Eastern Conference Finals 2012: Highlighting Potential Unsung Heroes

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are poised to meet for the second time in as many years in these 2012 NBA playoffs. 

Boston will be favored to advance to the 2012 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat when they take the floor Saturday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals (8 p.m. ET, ABC) against the upset-minded Philadelphia 76ers.

Given that the C's are 17-4 at home in Game 7s all-time, we'll give Boston the edge and prematurely set them up for a seven-game date with the defending conference champion Miami Heat.

That being said, let's highlight the four potential unsung heroes of a Celtics vs. Heat conference title clash.

Mario Chalmers

Heat point guard Mario Chalmers hit three of his four three-point attempts in Miami's Game 6 closeout win over the Indiana Pacers on the road Thursday night, signaling that he is a dependable crunch-time scorer and a player the Heat can depend on when the Big Three are off their game. 

Chalmers is averaging more than 11 points, four rebounds and three assists per game this postseason with the Heat, and provides 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

Brandon Bass

After struggling in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks, Celtics forward Brandon Bass exploded on the 76ers, scoring 27 points in a pivotal Game 5 back in Boston.

Bass is averaging 13.7 points and five rebounds per game for Boston in six games against Philly, and has missed just two free throws all postseason long. That sounds like an unsung hero to me. 

Udonis Haslem

With Chris Bosh out because of an abdominal strain, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem has stepped in nicely as the team's third wheel, capable of knocking down a mid-range jumper consistently, and providing a presence on defense and the backboard. 

Haslem scored 14 huge points on 5-of-6 shooting in a must-win Game 4 on the road against the Indiana Pacers in the second round last weekend, proving his worth as an unsung hero for the Heat.

Ray Allen

Who would have ever thought that Ray Allen would be considered a potential unsung hero for the Boston Celtics? The veteran sharpshooter was and is supposed to be a member of Boston's Big Three, but nowadays it seems any production from the hobbled Allen is a plus.

After shooting better than 45 percent from downtown during the regular season, Allen is hitting just 27 percent of his triples in the playoffs. At some point the dead-eye has to snap out of it, and when he does, he'll be an unsung hero.

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