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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Well This NBA All-Star Game Should Be Interesting, For A Few Minutes At Least

The starters for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston (February 17 at Toyota Center) were announced tonight. Boston has two players that will start for the Eastern Conference: guard Rajon Rondo (13.0 ppg, 11.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.85 steals) and forward/center Kevin Garnett (14.6 ppg, 7.0 rebounds).

The hilarious part is that the other three starters for the East are Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. So basically, the Eastern Conference guys all despise each other. KG and Melo just had their Honey Nut Cheerios beef a few weeks ago while KG and Rondo have hated LeBron and Wade for years now.

The Western Conference starters are Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin. Haha four guys from Los Angeles but only two on a winning team.

It's the fourth consecutive All-Star Game for Rondo but the first that he's been voted as a starter by the fans. He had the second most votes for guards in the Eastern Conference, behind Wade.

Believe it or not, this will be the 15th All-Star Game for Garnett. He had played in 12 consecutive All-Star Games before he didn't get invited last season. Maybe that's why he seemed so refreshed in the playoffs, the shortened season definitely helped as well. He got the third most votes behind LeBron and Carmelo at forward.

The seven reserves for both teams will be announced next Thursday-great marketing ploy by the NBA. Two guards, three frontcourt players (centers are basically extinct) and two other utility guys will be chosen by NBA coaches who can't vote for their own players.

Obviously, Paul Pierce (19.4 ppg, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.45 steals) is the only other Celtic with any hope of making it. He had the sixth most votes for forwards, behind Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler. Keep in mind that somebody will get hurt or skip out on the All-Star weekend so injury replacements are always a possibility as well.

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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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LeBron James' Game For The Ages (45 pts, 15 rebs) Carries The Heat To Game 7

Sometimes, even in the playoffs in a game that couldn't hold much more meaning, you simply don't have it. Tonight, the Boston Celtics entered that pathetic realm with an all-time stinkbomb in NBA history.

LeBron James scored 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had five assists (first player to do that since Wilt) as the Miami Heat took it to the Boston Celtics from start to finish, for an easy 98-79 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden.

Just like David Stern scripted it (for ratings, duh), this series will be decided on Saturday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) back in Miami thanks to LeBron's otherworldly performance which included 19 for 26 shooting from the field.

There really isn't that much to review (at least from my perspective) since this was dominated by the Heat, well more specifically LeBron, the entire way. Boston was down 55-42 at halftime and all they could do was trim it to 10 points early in the third quarter before another barrage of shots were too much for them to take.

On the one hand, it was shocking that the C's could be so flat when they had worked so hard (three straight wins including Game 5 in Miami) to wrestle home-court away from the Heat and rally from a 2-0 deficit in the series. Then again, as I've said 20 million times since the Big 4 were created: they always choose the more difficult way of doing things. Whether that means beating Atlanta in six games or Philadelphia in seven games. Obviously, unlike those earlier rounds they will be major underdogs and on the road but I have a feeling that Game 7 won't resemble this forgettable blowout in any way shape or form.

Dwyane Wade (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) was Miami's only other player to score in double figures. Mario Chalmers had nine points, Shane Battier scored eight and Chris Bosh put up seven points and six rebounds off the bench in 28 minutes (double his time in Game 5).

Rajon Rondo (21 points, 10 assists, 3 steals) was the only Celtic to show up. Kevin Garnett (12 points), Ray Allen (10 points) and Paul Pierce (9 points, 4 of 18 shooting) all played like they were 60-years-old after they had turned back the clock for the past month and a half. Brandon Bass had 12 points and seven rebounds while Marquis Daniels put up eight points in garbage time showing that perhaps he deserves more run in Game 7 over Mickael Pietrus.

The numbers are too brutal to spew out but there are two things which signify that this game was an anomaly after the C's scored 93+ in Games 2-5: Boston had 10 more fast break points (15-5) and 10 more points in the paint (42-32). As long as LeBron doesn't shoot 73% from the floor again, I like the Celtics' chances. I'm not saying they're going to win but this being the last hurrah and the fact that they were so humiliated tonight on their home court means that they should give it their absolute best shot.

Empty the tank, hold nothing back, balls to the wall on Saturday night. Once again, everybody will pick the Heat which can only be a good thing. All the pressure will be on them and if Boston can make it a tight game with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, we'll see if LeBron is draining impossible shots that he normally bricks (except for tonight). The Celtics have already proved that they can win in Miami and there is zero chance that the Big 4 will all collectively play that bad again in a game that means everything.

