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.

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.

Heat absolutely destroy the Celtics

I was all psyched about being able to watch the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat battle for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference yesterday afternoon at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The problem was I must have been kidding myself to think the Celts (55-25) would show up for the fight, let alone win.

The Heat (56-24) rolled to a disgusting 100-77 blowout that wasn't even that close. It was Boston's worse loss of the season and it stung even more since it likely handed them the No. 3 seed (with two games remaining in the regular season). The Celtics had been 3-0 against the Heat before yesterday's debacle.

There's no way to defend the Kendrick Perkins trade at this moment since the Celtics have stumbled to a 14-10 record since their enforcer left for Oklahoma City.

I like Jeff Green but Boston's problems are way more than he can compensate for at the moment.

This team surprised us last season by getting to the NBA Finals with the No. 4 seed but I feel as though it is a much harder road this season since Miami and Chicago are you know, better than the Celtics.

LeBron James had a game-high 27 points, seven assists and four steals. Dwyane Wade had 14 points and eight assists while Chris Bosh added 13 points and eight rebounds.

Paul Pierce (24 points, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (21 points) tried to carry Boston but they couldn't do it as Ray Allen (13 points) and Rajon Rondo (7 points, 5 assists) continued to disappear in meaningful games.

The Celtics travel to Washington DC tonight to take on the Wizards then they wrap up the regular season on Wednesday by hosting the Knicks. Boston will either play New York or Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs starting this weekend.

It's time for Boston to regroup and put everything they have into what is likely one last title run with the Big Three and Rondo, not to mention head coach Doc Rivers, all together.

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.

The most hyped season opener in NBA history was great theater

It's only fitting that a league that is basically built on glitz and glamour (style over substance) would have a season opener last night that was more suited to be an NBA Finals game.

In the debut of the Miami Heat's new big three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh), the Boston Celtics showed that their older Big 3 still has something left in the tank.

The Celts (1-0) got up by as much 19 points but held off a furious Heat (0-1) rally to win 88-80 at a sold out TD Garden.

Thinking that the Heat would be a finished product immediately was beyond dumb and Boston proved that teamwork, defense and depth are more important than star power and Q ratings.

The best player on the court had four points. His name is Rajon Rondo and while he still doesn't shoot 3s or can't consistently hit jumpers, he is one of the top point guards in a league full of them (Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, etc.).

Rondo had 17 assists (or two more than the Heat as a team) while Ray Allen (20 points), Paul Pierce (19 points) and Kevin Garnett (10 points, 10 rebounds) displayed the chemistry they've forged over three plus seasons together.

LeBron had a game-high 31 points but Wade was the only other Heat in double-figures (with 13 points on a pathetic 4-for-16 shooting).

Mike Miller, their sixth man, being out for the first few months is a huge setback for Miami since bums Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo started last night. Udonis Haslem and Eddie House (8 points apiece) were the top options off the bench and this is supposed to be a championship team?

Boston's marquee pickup, Shaq, did pretty much what you'd expect in his Green debut: nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. He had a couple sweet dunks off assists from Rondo (an alley-oop and a two-handed slam when he trailed on a fastbreak).

Glen Davis (13 points, 5 rebounds) was huge off the bench for the Celts and even Marquis Daniels had eight points, showing his fine preseason might not have been a mirage. This was all without Delonte West, serving his 10-game suspension, who will surely be one of their top reserves.

The first quarter must have made Dr. James Naismith roll over in his grave as Boston led 16-9. The Celts was up 45-30 at the half but in the NBA, every team makes a run and double-digit leads in the first half mean nothing.

LeBron heated up and Miami made it a game with a strong third quarter (27-18). Boston squeezed out the fourth quarter (27-25) with Pierce knocking down two clutch 3-pointers and three free throws after he was fouled taking another 3. Allen hit 3-pointer that was the real dagger with 30 seconds left, which put the C's up 86-80.

Boston shot 46.4% to Miami's 36.5%. The Celts had only three more rebounds (42-39) but ten more assists (25-15) thanks to Rondo.

I'd love to see the Heat crash and burn but the NBA revolves around its stars and they'll be fine. If they can stay healthy (a huge if with this bunch of old-timers), the Celts should go deep into the playoffs once again.

