Who Wins Game 7: Heat or Celtics?

Poor Boston Celtics fans. Maybe the Boston mayor cursed the team when he called Rajon Rondo and KG “KJ and Hondo” at a recent press conference. More likely, it was LeBron James and his 45 points that did them in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. For all the talk of LeBron not being clutch and fading in late game situations, he sure played like the NBA's Most Valuable Player, leading his team to a dominant 98-79 victory.

With that Game 6 victory for LeBron's Miami Heat, they avoid elimination and keep their championship dreams alive, as it now comes down to a crucial Game 7. While the Celtics are still a great team, they had a chance to put away the Heat in Boston. Now the Celtics must travel to Miami to face LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and a Heat team that's now riding some major momentum.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers may be more experienced and better than the Heat's Erik Spoelstra, but who's on the sidelines won't matter if the Heat dominate Game 7 all four quarters like they did with Game 6. Whichever team wins is going to have their hands full against the Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who will have slightly more rest than the winner of the East. But if the Heat can punch their ticket for a second straight NBA Finals appearance, they'll prove to critics they won't go down without a fight no matter what happens.