Heat force Celtics to Game 7 on back of Lebron’s 45 points
BOSTON — The Miami Heat are one step away from NBA Finals redemption.
It won’t be easy in Saturday’s Game 7 of these bestofseven Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics at AmericanAirlines Arena
in Miami, because it took just about the best of LeBron James in Thursday’s 98- 79 Game 6 victory at TD Garden, with James exploding for 45 points, four off his career playoff high.
But now tied 3- 3, there finally is a chance to put these pesky Celtics away and then move on with the last steps needed to erase the memories of last
season’s NBA Finals demise against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Heat know they have history on their side, with home teams dominant in Game 7s.
But more than anything, what the Heat have now is hope. And James.
Making 12 of his first 13 shots and never looking back, James had 30 points by halftime, his
highest- scoring first half ever in the playoffs.
And he just kept going from there, adding 15 rebounds and five assists to his final ledger.
Dwyane Wade added 17 points on 6- of- 17 shooting, with de facto starting centre Udonis Haslem adding nine rebounds.
For his part James became the first player to score 25 or
more in eight consecutive playoff games against the Celtics since Los Angeles Lakers centre Kareem Abdul- Jabbar from April 28, 1974 to May 27, 1984. Until Thursday, James had never scored more than 23 points before halftime in a playoff game while with the Heat.