2012 NBA Finals

Miami, FL

The third time was the charm for LeBron James, who finally won an NBA championship in leading the Miami Heat to a 121-106 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game five of the NBA Finals.

LeBron, named the series MVP, was marvelous in leading the Heat to a 4-1 series win with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

While James, part of a losing finals effort vs. the Mavs last season and once while with the Cavs, was terrific, all five Heat starters chipped in with double-figure scoring and Mike Miller poured in 23 points off the bench, including 7 of 11 treys.

Chris Bosh was stellar in pumping in 24 points and Dwyane Wade added 20 points as Miami's Big 3 shined on the NBA's biggest stage and silenced any remaining criticism of them or their team.

Miami's defense was as stellar as its offense, holding OKC under 40 percent shooting while racking up 7 blocked shots, including a trio from Wade. The Heat controlled play throughout, taking a 59-49 lead into the break and blowing the contest open in the third with a 36-22 scoring advantage.

Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, but struggled mightily from the field along with several of his teammates. Westbrook was 4 of 19, finishing with 19 points on the strength of an 11 of 13 effort at the charity stripe.

James Harden, who couldn't find his shot the entire series, was 5 of 11, including 3 of 8 from three-point range though mostly in garbage time. Kendrick Perkins was a non-factor, collecting five fouls in 20 minutes. He finished with 2 points in an abysmal showing.

Kevin Durant enjoyed a strong showing with 32 points and 11 rebounds, but the Thunder was no match for the Heat in this contest or most of the series, in fact.

Derek Fisher, part of championship teams with Kobe and the Lakers, couldn't spark OKC and in fact hurt the Thunder's cause with a questionable technical foul in which he unnecessarily bodied LeBron as James drove to the basket on a third quarter play.

It marked the Heat's second NBA title, as a Wade-led, but LeBron-less Miami also won it all in 2006.

OKC, which took the second-youngest starting five into the series, was making its first NBA Finals appearance since moving from Seattle.

 

LeBron James speaks on his first NBA Championship.

 

LeBron James speaks on his first NBA Championship.

 

 

'King' Gets His Crown: LeBron, Heat Thrash Thunder for NBA Title