Jeff Green Scores A Career-High 43 Points For Boston But Miami Wins Its 23rd Straight Game

I think I speak for all basketball fans, nevermind Celtics honks, when I demand that the Celtics and Heat face each other in the Eastern Conference Finals (again) this spring. Tonight, we were treated to an instant classic regular season game (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one) as Miami (52-14, 22-11 away) survived a career-high 43 points by Jeff Green (7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals) to beat Boston (36-30, 24-10 home) 105-103 at TD Garden.

This was the Heat's 23rd straight win and I doubt they had a harder one during this absurd streak. For the Celts, they exhibited their usual dose of incredible heart in the face of adversity. Kevin Garnett didn't play (thigh bruise) which made it seem like they had zero chance to win. Thanks to Green's once in a lifetime performance, Boston actually controlled much of the game but fell apart down the stretch.

Paul Pierce (17 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) had a chance to give Boston the lead at the end with a 3-pointer out of a timeout but the shot hit the front rim and Miami controlled the rebound. Courtney Lee (13 points, 3 steals) was the only other Celtic in double-figures although Jason Terry (9 points) and Jordan Crawford (8 points) played very well off the bench.

LeBron James (37 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) was brilliant, like you'd expect from the best player in the world, while Mario Chalmers scored a sneaky 21 points. Dwyane Wade (16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) was held in check which always seems to happen against the Celtics. Chris Bosh had 13 points and five rebounds while former Celtic Ray Allen (6 points, 5 rebounds in 30 minutes) was mostly silent.

Boston got off to a perfect start given the circumstances, they led 31-19 after one quarter. Miami chipped into that lead, trailing by only six at halftime (59-53). The C's were still up heading into the fourth quarter (82-78) but their shots stopped falling in crunch time.

The Celtics shot almost 5.0% (54.2-49.4) than the Heat, hit three more 3-pointers (10-7) and scored 16 more points on the fast break (22-6). Miami hung on because they grabbed six more rebounds (39-33), they had 16 more points in the paint (50-34) and five less team turnovers (21-16).

These bitter rivals opened up the 2012-13 NBA season and this gave Miami a 2-1 advantage in the season series. They meet once more (Friday, April 12) in Miami during the regular season. Another playoff series would be incredible after last season's Eastern Conference Finals went seven games.

The C's hit the road for three games: at New Orleans on Wednesday (8 p.m., CSN), at Dallas on Friday (8:30 p.m., CSN) and at Memphis on Saturday (8 p.m., CSN). The Hornets (22-46, 5th in Southwest Division) are awful but they won 90-78 in Boston on January 16. Austin Rivers is out for the rest of the season with a broken hand so there won't be that natural distraction for Doc. Look for the C's to bounce back from that loss, one of the worst of their season.

UPDATE 3/19: D.J. White has been signed for the rest of the season.

UPDATE 3/20: Apparently White's deal is multi-year whatever that means.

UPDATE 3/21: haha Shavlik Randolph was also signed for the rest of the season.

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Celtics Lose Rajon Rondo For The Season (ACL) But Beat Miami 100-98 In Double Overtime

Today was definitely one of the more bizarre sporting events I've ever experienced in my life. The Celtics (21-23, 14-9 home) snapped a six-game losing streak with a much-needed 100-98 win over the Heat (28-13, 10-10 away) in double overtime this afternoon at TD Garden.

The excitement of winning their best game of the season (so far) was heavily tempered by the fact that Rajon Rondo is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL (right knee). That fact is something that we slowly figured out at the game since he wasn't in the starting lineup then rumors started flying on Twitter that he was at the hospital. By the time he returned to the arena in overtime, most people in the crowd already knew the awful news.

It's hard to put into words (and there have been plenty written and said already) what this means to the Celtics since he is by far their most instrumental and talented player. Boston didn't have more than a sliver of a chance of capturing a title with him but without him, it's hard to picture them winning even one round in the playoffs. Yes, it's that bleak. Today's win showed what they can do against the top team in the Eastern Conference when they are inspired and working together, but how could they keep that emotion up for months?

Paul Pierce had his seventh career triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while Kevin Garnett put up 24 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Boston's bench outscored Miami's 39-29 thanks to Jason Terry (13 points), Jeff Green (11 points) and Leandro Barbosa (9 points)-the three guys along with Courtney Lee who will have to step up the most with Rondo out.

