LeBron James scored 24 points over the final 16:35, hitting 8-of-12 shots, which helped the Heat turn a nip-and-tuck game into a snoozer down the stretch. (Miami won, 102-91.) LeBron was so sharp in the third and fourth quarters that it makes me wonder if he was extra-motivated after finding out that he finished third in this year’s MVP voting. For their part, Dwyane Wade added 28 points and eight boards, while Chris Bosh chipped in with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat were +10 in made free throws, which was the difference in the game. Otherwise, the numbers were pretty even. That’s not an indictment of the officiating — the Heat simply attack the rim more (and better) than Boston, which is at its core a jumpshooting team. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined to go 15-of-38 (39%) from the field for 36 points. That’s not going to get it done.
