How quickly the 47 days have gone since the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors tipped off the 2014 NBA playoffs on April 19.
After one of the most memorable post-seasons in recent memory, the Finals are here at last and it's a rematch of last year's epic between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.
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It's the match that most neutrals were hoping for after the 2013 seven-game thriller that had just about everything.
Miami, led by LeBron James, won the title, their second in a row, to deny San Antonio their fifth crown since they drafted future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan in 1997.
Here, Sports Mole picks apart this year's Finals and makes its prediction on who will win the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
Schedule
Game 1 - Thursday, June 5 in San Antonio at 2am UK time
Game 2 - Sunday , June 8 in San Antonio at 1am UK time
Game 3 - Tuesday, June 10 in Miami at 2am UK time
Game 4 - Thursday, June 12 in Miami at 2am UK time
Game 5* - Sunday, June 15 in San Antonio at 1am UK time
Game 6* - Tuesday, June 17 in Miami at 2am UK time
Game 7* - Friday, June 20, in San Antonio at 2am UK time
*If needed
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
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Previous titles: Four - 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
How they got here
Round one - beat Dallas Mavericks 4-3
Semi-finals - beat Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
Western Conference Finals - beat Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2
After finishing the season with the a league-best 62-20 record, the Spurs were up against eighth seed and fellow Texans Dallas in the first round, but were hardly convincing in their win.
It looked like Gregg Popovich's men would close out the series in game six, but veteran wing Vince Carter hit an unbelievable three-pointer at the buzzer to take it to a deciding seventh, where the Spurs simply proved too strong for 2011 champions Dallas.
After Portland shocked the Houston Rockets in the first round, they simply couldn't handle San Antonio and went down convincingly.
Waiting in the Western Conference Finals were the league's MVP Kevin Durant and the Thunder.
After blowing out OKC in games one and two, Serge Ibaka made a miraculous return from injury and changed the series completely.
Despite the big Spaniard's effect, San Antonio came through in six to become the first team since the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons to make it back to the Finals after losing game seven in the Finals the previous year.
Key player - Manu Ginobili
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The Spurs' French point-guard Tony Parker should be fit, despite a recent ankle problem, and Duncan needs just three more playoff double-doubles to overtake legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Johnson for the most ever, but San Antonio's key to getting the better of Miami could be the form of Ginobili.
The third member of the Spurs' 'big three', Argentine veteran Ginobili often blows hot and cold.
Brilliant in the series against Dallas, his form dipped against Portland, but didn't need to be as good. He returned to his best against the Thunder, hitting a big three in game six as the game looked to be getting away from the Spurs.
Parker and Duncan are more reliable, but if Ginobili catches fire then Miami will be very worried.
MIAMI HEAT
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Previous titles: Three - 2006, 2012, 2013
How they got here
Round one - beat Charlotte Bobcats 4-0
Semi-finals - beat Brooklyn Nets 4-1
Eastern Conference Finals - beat Indiana Pacers 4-2
Erik Spoelstra's Heat have undoubtedly expended less energy in reaching the Finals.
After finishing second in the East with a 54-28 record, they whitewashed the Charlotte Bobcats before proving that regular season form doesn't mean too much by brushing aside the Nets, who won all four games against them in 2013-14.
In the Conference Finals they were up against the top-seeded Pacers.
Indiana did find some form after an unconvincing end to the season and playoffs, but they never really looked like having enough and fell to the Heat for the second year running at the last-four stage.
The Heat are just the second team, after the '80s Boston Celtics, to appear in four straight NBA Finals.
Following defeat to Dallas in 2011, they have won the title two years in a row and are looking to cement a famous 'three-peat'.
Key Player - Dwyane Wade
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LeBron will be LeBron and do LeBron things, there's no doubt about that. Like San Antonio, it could be the performance of an on-off player that swings the series in the Heat's favour.
Miami's star when they won the 2006 title, Wade has had to take a backseat since the arrival of LeBron in 2010.
He is still one of the league's best players on his day, though, and has been playing well in this year's playoffs after taking plenty of rest during the regular season.
If he starts making baskets and getting into a groove, a LeBron-Wade combo is near unstoppable.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS
The general consensus is that these Spurs are slightly better than last year and the Heat are slightly weaker. Despite this, the Heat have the league's best player in LeBron and if Miami's bench can get anywhere near the production of San Antonio's then the Heat should win.
One thing that's almost guaranteed - another compelling series. San Antonio will be absolutely desperate to avenge last year's heartbreaking defeat and the fact that they have home-court advantage might be enough to swing the series in their favour. Spurs to win in seven.
Pascal Lemesre