LeBron James had a game-high 34 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, Dwayne Wade scored 17 points and handed out seven assists while Chris Bosh notched 16 points and 16 rebounds. Ray Allen's first return to the Garden after playing with the Celts for five seasons went well for him (21 points, 5 rebounds) and the fans got it right by mostly cheering him during a highlight video then booing him when he came in the contest.

Due to the fact that Boston was desperate for a win and that these teams absolutely hate each other, this did not feel anything like a game in late January. It seemed like a playoff game with the effort level and intensity from both squads. LeBron hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to tie it at 87. Terry missed a prayer of a 3 to sent it to overtime. Wade drew contact from Pierce but no foul call at the end of the first overtime before he bricked his jumper. Battier had a chance to win it at the end with a 3-pointer but it was an airball since he rushed.

The C's have to be physically exhausted since they played back-to-back double overtime games (Atlanta on Friday) and now emotionally drained as well since they found out about Rondo's injury during this marathon. They'll have to bring a veteran point guard in here (Delonte West?) since they don't have a true one behind Rondo.

The NBA Trade Deadline is a little over three weeks away (Feb. 21) so it'll be interesting to see what Danny Ainge can do. Don't expect any miracles because given their age, I don't know how many teams would really trade anything useful plus it's doubtful that he'd just giveaway KG or Pierce for nothing.

Nobody will feel bad for the C's so they have to circle the wagons and figure out how to proceed from here. I still think they possess enough talent to comfortably make the playoffs but other than that, who knows? This wasn't how this season was supposed to go for them, probably over before they even get to the All-Star break. They host the Kings (16-29, 4th in Pacific Division) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). Boston owes Sacramento a beating since the Kings humbled them 118-96 on December 30 (during that 0-3 trip to California).

UPDATE 1/29: The Celtics recalled rookie center Fab Melo from the Red Claws.

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Heat Come Out Firing On All Cylinders, Roll Over Celtics 120-107 On Opening Night

After what seemed like months of hype, the 2012 NBA regular season tipped off tonight with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics at Heat. Just like Game 7, Miami (1-0) came out on top of Boston (0-1), 120-107 at Americanairlines Arena.

Things couldn't have gone any better for fraud Heat fans. LeBron James (26 points, 10 rebounds) still looks like the best basketball player on the planet, Dwayane Wade (game-high 29 points) was healthy, Chris Bosh (19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) was a capable third option while Ray Allen (19 points off the bench) had a hell of a debut for Miami. Even Mario Chalmers had eight points and 11 assists while the ghost of Rashard Lewis scored 10 off the bench.

Boston is clearly loaded with talent, it is just going to take time to mesh the veterans with the younger guys and other new players. Rajon Rondo (20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) picked up where he left off with his 25th straight regular season game of 10+ assists. Paul Pierce had a team-high 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while Brandon Bass notched 15 points and 10 rebounds in the start.

Other positive notes for the C's: Courtney Lee scored 11 in his Celtics debut and Leandro Barbosa exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter also in his first game with the Green. Kevin Garnett (9 points, 12 rebounds), Jason Terry (8 points) and Jeff Green (3 points) were the main no-shows for Boston and the reason why they lost, outside of the non-existent defense.

The Heat led basically from wire to wire. They were up 31-25 after one quarter and 62-54 at halftime. Miami was about to blow Boston out when they took a 93-76 lead into the fourth. Thanks to Barbosa, the Celts made it interesting and even cut it to four with a 14-3 run but they ran out of gas. Bosh scored seven straight points and that was it.

Rondo picked up a flagrant foul late for a cheap shot on Wade which was proceeded by a technical foul for berating an official earlier in the contest. I thought he had changed over the summer? The main thing to take away from tonight is not to get too wrapped up in the result. It's only 1 of 82 and as far as I'm concerned, the Heat are still the best team in the NBA (as much as it pains me to write that).

Getting away from the hoopla of tonight's ring ceremony and banner raising event, the Celtics can get back to basketball and forget the Ray Allen drama for a while. This is a new team that can run (27-12 fast break points) but they'll need to cut down on the turnovers (19-6 points off turnovers in favor of Miami). The C's get a couple days to rest and practice before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSNE) in their home opener.

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Heat Close On 20-6 Run, Advance To NBA Finals With Game 7 Win

We all knew this day would come, there was no way that the Boston Celtics would win a title in 2011-12 when they had such an old core and so many injuries. Still, as the postseason progressed and they ended up in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, we all believed that they might extend this magical run one more time after they led the series 3-2 with Game 6 in Boston.

