MIAMI -- Their season, their legacy, their reign atop the NBA was all at stake, and the Miami Heat responded in a manner befitting defending champions -- with a blowout. LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds, ailing Dwyane Wade matched his post-season high with 21 points, and the Heat ran away from the Indiana Pacers 99-76 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference series on Monday night. In the NBA Finals for the third straight year, the Heat will play the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 on Thursday in Miami. "Theyre just an amazing group of guys," Heat managing general partner Micky Arison said after handing the East trophy to Chris Andersen. "Theyve given us an incredible season so far, but its a long way from over." It could have ended on Monday, of course. The Heat had alternated wins and losses with the Pacers in the first six games of the series, and were coming off their worst offensive outing of the year in Game 6. They responded with a rout, despite shooting just under 40 per cent, well below their norm. "By any means necessary ... we took care of business," James said. Miami led by as many as 28 points, a shocking amount for a series that had an aggregate score of Heat 569, Pacers 564 entering Monday night. The Heat actually trailed by six in the early going, were still down 21-19 after the first quarter and it was starting to look like it was starting to look like one of those down-to-the-wire nights. Not even close. "You never want to take anything for granted," Wade said. "Being here three straight years in a row, going back to the finals, is an amazing feat. Im just glad we were able to do it. Everything that happened in the first six games didnt mean anything to us. It was about tonight. It was about Game 7. It was about finding a way to win here at home." James exited with 5:08 left, shaking retired soccer star David Beckhams hand as he made his way to the Heat bench for a relatively subdued celebration. Not long afterward, security personnel started whats become a familiar task in Miami -- surrounding the court and stretching out a yellow rope, preparing to hold people at bay for the looming on-court trophy presentation. More than a few people didnt stick around to see the East title formally presented. After all, its an all-or-nothing season for the Heat -- and this trophy isnt the one that will satisfy them. Ray Allen added 10 points for Miami, which earned its 78th victory of the season, matching the 11th-best, single-season total in NBA history. "Its just a privilege to be with this great team, great teammates, and we have another opportunity to go back to where we are," Heat forward Chris Bosh said. "You never really want to get it out of the way too much. Game 7s dont happen too often. We enjoyed it and now we have to move on." Roy Hibbert scored 18 points for the Pacers, who got 14 from David West, 13 from George Hill and 10 from Lance Stephenson. All-Star Paul George was held to seven points on 2-for-9 shooting and fouled out early in the fourth quarter. George was the last Indiana player on the floor as Miami prepped for its postgame celebration, shaking any hand he could find before being walked toward the visiting locker room by Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who slung an arm over his stars shoulder. His time will likely come -- someday. Not yet, though. Not with this Miami team built for titles. Its the fourth trip to the finals for the Heat, who won the title in 2006 and have now been there all three years of the "Big Three" era, falling to Dallas in 2011 and then topping Oklahoma City in five games last year. "The great thing is were a young team and we are past the building stage," George said. "This is really our first year tasting success. The rate we are going, we see championships soon." Theyre getting closer. A second-round loss to Miami in six games last year was followed by a seven-game, conference-finals exit this time around. Still, theyll be watching the title round. "Everybody in this country knows who the Indiana Pacers are now," Vogel said. "And we represent all the right things -- class, character, hard work, old-school basketball, playing the game the right way. We represented our franchise, our city and our state extremely, extremely well, and we have a lot to be proud of." Miami went 2-0 against San Antonio this season, though neither of those games should be considered harbingers of whats ahead. The Spurs rested four regulars in the first meeting, the Heat were without three injured starters in the second matchup. "Its crazy that it worked out this way," Wade said. James delivered an inspirational address of sorts to his team Monday morning, publicly revealing no details of what he said afterward other than insisting that the Heat would be ready. He was right. After 5 minutes, it was 12-6 Indiana. After that, the rest of the half was pretty much all Miami. Once the Pacers cooled off a bit, the Heat immediately went into pull-away mode. Over the final 19 minutes of the half, Miamis edge was 46-25. Over the final 11 minutes, it was 33-14, as James and Allen outscored the Pacers by themselves. Allen did less pregame shooting than usual on Monday. He was at the arena several hours before game time -- as is his custom -- and got in a pregame workout, but once he