Lebron James, Miami Heat | featured news

It's there every day for LeBron James and the Heat - the sting of last year's NBA Finals loss. Two more wins and it will be a distant memory. James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn't win again against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kevin Durant delivered the fourth quarter LeBron James never could last year. So forget those NBA Finals jitters at the start. Durant and the young Thunder showed they have already figured out how to finish. Durant scored 17 of his 36 points in another nightmarish final period for James and his team, leading a Thunder storm that overwhelmed the Heat and gave Oklahoma City a 105-94 victory over Miami in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

LeBron James finally got a Game 7 victory, on his third try... James had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Chris Bosh hit a career-best three 3-pointers - the last sparking the run that put it away - and the Heat won their second straight Eastern Conference title by beating the Boston Celtics 101-88 in Game 7 on Saturday night.

LeBron James pushed away elimination, right along with any defender who tried to stop him....

Chris Bosh was moved by the raucous ovation he got when checking into the game... Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 19 - including a huge 3-pointer over LeBron James' outstretched arm with 52.9 seconds left - and the Celtics moved one win away from the NBA finals by beating the Heat 94-90 on Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and the Heat beat the Celtics 93-79 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Heat forward LeBron James is the NBA's MVP for a third time, putting him alongside some of the game's all-time greats... James is winning the award for the third time in four seasons. Only seven other players - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone - have at least three MVP trophies.

LeBron James scored 32 points, including eight straight to start the fourth quarter and break open the game, and the Miami Heat took a 3-0 lead, sending the New York Knicks to an NBA postseason-record 13th straight loss, 87-70 on Thursday night.

Incredibly, they were the 29th-ranked offense in April, scoring less than a point per possession over their final 16 games. Only the 7-59 Charlotte Bobcats were worse. Now, it's not like anyone was writing the Heat off before the postseason began.