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Miami Heat forward Shane Battier picked the perfect time to play his best game of the playoffs.
In Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Battier knocked down six 3-pointers to help the Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs and secure their second straight NBA Finals.
In fact, the Heat couldn’t have done it without him.
Entering Thursday’s Game 7, Battier had been just 6-of-19 from 3-point range in the series, but he had the hot hand in the game’s biggest stage. Battier started 3-of-4 from 3-point range to give Miami a huge boost off the bench in the first half. He matched his first half showing with another 3-of-4 effort in the second half, including two clutch threes in the fourth quarter to help keep the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Miami.
“I felt that they owed me big time. I had a bunch of shots in San Antonio that went in and out. So when that banker went in, I said, ‘You know what, they owe me.’ But it was the start of a pretty good streak there,” Battier said, according to ESPN.
Meanwhile, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Mike Miller combined for zero points. No, that’s not a typo. They scored a sum total of zero points in the biggest game of the season. Bosh didn’t play like the highest paid player on Miami’s roster. He shot 0-of-5 from the field and picked up five fouls. Allen shot 0-of-4 and committed three turnovers.
Of course, Finals MVP LeBron James and Dwyane Wade spearheaded Miami’s Game 7 triumph, but it’s hard to imagine Miami pulling off the win if not for the clutch 3-point shooting of Shane Battier.
