In a dramatic Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs triumphed over the Miami Heat to win the NBA title Sunday night, closing out the series with a 104-87 victory.
After a dismal start, the Spurs rallied and turned things around, entering halftime with a 47-40 lead. When the game resumed, they never looked back and were up by more than 20 points multiple times in the second half.
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday's game, earned the title of the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. At only 22 years old, Leonard became the youngest Finals MVP since teammate Tim Duncan won it for the Spurs in 1999.
"Right now, it's just surreal to me," Leonard said after being handed the award from 11-time champion Bill Russell. "I have a great group of guys behind me."
The Spurs went into Sunday's game leading the series 3-1, a monster deficit for the Heat that no team has overcome in the NBA Finals. It was no different this time, and the Heat's two-year title reign came to an end.
This was the fifth NBA title in franchise history for the Spurs.
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