Clutch This: LeBron Overpowers Celtics; Heat Force Game 7

“I’m in a great place right now as far as the game of basketball on the court and off the court. So I’m looking forward to Game 7. See you all in Miami.”

Thursday vs. Boston, Game 6 Eastern Conference Finals

45 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists on 19-of-26 shooting. With Miami’s season on the line, James was at his best. He scored 30 points in the first half and was efficient, shooting 73.1 percent from the floor.

Josh Krulewitz of ESPN reports that the overnight rating for Thursday’s Game 6 in the Celtics-Heat series is the highest in NBA history. The game pulled in an 8.2 share, trumping the previous record of 7.9 ... which was also set by this same series in Game 4.

Locally, as would be expected, the ratings looked even better. The game pulled in a 20.5 share in Boston and a whopping 22 share in Miami.

James’ 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist night was the first 45-15-5 playoff game since Wilt Chamberlain pulled one off -- in 1964. For doing something that hasn’t been seen in nearly half a century, LeBron got showered with a beverage as his “shift” at “work” was ending.

And how did he react to it? With a simple, dignified head bob.

With the win, the Heat forced Game 7 which will be played on Saturday night in Miami.

... all right, Dwyane, you can make whatever cool faces you want now.

But looking like Doctor Claw from Inspector Gadget or something is probably not actually that cool, maybe? I dunno, keep on bein’ you, Dwyane.

Kevin Garnett’s intensity aura can be frightening when viewed up close, SO IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THAT ESPN KEEPS SHOWING EXTREME CLOSE-UPS OF KEVIN GARNETT’S INTENSITY AURA.

But, really, this is a perfect “Are you serious?!” GIF, isn’t it?

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Celtics, check out CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.

Rajon Rondo has learned many things from the veteran Celtics who helped him win a title in 2008. One of them is how to cater to the Boston crowd, as he did by doing a single push-up on his knuckles after being fouled by Mario Chalmers late in the second quarter of Game 6. Here is the video.

Rondo would go on to miss one of the two subsequent free throws, but he did at least get the “EM-VEE-PEE” serenade he totally earned by doing a thing another guy did a few days ago.

James has started 10-for-11 from the field in Game 6, making 10 straight shots after an early miss, and he’s doing the sort of shooting that makes stopping him unfathomable. Just two of his field goals have come from near the basket; the other eight are on jumpers from eight feet or further away.

LeBron was reading some of the books from the The Hunger Games series earlier in the playoffs, and he’s certainly playing tonight’s game with a bit of hunger, perhaps part of why he is catching fire right now. (I’m sorry.)

James has 12 points in the early goings, is 5-for-6 from the field, and has scored in about every way imaginable: on a dunk in transition, a long two, a midrange jumper, a twisting transition lay-up that became a converted and-one, and a three.

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Celtics, check out CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.

So the reason Van Gundy wore lensless frames during ESPN’s pregame show is probably that #JVGIsTheKindOfPersonWhoMocksHipstersAndHasNoIdeaWhatAHipsterIsLongHashtag. Or something.

This, of course, inspired ESPN to Photoshop the same sort of specs onto Magic Johnson.

There’s really no comparison between TNT’s Inside the NBA and ESPN’s NBA pregame show. It’s not even close. TNT, though ridiculous at times, still sets the bar and attempting to replicate its formula is liable to get you embarrassed.

I bring this up because...

Be afraid.

Bosh’s individual contributions in Game 5 look more impressive on paper than when viewed in context of the team’s performance. Bosh earned a -12 in his time on the floor, which came partly during Miami’s glacier-cold run in the second and third quarters, when the Heat scored just 36 points total.

For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Celtics, check out CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.