Celtics vs. Heat: Miami's Decisive 4th Quarter Proves They're Championship Ready
The Miami Heat are going to be the 2012 NBA champions. They showed me everything I needed to know to make this proclamation in their amazing fourth quarter in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Heat trailed for the majority of this game. However, they closed the third strong and went into the fourth with the score knotted at 73.
This left the Heat entering the fourth quarter against a team loaded with championship experience. In other words, it seemed rife for a collapse from LeBron James and the Heat on par with their failures in last year's finals.
The collapse didn't happen. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Led by James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat owned the fourth quarter by the tune of 28-15 and won the game 101-88.
As for the Big Three? Well they accounted for Miami's final 31 points, and that is the kind of result that Pat Riley must have envisioned when when he inked James and Bosh to join forces with Wade. That is also the kind of result that will make them champions.
This win is a King Kong-sized monkey off of the backs of the Heat. They have faced a year of comments and press saying they can't close when it matters. Those comments were fueled when the Heat lost three straight to fall behind the Celtics 3-2 in this series.
The Heat didn't fall victim to the pressure of the closing in failure. They responded by playing great basketball, and that was led by James.
In the last two games, James has been more determined and aggressive than he ever has been. He hit big shots from the inside and outside. He was not going to be denied. In other words, he found that killer instinct.
Now the Heat enter the finals with a leader who has finally found that missing gear. They enter the finals as a team that faced serious adversity and overcame it.
This is going to bring a whole new confidence in the Heat—a confidence that they can stare adversity in the face and beat it down. This will give them the edge in close games, and it will be enough for them to take down the Thunder.
