MIAMI — In 2010, the Celtics ousted Dwyane Wade in the first round and LeBron James in the second round. A year later, Wade and James were teammates and turned the tables, sending Boston into the offseason.

Here comes the tiebreaker.

Celtics-Heat, one more time — with a berth in the NBA finals as the reward.

For the fifth time in seven years, it’ll be Boston or Miami winning the Eastern Conference championship. Game 1 of that title series is tonight in Miami (ESPN, 8:30), with the Heat saying it almost seemed predestined they would be seeing the Celtics again, and Boston’s perspective being the team in green is exactly where it expected to be as well.

“Inevitable. It’s the matchup the game of basketball wants,” Wade said yesterday. “Obviously, with the Chicago Bulls being out, this is the biggest matchup the Eastern Conference can have.”

Added Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Was there any doubt that it’d be us and Boston?”

Well, maybe a little.

Spoelstra watched Boston’s Game 7 East semifinal matchup against Philadelphia without a notepad, not wanting to start game planning until the winner was decided. And that didn’t come until Saturday night, when Rajon Rondo — forced into the closer’s role after Paul Pierce fouled out with 4:16 left — delivered time and again down the stretch, carrying the Celtics to an 85-75 closeout victory.