2012 NBA Playoffs

Miami, FL

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh combined for 73 points as the Miami Heat booked their place in the NBA finals following a 101-88 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their epic Eastern Conference Finals series at American Airlines Arena.

The Heat returned to the NBA finals for the second straight time after foiling a gallant effort from the Celtics in a thrilling winners-take-all contest at Triple A.

Coming off a 45-point, 15-board, and 5-dime outing in Game 6, James followed up his sensational playoff performance with another remarkable game as the three-time NBA MVP tallied 31 points and 12 boards for his eighth double-double of the postseason.

Wade had 23 points and 6 boards, while Chris Bosh delivered 19 points and 8 boards in his third game coming off an abdominal strain.

After suffering a 19-point drubbing at the hands of the Heat, the Celtics started Game 7 on a strong start and led by 53-46 edge at the break.

However, the Heat came up again with a strong third quarter as Heat role players Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem stepped up to erase the Celtics' 8-point lead.

The fourth quarter featured a back-and-forth battle with the Celtics down to the final quarter but the Heat pulled off a 20-6 in the final 8 minutes to put the icing on the cake for the home team.

The Heat shot .514 percent from the field and grabbed 38 boards while the Celtics hit .467 percent and hauled 33 boards.

Rajon Rondo tallied 22 points, 14 assists, and 10 boards to become the first player to record a triple-double in two Game 7 contest, while Kevin Garnett (14 pts), Paul Pierce (19 pts), and Ray Allen (15 pts) all contributed well offensively in what would likely be the final ballgame for Boston's Big three.

The Heat moved on to their second straight NBA finals appearance and third overall after coming short against the Dallas Mavericks last year.

Miami will face the equally talented Oklahoma City Thunder in what would be an intriguing best-of-seven finals series for all the ages.

 

LeBron James had 31 points, Chris Bosh hit a career-best three 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat won their second straight Eastern Conference title by beating the Boston Celtics 101-88 in Game 7

 

 

Heat's Big Three Come Through in Game 7 Win Over Celtics