PS. I'm a sucker for a good moment and I thought it was awesome near the end of the game when the remaining die-hard members of the crowd gave the C's a nice "Let's Go Celtics" chant. Great stuff that shows why Boston is such a great sports city, by and large our fans get it more than any other place in the US.

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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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The Celtics Waste The Best Game Of Rajon Rondo's Career, Lose Game 2 In Overtime

In this era of instant analysis (thanks Twitter and 24/7 news cycle), overreactions and Sportscenter playing on a constant loop, it's easy to lose perspective on things at times. Make no mistake about it though, Rajon Rondo had one of the greatest performances tonight that we'll ever see in an NBA playoff game.

Rondo went for a career-high 44 points (16 of 24 shooting) with 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals but it still somehow wasn't enough as the Heat won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals 115-111 in overtime this evening at AmericanAirlines Arena.

An optimist would say that Miami just held serve at home as they went up 2-0 in the series; a pessimist would tell you that Boston gave it their best shot but they came up empty in what amounted to a must-win in everything but the name.

It's hard to put into words how well Rondo played. Let's start with the fact that he played all 53 minutes and scored all 12 of their points in overtime. That is absurd. He was 2 for 2 on 3-pointers, 10 of 12 from the free throw line and he hit jumpers all night long. Oh and he only had three turnovers. Paul Pierce (21 points, 6 rebounds) fouled out for the second time in three games and unlike in Game 7 vs. Philly, Rondo wasn't able to carry his team by himself without the captain. Kevin Garnett had a very quiet 18 points and eight rebounds but on the flip side, Ray Allen put up 13 points in 43 minutes.

One of the most promising parts of this was Ray's tying 3-pointer (tying it at 99). He still didn't shoot great (5 for 11 from the floor) but he looked way more energized than he has recently. Brandon Bass had eight points and 10 rebounds but he got buried on the bench in the fourth and overtime as Celtics head coach Doc Rivers went with Mickael Pietrus (to cover LeBron James).

If I told you that James was 7 for 20 from the floor, you would probably do cartwheels (assuming you like Boston) but the problem was that he took 24 free throws. Yes my friends, he hit 18 of them for 34 points along with 10 rebounds and seven assists in one of the most fraudulent big-time stat lines in playoff history.

Dwyane Wade (23 points) was absent for most of the first half but he was the central figure in the three biggest plays of the game (for Miami). Mario Chalmers (22 points) was the unlikely hero that helped the Heat overcome a slow first half. Udonis Haslem (13 points, 11 rebounds) also made a couple huge key hoops which made up for LeBron pooping his pants like usual (missing two shots at the end of regulation and two free throws in overtime). Wade's crazy plays were 1) a block on Allen's layup, 2) a non-foul call on Rondo where he hit him over the face and 3) a big boy And-1 (missed the free throw) after he was fouled by KG in the lane.

The Celts actually were up by as many as 15 points (47-32) in the second quarter but the Heat chipped away thanks to a laughable foul advantage (33-18). Three Celtics fouled out while only one Heat player (Joel Anthony, 4) had more than three fouls. LeBron and Wade combined for four total fouls in 91:35 of combined action. As we learned in the Philadelphia series, double-digit leads for the C's are nothing, they can give them up in a quarter or two. The truth is that if Miami (31 of 37) hit their free throws, they wouldn't have needed overtime but I digress.

Boston deserved a better fate (yeah I said it, without even wearing my Celtics foam finger) after leading most of the way. They were ahead 24-18 after the first quarter and 53-46 at halftime. The Heat exploded (35-22) in the third but credit the C's for hanging in there and winning the fourth (24-18).

The combination of no depth and Pierce fouling out proved to be too much to overcome for Boston. The Celtics shot 49.4% from the field and 26 of 29 on free throws. The Heat got back into the game thanks to 3-pointers (10-5) and moving the basketball well (24-15 assists). Miami had eight more fastbreak points (18-10) and 10 more points in the paint (40-30). Miami's bench outscored Boston 25-7 and had 12 more rebounds (17-5).

So here we are, the series shifts back to Boston on Friday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) for Game 3 as the Celts face an absolute must-win at TD Garden. You know that David Stern and the NBA's worst fear is a sweep in the Conference Finals so with the Thunder down 0-2 and heading home not to mention the Celtics in the same predicament, I have a feeling that both teams will find a way to get it done in Game 3. Otherwise they'll both be eliminated very shortly. Pardon me while I take a cold shower to wipe that stink off then cry myself to sleep thanks to either of those depressing notions.

