5 Honourable Mentions - #2

14. 2012 Eastern Conference Finals - Game 7 - Boston Celtics (H)

Boston Celtics 88, Miami Heat 101

The Heat had a habit of making game 6 more memorable than game 7. This was the case here, with the Heat’s do or die battle against the Celtics at home completely overshadowed in time by the epic LeBron performance that came before it. This game doesn’t have the replay value that most of the others on this list do, but for importance and tenseness at the time, not many best it. On the back of LeBron’s 45 point monster on the road, some questioned who would be able to step up for Miami and provide LeBron some relief in the inevitable situation that he would be unable to repeat those efforts. This was a tight affair throughout, but there existed a feeling throughout that Miami would be able to pull through, as if, like in the game 7 against the spurs, the previous game had created a feeling that they were not to be defeated. But for Heat fans, the feeling was a more paranoid “please don't let this be a loss”, than any feeling of divine right. How different would the Heat’s legacy have been if they had lost this game, which they so nearly could have. 2 wins and 4 finals apperances souds a hell of a lot better than 1 finals loss and 1 ECF defeat to the old Celtics, which is what they stood to face at the time. This was the height of the Heat-Celtics rivalry, and the Heat got to revel in putting in the final dagger.

The reasons:

• THIS LeBron dunk
• Big shot bosh x 3. Bosh’s three 3’s at the end were largely credited as killing the Celtics. Bosh was only just returning from his abdominal tear injury.
• Probably the most underrated big lebron shot ever. Did you know LeBron hit a deep deeeeep 3 late in the fourth quarter of a game 7 in the playoffs in a close game to virtually seal the outcome? Don’t you feel like that should be replayed more often that it was? How many of you remember this shot?