Seems like the offseason was over in the blink of an eye since the Celts went seven games with the Lakers in an epic NBA Finals but it's nice to have this fun, well-coached team back.

Boston goes to Cleveland tonight for the Cavs' first regular season game post-LeBron.

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 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

It 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.

It's hard to feel bad for a guy with a title and living in Miami but.......

Pity poor Dwyane Wade. Sure he won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, makes more money than I can even imagine and he lives in Miami which last I heard was a decent place to live.

He is one of the superstars that will be a free agent this summer, meaning that D-Wade could be out of South Beach and frankly, I don't blame him.

Nobody in the NBA carries his team like Wade. He had a game-high 30 points and season-high 13 assists last night but the Heat (24-25) still lost to the Celtics (31-16), 107-102 at the TD Garden.

Boston was playing without Paul Pierce-it's most dependable, consistent player-and it's been helter skelter this season plus they came in 7-11 since Christmas.

My best friend Joe and I were in the building and we witnessed Rajon Rondo continue his rapid acension to superstar status as he had 22 points, 14 assists, six rebounds and three steals. In his fourth year, Rondo's game has grown by leaps and bounds.

He hit two 3-pointers last night and looked much more confident at the free throw line (8-of-14) even though the final numbers were still weak. It's easy to see that he is the franchise now and when the Big 3 are all gone in a few seasons, everything will be about Rondo.

Ray Allen broke out of his slump with a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists. Kevin Garnett added 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Kendrick Perkins had 13 points and Eddie House notched his finest performance of the season with 16 points off the bench.

Besides Wade, the Heat have no second option. Rafer Alston and Udonis Haslem both scored 15, Michael Beasley (who should be better with his wide range of skills) had 13 points and the washed up duo of Quentin Richardson (12 points) and Jermaine O'Neal (10 points) mostly took up space.

It was tight throughout the contest as Boston led 27-26 after one quarter and 53-51 at the half. Rondo was fouled at the halftime buzzer taking a halfcourt shot by Daequan Cook (Thad Matta is rolling over in his grave). Rondo made two of three for the two-point Celtics lead.

Miami tied it at 74 going into the fourth and the C's pushed it to a 10-point advantage in the fourth before holding on for once and making their free throws down the stretch.

Boston came into the game as the second-worst rebounding team in the league (don't ask me how) but they outrebounded the Heat 41-31, including 15 offensive rebounds. The ball movement for the C's was also top-notch as they recorded 29 assists on 37 baskets.

The dredge of the NBA, the 4-44 New Jersey Nets come to the Garden tomorrow night. Hopefully Boston can take care of them quickly and give the starters some much needed rest.

KG ain't dead yet

Much like reports of Tom Brady's demise earlier in this season were laughable, the same could be said for Kevin Garnett. He was coming off the first major surgery of his career and he's 33-years-old. How some people didn't get that there'd be some recovery time in season is beyond me but the good news is that KG has looked great lately.

He shot 11-for-12 last night and had a team-high 24 points and eight rebounds in the Celtics' (13-4) 92-85 win in Miami. It was Boston's fourth straight win and a perfect way to get their four-game road trip started.

The incomparable Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 27 points for the Heat (9-7) with help from Michael Beasley (18 points, 7 rebounds) and the ghost of Jermaine O'Neal (14 points, 10 rebounds).

It seems like a given these days that all five Boston starters score in double figures and last night was no different. Paul Pierce (15 points), Kendrick Perkins (14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks), Rajon Rondo (13 points, 11 assists) and Ray Allen (11 points) all did what they had to do in the win.

Miami led 31-29 after one quarter but Boston came back to grab a 55-48 halftime lead. For whatever reason (old legs?) the C's started particularly slow in the third quarter and let Miami back in it with a gross quarter (17-12). When it came time to make the winning plays as they say, Boston stepped up with Allen drilling a 3-pointer and KG swishing his final jumper in the fourth.

For the game Boston shot 52.2% to Miami's 41.8%. The Celts had way more assists (21-12) while the Heat doubled them up on steals (10-5) and the C's had five more blocks (7-2).

The Celts are a work in progress but at 13-4, it's hard to argue with their success so far. They travel to Charlotte on Wednesday night to play the Bobcats.

So the Celtics are good again

The Boston Celtics' meltdown of a few weeks ago seems like years back as the team continued on its most recent torrid stretch.