Winning four out of the next five games against Miami is daunting enough, Boston should only focus on Game 3 and how they can find a way to get back in this series before it's too late.

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Celtics Systematically Fall Apart In 2nd Half, Heat Roll In Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals

For a league that's more predictable than professional wrestling, the NBA would be hard pressed to find a less surprising result that what occurred tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After playing to a stalemate by halftime (46-46), the Heat ran away with it in the second half as they outscored the Celtics 47-33 over the final two quarters to take a 93-79 victory at AmericanAirlines Arena. Boston fell to 2-5 on the road this postseason.

As always with Miami, it was the LeBron James (32 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Dwyane Wade (22 points, 7 assists) variety show. Poor Chris Bosh was left looking stoned on the Heat bench with his Nantucket worthy peach colored pants. The other sign that Boston had no lift is that complete stiffs like Shane Battier (10 points, 10 rebounds), Mario Chalmers (9 points) and Mike Miller (8 points) had solid games.

The C's closed out the Sixers-if you could call it that-on Saturday night, they flew to Miami yesterday and played the rested Heat who had two extra days off and the home-court advantage (they're only 35-6 there this season). LeBron outscored the Celtics by himself (13-11) as Miami took a 21-11 lead after a fugly first quarter. Boston played an excellent second quarter (35-25) and earned the tie at halftime. Sadly, the last two quarters went much like the first as the Heat started to run away in the third (26-15) and finished it in the fourth (21-18). All told, Miami outscored Boston 68-44 not counting the second quarter.

As you would expect with an older team, the Celtics' legs and energy deserted them in the second half. For the game, they missed 10 free throws (11 of 21), gave up 15 more rebounds (48-33) and 10 more blocks (11-1), so yeah I'd say that they were dead once they had to sit down at halftime (damn those extended breaks!).

Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) played very well with no Bosh on him but Paul Pierce (12 points) was invisible while Brandon Bass (8 points) and Ray Allen (6 points) were even worse than that. Rajon Rondo (16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) finished with decent numbers but he was 8 for 20 from the floor.

I think most rational people would say that Game 2 on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) will tell us much more about this series and these particular teams. If the Heat roll again, they might very well be on their way to a sweep. However, if the Celtics win or even just make it tight to the finish, we'll know that they have a pulse.

I'd like to pat myself on the back for not mentioning until now that Boston was called for not one, not two, not three but four (!) bogus technical fouls in this game alone. It didn't end up having any bearing on the result but good lord, can NBA refs just stay out of the way for one playoff series? I know that's all we want. The Celtics will have enough trouble stopping the Heat on their own, they don't need to be worrying about that shady aspect of the games as well.

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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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Rajon Rondo Was Born To Play In National Broadcast Games

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that the Boston Celtics would throw a beating so bad, that it left the Miami Heat with their worst loss of the season. Yet that's what exactly transpired this afternoon at TD Garden.

The Celts (30-22, 19-8 home) rolled over the Heat (37-14, 16-12 away) 91-72 in a game that truthfully wasn't even nearly that close.

Boston won its fifth straight game (and seventh out of eight) thanks to Rajon Rondo's (16 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds) fifth triple-double of the season and 18th of his career. He also notched 10+ assists for the 13th consecutive game.

One of the Celtics' main story lines that is starting to get national attention is how much Rondo steps it up in the marquee matchups. This was further proof that Boston (15-5 since the All-Star break and now 1 game up on the Sixers) can make some noise in the playoffs.

Ray Allen missed his sixth game in a row but once again, Avery Bradley (13 points) continued to excel with more minutes. Paul Pierce added 23 points and seven rebounds, Brandon Bass had a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett added 10 points and eight rebounds.

For whatever reason, the Heat weren't ready to play. They were down 10 after one quarter and rallied to cut it to 49-44 at halftime but soon enough the Celtics were up 80-56 then 89-60 in the fourth. Boston put it on cruise control after that, otherwise they could have won by 30+.

LeBron James led the Heat with 23 points and Dwyane Wade scored 15 points but Shane Battier (11 points off the bench) was the only other Miami player to score in double figures. Chris Bosh shot 2 of 11 from the floor and he had four points total.

You can't put too much stock in this game since it is only April 1 and it was at the Garden. These teams play twice more this month so particularly if the Celtics can win in Miami, then they'll be onto something. At the same time, you have to enjoy the big victories in the monotonous regular season. They don't come much more meaningful in that regard than this one.

