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| The Miami Heat defense limited the Celtics to 79 points and 40% shooting to take Game 1. (Photo by Getty Images) |
The Miami Heat have won their last 4 playoff games with defense and great games from Wade and James. The occasional boost from their supporting cast also made an appearance in Game 1. The dynamic duo had modest numbers as they combined for 54 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks. LeBron James started strong as he outscored the Celtics in the first quarter 13-11 and then Dwyane Wade had an amazing fourth quarter with 10 points and a couple of nice passes and 2 blocks. The Heat never trailed in this game and they toyed with the Celtics interior defense with Wade and James making ridiculous fadeaway bank shots. Still, this was just one game and the only thing the 1-0 Heat lead guarantees is that the Celtics cannot sweep them.
#supportingcast #battier
Shane Battier has been inconsistent with his shooting but his defense and effort have been consistent all season. Battier started at power forward and he delivered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He still played excellent defense but the scoring surely helped too. There was a sequence where Battier blocked a layup by Pierce or Rondo then he raced downcourt for a transition three which he made. Mike Miller also had a splendid second quarter where he had 8 points and 3 rebounds. Joel Anthony had a couple of blocks and a nice dunk from a nasty left-handed pass from Wade. The supporting cast did their jobs and more while the Celtics only got a good game from Greg Stiemsma (6 pts, 4 rebs in 12 mins).
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| Ray Allen shot poorly and got a technical foul from complaining. The Celtics got 5 techs (Photo by Getty Images) |
The Heat dont have a dominating center who can block shots but they have a team full of athletes who can defend and block. The Heat blocked 11 shots (Boston had 1) and some of those blocks resulted into transition chances for the Heat. A sure basket for the Celtics suddenly gets blocked then the ball goes the other way and the Heat score. That's a 4-point swing there which was very crucial for the Celtics who have so much trouble scoring. The Heat also out-rebounded the Celtics 48-33 which was weird because Miami got 13 offensive rebounds (10 for Celtics) even though they shot 50%. The Celtics were limited to jumpers and they were not making most of them. Anytime they went inside, a plethora of Heat defenders were waiting to defend the rim.
#Tparty #cantbuyabucket
The Celtics could not buy a basket. They shot below 40% from the field and missed 10 fts. Only Kevin Garnett shot a decent 9-16 from the field and the rest of the team was at 30%. Ray Allen missed four free throws and Pierce got outplayed by James (12 points only). Rondo played good but with Allen and Pierce struggling, he needed numbers similar to LeBron and that was not happening. It did not help at all that the Celtics got whistled for 5 technical fouls. Not all were warranted especially the one called on coach Doc Rivers. The officiating was bad but not a direct reason for the loss. This was tough for the Celtics because the Heat had 5 more turnovers, 10 fast break points and missed 20 threes yet they still lost by 14. On a positive light, they managed to compete in the first half (46-46) and they had a 35-point 2nd quarter. Can they do that more often? They still have a chance to steal one game. Game 2 is on Wednesday.
#Tweet of the Night
"LeBron was tremendous tonight. Miami missed 15-16 wide open 3's and still won by double digits. Not a good sign for the Celts." -Bill Simmons @sportsguy33, ESPN & Grantland writer
#Stats #News
- Last time Allen missed four free throws was in 2006. He is a 92% career ft shooter
- James was the first 30+ scorer the Celtics have allowed in this playoffs
- Wade and James played together for 36 minutes, Heat were +17 in that time
- Battier had his first double-double in his playoff career
- NBA Draft Lottery is on Wednesday
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