The C's went to Miami last night to play the improving Heat and came out with a 98-83 win.

Boston (35-9) won its sixth in a row behind Eddie House's season-high 25 points. House had 20 in the second quarter alone and for the game, he was a ridiculous 7-of-11 on 3-pointers.

Fellow sharpshooter Ray Allen (5 of 6 on 3-pointers) continued his great season with a game-high 27 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kevin Garnett added 16 points, 13 boards and three steals while Paul Pierce had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Rajon Rondo posted seven points and 10 assists and Kendrick Perkins played his first game in two weeks, finishing with two points and seven rebounds.

Dwyane Wade (the NBA's third best player-behind LeBron and Kobe) led the Heat (22-19) with 25 points. Daequan Cook scored 20 off the bench. Rookie big man Michael Beasley had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

This was never much of a contest as the Celts blitzed Miami with a 29-10 first quarter. Boston opened it up to 57-34 at the half. Miami outscored Boston, 30-21 in the third quarter but the C's took the fourth (20-19) going away.

Boston shot 51.4% to Miami's 40.0%. Led by House and Allen, the Green made a season-high 15 3-pointers. Finally, Boston had 18 more rebounds (48-30).

Tonight is a big Eastern Conference Showdown as the Celtics travel to Orlando to face the NBA's current best team (at least record wise). The Magic have won seven straight games but Boston won the first matchup in December at the Garden.

Does this even count?

Fielding a team with only nine healthy players (including six who have played in the D-League this season), the Miami Heat didn't put up much of a fight against the Celtics last night at the Garden, losing 88-62.

Miami (13-60) was held to 17 field goals, a record low in the shot clock era. 18 points in the third quarter was the high for the Heat in this one.

Boston (58-15) played well early and got the starters out before anyone was hurt. Leon Powe came off the bench with a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Garnett had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 22 minutes while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen both scored 10 points. Sam Cassell had nine points and Rajon Rondo added eight.

Ricky Davis and Chris Quinn (8 assists) led the Heat with 14 points apiece while Blake Ahearn notched 12 points in the loss.

The Celts magic number is now three, to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court throughout the playoffs. Boston is six games up on Detroit with each team having nine games remaining.

This contest was never in question as Boston jumped out to a 32-13 lead after the first quarter and 50-30 at the half.

The Celtics travel to Chicago tomorrow night to take on the Bulls, who are out of the playoff picture and most likely will stay that way.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

A lot can change in two years. Want proof, just ask the Miami Heat. I can't believe it either but this team that recently lost 15 in a row and appears destined to land a Top-3 pick in the next draft actually won the NBA championship two summers ago. Yowzer. Pity Dwyane Wade. Once his contract runs out, he'll have to get the hell out of Miami. The place is a wasteland right now. Coach Greasy Hair will be gone by the end of the season-you can book that-and Shaq will follow suit as his beaten down body finally gives in.

With Kevin Garnett out with that abdominal injury and Ray Allen also out with the flu, the Celtics smoked the Heat in Miami, 117-87. Four Celtics (35-8) scored over 20 points and none of them bore a resemblance to Beetlejuice from the Howard Stern Show (Paul Pierce). Leon Powe had a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo had 23 points and six boards, Tony Allen scored 20 points with six assists, two blocks, two steals and Eddie House notched 20 points and five rebounds.

The Heat (9-34) lost Udonis Haslem to injury in the game and Wade left in the third cause he was sick (he was 1 of 9 with 7 points). Former Celtics con-man Mark Blount led the Heat with 20 points and five rebounds. The only other guys to get double figures for Miami were Luke Jackson (14 points) and Earl Barron (10).

This one was never a contest as Boston jumped out to a 33-14 lead after the first quarter. The C's held a 64-42 halftime advantage.

A 30-19 third quarter made it a complete laugher for the Celts. James Posey had nine points, seven boards, two assists and two steals in his return to Miami. Great move getting rid of him by Riley. Pierce had seven points, five boards, four assists and two steals while Glen Davis scored seven.

Boston shot 51.3% for the game, Miami just 35.9%. The Celts made 10 of 21 3-pointers, 15 more rebounds (51-36), seven more assists (22-15) and five additional steals (12-7).

