It certainly wasn't easy, as the Celtics refused to go down without a fight.
The Heat actually came out flat in Game 7, and they quickly found themselves trailing the Celtics. By halftime, the Celtics had built up a seven-point lead. But the Heat fought back in the third quarter, evening things out, setting the stage for an electrifying fourth quarter.
Both teams went back and forth in the opening moments of the final quarter, but LeBron James took over the game a few minutes later, demoralizing the Celtics with some spectacular dunks. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also stepped up in the final quarter, guiding their team to victory.
"That's what we talk about," LeBron told reporters after the game. "It has to be a collective group to win the championship. Everybody was in tune today. We wanted to give our fans a big win. We look forward to the next challenge."
As expected, LeBron led Miami's offense in Game 7, putting up 31 points and 12 rebounds. Wade finished with 23 points, and 6 rebounds, while Bosh walked away with 19 points in his third game back in lineup (he missed nine consecutive games due to an abdominal strain).
"He was big time -- every shot, every defensive play, every rebound -- we missed him," LeBron said about Bosh's performance. "We're just happy to have him back at the right time. If it wasn't for him and the rest of the guys that stepped up, we don't win this game."
Miami's role players have taken a lot of heat throughout the course of the season, but they deserve a lot of credit for their performance during Saturday's game. Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, and Udonis Haslem all played a big part in Miami's victory, finishing with 12, 9, and 7 points respectively.
Besides getting the win against the Celtics and keeping their championship aspirations alive, the Heat also proved an important point on Saturday: their ability to perform under pressure. They'll now get two days rest, before heading out west to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on June 12.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
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