With their season on the line, the Miami Heat lead the Boston Celtics 55-42 after one half of Game 6. Miami enjoyed a double-digit lead for much of the first half thanks to one man -- LeBron James. The MVP was absolutely on fire, controlling the first half on the floor and quieting the crowd off it.
James had one of the best halves of his career, putting on a virtuoso performance on the offensive end. James hit the first 11 of 12 shots he took, finishing the first half with 30 points in just 24 minutes. He was 12 of 14 from the field and it could have been even more amazing, as he was just five of nine from the charity stripe. He also grabbed five rebounds but it was his work with the ball -- whether it be on the attack in transition, with his back to the basket, or pulling up. He was hitting everything in the most pressure-packed game of his career.
Dwyane Wade was almost as bad as James was brilliant, hitting just one of six shots from the field. Wade had just six points in support of James.
The Celtics played a particularly sloppy half, committing nine turnovers and struggling to really get the game close after Miami went out on an early run. Rajon Rondo scored 19 points as he tried to match LeBron.
If James can even maintain any semblance of that first half, and Wade can pick things up, the Heat will return home for a Game 7 on Saturday night.
Stick with this StoryStream for news and updates throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. For more analysis and discussion on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. Visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston for the opponent's perspective during the series. For all your Conference Finals analysis, visit SB Nation's NBA hub.