A collective effort by the Celtics emphasized a more controlled style of play that went unseen in South Beach, as both teams split victories. While they lost Game 4, Boston's vital victory in Game 3 allowed them the opportunity tonight to put away the defending champions.
The score was much lower than the past two games, reflecting more of Boston's half-court style as it presented too much imbalance for Miami's preferred up-tempo play. LeBron James didn't have a strong showing (only 7-16 from the field), but Chris Bosh poured in 30 points, along with a strong double-double by Dwyane Wade. Ray Allen did what he could to keep Miami in the game, but had another inconsistent showing that would lay shadowed by his great turn-in for Game 4 in South Beach.
To their credit, the Miami Heat never quit when Boston confidently and conscientiously pulled out their top contributors to start the final quarter as a way to rest for the looming Los Angeles Lakers, Miami utilized this weakness and kept their top scorers in the game to gain the necessary advantage. They cut the lead as they could, but 17 points by Roy Hibbert held them at bay, along with 11 by backup guard, Avery Bradley.
A timeout late in the final minute cast a gloomy face for LeBron James, who "knew" the game was over and this precognition became apparent as Boston stole the ball shortly after the inbound, leading to 2 made free throws by Roy Hibbert. Now trying to defeat the impossible, the superstar of the Miami Heat, LeBron James, nailed a pull-up jumper at the buzzer, perhaps proving that Miami is capable of winning but simply wasn't superior tonight, as the Miami Heat's championship dreams fizzled, 101-109.
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