Miami Heat Beat Boston Celtics in Game 1

by thessa on 02. May, 2011 in Featured

Miami, Florida, USA (NEWSTABULOUS) – The Miami Heat wins Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, 99-90.

Dwayne Wade scored 38 points with 14 out of 21 shooting. Setting a Miami postseason record was James Jones; he came off the bench scoring 25 points. This was a great opening to their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Wade said:

“We’re going to have to fight for every inch, every game we get…Right now, we won Game 1. We’re supposed to. We’ll go back and focus on winning Game 2. We’re at home, we have home-court advantage. They’re just trying to come in and steal one like they’ve done in the past. So it’s our job to come out with the same mentality in the next one.”

LeBron James had 22 points in the game, with 5 assists and 6 rebounds for the Heat; they led as many as 19 points before a war of smack talking erupted between the players.

With 7 minutes left in the game, Paul Pierce, for the Boston Celtics, was ejected from the game after he picked up two technical fouls for scuffles with Jones and Wade, both occurring within a one minute time frame.

For Boston, Ray Allen left the game with 25 points, Pierce had 19, and West finished with 10. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett had a total of 14 points together while their shooting was 6-for-19. This is the first lost for the Boston Celtics within their post season five games. Allen said:

“There’s so many things we need to do to get better…I think everybody in that locker room knows that, just from a small conversation we just had.”

Tuesday is the mark of Game 2 in Miami.

Given the past history with Boston ending Miami’s season last year and then ending James’ playoff season in Cleveland in 2008 and 2010, you can tell there was a strong dislike and lots of history in the background, and it showed on the court. The game was a physical one, players earning technical fouls and flagrant ones as well.

Ed Malloy, the referee, called double-technicals on Pierce and Jones and then on Wade and Pierce; Pierce’s night was ended as he left screaming. Doc Rivers, Boston Celtic’s coach, said that he thought both players were too aggressive and ended his forwards’ night. Rivers said:

“I thought both were flagrant fouls, personally, and I don’t think we should react to either one.”

As Pierce was talking to Wade with 7 minutes left, the Heat player acted as if he didn’t hear anything, he called it “gibberish.” Pierce received his second technical since there was profanity directed toward Wade, said Crew chief, Dan Crawford. He recounted:

“And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt…And it just so happened to be Pierce’s second technical foul.”

The first technical foul for Pierce came after the play with Jones; he made contact with him during a dead ball period. The Celtics coach said he knew the game would be physical, but he said Sunday’s game didn’t apply from what he saw. Rivers said:

“That’s chippy…That ain’t physical.”

Wade countered:

“Very interesting that Doc said that.”

At the post-game interviews, Pierce didn’t speak to anyone.

The Celtics tried to make a comeback after Pierce’s rejection, Allen made a 3-pointer making the score 90-82, but Wade and Chris Bosh made Miami’s next two scores, forcing the lead in double digits making it a nonthreatening situation from the opposing team. Wade said:

“Every game is going to go like this…We look forward to the challenge.”

Wade has an average of 28 percent shooting and 12.8 points when playing against the Boston Celtics in the regular season games. These are Wade’s worse numbers in both categories against anyone this season.

Wade had 23 points by halftime, by the end of the first quarter, Miami was 20-14.

At halftime, Miami led 51-36 as Wade set up a drive past West for the bank shot with 0.8 seconds left remaining on the clock.

Boston was clearly shaken up, maybe not themselves because of the week off they had and because of Miami’s spectacular defense. Rondo was on the bench in the fourth quarter with 3 fouls and 11 minutes remaining in the half. The Heat had the Celtics so rambled, their shooting was horrid. The Celtics missed 20 of their first 26 shots from the field.

Erik Spoelstra, Miami head coach, said:

“Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is beat the Boston Celtics in basketball, the game of basketball, four times…We have one of them right now.”

Rondo’s third foul was drawn from Jones, and ended up leaving Rondo on the floor under Boston’s basket, holding his lower back in pain. Jones was on fire and had more pain the rest of the quarter; Jones’ 3-point range was 4 for 5 in the second period.

Pierce and Allen were taken down by Jones in the 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend; this was all a replay on Sunday. Jones said:

“Someone had to step up…I got some good looks. All of our play-makers got me good looks and I was able to knock them down with confidence because these guys trust me in the big moments.”

photo:peninsulaismightier.com