Game Notes: Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat

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Celtics 115 – Heat 107

1st Quarter

James down low; hits Chalmers for corner 3; gets pass from Wade in the block for lay in

Wade hustling and slashing; James in post hits slashing Wade for layup; James hits Wade for the dunk

James in the block again with a running hook

Turiaf backs down Bass for the hook; gets blocked next time down

Celtics with a shaky start; Garnett pulling the trigger early; Rondo at least 10 assists in last 17 games

Bradley taking open shots and contesting Wade defensively

Boston settling down – they are the worst rebounding team in the league; Miami best home team

Bosh starts the game 0-3 with a turnover; James slides over to the 4 spot drills 2 free throws

Ray Allen mic’d up says they’re wearing white so it’s their house;

Fastbreak, give and go for the alley-oop James-Wade-James; Allen had no chance stopping that

James with the between the legs pass to James Jones from downtown

Allen sinks a jumper using picks then hits a 3 from Rondo on the break; Rondo distributing well again

Wade glides to the hoop for 2; James defending Bass well in post as Boston tries to feed him

Battier denying Pierce the ball; Pierce draws a foul on LBJ and hits 2 free throws

Boston playing 2-3 zone and Miami missing open threes; Celtics on 16-2 run

Battier not helping offensively with easy opportunities; Rondo playing so well all-around

James turns it over to end the quarter

 

Recap:

Rondo vs LBJ featuring Wade, Celtics up 33-22

Celtics with Rondo paving the way with 5 points/assists

2nd Quarter

KG connects on a fade; Bosh with a jumper; Jones drills a corner 3

Celtics moving the ball around for open shots, Pavlovic money with 2 threes

Boston swinging the ball again; beats Miami’s defensive rotation for a Garnet layup in the middle

Heat either score, or they’re one and done; not getting second chances

Wade with a strong take to the hole; muscles a layup and attacks again and splits free throws

Bosh fronting Garnett; Heat miss a few threes; Garnett reverse layup; Wade splits 2 more free throws

Avery Bradley continues to take advantage of playing time; aggressive within the offense inside/out

Celtics up 18 (49-31); Spoelstra preaching defense – a step late on rotations (2nd guy), better close outs

Miami letting James iso on Pierce; Celtics making KG the focal point, feeding him anywhere on the floor

Nice backdoor cut, Bosh hits Wade for the jam; Wade down the lane hits James cutting from corner for 2

Rondo gets the offensive rebound, sets Pierce up for the trey; outhustling Miami; Miller nets a 3-ball

Miami picks up the pace/forces Boston to play faster, forcing turnovers for fastbreaks; 11-3 run

Wade aggressive with weakside defense; LBJ forces Pierce to airball a 3; Wade slices for 2-handed dunk

Rondo hitting perimeter shots; Bradley is feeling it; Pierce drills it from downtown on the break, 7-0 run

Too much one on one basketball for the Heat; one shot and done; Miller hitting every other shot

Miami cleaning the glass, holding Boston to one shot; LBJ to the rack for the 3-point play

Pierce faces the rim, strong take, finishes with the left; Bosh responds in the block

Celtics call a timeout and score before the half with a layup; LBJ drains a 3 at the buzzer, Celtics up 65-57

Boston Stats:

Garnett 12 points, 5 rebounds; Rondo 7 points, 8 assists; Pierce 16 points

Bradley 9 points; Stiemsma 6 rebounds; Allen 5 points, 3 assists; outrebounded Miami 22-13

Miami Stats:

Wade 16 points, 3 assists, 3 steals; James 18 points, 5 assists; Miller 6 points, 3 assists

Bosh 4 points, 5 rebounds; Chalmers 5 points, block, steal; most points allowed in a half this season (65)

3rd Quarter

Bradley first 2 points with a layup; KG rejects Turiaf at the rim; KG with another fade away

Chalmers misses a 3; nice drive coast to coast hits 1 of 2 foul shots; hits a 3 (top 10 in steals)

