Boston Celtics hit back; Crush Miami Heat 97-81 to pull one back – Part 1
On Saturday night, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 97 – 81 to record their first win in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Miami. Playing in their own back yard, the Celtics followed an even first half with a dominant
showing in the second as they made it 2-1 in the series.
After the being outshone by the Miami’s Big Three in game-2, the Boston Big Three came back strong in game-3. They combined for 70 points and 26 rebounds against 44 and 18 by the Heat trio.
Kevin Garnet was the star of the show with a double-double of 28 points and 18 rebounds. He completely outshone Chris Bosh who could only manage 6 points and 5 boards. Paul Pierce added 27 for Boston while Ray Allen had 15.
The night was also highlighted by the heroics of point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo suffered a dislocated shoulder in the third quarter, but he returned in the fourth to the amazement of everyone in the arena. Playing basically with
one arm, Rondo inspired his team forward and finished the night with 6 points and 11 assists. After the game, Rondo played down the significance of his brilliant effort,
"I didn't have to do much scoring - just directing," he said. "That's using your mouth, using my legs.
The Miami Heat were led by Dwyane Wade who had the team high 23 points. Apart from the struggles of Chris Bosh, LeBron James also had a tough time. He followed his 35 point performance in game-2 with a weak return of 15 in this
game. Mario Chalmers came off the bench to contribute 17 for the Heat.
Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra said Miami learned a lesson tonight,
"We understand fully now how tough it is to take down a champion," Spoelstra said. "All this fuel, the last three days, that was going on, I was cringing. Because you know this is a proud group, and you knew they would have a response."
Shaquille O’Neal returned for the Celtics and got a rapturous welcome from the TD Garden crowd. His impact on the game was limited however as he scored his solitary 2 points in the first quarter.
Boston came out with a mission early on and went about their business with urgency and ruthlessness. They attacked Miami from the very start, taking an 11 point lead by the middle of the first quarter. Paul Pierce was hot in the
first period as he led all scorers with 12 points. Boston ended the quarter with a six point lead at 27 – 21.
Miami responded with an 8-2 run right at the start of the second quarter to cut the lead down to one. The lead changed hands three times in the ensuing passage but Miami got a 6 point advantage of their own with 4:19 left in the
half. Boston though cut it down to two, right at the end of the quarter, which finished at 46 – 44.
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