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NBA: Miami beat Oklahoma City to clinch title

Last updated on: June 22, 2012 10:11 IST

The Miami Heat demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 on Thursday to win the National Basketball Association championship 4-1, sweeping the last four games of the series.

-FACTBOX: MVP LEBRON JAMES

LeBron James led an outstanding team effort with a brilliant all-round game, grabbing a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high 13 assists.

LeBron JamesSix Heat players scored in double figures, including Chris Bosh with 24 and reserve Mike Miller with 23, who went 7-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc in a spectacular shooting display for the Heat.

Miami pulled away in the third quarter when they ran off 16 points in a row to build a 25-point lead and send the raucous standing-room American Airlines Arena crowd into an early celebration.

It was Miami's second NBA title following a 2006 triumph and the first for three-times league Most Valuable Player James, who finally realized his dream of winning a championship ring in his third trip to an NBA Finals.

Three-times NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant led the young Thunder team with 32 points with Russell Westbrook and James Harden adding 19 points for the losers.

Photographs: Mike Segar / Reuters

Source: REUTERS
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