2012 NBA Conference Finals

Memorable images from the NBA’s final four.

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Miami Heat's Chris Bosh lifts the Eastern Conference trophy after the Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami.

Andrew Innerarity / REUTERS

Dwyane Wade (3) of the Miami Heat kisses girlfriend actress Gabrielle Union after the Heat defeat the Boston Celtics 101-88 and advance to the NBA finals.

J. Meric / GETTY IMAGES

LeBron James (6) of the Miami Heat goes up for a shot against Brandon Bass (30) of the Boston Celtics in the second half of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals at American Airlines Arena in Miami.

Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES

Miami Heat forward LeBron James elevates for a dunk past Boston Celtics' Brandon Bass (30), Paul Pierce (34), Kevin Garnett (5) and Rajon Rondo (9) during the first half in Game 6 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals. The Heat won the game 98-79 to force a decisive Game 7 in Miami on Saturday night.

Charles Krupa / AP

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem strips the ball from Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen during the third quarter of Miami's Game 6 rout in Boston.

Elise Amendola / AP

LeBron James limited Paul Pierce to 4 of 18 shooting and nine points with his defensive play in Game 6.

Elise Amendola / AP

Miami Heat forward LeBron James is fired up in the second half of Game 6 in Boston. James finished with 45 points in the win.

Elise Amendola / AP

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett reacts to an official's call during the third quarter in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Elise Amendola / AP

D.C. native Kevin Durant hoists the Western Conference finals trophy after Oklahoma City's Game 6 victory over San Antonio. Durant had 34 points on 52.9% shooting to go along with 14 rebounds in the Thunder's 107-99 series-clinchnig win.

Eric Gay / AP

Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden shoots as San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili, of Argentina, defends during the first half of Game 6 in the NBA basketball Western Conference finals.

Jim Young / AP

Tony Parker lays one up past Russell Westbrook in the second half of Game 6. Parker had 17 points and 5 assists in the first quarter alone, but Oklahoma City outscored his Spurs by twenty-three in the second half on their way to the Finals.

Jim Young / AP

Russell Westbrook reacts after getting fouled and making the basket as the Thunder eliminated the Spurs in Game 6 in Oklahoma City.

Brett Deering / Getty Images

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich yells toward shooting guard Stephen Jackson at a break against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference finals.

Eric Gay / AP

Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant gestures as he runs by San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Stephen Jackson during the first half of Game 6 in Oklahoma City.

Eric Gay / AP

Rajon Rondo goes for the steal on LeBron James during the first half of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Rondo's Celtics outlasted LeBron's Heat 94-90 to take a 3-2 series lead.

Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES

Chris Bosh is fouled by Kevin Garnett during the first half of Game 5. Bosh managed 9 points and 7 rebounds in only 14 minutes in his first game back from injury. after missing his team's last nine games due to an abdominal strain.

Wilfredo Lee / AP

San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili attempts to weave through the defense of Oklahoma City's James Harden, left, and Thabo Sefolosha during the first half of Game 5. Ginobili's 34 points were not enough as the Thunder took a 3-2 series lead.

Darren Abate / Associated Press

James Harden doesn't just make three-pointers. He gives them an accompanying celebration, as the Thunder guard did here late in Game 5 to help give his team a 108-103 victory.

Ronald Martinez / Associated Press

This is what a full house for a playoff game in San Antonio looks like. Before Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs had not lost at home since April 11th.

Darren Abate / Associated Press

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) lands on Boston Celtics forward Mickael Pietrus as he commits his sixth foul during overtime of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in Boston. It was only the fourth time in James's nine-year NBA career that he fouled out of a game. "I don't think I fouled him," James said after Boston's 93-91 overtime victory. The Celtics win tied the series 2-2.

Charles Krupa / AP

Boston Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo passes around the Heat's Shane Battier during overtime of Game 4 at the TD Garden. Rondo had 15 points to equal his 15 assists in the Celtics win.

Charles Krupa / AP

Kevin Durant receives a hug and a kiss from his mother, Wanda Pratt, after the Thunder's 109-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder's win tied the series 2-2.

Eric Gay / AP

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals gets physical as Heat Guard Mario Chalmers catches an elbow from Kevin Garnett (5) in Boston. The Celtics were able to muscle their way to a 101-91 victory to cut Miami's series lead to 2-1.

Charles Krupa / AP

Kevin Garnett, center, of the Boston Celtics takes a break from the game to do some push ups as teammates, from left, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Marquis Daniels, and Keyon Dooling look on during the first half of Game 3 in Boston. Garnett's 24 points and 11 rebounds helped Boston win their first game of the series. The Head lead, 2-1.

Jared Wickerham / GETTY IMAGES

Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden attempts to dunk over San Antonio center Tiago Splitter during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. The Thunder won 102-82, their first win in the best-of-seven series.

Sue Ogrocki / AP

Kevin Durant (35) lays one in over San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City.

Ronald Martinez / AP

LeBron James pounds his chest during the second half of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami. LeBron's 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists helped Miami defeat Boston and take a 2-0 series lead.

Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES

Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics brings the ball up court in the first quarter against the Miami Heat in Game 2 at American Airlines Arena. Rondo had 44 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists, but it was not enough as Heat outlasted Boston 115-111 in overtime.

Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES

Greg Popovich and his 1997 first-overall pick Tim Duncan talk things over during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in San Antonio. The Spurs won 120-111 as Popovich and Duncan moved closer to their fifth Larry O'Brien trophy.

Tom Pennington / GETTY IMAGES

Tony Parker drives against fellow point guard Russell Westbrook (0) in the first half of Game 2 in San Antonio. Parker had a game-high 34 points as his Spurs beat the Thunder 120-111 on their way to a 2-0 series lead.

TIM SHARP / REUTERS

LeBron James shoots over Mickael Pietrus in the second half of Game 1 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals in Miami. James had 32 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the Heat's 93-79 victory.

Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES

Flamethrowers are used during the Miami Heat player intros before Game 1 finals at American Airlines Arena in Miami.

Wilfredo Lee / AP

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano in the critically acclaimed HBO series 'The Sopranos.' The show received 16 Emmy nominations Thursday, July 22, 1999, including best dramatic series and best actor for Gandolfini. It is the first cable show ever recognized in the dramatic series category. (AP Photo/HO, HBO, Anthony Nesta) Original Filename: EMMY NOMINATIONS.jpg ORG XMIT: LA109

James Gandolfini dies at 51

James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO’s “The Sopranos” helped create one of TV’s greatest drama series and turned...

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Vice President Joe Biden speaks before the Frederick Douglass statue now permanently placed in the US Capitol's Emancipation Hall in Washington, DC on June 19, 2013. The statue of the abolition leader was chosen by District residents to represent them in the Capitol because of his stance on self governance according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The statue by artist Steven Weitzman, was blocked from it's placement in the Capitol for years, a victim of rules that stated that only the 50 states can display statues of their favored sons and daughters in the Capitol. The House and Senate passed a resolution last month allowing DC to be represented in Emancipation Hall which features statues of notable leaders nominated by each state. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)

Frederick Douglass statue unveiled in the Capitol

The carving of the famed abolitionist and District advocate finds its place inside the halls of Congress.

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Animal views

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

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