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SAN ANTONIO -- "Beat the Heat!" had a whole new meaning in a sweltering start to the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat the Heat 110-95 on Thursday night in Game 1 at steamy AT&T Center. With an air conditioning failure making it feel like a sauna and causing James to battle cramps that knocked him out of the decisive stretch, the Spurs pulled away to win the opener of the first finals rematch since 1998. "After I came out of the game, they kind of took off," James said. "And it was frustrating sitting out and not be able to help our team." Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 11 assists, Tony Parker added 19 points and eight assists and the Spurs -- 6 for 6 in NBA Finals Game 1s -- shot 59 per cent. "Just very proud of my team," Parker said. "We kept believing, kept pushing. We know its not easy." They host Game 2 on Sunday -- likely in cooler conditions. James finished with 25 points but played only 33 minutes, and Miami was outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter. "It sucks not being out there for your team, especially at this point in the season," James said. Dwyane Wade had 19 points and Chris Bosh added 18, but the Heat wilted in temperatures that soared to 90 degrees in the second half. "It was tough on both teams," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out. ... It was really hot out there." James, who had cramping issues two years ago in the finals, had to ask for a break in the fourth quarter and was getting treatment during a 15-4 Spurs run that turned around the game. James came back in and made a basket that cut it to two points with about 4 minutes left, but couldnt even run back on defence, promptly putting his hand up and lingering at the baseline until help arrived to take him off for good. "I think it felt like a punch in the gut when you see your leader limping like that back to the bench," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Danny Green followed with 3-pointer to trigger what became a 16-3 run to end the game. "You could see the heat was getting to a lot of guys. If I played as many minutes as he did, Id probably be cramping up, too," said Green, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the final quarter. The crowd chanted "Beat the Heat! Beat the Heat!" late in the game, which was just what the fans themselves were trying to do. The Spurs said an electrical failure for the power that runs the air conditioning system had occurred. They apologized for the inconvenience but also seemed to poke fun of it, playing songs with "hot" in the lyrics over the sound system. Fans were trying to cool themselves on the hot night, a reminder of what it was like in the old Boston Garden when the Celtics and Lakers got together. The Heat are the first team since those Celtics of 1984-87 to get to four straight finals. They are well-rested after a relatively easy roll through the Eastern Conference playoffs, a key to keeping Wade healthy entering the finals. James was the MVP of the series last year when the Heat rallied from five points down in the final half-minute of regulation to win Game 6 in overtime, then won a Game 7 that was close the whole way for their second straight championship. A rematch was widely anticipated and was close almost throughout. The Heat led 86-79 after Boshs four-point play with 9:38 remaining in the game, but it was all San Antonio from there, and Wade said there were problems even beyond James absence. "Obviously, tonight we wouldve loved to have him in there to finish the game, but weve got to finish the game better," Wade said. The Spurs ended up extending their NBA-record streak to eight straight home playoff wins by 15 or more points. Their roster is filled with international players, such as Parker and Ginobili, who both said they were used to playing without air conditioning overseas. Bosh, scoreless in Game 7 last year, scored Miamis first five points in the Heats 7-2 start. But Ginobili came off the bench firing, making consecutive 3-pointers for an 18-13 lead. Wade and James combined for six straight points before Ginobili made another 3, and Patty Mills added one to close the first-quarter scoring and give the Spurs a 26-20 advantage. The Spurs committed nine turnovers while managing only 20 points in the third quarter, and Miami led 78-74 heading to the fourth. Notes: James joined Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the only players with 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in the post-season. ... Ray Allen moved past Bryant and Derek Fisher into second place on the career list with 49 3-pointers in the NBA Finals. Robert Horry, a former Spurs forward, is the leader with 56. Joe Flacco Jersey .Y. -- Florida Panthers captain Ed Jovanovski finally has something to show for all the pain he went through in overcoming a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for much of the past two years. Royce Freeman Jersey . The 27-year-old hit .209 in 86 at-bats last year after missing the 2010 season following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. http://www.officialdenverbroncospro.com/...oncos-jersey/.Y. - Joe Johnson hit six 3-pointers in his 27 points, Mason Plumlee added 18 points, and the Brooklyn Nets won their 11th straight at home, beating the Boston Celtics 114-98 Friday night. Courtland Sutton Jersey . And fellow Leaf, Jake Gardiner, hiking in Whistler. Brian Dawkins Jersey .