NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat Prove Even Further That They Are Title Favorites

Remember that time when the Miami Heat lost Chris Bosh due to an abdominal strain in Game 1, lost the next two games to trail 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers and everybody thought they were in trouble going forward?

Yeah, that was cute.

After the embarrassing loss in Game 3, the writing was on the wall for Miami to lay down to the young Pacers, ranging from losing Bosh, to Dwyane Wade and Erik Spoelstra going at it with a war of words.

But for the last two years, we've been waiting to see Wade and LeBron James take over a game together and impose their will on any team they want. It just so happens they picked a young Indiana team that got a little cocky as this series progressed.

The list of teams can only continue to grow as time goes on.

When Pacers guard Lance Stephenson made that choke sign to LeBron, there's no question that a sleeping giant was awakened, the likes of which we haven't seen since the man was taking over games in Cleveland.

And while LeBron was putting up near triple-doubles, it was only a matter of time until Wade would unleash the way he did in Game 6, going for 41 points and 10 rebounds to close out the Pacers.

Might I add, once again, that they did it without Bosh—the man who had played all but two quarters in this past series and when he went down, everyone's alarm and level of concern went through the roof.

Not only does Bosh's presence prove that this team is just as dangerous going forward, but that if he is out for a longer period of time, it's clear that Wade and James can take over a game and continue to do what they've done in these playoffs.

Whoever the Heat face in the Eastern Conference Finals will undoubtedly be a tough matchup no matter how you look at it. But Miami proved in the Indiana series that even Mike Tyson can take a punch, get back up at the count of nine and come back swinging.

Miami took everything they could handle from the Pacers, and more. Despite all the trash talk from Indiana, the in-house drama between Wade and Spoelstra, and even losing Udonis Haslem for Game 6—the Heat proved more than ever that they are the favorites to bring another championship to South Beach.

Obviously, nothing is for certain beyond this series when Miami faces either Philadelphia or Boston in the next round, because anything can happen. But unless Wade, James and even Bosh—who might be back for Game 1 of the ECF—are at the hands of freak accidents and are out for the entire series, they should get back to the NBA Finals, and dare I say, win the thing.

But again, beyond that, it's anybody's guess as to what can happen. Right now, though, how could you go against Miami and what they're doing?

If we want to talk about the dominance the San Antonio Spurs have put together because of the lack-of-quality teams they've beaten to get where they are now, then how come no one can say the same about Miami, when they've beaten much more difficult teams on their path back to the conference finals?

Whoever Miami faces in the next round better be ready for the hurricane that's about to sweep through either part of New England. This team isn't the soft, non-physical team we saw lose in the NBA Finals last year.

We're talking about a complete team that's playing great basketball. It only took two years to see it come to fruition.