The 2012 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2011–12 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs, contested between the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It was played from June 12 to 21, 2012.
Led by a "Big Three" of season MVP LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Heat defeated the Thunder in five games. The Thunder, led by three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, had home-court advantage, and won Game 1 before the Heat won the next four games to clinch their second title in history. The win by the Heat earned James his first championship. James was also named the Finals MVP.
Background
Miami Heat
This was the second consecutive appearance for the Heat, after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in . This was also their second Finals appearance in the "Big Three" era, being led by superstar LeBron James, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and power forward Chris Bosh. Their other Finals appearance was in , when they defeated the Mavericks to win their first NBA title.
In the regular season, the Heat finished with 46 wins, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, they defeated the New York Knicks 4-1, marking the first time since 1997 that the Heat beat their arch rivals in the postseason. In the next two rounds, the Heat overcame major series deficits that nearly eliminated them from the postseason, but survived thanks to a string of victories. In the Conference Semifinals, they defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-2 despite trailing 2-1 and losing Chris Bosh to injury. Then, the Heat survived a grueling Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, winning 4-3 despite trailing 3-2. The Heat’s comeback vs the Celtics was extremely notable thanks to LeBron James’ epic 45 point performance in Game 6, allowing the Heat to win game 7 at home and advance to the Finals. The Heat also became the first team since the 1994-95 Houston Rockets to overcome multiple series deficits en route to the finals.
The 2011-2012 Miami Heat included several new players that had not played for the team during its 2011 Finals run, including Shane Battier, Eddy Curry, Ronny Turiaf, and rookies Terrel Harris and Norris Cole.
Oklahoma City Thunder
This was the Thunder's first NBA Finals appearance since the team relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. Including their seasons as the Seattle SuperSonics, this was also the club's fourth Finals appearance, and first since , when they lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The team was seeking their first NBA championship since .
The Thunder finished with 47 wins, placing them as the second seed in the Western Conference. During the playoffs, they defeated the last three Western Conference Finalists in sequential order. First, they dethroned the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in a 4-0 first round sweep. Next, they dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals 4-1. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, they defeated the top seeded San Antonio Spurs 4-2, despite losing the first two games, snapping San Antonio’s 20 game winning streak in the process.
The Thunder entered the Finals as the second-youngest finalists in NBA history. In addition, Daequan Cook faced the team that traded him to the Thunder in 2010.
Road to the Finals
Regular season series
The season series was tied, 1–1, with both teams winning at their home floor.
Series summary
Game summaries
All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
Game 1
The Thunder defeated the Heat, 105–94, in Game 1. Miami held the lead for most of the first three quarters, including a 13-point lead at one point during the second quarter. The Heat made five three-pointers to jump to a 29–22 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Oklahoma City kept on pace with Miami to keep the score at 54–47 by halftime. The Thunder then took the lead for good with 16 seconds left in the third quarter after Russell Westbrook made a free throw to make it 74–73. Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 36 points, while Westbrook had 27. LeBron James led the Heat with 30 points, but was held to one basket during the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.