For more than three quarters, Boston was right there with Miami. In fact, they were up 82-81 (after a Ray Allen 3-pointer) with 8:48 left in the fourth. That's when the Heat finally took over and closed on a 20-6 run to take a 101-88 decision in Game 7 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Miami will travel to Oklahoma City to begin the NBA Finals on Tuesday. Boston's Big 3 fell to 4-3 all time in Game 7's and the Celtics ended 3-7 on the road in these playoffs. Much like in 2010 when the C's choked away a 3-2 lead and lost Game 7 to the Lakers, one couldn't help but feel like Boston's real shot to win this was in Game 6 but they totally no-showed. There was nothing to criticize about their effort tonight, they simply ran out of gas against a younger team.

LeBron James was a force one more time against the Celtics, putting up a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds. He only had two assists as his singular focus was getting to the hoop (12 for 17 on free throws). Dwyane Wade (23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) played second fiddle again but Chris Bosh (19 points, 8 rebounds) might have been the difference in the clincher. Out of nowhere, Bosh hit a career-high three 3-pointers in a game that meant everything to the Heat's Big 3.

Shane Battier (12 points, 4 3-pointers) and Mario Chalmers (9 points, 7 assists) also played well enough for Miami. James, Wade and Bosh scored the Heat's last 31 points. Haha really.

Rajon Rondo (22 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds) was brilliant as he picked up his 10th career playoff triple-double but he didn't get enough help to pull out what would have been a shocking upset. Paul Pierce had 19 points (but he was 7 for 18 from the floor), Brandon Bass scored 16 and had four steals, Ray Allen added 15 and Kevin Garnett was held in check with 14 points and seven rebounds.

We couldn't ask for a much better first half by the C's as they led 27-23 after the first quarter and 53-46 at halftime. Miami's defense clamped down in the second half and Boston couldn't get anything going offensively. The Heat outscored the Celtics 55-35 in the second half including a killer 28-15 fourth quarter.

For the game, Miami shot 51.4% to Boston's 46.7%. The Heat made three more 3-pointers (9-6), eight more free throws (20-12) and five more rebounds (38-33). The Celts managed three more assists (19-16) and two more steals (10-8).

I don't want this to sound like a loser's lament since I don't think they had a prayer to beat the Thunder anyway but it's a shame that the Celtics won't have that special opportunity. Putting our rooting interests aside, I don't know who would prefer Miami's boring 1-on-1 AAU style vs. Boston's team basketball. It would have been fun to see if the Celts could have thrown a scare into what looks like the NBA's newest dynasty.

It's going to be a fascinating offseason to see what Danny Ainge decides to do with this roster. There's a good chance that all of the Big 4 will return, then again I wouldn't be surprised to see Allen leave or maybe even KG retire. Rondo is the future and this team still has some potential next season provided that they surround the older guys with more depth and reliable youngsters. Boston has two picks in the first round of the NBA Draft (21, 22) on June 28 and it is supposed to be a quality draft so hopefully they can package those to move up or possibly get a veteran.

When we look back in a few years, this team should always hold a special place in Boston sports fans' hearts. They overachieved, played the game the right way and got absolutely everything out of what they had; what more could we have asked for?

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Boston Celtics Are One Win Away From Their Third NBA Finals Appearance In Five Years

Why do we devote so much time and energy in our lives to sports? Precisely for moments like tonight, when the Boston Celtics continued to shock the NBA as they beat the Miami Heat 94-90 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena to take a 3-2 series lead.

Believe it or not, Boston's Big 3 improved to a perfect 9-0 in Game 5's when the series is tied 2-2.

After losing the first two games in Miami, Boston righted the ship with two wins at home but this evening was the best part thus far: picking up the all-important road win which they needed to have a shot to get by the Heat and advance to the 2012 NBA Finals (Oklahoma City leads San Antonio 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals).

The reasons that the Celtics are suddenly winning the series while carrying all the momentum are pretty simple: they are deeper than the Heat, they play better defense, they have a clue on offense (thanks to a special point guard) and they are winners led by an outstanding head coach. I think that about covers it, right?

It is nice to know that even with so many things wrong with the NBA, a team that can still be based on unity, chemistry, defensive effort (how many loose balls did the Celtics win last night?) and unselfish play can win at such a high level (as corny as that sounds).