found a groove, he decided that was enough. And after going 13 for 46 in the first six games of the series, the NBAs career leader in 3-pointers had to believe that he was simply overdue to get going. His first shot on Monday was a 3-pointer that connected, giving the Heat a 26-23 lead. The Heat never trailed again. "We just focused on every possession, trying to get stops, play Miami Heat defence, create havoc," James said. "I thought we did that tonight." By halftime, it was 52-37, with James scoring 18 points, Bosh and Wade combining for 17 and Allen adding 10 more. And what had to be most troubling to the Pacers at halftime was their 15 turnovers, a number Vogel said earlier Monday would spell trouble if his team committed that many in the entire game. And in the third, the run the Pacers so desperately needed never arrived. Indiana was still within 13 with 3:37 left in the period when Hibbert picked up his fourth foul. Ordinarily, that would mean someone goes to the bench, though Game 7 on the road for a trip to the finals hardly could be classified as an ordinary occasion. So Vogel -- who was second-guessed for not having Hibbert on the floor for the final moments in overtime of Game 1, when James got to the rim easily for a game-winning layup -- left his centre out there with four fouls. Barely a minute later, it backfired. Hibbert picked up his fifth late in the third, and George got to five fouls by getting whistled twice in the final 46.1 seconds of the quarter. By then, the outcome was obvious. It was Miamis night. "Well enjoy this," Spoelstra said, "for a short period of time." NOTES: Miamis Norris Cole and Indianas Jeff Pendergraph were ejected with 2:17 left after exchanging some heated words. ... The Heat kept struggling Shane Battier on the bench, with Mike Miller getting his minutes. ... .Andersens streak of 18 straight field goals made (he had been 15 for 15 in the series) was snapped in the first half. ... Beckham, who is deciding whether he wants to bring a Major League Soccer team to Miami, was seated next to the Heat bench for the second straight game. Justin Bieber and Flo Rida were also in the crowd, as was reigning American League MVP Miguel Cabrera. ... The Pacers fell to 2-4 all-time in Game 7s, including 0-4 in road editions of winner-take-all games to decide the Eastern Conference title. ... Hibbert did not elaborate Monday about his comments that drew a $75,000 fine after Game 6, saying he wanted to focus on basketball instead. Anton Slepyshev Jersey . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Brian Ferlin Jersey . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. http://www.oilersauthority.com/authentic-eric-gryba-oilers-jersey/ . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Edmonton Oilers Gear . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Mark Fayne Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage.The St. Louis Blues lost in the first round of the playoffs, but theyre not that far away from where they need to be. Off-Season Game Plan examines a Blues team that is among the best defensively, but could use a few more goals if theyre going to get where they want to go. 72-32-13 (.670) under Ken Hitchcock since he took over early in the 2011-2012 season, the Blues had strong possession metrics like other top-tier teams, but their goaltending ranked 20th in save percentage, which is tough for a defensively-oriented team that ranked 17th in goals per game (2.58). There are a lot of pieces in place for the Blues to keep pressing forward with what they have. There is plenty of work for GM Doug Armstrong to handle as it relates to signing restricted free agents that include leading scorer Chris Stewart and promising young defencemen Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. That leaves the Blues largely in position to tweak their current roster, unless they want to start dealing core pieces in a major deal, and thats probably the most prudent course of action. A little more offence, a little better goaltending and that could have been enough to get past the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. The Blues have enough young players that they ought to be able to count on internal improvement to get better for next season. If the results dont come with that kind of continuity going forward then bigger changes can be contemplated in the future. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. GM/COACH Doug Armstrong/Ken Hitchcock Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Alexander Steen 71.48 40 8 19 27 +5 $3.363M David Backes 69.71 48 6 22 28 +5 $4.5M T.J. Oshie 68.48 30 7 13 20 -5 $4.175M David Perron 65.41 48 10 15 25 0 $3.813M Vladimir Tarasenko 65.40 38 8 11 19 +1 $1.75M Vladimir Sobotka 63.97 48 8 11 19 -4 $1.3M Chris Porter 60.72 29 2 6 8 +5 $675K Jaden Schwartz 59.91 45 7 6 13 -4 $1.167M Adam Cracknell 59.65 20 2 4 6 +3 $600K Ryan Reaves 56.18 43 4 2 6 +3 $600K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Chris Stewart 70.96 48 18 26 44 +15 RFA $3.0M Patrik Berglund 66.73 46 12 16 28 -1 RFA $2.25M Jamie Langenbrunner 57.21 4 0 1 1 +1 UFA $1.5M Scott Nichol 52.28 30 1 0 1 -2 UFA $650K Blues Forwards Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com Though hes never scored more than 51 points in a season, Alexander Steen is one of the games best puck possession players. Its