All the final numbers point to a blowout as the Celtics shot 12.3% better (47.1-34.8), hit 13 more free throws (20-7, Bass was 10 of 10!), handed out six more assists (21-15), had three more steals (7-4) and six more fast break points (15-9).

This was the start of an insanely difficult week for the C's: they host the Spurs on Wednesday in what should be one of the best games of the regular season then stop in Chicago on Thursday and Indiana on Saturday before coming back to face the Sixers on Easter night (I'll be there too!).

They'll need some rest the next few days since it is going to be a long week. I would be content if they can go 2-2 in those four very difficult games.

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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.

This series is not over, hell Gumby Rondo came back from the dead

I knew that the Boston Celtics had way too much pride to get swept or go down in flames as badly as they looked in Games 1-2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat.

Last night, in Game 3 at TD Garden, the Celts won 97-81 to cut the Heat's series lead to 2-1.

The crazy part was that Boston seemed to be doomed when Rajon Rondo (11 assists) went down with a dislocated elbow in the third quarter after an awkward fall with Dwyane Wade (23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). After Rondo was scraped off the parquet, you could feel the crowd and team collectively think "I can't believe this is how it's going to end."

This is the NBA though which loves the drama and Rondo somehow returned to action after the Celtics trainers popped his elbow back in place in the locker room. Paul Pierce's (27 points) wheelchair from the 2008 NBA Finals wasn't even needed.

With Game 4 tomorrow night, it'll be interesting to see how Rondo is feeling after the adrenaline wore off. That elbow is going to be really sore; after he came back last night he was basically playing with one arm (truly bonkers stuff).

Last night will always be remembered for Rondo's truly heroic (I try to never overuse that word either) performance but it also served as Kevin Garenett's resurrection. After playing terrible in Game 1 and o.k. in Game 2, KG (game-high 28 points, 18 rebounds) just eviscerated Chris Bosh (6 points, 5 rebounds) in a matchup that Boston has to win to get by the Heat.

Given the stakes of the contest, it will go down as one of Garnett's best games ever for the Celtics. Similarly, the Celtics defense really stepped up after they looked old and slow in Miami.

LeBron James was basically a non-factor, which is almost impossible to do. He had 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists. Mario Chalmers (17 points) and Joel Anthony (12 points, 11 rebounds) actually had the best games for the Heat which is good for those two but not a positive sign for Miami as a whole.

It was the Garnett and Pierce show with a great supporting role by Rondo but Ray Allen also added 15 points. Delonte West played well off the bench with 11 points. Shaquille O'Neal even had a basket in his return after missing over a month of action.

The Celtics got off to a quick start and led 27-21 after the first quarter. The Heat responded with a strong second quarter (25-17) and a 46-44 halftime advantage. Boston played their best quarter of the series (28-15) in the third and kept the lead in double-digits in the fourth (25-20).

For the game, Boston shot 50.0% to 42.5% for Miami. The Celtics hit four more 3-pointers (9-5) and grabbed three more rebounds (39-36). Thanks to Rondo, the Cs had seven more assists (27-20) while the Heat had two more steals (9-7) and five more blocks (9-4). The underrated key to the game was the fact that Boston had a 13-point (18-5) advantage in fast break points. Miami turned into a jump-shooting team and when that happens, they're very beatable.

Game 4 is also a must-win for the Celtics. They need to get the job done again and put all the pressure back on the Heat (who are front-runners as far as we know). Hopefully Rondo can give Boston something since his presence alone makes such a difference for the team.

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.

Heat decide to show up, Celtics basically don't in Gm. 1 of Eastern Conference semifinals

I was at the Red Sox-Mariners game yesterday afternoon so I wasn't able to watch Game 1 of the Eastern Conference between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat live. Still, this being 2011 I couldn't help myself (even though I was recording it on DVR) and had to check the score on Twitter and my phone plus look at the TVs in the bars on Landsdowne Street as we walked down the street.

I listened to the end of the game on the radio as I drove home, took some time to decompress then finally sat down and watched it. One word comes to mind: yuck.

The Heat rolled to a 99-90 win at AmericanAirlines Arena in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Dwyane Wade had a game-high 38 points but the key in the win was James Jones. The sharpshooter off the bench (the 2011 3-point champion at the All-Star Game) had 25 points. LeBron James had 22 points while Chris Bosh (7 points, 12 rebounds) continued to be one of the biggest frauds in the NBA.