Miami has been held to 93 points or less in every game except for Game 2 (which went to overtime). If not for that one, they would have been held to under 100 points in every game so far. Boston has scored 93+ points in every contest since Game 2. To show you how close it's been, Miami has scored 480 points while Boston has 478 points.

A sign of a championship caliber team is when they continue to get unexpectedly great games from lesser players. Tonight, that meant Mickael Pietrus had 13 points for the Celtics including one of the biggest shots of the entire game-a 3-pointer following a spectacular block by Dwyane Wade (27 points, 6 rebounds). The ball deflected to Rajon Rondo (7 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and he had the presence of mind and athleticism to poke it to Pietrus who was camped out in the corner.

Paul Pierce (19 points) wasn't much of a factor all game since he shot 6 for 19 from the floor but he hit what was the dagger of this contest and could very well end up in the series. His 3-pointer made it 90-86 C's with 52 seconds left. From there, Ray Allen (13 points, 8 of 8 on free throws, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (26 points, 11 rebounds) hit a pair of free throws to ice it while Miami's fairweather fans departed early as they so often do.

Brandon Bass finished with 10 points for the Celtics while Keyon Dooling hit a key 3-pointer off the bench and Greg Stiemsma had three points and four rebounds in eight minutes. Even though they only played nine guys, eight of them (Marquis Daniels did less than nothing in three minutes) made tangible contributions to the win.

LeBron James (30 points, 13 rebounds) carried Miami but this turnaround by Boston has proved that it takes more than two superstars to beat a true team. Chris Bosh (9 points, 7 rebounds) returned and actually played pretty well in 14 minutes off the bench but they'll need to let him loose if they want to see a Game 7 back in Miami. Mario Chalmers had nine points but no Heat player other than LeBron and Wade reached double-figures. Udonis Haslem snatched 14 rebounds in the loss.

After playing poorly in the first half of Games 2-4, Miami started out much better tonight. They were up 24-16 after one quarter and pushed it their advantage up to 13 (31-18) before Boston started to wake up. The Celtics only trailed by two at halftime (42-40) and like Miami they reversed an earlier trend: this time they won the third quarter (25-18) thanks to a 15-1 run that ended it. The fourth quarter was an awesome frame of playoff basketball as both teams traded big buckets, rebounds, defensive plays, you name it. Miami outscored Boston 30-29 but it wasn't enough.

The Heat are really struggling from downtown (7 for 26 on 3-pointers). Boston is clearly content to let them keep firing away from distance. Showing how much the C's stole their mojo, Boston attempted (27-25) two more free throws than Miami (which I didn't think was allowed when the Heat were home) and hit three more (22-19). Miami had 10 more rebounds (49-39), three more offensive (12-9) but Boston had six more assists (19-13) proving how much hero ball the Heat play. The stat of the game for the Celts was steals which they led 13-6. The Heat had three more turnovers (15-12) and I think that slightly superior defense and attention to detail is part of what has brought the C's to this position.

As the cliche goes, the toughest part of a playoff series is the close out game. We all remember the Celtics' recent struggles in that spot this postseason (Game 5 in Atlanta; Game 6 in Philly) but snapping a four-game road losing streak and handing Miami only its second loss at home means that this is Boston's series to lose at this point. They won Games 3 and 4 at TD Garden so with a similar effort in Game 6 (8:30 p.m., ESPN) on Thursday night, I think they can get it done.

The Big 3 are 9-2 in series when they go up 3-2. Bottom line, they want no part of a Game 7 back in Miami. The atmosphere should be electric, you know the crowd will do its part. The Celtics don't have to change anything up. Just play the same style that has resulted in three straight victories. Tight defense (Miami has scored 91 points or less in Games 3-5) and big boy performances from Rondo and KG, that should do it.

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After Winning In Miami, The Celtics Are Absolutely A Contender In The Eastern Conference

For the second time in nine days, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in convincing fashion.

What made tonight even better was that the Celts (33-24, 13-15 away) went down to American Airlines Arena-where the Heat (40-16) were 24-3-and topped them 115-107.

It's one thing to blow out a team on your home court (91-72 on April Fool's Day at TD Garden), a common occurrence in the NBA, but it's another to pick up your biggest win of the season on the road against a true NBA Finals contender and a team that lost in the Finals last season. Boston has won eight of its last 10 games and sports a 4-2 mark after an insanely difficult stretch of games.

