LeBron James had 45 points and 15 rebounds,overwhelming the Celtics and leading the Heat to a 98-79 victory Thursday night that forced a game 7 for the Eastern Conference Finals.
James shot 19 of 26 from the field and finished four points shy of his playoff career-high while playing 45 minutes, not sitting down until the victory was long secured.
Dwyane Wade added 17 points for the Heat, who need a victory at home Saturday night to return to the NBA Finals
Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 10 assists for Boston. Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass each scored 12 points, but Paul Pierce had only nine on 4-of-18 shooting.
The Celtics were hoping to complete a comeback from a 2-0 deficit, as Oklahoma City did in the Western Conference, and advance to face the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
Information from Espn.com contributed to this report.