The Miami Heat may not have dominated the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals like they did the rest of the league during a 66-win regular season but the defending champions showed they're still worthy of recognition with a brilliant performance Monday night in South Beach. With a decisive Game 7 separating Miami and Indiana from a trip to the NBA Finals and a date with the San Antonio Spurs, the Heat played as well as they have all postseason, completely dismantling the Pacers in front of a packed house at the American Airlines Arena.
While LeBron James had been doing his part leading up to Monday night's series finale, he wasn't receiving much help from his supporting cast, namely Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Wade consistently struggled to find a rhythm on the offensive end while Bosh failed mightily to compete with Indiana big men Roy Hibbert and David West, never able to establish himself in the rebounding department. An increased effort from both men changed the look of Miami in Game 7 however, as the Heat looked like themselves for the first time in the series.
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Dwyane Wade was a lot more comfortable in the offense Monday, getting himself involved immediately while capitalizing on some solid early looks. The 31-year-old guard scored 21 points and knocked down 7-of-16 field goals, a tremendous improvement from Game 6 where he scored only 10 points on a dismal 3-for-11 shooting performance. While Wade looked back to form, Chris Bosh saw increased improvement as well in Miami's Game 7 victory, scoring 9 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Although those numbers won't pop off the stat sheet, Chris Bosh seemed engaged on both ends of the floor, a trait he's lacked throughout most of the postseason.
Indiana led Miami 21-19 at the end of the first quarter but the Heat would dominate the remaining 36 minutes of action, winning the game 99-76 and advancing to their third-consecutive NBA Finals. Taking a 15-point lead into the halftime break after outscoring the Pacers 33-16 in the second frame, Miami continued to pull way in the second half and leading the charge was League MVP LeBron James. Finishing the night with a game-high 32 points on 8-of-17 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, James knows how tough it is to reach the Finals and he's aware of the tough challenge the San Antonio Spurs will pose in the championship round.
"This is what it's all about," James said to the New York Daily News. "I've dreamed about opportunities like this as a kid, to have a Game 7 that allows you to advance to the Finals. To see a dream become a reality. I'm very blessed. Our team is very blessed. They (the Spurs) have a bunch of Hall of Famers. I'm looking forward to the challenge but I'm not there mentally yet. I want to savor this win."
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The Miami defense did a great job in limiting Indiana rising star Paul George as well. In over 33 minutes of action, George was only able to score 7 points while teammates David West and Lance Stephenson combined for only 24 points on 10-of-23 shooting. Pacers big man Roy Hibbert did lead his team with 18 points but was only able to grab 8 rebounds mostly due to the fact that the Miami defense was playing at a tremendous level right from the opening tip.
After the loss, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel praised the defensive intensity of the Miami Heat noting that experience certainly plays a role in postseason success.
"They taught us a lesson," Vogel said to NBA reporters. "This team has been there before. They have been to the championship. They've won it all. And they know how to ratchet up their defense at a level that just imposes their will on a basketball game."
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Miami will now prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to begin Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs. With the Heat fresh off a grueling seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals, San Antonio will have a total of 10 days rest entering the Finals since sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals.
Making their fifth finals appearance in fifteen seasons, the San Antonio Spurs are certainly capable of winning a fifth championship. As they prepare for their series with the Heat, veterans Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili know what the challenges that lie ahead in fellow future Hall of Famers LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. The upcoming championship series has the potential to be one of the best finals in recent memory and it will certainly be a great way to end another fantastic basketball season.
WATCH Highlights From Miami's Game 7 Victory Over Indiana:
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