballhandler. It’s on me in terms of taking care of the ball and also the game in general.
Knicks 100-85 Kings
The New York Knicks defeat the Sacramento Kings for their seventh straight win. Lin plays distributor and puts up 10 points and 13 assists in the game. Lin:
As a point guard, my field goal attempts have been really high and I don’t think that’s necessarily good. I think it’s more of my job to distribute and get people in rhythm.
Knicks Coach D’Antoni:
I just thought we played really exceptionally well the first quarter. Just the ball was moving, every time we drew up a play they ran it perfectly. Every time I think there was an opportunity to make a great pass, they did it.
Knicks 90-87 Raptors
Linsanity continues as the New York Knicks defeat the Toronto Raptors. Lin puts up 27 points, 11 assists, and the game-winning three to extend the Knicks’ win-streak to six. Coach D’Antoni jokes:
I’m just glad it went like this so we can calm the Linsanity down
Lin:
It’s not because of me, it’s because we’re coming together as a team. We started making these steps earlier but we were still losing close games and so obviously it wasn’t fun. But when you win, that solves a lot of problems. We’ve been winning and we’ve been playing together.
Knicks 100-98 Timberwolves
Lin leads the Knicks to a victory against the Timberwolves, extending their win-streak to five. Lin has 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. For the Timberwolves, Love leads the team with 32 points and 21 rebounds. Lin:
It was an ugly one, it was a gutsy one, it was a road win, everybody was tired. That’s the beauty of basketball. That’s the beauty of our time. We never gave up.