Prior to the beginning of the season, they looked to bounce back from their disappointing finish to the previous year where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
Following the 2011 NBA lockout, the Heat played only 66 games this season and finished with a 46–20 record, roughly the equivalent of 57–25.
In the playoffs, they met the New York Knicks in first round, reigniting the Heat-Knicks rivalry as it was their first postseason meeting since 2000.
Then, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat met the Boston Celtics for their third consecutive postseason meeting.
When the Heat made it all the way to the finals in Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh's first year playing together, they were seen as heavy favorites from the Eastern Conference to return in 2012.