The Miami Heat will return to the Finals for the second consecutive season after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 7, 101-88, at home in the American Airlines Arena. LeBron James sparked the Heat's victory with 31 points and 12 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 23 points and Chris Bosh came off the bench to score 19 points.
The Heat were on the verge of elimination after losing Game 5 at home, but James' dominant performance in Game 6 at the Boston Garden allowed them to tie the series.
The Celtics led by as much as 9 points early in the game, but ran out of gas in the final quarter as Miami intensified its defense.
James commended Bosh, who was out with a stomach injury for the first four games of the series but gave the Heat a big boost in the final three contests.
"He's big time. Every shot, every defensive play, every defensive rebound. His energy, and his effort. We missed him. We're happy to have him back at the right time," James said.
Miami will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. The Thunder eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
"There has to be a collective effort for us to win the championship... Everybody was a big part of this win and we look forward to the next challenge," said James, who won this season's Most Valuable Player award, beating out Thunder superstar Kevin Durant.
Rajon Rondo had a triple double in a losing effort for the Celtics, with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
The Heat also made the Finals last season, wherein they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
