LeBron James delivered. With the season on the line and with the game tied at 73 after three quarters, James tallied 11 points over the final period to lead the Heat to a 101-88 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 7, punching its ticket to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. The often-criticized All-Star finished with a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds, one game after helping Miami stave off elimination with 45 points and 15 rebounds in Game 6.
In the fourth quarter on Saturday, in which the Heat outscored the Celtics 28-15, James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored all of their team's points, including the last 31.
Boston got a significant boost from Rajon Rondo, who recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
In the finals, the Heat will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who upended the San Antonio Spurs in six games last week.
Stick with this StoryStream for news and updates throughout Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. For more analysis and discussion on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog. Visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston for the opponent's perspective during tonight's contest. For all your Conference Finals analysis, be sure visit SB Nation's NBA hub.