For whatever reason, these teams appear to be going in opposite directions with the playoffs just a few weeks away. Boston is 18-7 since the All-Star break while Miami is 13-9 in that same time period. I can't explain why (maybe cause it's truly their last title push?) but Kevin Garnett (24 points, 9 rebounds) and Paul Pierce (27 points, 7 rebounds) have been particularly sharp during that run.

It also helps that Rajon Rondo (18 points, 15 assists) is racking up the assists. He reached double-figures in assists for the 18th straight game. Hell, he's even taking and making numerous jump shots now. Brandon Bass had the other double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Avery Bradley scored 11.

Only three guys played off the Celtics bench but they still combined to outscore Miami's five substitutes 23-16. Ray Allen had nine points, Greg Stiemsma put up eight points and seven rebounds while Sasha Pavlovic added six points.

LeBron James (36 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) was a beast for the Heat but Dwyane Wade (20 points) wasn't himself and Chris Bosh (13 points, 9 rebounds) continues to disappear against KG and/or in a meaningful contest. Mario Chalmers scored 18 points for Miami, who led by six early in the first quarter but were forced to play from behind the rest of the way.

The numbers in the box score tell the whole story: Boston shot 60.6% from the floor, 64.3% (9 of 14) on 3-pointers and 80% (20/25) from the free throw line. You'll never lose with a complete shooting performance like that. We all know that the Celtics can hit shots but they also pulled down six more rebounds than the Heat (40-34) and dished out four more assists (23-19).

Really the whole key to the game was that the C's got off to a hot start, leading 33-22 after the first quarter. However, unlike earlier in the season, they didn't let it get away. Sure, the Heat made the NBA-sanctioned comeback but every time it looked like Miami would take control, the Celts would hit a big shot or make a play. It was uncanny.

Boston was up by as much as 18 points in the second quarter before Miami cut it to 65-57 at halftime thanks to a LeBron 3-pointer at the buzzer. Still, it was the most points the Heat had given up in a first half all season. The two teams mirrored each other with 24 points in third quarter and 26 in the fourth quarter.

Miami will get one more chance to prove that Boston isn't in their heads (Celts lead the season series 2-1) as they face the Celtics in the penultimate regular season game on April 24 at the Garden. Until then, I will say that the Celts should have nothing to fear if they meet the Heat in the playoffs; they look like a better all-around team at the moment.

There's no time to celebrate this victory though as the C's are back at the Garden tomorrow night to face the Atlanta Hawks. Boston won 79-76 on March 19 in an ugly but satisfying win in Atlanta.

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Celts Fall To 0-2 With Strange Loss In Miami

I wanted to believe that the Boston Celtics had a chance to steal a win tonight in Miami against the Heat but I'm a realist. Without Paul Pierce, whatever slim chance they possessed was basically nullified.

The Heat (2-0) got up by as many as 20 but they had to sweat a comeback by the Celtics (0-2) who cut it to three before falling 115-107 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

If I told you that rookie point guard Norris Cole was the Heat's best player in the fourth quarter, with 14 of their 24 total points, you wouldn't believe me right? Welcome to the NBA, where scrubs can shine when they are on a team with superstars.

As expected, LeBron James (team-high 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Dwyane Wade (24 points, 8 assists, 4 blocks) went crazy when Miami's minds were into the game. However, once the Celtics threw a junk zone defense at them in the third quarter, that changed everything. I'm shocked a noted Xs and O's guy like Coach Spo wasn't able to solve that riddle.

Ray Allen (game-high 28 points including 6 of 8 on 3-pointers), Rajon Rondo (22 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) and Keyon Dooling (18 points off the bench) made it interesting until Cole (20 points) sealed it with a jumper, steal and some free throws.

It's nice to see that Boston didn't pack it in when they certainly could have but there are much bigger issues than that for this squad that seems to be aging twice as fast as normal. Namely the fact that Kevin Garnett (12 points, 5 rebounds) looks terrible, Jermaine O'Neal (0 points, 1 rebound) is still the starting center-with no real backup-and Sasha Pavlovic (5 points) got another start in Pierce's absence.

On the bright side, Brandon Bass (13 points, 5 rebounds) had another solid game off the bench for the Celtics.

Things have gotten so bad for KG that Chris Bosh (18 points, 11 rebounds) is clearly outplaying him. Not that it takes much when you play with LeBron and Wade.

