The Miami Heat show up to ruin the Boston Celtics’ title plans
The 2011 playoff run featured the three-headed beast of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh on the Heat for the first time in the postseason. They dispatched the Celtics in just five games – a gentleman’s sweep.
When the 2012 playoffs came around, the Celtics were ready to win. After going down 0-2 on the road, Boston won the next three straight, giving themselves a chance to win the Eastern Conference Finals at home.
Not only would this send the Big 3 home to Miami without another trophy, but it would also give an increasingly aging core in Boston, what could be their last chance of winning another title together.
But then, LeBron happened.
The Game:
It was rarely close and for as memorable as this game was, mostly everyone had a terrible game.
Early in the first quarter, the two power-houses of the East (one on the ascension, the other descending) would trade punches. One thing noted early on by the broadcast was LeBron’s aggressive attack of the basket from the jump.
Also, early on, it was clear that the Celtics had zero answers for James. What appeared to be the makings of a heavyweight fight in the first seven minutes, knotted at 12-12, quickly became a gruesome mismatch in Miami’s favor.