Spurs Take Opener – NBA Roundup For June 7th

MIAMI (AP) — A nine-day layoff didn't stop the San Antonio Spurs' momentum as they rallied to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Tony Parker scored 21 points and the Spurs rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Heat 92-88 in Miami. Parker iced the win by draining a 16-footer with 5.2 seconds left, a shot that just beat the 24-second clock. Tim Duncan added 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks as the Spurs earned their seventh straight win and improved to 13-2 in the postseason.

LeBron James had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his 10th career postseason triple-double. But Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard hounded James on the perimeter, leading the reigning MVP to shoot just 7-for-16.

Heat guard Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored a team-high 13 points by halftime but finished with just 17, one reason why Miami scored just 36 in the second half.

Game 2 is Sunday in Miami.

DENVER (AP) — George Karl is out as coach of the Denver Nuggets. Karl's 8 ½-year tenure ends just weeks after he was named the NBA's coach of the year. Karl guided the third-youngest team in the NBA to the third-best record in the Western Conference with a franchise-record 57 wins. But the Nuggets were bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Karl's departure comes shortly after Masai Ujiri (muh-SY' yoo-JEER'-ee), the league's executive of the year, left to become general manager of the Toronto Raptors.

Karl had one more year on his contract.