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ONE FOR LEBRON heat wins; james gets championship ring
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Miami small forward LeBron James and the Heat were crowned the 2012 NBA champions after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-106, in Game 5 on Thursday in Miami. The Heat took the series 4-1. It is the first title for James.
Associated Press
MIAMI
The decision is final: LeBron James made the right call coming to Miami.
Finally an NBA champion, it’s all worth it now.
James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and got the kind of help that was worth leaving home for, leading the Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.
Best player in the game, best team in the league.
James has found it all since taking his talents to South Beach.
“It means everything,” James said moments after the win. “I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about ... I knew we had a bright future [in Miami]. This is a dream come true for me. This is definitely when it pays off.”
He left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a celebration he’s been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft.
James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and watched the confetti rain down from the rafters.
The Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew it open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.
Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party two summers ago, both had strong games. Bosh, who broke down in tears as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.
The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games last year vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.