Ray Allen led the Celts with 25 points, Paul Pierce had 19 points and Delonte West had 10 points. Rajon Rondo (8 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds)-who was saddled with three fouls early-and Kevin Garnett (6 points, 8 rebounds) were both basically non-factors. Jermaine O'Neal and Jeff Green each added nine points.

An NBA playoff game wouldn't be complete without WWE style posing and theatrics. Yesterday, that meant Pierce would get booted out of the game in the fourth quarter on a bogus technical. He picked up the first one after jawing with Jones after a foul. A minute later, Wade ran into him on a hard screen and more yelling commenced. Pierce must have said all of George Carlin's seven words as he got tossed.

The first technical (which went to both players) was an easy one. I agree that the second one was completely ridiculous but Pierce has to know better than to go crazy like that for no reason. Boston wasn't going to make a full comeback anyway but seeing their captain get ejected meant it was really over.

The only bright side for the Celtics is that the Heat could never fully put them away when they had countless opportunities to do so. Boston had every reason to get blown out but it just didn't materialize. It was well chronicled that during the regular season, Miami was terrible in the fourth quarter of close games so they should have that hanging over their heads until they change that perception in the playoffs.

Miami led 20-14 after the first quarter and 51-36 at halftime. The Celtics outscored the Heat 26-25 in the third quarter and 28-23 in the fourth quarter.

For the game, Miami shot 47.1% to 42.7% for Boston. The Celtics hit three more 3-pointers (12-9) but the Heat made 12 more free throws (26-14). Surprisingly, Miami made five more blocks (8-3).

Game 2 is tomorrow night and the Celtics have never trailed by two games in playoffs during the Big Three era. Therefore, Game 2 is a telling barometer for what to expect in this series.

Bring on the Cavs

It lasted one game too long but you had to figure Dwyane Wade would single-handedly win a game or two for the Miami Heat. Plus, in the last two postseasons, Boston hadn't finished anyone off in less than six games.

The Celtics dispatched the Heat last night with a 96-86 win at TD Garden in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Cleveland knocked out Chicago last night as well in Game 5, setting up a nice semifinal series beginning in Cleveland on Saturday.

This celebration didn't have the juice of the Bruins from the night before since less was expected of the B's and the Celts won the title two seasons ago and still are a legit contender. Also, Buffalo put up a great fight while the Heat were dogs (outside of Wade).

In possibly his last game for Miami, Wade was a beast as per usual with a game-high 31 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

So now he goes back to South Beach, hangs out with Gabrielle Union and figures out by July 1 if he wants to peace out or stick around with a franchise that is going nowhere at the moment.

Boston's starting five which was good since they got 13 points from their bench. That equation simply won't work against a deep team like the Cavs.

Ray Allen finished off a good series with a team-high 24 points. Paul Pierce added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Rajon Rondo notched 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds while Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds. Kendrick Perkins remembered that he can score a couple baskets a game as he submitted eight points, six rebounds and three assists.

Mario Chalmers was the only other Heat player with double figures as he scored 20 points.

For the fourth time in the five playoff games, the C's held Miami under 100 points. It was also the third time in five games (all at home) that the Heat scored 86 points or less. That defensive identity is key moving forward since the Cavs have a ton of firepower and are capable of putting together runs in no time.

I don't worry about the Celtics scoring against Cleveland but stopping LeBron and Co., particularly at Quicken Loans Arena (where he'll get every single call) will be nearly impossible. Still, it's an intriguing series and should be a lot of fun to see it unfold.

Wade beats the Celtics as the Heat stave off elimination

I was a groomsman at a wedding on Saturday so understandably I've been on another planet for the last few days.

I did get to catch some of the Celtics-Heat Game 4 yesterday afternoon at AmericanAirlines Arena and boy was it high drama.

Dwyane Wade scored a career-high 46 points as the Heat won 101-92 to force Game 5 tomorrow night at the TD Garden.

It was a crazy game since the Celts came out extremely flat and were quickly down 18 points in the first half. However, they battled back and actually led by six points (77-71) going into the fourth quarter.

It wasn't all Wade for once as Quentin Richardson (20 points) and Michael Beasley (15 points) had their best games of the series.

Rajon Rondo paced Boston with 23 points and nine assists while Kevin Garnett added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce scored 16 and Ray Allen notched 15 points but they were silent down the stretch.

Even though Wade was red hot, including 13 points early in the fourth quarter, the Celts still had a chance late in the game but Ray Allen missed three of four free throws, Rondo missed a layup and Garnett missed two free throws. Game over.