Miami led 30-27 after the first quarter and 69-54 at halftime. That was the most points Boston had allowed in a first half in over 6.5 years. Pathetic.

The Heat pushed it to 20 points (85-65) midway through the third after a jumper by LeBron but they started to lose focus and go for highlight reel plays rather than smart basketball moves.

The Celtics outscored the Heat 29-22 in the third (down 91-83 headed into the fourth) and cut it to three with a few minutes left but Rondo threw a stupid lead pass to Dooling that was easily stolen. Cole made a shot, Bass hit a shot to trim it to three again but another Cole jumper closed the door and prompted ironic MVP chants by the cartoonish Miami crowd-featuring Rick Ross and DJ Khaled!

For the game, Miami shot 56.0% to 51.4% for Boston. The Celts made twice as many 3s (12-6) which is what kept them in it. The Heat hit four more free throws (25-21) and grabbed 10 more rebounds (38-28). Miami's athleticism showed up in the other numbers: seven more steals (16-9), five more blocks (8-3), 24 more points in the paint (52-28) and 14 more points off turnovers (33-19).

Chris Wilcox didn't play in the second half because of a shoulder injury so Doc Rivers already declared him and Pierce out for tomorrow night's game in New Orleans. Rivers might as well give rookies JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore the first run of their NBA careers; at least they won't have tired legs like everyone else.

It's the last contest of this three-game road trip to start the season and if we're being truthful, the C's could really use a win. 0-3 is not how they want to start this shortened schedule.

The Hornets (1-0) are not particularly good without Chris Paul but they're young and they have nothing to lose, not a good combo for Boston facing its first back-to-back of the young season.

PS. Why does Dick Bavetta still have a job?

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It was fun while it lasted

It doesn't get much more painful than last night's 98-90 overtime loss for the Celtics to the Heat. Miami takes a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals and has a chance to close out the Big 3 tomorrow night in South Beach.

With its home crowd at TD Garden going nuts, Boston had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but a screwed up play led to Paul Pierce's (27 points, 8 rebounds) hopeless fadeaway jumper that rimmed out.

That was the Celtics' season right there and on a bigger scale, it means that a crazy offseason (with tons of roster turnover) is now days away.

Miami dominated in overtime (12-4) as the Celts were out of gas and realized that they were done this season and perhaps for a long time moving forward.

The Heat's Big 3 of LeBron James (game-high 35 points, 14 rebounds), Dwyane Wade (28 points, 9 rebounds) and Chris Bosh (20 points, 12 rebounds) owned the game and they've owned the series as a whole.

Ray Allen had a quiet 17 points while Kevin Garnett was held to seven points (1 for 10 shooting) and 10 rebounds. It was hard to believe that KG was the same guy that had 28 points and 18 rebounds in Boston's Game 3 win. With that guy, the C's had hope. If he plays like he did last night, it's over in Game 5.

Rajon Rondo played and showed more heart but he was undoubtedly affected by his left elbow (which was dislocated then popped back into place on Saturday night). He had 10 points and five assists.

Delonte West has been Boston's only bench player that has stepped up in the pressure cooker that is known as the NBA playoffs. West had 10 points and three steals while Jeff Green (7 points) and Glen Davis (4 points) continued to be enigmas. Green has already established himself as completely unpredictable but what has happened to Big Baby in the playoffs? He was great for most of the regular season but now he's a puddle that can't seem to do anything right.

Nobody else on the Heat put up more than four points but who cares? It's the NBA and this team is showing that three stars and a bunch of bums can get it done (so far).

This was truly a game that the Celtics let slip away as they led 31-28 after the first quarter and as much as 11 in the second quarter before settling into a 53-50 halftime advantage. Boston won the third quarter (20-19) barely but Miami tied it up in the fourth (17-13) when it turned into a tractor pull of a defensive struggle.

For the game, the Heat shot 44.3% to 42.9% for the Celtics. Boston hit two more 3-pointers (5-3) but Miami snatched an unforgivable 17 more rebounds (45-28). The Celts had five more assists (15-10) and six more fast break points (15-9) but the younger, hungrier Heat pounded it inside to the tune of 48-32.

I have tomorrow night off from work so I'm ready to devote my full attention to the Celtics' last gasp effort to try and extend this series. In my heart of hearts, I think if Boston can win Game 5, they can definitely win Game 6 at TD Garden but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Game 5 is all that matters and the Celtics have to prove they can win in Miami before the Heat can start sweating.