Wade to Turiaf for the bucket; Rondo tough floater; Chalmers graceful drive and lay in

Rondo hits from mid-range again; hits 3/4 free throws; mid-3rd Celtics 76, Heat 66

Bosh off the mark, James gets the board, misses and gets the board again, Chalmers money from 3

Bosh blocked by Stiemsma and Pierce draws a charge on LBJ; LBJ hits a pair of FTs; Pierce for 3

Great fade away from wing, LBJ over Stiemsma; Stiemsma hits a jumper; LBJ blocks Stiemsma at the rim

LBJ sinks a couple FTs; Rondo alley-oop to Stiemsma; Rondo guarding Miller; Battier put back basket

Rondo to Bass for the baseline score; Rondo pulls up just inside the arc, and drills another jumper

LBJ with a step back J over Stiemsma; Miami playing stifling defense and cleaning the glass

James between the legs drive past KG and extends for the layup; Pierce hacked/splits FTs

Recap:

Rondo controlled the quarter; James kept the Heat in a single-digit deficit, 89-81 Boston

Bosh 4 points on 2-8 shooting

A fan hits a half-court shot to win a car!

4th Quarter

Haslem hits from mid-range; Battier/Garnet get physical, foul on KG

Chalmers steals a KG pass, Bosh misses around the FT line; Chalmers with and one on inbounds play

Offensive foul on Stiemsma; Miami crowd heating up, lead cut to 89-86 with 10 minutes to play

Bosh gets something to fall, and one – he drove to right side of the lane, fouled on a jump shot

Bass answers; all 5 starters in double figures for Boston; illegal defense Chalmers makes FT

Rondo guarding Wade/Allen on Chalmers; Allen buries a 3 off double screen, Chalmers went underneath

KG picks up 4th foul then sinks a shot from the elbow; Bosh gave him a lot of space

Bosh to the line, hits both; Boston 15-18 FT, Miami 17-21; KG pulls up over Bosh from right wing

James blows the layup, Rondo pushes and flips it back to Garnet, drills it from left wing

And yet another jumper by Garnett from right wing, he is on a 8-0 run; LBJ splits FTs; Pierce fade away

Wade to Bosh for layup; Rondo gets Wade to jump on pump fake from FT area; technical foul on Wade

Allen hits technical FT; Rondo sinks 2 FTs; LBJ drives to the left and elevates, hits a fade away

Bass answers from the elbow, Celtics up 108-96; Bosh active in this quarter on offensive boards

Bosh splits foul shots; Wade crossover, finishes at the rim with the finger roll (first basket since 2nd qtr)

Miami locks down, forces shot clock violation; Wade with a great finish at the hoop, 7-0 Heat run

KG hits a tough shot over Bosh from the wing; Bosh responds with an up-and-under

Pierce to the rack, drives left and finishes with the left over Bosh

Rondo splits a pair of free throws; Heat call their last timeout down 113-105 with a minute left

LBJ to the hoop for the left hand layup; Miami gets a stop but LBJ misses a 3; Pierce hits both FTs

Celtics win 115-107

Recap:

1st quarter Boston created separation; each team had their share of runs; Miami pulled within one in 4th

Celtics started every quarter on the right track; they moved the ball around; shot efficiently

Miami started slow; stagnant offense/role players missed open shots

Celtics responded to every run made by the Heat with a run of their own; KG was on fire, especially in the 4th

Miami crashed offensive boards in 2nd half (12 off. reb.)

Boston Stats:

Rondo 18 points, 15 assists; Garnett 24 points, 9 rebounds; Bradley 11 points

Pierce 27 points, 7 rebounds; Bass 12 points, 10 rebounds; Stiemsma 8 points, 7 rebounds

Miami Stats:

James 36 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists; Wade 20 points, 5 assists, 3 steals

Chalmers 18 points, 3 steals; Bosh 13 points, 9 rebounds

* LBJ = LeBron James

* KG = Kevin Garnett