The Miami Heat rallied from a late five-point deficit to force overtime, and secured a 103-100 win over the San Antonio Spurs after Chris Bosh blocked a desperation 3-point attempt from Danny Green as time expired.
Fan reaction ranged from relief to glee.
“I thought I was going to die,” Michelle Preto said, summing up the fan reaction to Tuesday night’s game 6 of the NBA Finals.
“When [the NBA] prepared for the trophy ceremony, I was nervous,” Danny Jacobo said. “It felt so good to see them take it back.”
Others felt that the NBA bringing out the Larry O’Brien during the Spurs’ late lead gave the Heat an extra push.
“Security was surrounding the court, they disrespected us,” Paul Lawrence said. “They forgot about Ray Allen.”
Allen hit a 3-pointer with less than six seconds left in the fourth to tie the game and save the Heat’s season.
“I saw Magic Johnson from my seat and he was saying it was done,” Bill Beller said. “It was the best game of my life.”
Alec Cantor and his father Jeff both said they never lost hope.
“There’s always time,” Jeff said.
“There’s always LeBron, too,” his son Alec added.
Not all fans in attendance experienced one of the most memorable Finals games in recent memory. Many people left early, and a crowd banged on the doors outside of the AmericanAirlines Arena, forcing police to the scene.
But those who stayed were rewarded for their patience.
“It was an adrenaline rush,” Jacob Fierman said of the fourth quarter. “You could feel the energy. You couldn’t hear the energy during Ray’s shot, you just watched it in slow motion.”
“It was worth every dollar we spent,” Fierman’s sister Ashley added.
And of course, with the win in the books, attention turned to game 7.
“Miami’s going to win,” Ray Berahzer said. “No overtime.”
