LeBron James: A Man on a Mission Against the Boston Celtics

The stakes were high in Game 4 at TD Garden.

The Miami Heat had the chance to close the series out at home if they could somehow secure a win against the Boston Celtics.

They did that, thanks largely to the play of one LeBron James.

Miami fans collectively groaned as Ray Allen hit a late three-pointer with 2:28 left in the fourth to give Boston a three-point lead.

LeBron James, man on a mission, replied in turn with a three of his own to tie the game up.

Granted, he turned the ball over at a crucial junction of the game, but he more than made up for it with solid defense on Paul Pierce in the final play of regulation.

Then in the first play of the extra period, he hits a near impossible turnaround fade-away jumper over the superb defense of Paul Pierce to give Miami the early lead, and they never looked back from that point on.

Everybody knew coming into this season that Miami would have to overcome the "Original Big Three"—including LeBron James.

He knew of his own struggles against the Celtics in the postseason, including the disappointing second-round ousting he suffered last year. The people of Cleveland claimed that he had "quit" on them in Game 5 and that LeBron, and LeBron alone, was the reason their team lost.

Not the fact that they were simply outclassed by a far better and deeper team.

This weighed in on LeBron's decision to have a change of scenery when he joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach.

That is when the floodgates of hate opened—thanks to "The Decision;" not just from the people of Cleveland, but seemingly everyone around the world who isn't a Heat supporter.

The pressure and criticism mounted when the Heat got off to the 9-8 start; then doubled when they went through that five game losing streak; then tripled due to the "cry-gate" incident; then quadrupled when Miami could not execute down the stretch.

It is safe to say that the other two members of the Big Three were spared most of the criticism, with LeBron copping the main load for the majority of the season.

But going into Game 4 in Boston, and coming out with the win like LeBron did with 35 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime thriller, proved to everyone that he means business and is looking to amend some bad memories of the past.

LeBron called it one of the most important games of his career—I disagree.

Tonight's Game 5 will certainly be the ultimate test, for it was Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year that LeBron "choked."

Game 5 this year sees LeBron with the opportunity to finally bury his demons and dispose of the Celtics for good.

The only question that remains is, will he do so?

Or will the big bad men in green come back to haunt him yet again?