Is this how the Big 3 will go out?

In my heart of hearts, I knew that the Boston Celtics were on their last legs entering these playoffs but I had hope that they could beat the Miami Heat and then we'll see what happens from there.

Well two games in Miami have gone by and I'm about ready to write the obituaries for Boston's Big 3. The Celtics look old and washed up while the Heat look hungry and way too athletic.

The Heat are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals after a 102-91 win at AmericanAirlines Arena last night.

Please don't cry to me about the referees, because Boston didn't deserve to win either game. Miami now has won three straight games over the Celtics (including their last regular season meeting) with Game 3 taking place Saturday night at TD Garden.

LeBron James was the star in Game 2 for the Heat with a game-high 35 points and seven rebounds while Dwyane Wade had 28 points and eight rebounds. Even Chris Bosh had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Combined, the Big 3 teamed up for one less point that LeBron. Simply put, that's never going to work if Boston wants to climb out of this hole (which they've never faced in the Big 3 era).

Kevin Garnett had 16 points, Paul Pierce scored 13 points and Ray Allen was held to seven points on 2 of 7 shooting. Rajon Rondo led the Celts with 20 points and 12 assists but they'll never win when he's the leading scorer.

At various points, Pierce (Achilles), Allen (chest) and Rondo (back) all left the game with injuries. This is getting tough to watch.

Boston's bench outscored Miami's 27-12 led by Jeff Green (11 points) and Delonte West (10 points) but it didn't matter since the Heat starters were so much better than the Celtics.

The game was actually tied at 80 in the fourth quarter before Miami went on a 14-0 run to close out the contest and possibly the series.

Miami led 27-26 after the first quarter and 47-42 at halftime. Both teams scored 25 points in the third quarter before the Heat made it happen in the fourth quarter (30-24).

The Heat shot 45.3% to 43.0% for the Celtics. Miami made one more 3-pointer (7-6) and ten more free throws (27-17). The Heat also had six more rebounds (44-38) but Boston had three more assists (18-15). Most telling to the gap in athleticism and defensive intensity, Miami had seven more blocks (9-2).

For all intents and purposes, Game 3 could be the swan song for the Big 3. If they lose, it's clearly over and who knows what next season will bring for the team and head coach Doc Rivers. You have to believe that they will turn out a much better performance in front of the home crowd, with their playoff lives on the line. Then again, this hasn't been the prideful group I knew so far in the first two nightmare games in Miami.

The Boston Celtics still own the Miami Cavaliers

There will absolutely never be a better time for LeBron James and the Miami Heat to knock off the Boston Celtics than yesterday afternoon.

The Celts are losing players seemingly daily and are just trying to hang on (one more game) until the All-Star break next weekend.

It was very ugly but Boston (39-14) came through with perhaps its biggest victory of the regular season over Miami (39-15), 85-82.

With the win, the Cs moved to 3-0 against the Heat this season. Boston vaulted ahead of Miami to the top of the Eastern Conference and these teams will only meet one more time (April 10 in South Beach) in the regular season. Gee, do you think they'll play each other in the playoffs?

Rajon Rondo led the Celts with 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds while Kevin Garnett had 19 points. Kendrick Perkins notched 15 points and Ray Allen had 13 points.

With only two players that played significant minutes off the bench, Glen Davis (16 points) and Von Wafer (10 points) showed up in a big spot.

Chris Bosh paced the Heat with 24 points and 10 rebounds, LeBron added 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Dwyane Wade was held to 16 points.

Miami led 20-15 after the first quarter and 43-39 at the half as it looked like injuries and old legs would be an easy out for a poor performance.

However, Boston played outstanding in the third quarter (35-18) which enabled them to hold on for a rocky fourth (21-11 Miami).

LeBron had a chance to tie it with two free throws with 12 seconds left but he bricked the first one and made the second. Finally, Mike Miller (who is a great shooter) had a wide-open look on a 3-pointer but he missed it as time ran out.

Paul Pierce was 0-for-10 and only had one point but an MRI on his left foot today was negative, meaning he'll play on Wednesday when the Celtics host the New Jersey Nets. Delonte West is expected to return and hopefully, Boston can hold the fort before the Big Four and Doc Rivers head to LA for the All-Star festivities.

How about those Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat are quickly becoming the best reality show on television.

Watching them lose never gets old and hopefully it continues since it makes for some great schadenfreude viewing.