no coincidence that hes played 19 minutes per game over the last three seasons, trusted in all situations. A superb two-way player who takes on tough matchups and defensive zone starts, David Backes is a superstar when he combines his hard-nosed all-around play with goal-scoring (he has two 30-goal seasons in his career). When its a season like 2013 and he scored at a career-low rate (0.13 gpg, 6.0 SH%), then hes merely very good, but Backes is big, physical and a perennial Selke Trophy candidate. T.J. Oshie plays bigger than he is, which sometimes takes its toll (he missed 15 games with a broken foot and three with bruised ribs last season), but hes been a reliable point producer throughout his career, averaging between 0.63 and 0.69 points per game in each of his five NHL seasons, which is remarkable consistency. One of the few Blues with the skill to be a prolific scorer, David Perron didnt have his best season in 2013, with his points-per-game (0.52) his lowest since his rookie season. If the Blues are looking for more offence -- and they ought to be -- Perron is one internal candidate that can do better. Russian rookie Vladimir Tarasenko burst onto the scene for the Blues, scoring 10 points in his first eight games, but he fell out of favour and saw his ice time and production slide after that. Built like a tank, Tarasenkos conditioning wasnt to the level that the Blues would like, so thats a priority this summer, but if hes fit and ready for next season, he should be a significant contributor. A checking forward with a little offenive upside, Vladimir Sobotka scored a career-high eight goals (in 48 games) and he put up solid possession numbers, as has been standard for this three years with the Blues. 29-year-old Chris Porter earned a more consistent role with the Blues down the stretch, his hard-hitting energy a welcome addition to the fourth line, and sometimes higher up the depth chart. If he can handle a regular role over a full season, Porter is a bargain. Jaden Schwartz got off to a very slow start, with three points in his first 16 games, but earned more ice time in the last couple months of the season, picking up 10 points in the last 29 games and playing primarily with Steen and Backes on the teams top line for the playoffs. Schwartz will be counted on for more scoring in his second season. Similar to Porter, Adam Cracknell is a 27-year-old who earned a bigger role with the Blues than he had in previous years, putting up good possession numbers in his limited ice time. Tough guy Ryan Reaves has scrapped 27 times in 131 career games, but hes also improving his play enough that he can take a regular fourth-line shift. A power forward who can score, and also disappear for stretches, Chris Stewart was the Blues top goal and point scorer, by a decent margin considering he plays fewer than 16 minutes per game, but hes not a strong puck possession player, so he needs linemates that will drive play. Scoring on a league-high 23.0% of his shots, Patrik Berglund scored 17 goals, giving him the best goals-per-game rate (0.35) of his career, but also finished with his lowest assist rate (0.17) and had subpar possession numbers. Ideally, 6-foot-4 Berglund would be a productive scoring centre, but he has struggled to establish that hes consistently productive, which leaves him in a secondary role and waiting on potential to pay off. With Andy McDonald retiring, there is room for another scorer to join the Blues. A veteran like Patrik Elias, Ryane Clowe, Pascal Dupuis or Clarke MacArthur could slide into a spot on left wing and upgrade the Blues attack. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Jay Bouwmeester 70.64 47 7 15 22 -6 $6.68M Barret Jackman 68.35 46 3 9 12 +6 $3.dddddddddddd167M Roman Polak 63.28 48 1 5 6 -2 $2.75M Ian Cole 58.33 15 0 1 1 -4 $825K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Alex Pietrangelo 74.63 47 5 19 24 0 RFA $3.167M Kevin Shattenkirk 72.20 48 5 18 23 +2 RFA $1.3M Kris Russell 66.73 33 1 6 7 +6 RFA $1.3M Jordan Leopold 64.32 42 2 4 6 -4 UFA $3.0M Blues Defence Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com Acquired at the trade deadline, Jay Bouwmeester gives the Blues an established top pair defenceman while allowing Bouwmeester to play a few minutes less than he had been asked to in Calgary and Florida. A gritty veteran who struggled in the possesion game last season, Barret Jackman does get saddled with more defensive zone starts, such is the life of a shutdown defender. Strong as an ox, Roman Polak also gets charged with a defensively-focused role, parterning primarily with Jackman after Bouwmeester and Jordan Leopold were acquired. 