The No. 5 seeded Miami Heat avoided a sweep in their first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics (seeded fourth) on Sunday with a 101–92 victory in Miami. Dwyane Wade put on a 46-point show for the Heat.
Wade more than doubled the next highest scorer on Miami’s team in Quentin Richardson (20 points). Michael Beasley was the only other Heat player to break 10 points—the power forward had 15 for the night.
The win is Miami’s first against a team that has plagued them all season long. The Heat were 0–3 in the regular season against the Celtics and they had lost the first three games of the first round playoff series prior to Sunday.
The Heat came out fighting for survival, playing with far more offensive and defensive energy than Boston, forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter alone. Miami finish the quarter 31–18 on the shoulders of Wade and Richardson.
Boston looked timid offensively when taking it to the basket with too many “one-and-dones.”
“We had no patience on the offensive end,” Boston coach Doc Rivers told ESPN after the first quarter. “It was like everyone came out to try and make a knockout move by themselves; you’ve got to play together.”
Miami kept the intensity up in the second quarter even without Wade and Richardson in the game. Beasley took the helm for Miami and quickly racked up 10 points.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen picked up their third fouls halfway through the second quarter and took the bench. But even without two of the big three (Pierce, Allen, and Kevin Garnett), Boston started playing team ball and managed to cut an 18-point Miami lead to finish the half 49–43.
“They started scoring off our turnovers. We turned the ball over too many times, and that’s how they’ve been killing us in this series. It’s off transition points,” Dwyane Wade said at the half.
Boston tied the score at 62 points with four minutes to go in the third quarter off a Ray Allen 3-pointer. Rajon Rondo then followed with a layup to give Boston their first lead of the game, which they widened to 77–71 to end the quarter.
But it was the Dwayne Wade show in the fourth quarter—and what a show it was. This had to be one of the superstar’s finest moments in what could have been his last game in a Miami jersey.
Before Boston knew what hit them Wade quickly hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points to single-handedly pull Miami back with a firm lead.
There was no stopping No. 3 down the stretch, who stuck two more 3-pointers and finished the quarter with 19 points. Reserve man Mario Chalmers also made some clutch shots.
Boston battled back to within four points midway through the fourth quarter with sharp shooting from Allen and Rondo.
But then Allen did the unthinkable, or more appropriately the improbable. One of the NBA’s all-time best free-throw shooters missed three straight free throws with less than three minutes to go in the game that would have tied the score.
Allen’s gaffe stifled Boston’s energy and with their fans behind them the Heat turned up the tempo down the stretch to break away again.
Rondo and Garnett both had impressive games with 23 points and 18 points respectively.
The Celtics now hope to close out the series back in Boston on Tuesday. Look for Boston to do everything they can to shut down Wade.
Wade more than doubled the next highest scorer on Miami’s team in Quentin Richardson (20 points). Michael Beasley was the only other Heat player to break 10 points—the power forward had 15 for the night.
The win is Miami’s first against a team that has plagued them all season long. The Heat were 0–3 in the regular season against the Celtics and they had lost the first three games of the first round playoff series prior to Sunday.
The Heat came out fighting for survival, playing with far more offensive and defensive energy than Boston, forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter alone. Miami finish the quarter 31–18 on the shoulders of Wade and Richardson.
Boston looked timid offensively when taking it to the basket with too many “one-and-dones.”
“We had no patience on the offensive end,” Boston coach Doc Rivers told ESPN after the first quarter. “It was like everyone came out to try and make a knockout move by themselves; you’ve got to play together.”
Miami kept the intensity up in the second quarter even without Wade and Richardson in the game. Beasley took the helm for Miami and quickly racked up 10 points.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen picked up their third fouls halfway through the second quarter and took the bench. But even without two of the big three (Pierce, Allen, and Kevin Garnett), Boston started playing team ball and managed to cut an 18-point Miami lead to finish the half 49–43.
“They started scoring off our turnovers. We turned the ball over too many times, and that’s how they’ve been killing us in this series. It’s off transition points,” Dwyane Wade said at the half.
Boston tied the score at 62 points with four minutes to go in the third quarter off a Ray Allen 3-pointer. Rajon Rondo then followed with a layup to give Boston their first lead of the game, which they widened to 77–71 to end the quarter.
But it was the Dwayne Wade show in the fourth quarter—and what a show it was. This had to be one of the superstar’s finest moments in what could have been his last game in a Miami jersey.
Before Boston knew what hit them Wade quickly hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points to single-handedly pull Miami back with a firm lead.
There was no stopping No. 3 down the stretch, who stuck two more 3-pointers and finished the quarter with 19 points. Reserve man Mario Chalmers also made some clutch shots.
Boston battled back to within four points midway through the fourth quarter with sharp shooting from Allen and Rondo.
But then Allen did the unthinkable, or more appropriately the improbable. One of the NBA’s all-time best free-throw shooters missed three straight free throws with less than three minutes to go in the game that would have tied the score.
Allen’s gaffe stifled Boston’s energy and with their fans behind them the Heat turned up the tempo down the stretch to break away again.
Rondo and Garnett both had impressive games with 23 points and 18 points respectively.
The Celtics now hope to close out the series back in Boston on Tuesday. Look for Boston to do everything they can to shut down Wade.