For the second time this season, the Heat (5-4) matched up with the Boston Celtics (7-2) and once again, the Cs came out on top 112-107 at AmericanAirlines Arena in South Beach.

LeBron James had a monster game with 35 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists but Chris Bosh had a quiet 15 points and seven rebounds while Dwyane Wade was held to eight points.

Ray Allen led Boston with 35 points (including 7 of 9 on 3-pointers), Paul Pierce added 25 points, Kevin Garnett had 16 points and 13 rebounds while Rajon Rondo dished out 16 assists. Rondo has the second most assists in NBA history through nine games, behind John Stockton.

Nate Robinson scored 12 points off the bench for the Celts and Glen Davis notched six points and nine rebounds.

Udonis Haslem had 21 points and 13 rebounds off the bench for the Heat and Eddie House added 13 points.

There are so many issues with Miami, it is hard to know where to begin: Pat Riley will take over as head coach any day now, Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo have no business starting on any team in the NBA and their bench is painfully thin. Oh and Bosh is not very good at all with the spotlight on him.

Boston led 27-20 after the first quarter and 61-46 at the half. With Wade and LeBron, the Heat will never be out of a game (since they get so many calls) but conversely, those two will never be known as good shooters in their lifetimes.

Miami clawed back with a 32-27 third quarter and 29-24 fourth quarter but thanks to Allen's ridiculous shooting display, the Cs held on for a nice road victory.

Boston shot 54.4% to Miami's 50.0% and made six more 3-pointers (9-3). The Heat made 15 more free throws (32-17) and had two more rebounds (38-36) but the Celtics had six more assists (24-18) and four less turnovers (14-10).

The Green will look to wrap up their four-game road trip 3-1 with a win tomorrow night in Memphis against the talented but inconsistent Grizzlies.

If only every team was like the Raptors

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors faced each other again last night at the TD Banknorth Garden and for the second time in two days, the C's (31-9) came out on top.

Paul Pierce pumped in 39 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 115-109 Celtics win in overtime.

Who knows how much these past two strange games meant other than solidifying the fact that Boston currently owns Toronto (16-23).

Tony Allen and Kendrick Perkins sat out once again so that meant Brian Scalabrine (11 points) played 28 minutes and Leon Powe added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Kevin Garnett had 20 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocks while Rajon Rondo notched nine points, eight assists, five rebounds and only one turnover.

Andrea Bargnani continued his solid work with a team-high 23 points and eight boards. Chris Bosh added 18 points and 11 rebounds while the immortal Roko Ukic scored 16 points off the bench.

Boston had nine more rebounds (46-37) and six more assists (26-20), two categories that are great indicators if a team won the game or not.

The New Jersey Nets come to the Garden tomorrow night for the start of a home and home set with Boston. The Nets aren't as bad as everyone expected; Devin Harris has been great, Vince Carter has been playing well and rookie center Brook Lopez has improved every game.

Thank you Canada: for your crappy basketball team and your 18+ drinking age

Ray Allen almost single-handily ended the Celtics' four game losing streak and tailspin (seven losses in their last nine) as he delivered a season-high 36 points yesterday afternoon in a 94-88 win over the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre.

As shooters (and pretty girls) are known to do, Ray has been rather erratic lately. He came out on fire though (hitting five 3-pointers in the first quarter) and shot 11 for 14 in the game, 8 of 10 on threes.

The Celts (30-9) needed all those points as a game that they led by 20 in the third quarter got close in the fourth. One of Boston's biggest issues during this rough patch has been their lack of closing power in fourth quarters. Toronto (16-22) cut it to five with 1:30 left in the fourth but they ran out of gas.

Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in the win. Paul Pierce added 11 points, six rebounds and six assists while Kevin Garnett notched 10 points (3 of 16 shooting) and 11 rebounds.

Glen Davis played 30 minutes since Kendrick Perkins was out with a shoulder injury. Big Baby was a brutal 1 of 12 from the floor but he did grab 11 boards.

If you're facing the Raptors and Andrea Bargnani is their leading scorer, you're probably in good shape. The former top pick, had a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Jamario Moon (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Chris Bosh (15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) were the other bright spots for Toronto.

Jason Kapono and Joey Graham both scored 12 off the bench.

In a strange scheduling quirk, Toronto comes to the Garden tonight as the Celtics try to build off yesterday's uneven but ultimately decent performance.