And while the naysayers may have a field day discounting the feat of the Miami Heat, particularly that of the league MVP, one LeBron James, it would be hard to deny that the main reason why the South Floridians have found their way to the NBA Finals for a second straight year is because of the play of the man with the jersey number “6.”
Ranged against a nemesis who has caused him more heartbreak than any of the other teams in the league, James submitted one virtuoso performance after another and when the smoke cleared, he arguably had one of the finest playoff series performances of all time with averages of 33.6 points per game, 11 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting. Add to that five 30 point/10 rebound games and of course, the 45-point beatdown he gave the Celtics in Game 6 to keep the Heat drive alive.
But for all of the greatness that the superstar possessed, the name of the game was still team effort and he needed the other pieces of their famed trio to pull off the win."We decided to come together and play together for a reason,”said Wade in his post-game press conference.
And it was as staggering a performance by the “Big Three”as there ever has been in their brief tenure together as James connived wiith his fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for the 31 points of the Heat in the crucial fourth period that turned the once-valiant Boston Celtics into mere shadows of their aging selves.
In what was a close game until those fateful last seven minutes of the match, the returning Bosh made the last of his three three-pointers which was then followed by a runner by James that put them on top, 88-82,with 6:54 remaining.
Then, James had his signature moment of the game. For a man much-maligned for his shortcomings in the fourth quarter, with the shot-clock winding down and with the Celtics salivating for a shot at yet another comeback, Rose rose from 30-feet out and knocked down a booming three-pointer to make the score, 91-84. It was a “backbreaker”of a shot as Boston head coach, Doc Rivers, would call it.
The Heat though, were not yet done as Bosh scored inside the lane and Wade followed suit for a 95-86 cushion. Then came the dagger that was plunged deep into the heart of the green machine as Wade, who for much of the series, played his best in the second half, sealed the deal with three-point play that came off a difficult perimeter jumper.
The lead rose to 12, the cheers rose to deafening levels and the Oklahoma City Thunder beckoned. And for all intents and purposes, the man most likely to answer that call will be James who had 31 points and 12 rebounds in the pivotal game earlier today.
Game 1 of the best-of-seven finals series starts on Wednesday, 9 am, with the Thunder and their young studs, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, all looking to make history after earlier disposing of three past champions in the face of the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers and last year's titlists, the Dallas Mavericks.
The two teams split their games in this shortened season with the Thunder winning their first meeting in convincing fashion, 103-87, in their game last March 25. Durant had 28 points and eight assists in that one as the Thunder underscored their intent for greatness this season. However, a little over a week later, the Heat brought them down back to earth with a 98-93 win with James at the helm with 34 points and 10 assists.
And so the battle lines have been drawn, the stage is set for what many expect to be the finals that most have been dreaming off for the longest time. The match-ups are made of stuff that dreams are made of: James versus Durant. The MVP taking on the scoring champion. Westbrook vs Wade. Bosh vs Serge Ibaka. Sixth Man of the Year James Harden facing off against defensive specialist, Shane Battier.
And so we await for the opening tip and who will draw first blood. For now, let the battle rage on in talk and in discussions especially over here in iSTORYA.NET (Be updated as we give you more NBA Final insights in our Sports section)
Jonas Rey N. Panerio
iSTORYAn League of Writers- Sports
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