James' forays to the basket were usually unsuccessful and his passes were off-target all night, but then there was the jumper. James got himself going after a terrible first half with some long jumpers in the third quarter, and his 3-pointers and steal put the Celtics away in the waning moments. What was it that people were saying about LeBron in the clutch?
What is there to say about Wade's performance? He eviscerated the Boston defense by splitting traps, forcing his way to the free throw line and hitting his midrange jumpers. Wade shot poorly from the free throw line, but all that did was prove he's human. This was an awe-inspiring masterpiece of a game.
Bosh had another quiet night on the stat sheet, but he was there to make some timely baskets and a few key rebounds, and he was able to keep Kevin Garnett in check after a big first quarter. It wasn't an All-Star performance, but it was what the Heat needed to put away the Celtics.
Just like in Game 4, the Heat spent most of the game down by at least two possessions, and they faced a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter. But they refused to go away, wore down the Celtics as the game went on and took the game in the clutch. In other words, the Heat did to the Celtics what the Celtics were supposed to do to the Heat.
The Celtics deserve a lot of credit for what they were able to do in this series. They went up against a younger, more athletic and more talented Heat team, and they gave Miami everything it could handle -- this was a five-game series only on paper. But in the end, while Boston was able to handle James and Wade individually, both players on the same team was too much.
Finishing Touch
Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIREDwyane Wade had the right touch from the field, helping eliminate Paul Pierce and the defending East champs in five games.
ThermoStat
ESPN.com
Thanks to Dwyane Wade's 34 points, it's the first time LeBron James and his teammate scored more than 30 points in the same playoff game. That's why he came to Miami.
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