2007 first-round pick Ian Cole has been on the fringe of the Blues lineup for the last three seasons, and has 11 points and a plus-9 rating in 67 career games. He has good size and makes a sharp first pass, so the 24-year-old is probably ready for a regular gig, but until he does it, there is some uncertainty in how much he can contribute. One of the leagues best on the blueline, Alex Pietrangelo is adept at both ends of the rink, plays big minutes (24:53 per game over the last two seasons) and is likely going to be a Norris Trophy contender for the next decade. That needs to be taken into consideration when the restricted free agent blueliner negotiates a new contract this summer. He wont come cheaply, nor should he. Not charged with quite as much defensive responsibility as Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk is a high-quality offensive defenceman, with strong possession skills. Over the last two seasons, Pietrangelo ranks seventh in defence scoring, with 75 points, while Shattenkirk sits 18th, with 66 points. Kris Russell finished his sixth NHL season and continues to battle for a regular spot in the lineup, sitting for nearly one-third of the games and playing his fewest minutes per game (16:03) since his rookie season. Hes a superb skater, though undersized and that can leave him vulnerable on the defensive end. If the Blues can get their restricted free agents signed, they will effectively have seven NHL defencemen returning, so theyre pretty set on the blueline. Adding a depth veteran might be the only move necessary. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Brian Elliott 74.66 24 14 8 1 2.28 .907 $1.8M Jaroslav Halak 68.21 16 6 5 1 2.14 .899 $3.75M Following an out-of-this-world 2011-2012 season, Brian Elliott came crashing to earth last season, even getting demoted to the AHL for a couple of games before he suddenly turned his season around in April (1.28 GAA, .948 SV% in 13 GP) and performing well (1.90 GAA, .919 SV%) just not well enough in the playoffs. Elliotts shaky track record makes him risky as a full-time No. 1 option but, when hes on, hes terrific. A groin injury hampered Jaroslav Halak for much of the season and, while he had three shutouts in 16 games, he also had a career-low .899 save percentage. Halak has a stronger track record (.917 career save percentage) than Elliott and is getting paid more, so he is likely to have first crack at the starting job, but needs to play better to hold the starting job. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Ty Rattie RW Portland (WHL) 48-62-110, +56, 67 GP Dmitrij Jaskin LW Moncton (QMJHL) 46-53-99, +26, 51 GP Jake Allen G Peoria (AHL) 13-19-2, 2.89 GAA, .904 SV% Jordan Schmaltz D North Dakota (WCHA) 3-9-12, +9, 42 GP Jordan Binnington G Owen Sound (OHL) 32-12-6, 2.17 GAA, .932 SV% Joel Edmundson D Kamloops (WHL) 9-16-25, -2, 63 GP Petteri Lindbohm D Jokerit (SML) 0-4-4, +3, 35 GP Jani Hakanpaa D Blues (SML) 2-3-5, +2, 34 GP Yannick Veilleux LW Moncton (QMJHL) 34-39-73, +15, 65 GP Niklas Lundstrom G AIK (SEL) 3-9-0, 3.10 GAA, .891 SV% A skilled forward who has been ripping up the WHL (231 points in 131 games plus 69 points in 42 playoff games over the last two seasons) Ty Rattie could conceivably challenge for a spot in St. Louis next season because of his offensive skills, but he may get some time in the AHL to show that hes strong enough to produce as a pro. He did little in the Czech League, but a move to the QMJHL last season showed how gifted Dmitrij Jaskin is. Hes a skilled 6-foot-3 forward who, like Rattie, could push for a job with the Blues soon. Jake Allen wouldnt have warranted a call-up based on his AHL performance last season, but injuries thrust him into 15 games with the Blues. The 22-year-old doesnt have the pedigree to be a starter yet, but could be a backup now if the Blues move one of their two goalies under contract. Taken in the first round last summer, Jordan Schmaltz didnt wow during his freshman season at North Dakota, but hell have time to develop. If he becomes a productive player, then a couple of years down the line the Blues can worry about how he fits in the organization. A sensational season in the OHL should set up 2011 third-round pick Jordan Binnington to embark on his pro career. With a few years to develop in the minors, he could force his way into the Blues goaltending discussion. Drafted in the second round in 2011, Joel Edmundson is a steady defenceman with good size who thrived once he was dealt to a competitive Kamloops team. A sixth-round pick last summer, Petteri Lindbohm is a bruiser on the blueline. He needs time to round out some of his rough edges, but might develop into something a few years down the line. Picked in the fourth round in 2010, Jani Hakanpaa joined Peoria late in the season (four points, even, 14 GP) and the 6-foot-6 blueliner, who is a right-handed shot, is an interesting developmental prospect is he is mobile enough to keep pace. A hard-working winger with good size and a little offensive ability, Yannick Veilleux got promoted to Peoria (2 G, 1 A, minus-1, 8 GP) at the end of the season. Niklas Lundstrom was a fifth-round pick in 2011 and the 20-year-old is still struggling to establish himself in the Swedish Elite League, so its going to take some time before hes a viable candidate in St. Louis. DRAFT No first-round pick FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Blues have approximately $41.8M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 17 players. Check out my possible Blues lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top six forward, depth forwards, depth defenceman. What I said the Blues needed last year: One top nine forward, depth forwards, two top four defencemen. They added: Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Wade Redden. TRADE MARKET T.J. Oshie, Chris Stewart, Patrik Berglund, David Perron, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brian Elliott. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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