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft.TORONTO - When Patrick Patterson learned he would be making his first start as a member of the Raptors just prior to Monday nights game he wasnt exactly caught off guard by the news. With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Although it likely wasnt an easy sell, Dwane Casey and the coaching staff made the decision to rest Johnson, who had not missed a game due to injury in nearly two years, opening the door for his backup. "I started in Houston so its not new," said Patterson, downplaying his role in Torontos 108-101 home win over the Pelicans after scoring a season-best 22 points. "Its just all about making sure I have a positive role and I know my role on the team… making sure Im a significant part of our teams success." Since coming over in the seven-player trade from Sacramento in early December, Patterson has seen his role increase steadily, earning the trust of his coach and becoming the Raptors most reliable reserve. After Johnson was ruled out, Casey expressed concern about disrupting the chemistry of his second unit by removing a key cog in Patterson, however the forwards recent play made the decision an easy one. "I thought the matchup with (Anthony) Davis was a good one for him," Casey said of Patterson, who has scored in double figures 13 times over his last 20 games, averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 53 per cent from the field in under 24 minutes per contest during that stretch. "(Patterson) was able to stretch the defence and give us some offensive punch." Patterson gave the Raptors a lift where they needed it most. Toronto had been outscored in the opening quarter of the last four games, all on the road, before returning home Monday and getting off to a rare but crucial quick start against Davis and the Pelicans. Patterson - along with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan - was one of three Raptors to score seven points in the first frame, knocking down both of his shots and helping his team take a 31-20 lead into the second period. Thats where Pattersons presence was missed, as Torontos bench came in and squandered a 15-point advantage. Led by reserve guard Tyreke Evans, New Orleans ripped off a 26-11 run to end the half and would go into the break knotted up with Toronto at 49 points apiece. "For whatever reason we are losing leads with our second unit, what its doing is putting a lot of pressure on our starters and putting them in big minute situations," said Casey with both DeRozan and Lowry hovering around 40 minutes on Monday. "I think they just have to get their rhythm back. Taking (Patterson) off the second unit hurts them a bit, but still we have to gett a rhythm with that second unit so we can rest our starters.dddddddddddd." Heavy mileage has taken its toll on Johnson. The Raptors forward turned his ankle in a win over the Magic late last month - the most recent in a series of ankle injuries - and, to character, had played and started in all five games since. He could have done the same Monday if necessary, Casey indicated before the game, but with the all-star break around the corner and his team poised to make a playoff run over the next couple months, Johnson finally got some much-needed rest. "Its tough to replace a guy like Amir," DeRozan said of Johnson, who had not missed a game to injury since Mar. 5, 2012 (he was suspended for one game last year and sat out the previous season finale). "Everybody has to step up and try to do a little more (without him). Everybody understands their role and once they [saw] Amir [was] out, [they had] to step up and hold down the fort until he gets back." "Were deep," said Lowry, coming off his best game since before the road trip, scoring 19 points to go along with 12 assists and seven boards, five of them offensive. "Thats how we play, thats how we roll. 15 deep." Patterson started six games with the Kings earlier this season and has made 54 starts during his four year career, most of them as a member of the Rockets. With Patterson stepping into the first unit, Tyler Hansbrough - who has fallen out of favour since returning from an ankle injury last month - took advantage of the opportunity he was given off the bench, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in 14 minutes. "Tyler and Patrick both carried us tonight," Casey said. "I thought they were huge in their minutes." "Tyler came in and was a pro. He brings physicality to the game that we need." Patterson and Hansbrough shared the assignment of neutralizing Davis, the Pelicans second-year forward, who has been a revelation in the Western Conference this season. Davis scored just two points, hitting one of his six shots in his first appearance at the Air Canada Centre exactly a year ago Monday but hes come a long way since then. The first-time all-star is one of five players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds and the only one doing so while shooting over 50 per cent from the field. Hes also on pace to become just the fifth player since 1973 to lead the NBA in blocks in his first or second season. "Anthony Davis is one of the most skilled big guys in the league," Casey said before the game, comparing him to a young Kevin Garnett. Davis was glued to the bench in foul trouble late in the third as the Raptors made their run and finished the game with 19 points and seven rebounds while Evans, 24 hours after being bench for disciplinary reasons, had 23 points and 10 assists off the bench for New Orleans. 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