Blackhawks stay alive, Heat shut down Pacers in playoffs action

Missed last night's playoffs? You missed a doozy and a dud.

On the "holy cow let's just keep watching this series forever" side, the Chicago Blackhawks forced a Game 7 against the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-3 victory, sending the Western Conference Final back to Chicago. The winner of Sunday night's Game 7 will take on the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup. Even if you're not a hockey fan, try to watch this game-winner from Chicago's Patrick Kane and not wonder if maybe it's time to jump on the bandwagon toward Stanley.

There were no such clutch plays from the Indiana Pacers on Friday night to force a Game 7. Instead, LeBron James did as LeBron James does for the Miami Heat, finishing with 25 points, six assists, and four rebounds in the 117-92 blowout. Advancing to the Finals for the fourth consecutive year, the Heat are the first team to achieve such a streak in nearly 30 years (Larry Bird and Kevin McHale led the Celtics to the Finals from 1984 to 1987, notes SI.com).

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The Heat take on either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals; the Pacers return to Indiana, where they will try to forget this gif. --Sarah Eberspacher