The Spurs left the Grizzlies demoralized in Game 4. (USATSI)
It was a truly great series between the Pacers and Heat. (USATSI)

The Heat will tell you they had it all along. But after Game 1, they looked vulnerable. After Game 2, they looked downright shaky. After Game 4, they looked ripe for an upset. After Game 6, they looked to possibly be in real trouble. 

But they eventually outlasted the Pacers and got the job done. Never a doubt, right? 

It became obvious as the series went on that the Heat didn't have an answer inside for Roy Hibbert or David West and with Indiana's sound defensive philosophy, the Heat couldn't outscore them either. They laid a solid blueprint out, but in the end, just didn't have the depth to hang on. 

Consider: Indiana starters were a combined +46 for the series. Any other combination? A -74. 

But the Pacers had it in a winner-take-all Game 7 which really was all they could ever hope for. This Heat team, for all the flaws that were exposed in this seven games, is still great. They still have LeBron, and in the end, that's all that mattered. 

SERIES MVP

LeBron James. Pretty much when he steps on the floor, he's the MVP. Had the Pacers found a way to win, there were cases to be made for Roy Hibbert or Paul George, but if the Heat win, it's because of LeBron. 

A game-winner in Game 1. A virtuoso post performance in Game 3. A majestic third quarter in Game 5. And a stellar 30-point effort in Game 7. 

He's pretty good. 

X-FACTOR

LeBron. OK, I know that doesn't exactly makes sense with the definition of an X-factor, but really, LeBron was everything. Dwyane Wade had a nice Game 7, Chris Bosh had a few quality moments, Udonis Haslem came up really big in two games and Mario Chalmers did a few things. 

But the X-factor for the Heat was LeBron's otherworldly talent. He made every teammate better and he found that wonderful symmertical balance between being passive and aggressive. 

So yeah, the MVP of the series and the X-factor. 

THE SERIES WAS OVER WHEN...

Dwyane Wade showed up to start Game 7. It was a little too early to call curtains on the Pacers, but when Wade made a knifing drive and followed it up with a vintage big Eurostep layup, it looked bad for Indiana. Wade had a little pep in his step which meant the Pacers were going to have their hands very full. Wade wanted the ball more, and he got it more. He chipped in 21points on 16 shots, giving him his first 20-point game in months. Oh, and he had nine rebounds, the most of any player in Game 7. 

But the series was definitely, completely and totally finished when Paul George fouled out early in the fourth quarter. What little hope of a comeback died right at that moment.

KEY MOMENTS

LeBron's Game 1 left-handed game-winner. What a difference 2.2 seconds and a tragic overplay by Paul George makes. 

Game 2, it started with a ridiculous poster by Paul George. Next one was a 30-foot buzzer beater by LeBron. And it finished with a really cool exchange where they dapped each other. Maybe the moment of the postseason. 

LeBron fouling out in Game 4. Still kind of can't believe it happened. 

Who let the Bird out of its cage? 

Face at the rim. No big deal. 

LOOKING AHEAD FOR MIAMI

The Heat move on to a third straight trip to the NBA Finals with a chance to make it back-to-back championships. They face a stout Spurs team that has been resting for 10 days waiting on an opponent. 

It's also a chance at redemption for LeBron who was uncerimoniously swept by the Spurs in 2007 and can sort of show how things have come full circle for him. New team, new LeBron. Or maybe it's more of the same, another lesson by the wise Spurs to LeBron? The last time the Heat tangled with a Texas team in the Finals it didn't end so well. 

LOOKING AHEAD FOR INDIANA

The first big question for the Pacers is what happens with David West's free agency. He said after Game 7 that Indiana is where he wants to be and the Pacers by all apperances want him back as well. 

After that it's about Danny Granger and his health. And not just that, but how he potentially fits in to the future of the roster. Is he a trade chip? Is he a player they feel like can complement Paul George? 

The Pacers have a roster built for a long-term run. Hibbert and George are true franchise cornerstones and there are nice pieces around them. They're lacking needing a consistent backcourt, but then again, this was really Lance Stephenson's first season of real minutes. He showed signs of blossoming and maybe the Pacers have a diamond in the rough there. 

The disappointment of failing in Game 7 is going to haunt them for the next few months but the future is bright for this Pacers team.