The San Antonio Spurs moved in among the NBA's greatest franchises with an 83-82 victory and a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
With their fourth championship since 1999 -- and third in five years -- the Spurs joined the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams in NBA history to win four titles.
And No. 5 might not be far away either with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan leading this well-oiled machine. Coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, now a perfect 4-for-4 together in finals appearances, spent most of the playoffs dismissing talk that they should be considered a dynasty.
But with titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and this year, there's no more reason to pretend they aren't one.
Finals MVP Parker scored 24 points and Ginobili had 27 -- 13 in the fourth quarter.
As the final seconds ticked off on Cleveland's finest season, Duncan stood at center court with both arms raised triumphantly as the rest of the Spurs danced around their center in a huddle.
San Antonio's kingpin sought out Cleveland's Eric Snow, but was unable to find rival star LeBron James in the pandemonium.
The final moments were hectic, though, as the Spurs needed every last free throw to hold off the Cavaliers, who made a last stand at home in a season of seasons for their once-downtrodden franchise.
Cleveland went on an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter, taking its first lead in any second half of the series on James' drive with 7:55 left. Cleveland went up 63-60 on Daniel Gibson's drive, but that's when the Spurs showed why they're champions.
Ginobili scored, was fouled and missed his free throw, but Duncan muscled into the lane and tipped in the miss to make it 66-63. The Cavs tied it, but Ginobili, who didn't make a field goal in Game 3, put in a 3-pointer. Then, when James missed a 3, the Spurs regained control by outworking Cleveland.
Duncan and Fabricio Oberto scrapped for offensive rebounds as the Spurs kept the ball for nearly two minutes before Oberto's 3-point play made it 72-66 with 2:29 remaining. Duncan then poked the ball away from James and Oberto scored underneath to give San Antonio a 74-66 lead.
James, possibly a little tired following the early morning birth of his second son, hit another 3-pointer, but Ginobili responded again with a tough runner in the lane to make it 76-69.
Damon Jones made three free throws and James made another 3-pointer, but Ginobili made four free throws in the final seven seconds and immediately began celebrating a title that was all but inevitable.
James had Cleveland fans believing the city's 43-year championship drought was about to end. However, he had a rough introduction to the league's climactic event, one he expects to reach again.
He shot just 10-of-30 in Game 4 -- and only 36 percent in the series -- and never figured out how to rise above or get around the Spurs, whose defensive schemes were designed to make the other Cavaliers beat them.
James scored 24 points and while he took the Cavaliers as far as they've ever gone, he failed to give them new life in this series on the same day his second son, Bryce James, was born.
Duncan, an MVP in his first three finals, had only 12 points but grabbed 15 rebounds.
But the 31-year-old, whose arrival in 1997 was the beginning of the Spurs' ascent, got his fourth championship ring and helped Michael Finley, Jacque Vaughn and Brent Barry win their first.
Also see story:
France's Parker named finals MVP
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