Miami was up 31-18 after the first quarter and 49-43 at the half. Boston played great in the third quarter, outscoring 34-22 in the third quarter before the Heat doubled them up in the fourth quarter (30-15).

The C's had no business winning the Game 4 so there's no real reason to worry. Odds are Wade won't have another career game tomorrow night and/or Richardson and Beasley won't do nearly as well. It would have been nice to close it out and get some rest as soon as possible but what are you going to do?

And now we love Glen Davis, again

t has been a strange season for Glen Davis. After playing out of his mind in last year's playoffs (with Kevin Garnett out injured), he expected to be rewarded with a big free agent deal but it never materialized. He came back to the Celtics and was out for the first few months of this season after fighting with a childhood friend and breaking his hand.

He's had a couple decent games this season but for the most part, he didn't look like the guy who had really found his game in the NBA last year.

The beauty of sports is that all that drama can be forgiven in one night. With KG serving his one-game suspension, Glen Davis started last night and dropped 23 points and eight rebounds as Boston smoked Miami 106-77 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the TD Garden.

Big Baby or Ticket Stub as he has dubbed himself, has always been emotional (see: crying on the bench last season after KG ripped him). He has tons of personality and he's very likable for being undersized (height-wise) for the NBA. If the Celts are going to go anywhere in these playoffs, they'll need him to provide more valuable minutes.

After no-showing in Game 1, Ray Allen was back in all his glory with a team-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers. In the third quarter, he was on fire as he continually drained threes in front of Miami's bench.

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 29 points but Michael Beasley (13 points) and Mario Chalmers (10 points) were the only other Heat in double figures. To call Miami a one-man team is an understatement. You can already see Wade counting down to free agency this summer when he can bounce from this going nowhere squad.

Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins added 13 points each and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists.

Miami actually led 29-25 early in the second quarter but Boston hit them with a 44-8 run that had them dreaming of models on South Beach and a long but glorious offseason.

The C's shot 48.0% to the Heat's 38.2%. Boston made more threes (12-9) and free throws (22-10). They also had 17 more rebounds (53-36) and ten more assists (26-16).

Game 3 is Friday night in Miami. If the Celts take care of that one, it should be smooth sailing to a second round meeting with the Cavs, who are getting slightly pushed but will get by the pesky Bulls.

The Celtics will not lose to a one-man team like the Heat

It was hard to believe but last night, the Miami Heat took a 14-point lead over the Boston Celtics early in the third quarter in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the TD Garden.

For a team that had been on cruise control all season, the Celts looked like complete frauds as they couldn't do anything against a pretty average team. Thankfully, Boston woke up and held Miami to 10 points in the fourth quarter as they won 85-76.

The lasting image was a bizarre scrum in front of the Heat bench with 40 seconds left in the game. Paul Pierce was lying on the sideline with a hurt shoulder and Quentin Richardson came over and started talking trash (which is all he's good for according to Brandy). Kevin Garnett didn't enjoy that so he started pushing and shoving everybody and he accidentally caught Richardson with an elbow.

When it was all sorted out (after what seemed like two hours), Garnett was ejected and Glen Davis, Richardson and Udonis Haslem all received technical fouls. KG should not be suspended for Game 2 but I wouldn't put it past the NBA to overreact.

Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 26 points with eight rebounds, six assists and seven turnovers but Richardson (15 points) was the only other Heat player in double figures.

Pierce led Boston with 16 points, Garnett added 15 points and nine rebounds while Rajon Rondo notched 10 points and 10 assists. Without question, the player of the game for the C's was Tony Allen.

Ray Allen (2 for 9, 8 points) did one of his patented disappearing acts but Tony Allen was great off the bench, playing 29 minutes as he contained Wade and helped coverup for Ray's no-show.

Davis played well, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds. Other than a Pierce 3-pointer (Boston's only one of the game) off a sick feed from Rondo, Davis had the play of the game as he made an And-1 while he fell down.

Kendrick Perkins also scored eight points. Jermaine O'Neal had eight points and nine rebounds.

It was great to see Boston play lockdown defense, holding Miami to 15 points in the second quarter and 10 in the fourth quarter. The Heat had just 32 points in the second half.

Miami shot 39.7% from the floor to Boston's 44.3%. The Celts made 12 more free throws (22-10) and had five less turnovers (19-14). It wasn't pretty but it was a promising start for a team that nobody believes in anymore.

Game 2 is back at the Garden on Tuesday night.