First round,

Game 2

Remember the time Amare Stoudemire turned his hand into hamburger? Who can forget? The Knicks power forward earned the postseason award for biggest bonehead when he punched his hand through a fire-extinguisher housing after losing Game 2 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Heat public-address announcer Michael Baiamonte went on to receive national attention for saying Stoudemire “has been extinguished from the game” after fouling out in Game 5.

LeBron 17, Knicks 14

First round,

Game 3

In LeBron’s first playoff game at Madison Square Garden, he outscored the Knicks 17-14 in the fourth quarter of the series’ pivotal game. The 17 points tied LeBron’s all-time scoring record for points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

The tiff

Eastern Conference semifinals,

Game 3

Panic set in throughout Miami when the Heat fell behind 2-1 to the Pacers. The way the Heat lost Game 3 was not encouraging. Dwyane Wade finished with five points and during the game had a heated verbal exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra. Wade later revealed that he had his left knee drained of fluid the day of the game.

Bounce-back

Eastern Conference semifinals,

Game 4

Wade responded to his poor performance in Game 3 with a 30-point effort in Game 4. He made it clear that the Heat wasn’t bowing out of the playoffs early. Wade went 10 of 13 from the field in the second half.

Elgin-esque

Eastern Conference semifinals,

Game 4

LeBron entered the record books in Game 4, becoming just the second player in NBA postseason history to have at least 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in a game. The great Elgin Baylor accomplished the feat in 1961. For James, it was a sign of things to come. He played at his best in pressure-packed games for the remainder of the postseason.

Bloodsport

Eastern Conference semifinals,

Game 5

A physical series got bloody in Game 5. First, Tyler Hansbrough pawed the face of Dwyane Wade, drawing blood and a flagrant foul. Heat forward Udonis Haslem couldn’t let that slide. Haslem, who received a blow to his eye earlier in the series that required stitches, hammered Hansbrough with a flagrant foul of his own. Haslem played with a blood-shot eye and a large bandage on his brow for most of the series and was suspended for Game 6. After the game, Wade presented Haslem with the game ball on the plane back to Miami.

The wink

Eastern Conference semifinals,

Game 5

Dexter Pittman leveled Indiana’s Lance Stephenson with a flying elbow to the throat in the fourth quarter. He was assessed a flagrant foul for the shot and was suspended for multiple games. The penalty might not have been so harsh had Pittman not looked over to the Heat’s bench after the foul and winked at LeBron. Stephenson, of course, mocked LeBron from the bench in Game 3 by making the universal sign for choking after LeBron missed a free throw.

Surviving Rondo

Eastern Conference finals,

Game 2

Rajon Rondo, Erik Spoelstra’s “basketball maestro,” scorched the Heat for 44 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in Game 2 but the Heat survived with a 115-111 victory in overtime. James had 34 points, going 18 of 24 from the foul line.

In the face

Game 5

Eastern Conference finals

 5 when he stepped up and drilled a three-pointer on LeBron in the clutch.

Good job, good effort!

Eastern Conference finals,

Game 5

Video footage of the Heat walking off the court after Game 5 went viral on the Internet after the voice of a young and overly upbeat Heat fan was overheard screaming, “Good job; good effort!” to every Heat player as they walked into the tunnel. The young fan perhaps helped motivate the Heat for Game 6.

One for the ages

Eastern Conference finals,

Game 6

Facing elimination and on the road at hostile TD Garden, LeBron James delivered one of the all-time greatest postseason performances. He scored 45 points to go along with 15 rebounds and five assists and beat back not only the Celtics but also their passionate fans. LeBron scored 30 points in the first half on 12-of-14 shooting, putting the Celtics away early.

Bosh is back

Eastern Conference finals,

Game 7

Chris Bosh returned in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals but his true impact wasn’t felt until the final game of the series. He had 19 points off the bench in the deciding game. Afterwards, Boston coach Doc Rivers called Bosh the series’ X-factor.

Battier’s breakthrough

NBA Finals,

Game 2

The postseason didn’t begin well for Shane Battier. After Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, he had the worst postseason field-goal percentage in franchise history among players with at least 50 shot attempts. He was a different player once he reached the first Finals of his career. It started with five three-pointers and 17 points in Game 2. The most memorable moment of the game was Battier’s banked three-pointer from the top of the key while falling down.

Six-point swing

NBA Finals,

Game 3

The Heat trailed by nine points with three minutes left in the third quarter when Shane Battier and James Jones cut the Thunder’s lead to three points with six consecutive free throws. Both players were fouled in the act of shooting three-pointers from directly in front of the Thunder’s bench. The Heat won Game 3 despite committing eight turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Rookie recovery

NBA Finals,

Game 4

The Heat trailed by 17 points in the first quarter when Norris Cole checked into the game. He then reeled off eight points in seven minutes spanning the first and second periods. His two three-pointers sparked a 16-0 run that put the Heat right back in the game. Cole sported a fresh hair cut, the signature high-top fade he had in college. After his contributions in the Finals, the throwback fade might remain a permanent look.

Alaskan assasin

NBA Finals,

Game 4

Caught on live TV on ABC, Wade gave Chalmers a nickname not fit for print after Chalmers carried the team in the fourth quarter with 12 points. Chalmers had 25 points in the game, tying a playoff career high. He had 19 points in the second half.

The cramp

NBA Finals,

Game 4

With the memory of his collapse in Game 4 of the 2011 Finals fresh on everyone’s minds, LeBron poured his heart into Game 4, scoring 26 points to go along with nine rebounds and 12 assists. By comparison, the Thunder had only 13 assists in Game 4. But the game won’t be remembered for LeBron’s statistical dominance. With 5:15 left, James was carried off the court with leg cramps. With his mobility limited and the game still in doubt, James re-entered the game and swished a three-pointer with 2:51 minutes to play to give the Heat a three-point lead. It was arguably the biggest shot of James’ career.

Triple-double

NBA Finals,

Game 5

LeBron James went his entire MVP season missing a triple-double by an assist here or a rebound there. He must have been saving it for the grand finale. James had 26 points, 13 assists and 11rebounds in Game 5 to win his first NBA championship.

Miller time

NBA Finals,

Game 5

Limited throughout the playoffs with multiple injuries, including a bulging disk in his back, Mike Miller seemed like an afterthought entering Game 5 of the Finals. When it ended, Miller found that he had played his way into NBA lore. Coach Erik Spoelstra had only planned on playing Miller “three or four minutes” in the game, but Miller logged more than 23 minutes and scored 23 points. He made his first six three-pointers and finished 7 of 8 from distance — a Finals record for three-pointers by a player off the bench.

Joseph Goodman