Things figure to get much harder as one of the NBA's best teams-the Dallas Mavericks (31-13, winners of their last four)-come to the Garden on Thursday for a TNT game. Without KG, the Celts will have little chance for the W so hopefully he can go.

Sharapova Likes What She C's

With my favorite leggy, 21-year old professional tennis player (Maria Sharapova) sitting courtside, the Celtics worked over the Heat for three quarters in Miami tonight. Up 22 going into the fourth quarter, the Heat staged a furious comeback but ultimately fell short, 95-85.

Paul Pierce led the way with a game-high 27 points (he had 18 in the first quarter), seven boards and six turnovers. Kevin Garnett (23 points, 9 rebounds) and Ray Allen (17 points) had deceptive games. KG could have had more if the Celts tried a little harder in the fourth quarter to get him the ball. Allen shot 3 of 17 overall after hitting his first two shots. He made a tough shot off the glass late that was key but mostly he made his living at the line. He was 10 of 11 shooting foul shots as the Celts continually let him dribble down the stretch and the Heat didn't realize they should double him and make someone else go to the line. Rajon Rondo only took one shot (he made it) and a free throw for three points, six assists and five steals. Eddie House had nine points and James Posey played well although his modest numbers (6 points, 5 rebounds) don't really reflect it. Posey made a steal in the fourth that iced it for the C's.

Recently Heat coach/used car salesman Pat Riley has started Penny Hardaway and Chris Quinn but then sits them for most of the game and lets Jason Williams and Ricky Davis play. Williams had a team-high 22 points (6 of 12 on threes) but Davis was a non-factor with six points.

Dwyane Wade had an even tougher night than Ray Allen, he finished just 2-11 from the floor and 6-11 from the free throw line for 10 points, five boards, three steals, two blocks and six turnovers. Shaq had a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards but he is nowhere near the player he used to be. You have to love Wade's game but at the moment it's simply not clicking. He's not 100% recovered from his various injuries and truth be told, he's just not a great shooter. He lives on getting to the hoop and getting the superstar (sometimes phantom) foul calls. Udonis Haslem quietly had the most efficient night for the Heat with 18 points and 10 boards. Still, if Williams is their leading scorer, they're probably not going to get many wins.

Boston led 59-41 at the half and it looked like it was going to be a laugher. After outscoring the Heat by four in the third quarter, the C's let up in the fourth as they couldn't hit any shots. Luckily, the Heat obliged them with a bunch of one shot (miss) possessions which the Celtics rebounded and cleared out.

The Heat are the second best defensive team in the league but didn't show that ability until the fourth when they held Boston to 12 points. For the game, Miami shot 45.7% to Boston's 39.7%. The C's made 16 more free throws (27-11) which was the story of the game. The Heat also committed 24 turnovers while Boston had 17.

It wasn't the prettiest game but they'll take it given the tough circumstances (back-to-back games, on the road). The Celts meet the Cavs again, this time Sunday afternoon at the Garden. LeBron is expected back after injuring his finger the other night.

Celtics escape with 92-91 win over Heat

Last night had trap game written all over it. The Celtics came in 7-0 with the whole NBA and media now talking about their great start. The Heat were 1-7 but they had just gotten Wade back in the last game. For 3.5 quarters, the Celtics looked about to cruise to another win at the Garden.

Boston shot 49.3% as a team and 17-18 from the line. Most impressively, the Celtics had 29 assists to Miami's 19. That helped the C's overcome 18 turnovers. Kevin Garnett led the way with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Ray Allen had 19 points and seven assists. James Posey was huge off the bench with 13 points and five boards. Kendrick Perkins chipped in with 10 points and Rajon Rondo had one of his most complete games as a pro: nine points, 10 assists, seven rebounds.

They led by as many as 15 but the Heat fought back and eventually led. Rondo made an open jumper to put Boston up three with 1:30 left. Miami refused to give up though as Ricky Davis made a three-pointer and rookie Daequan Cook made a steal on Ray Allen and converted a layup while getting fouled by Posey. Cook missed the FT which proved to be costly. The C's got the ball with 35 seconds left and went right to Pierce who was one-on-one with Udonis Haslem. Pierce backed him down and scored on a layup but there was plenty of time left for Miami. Everyone in the building knew what would happen at the end of the game as Wade isolated on Posey (his ex-Heat teammate). Wade's jumper was too hard, hit the glass and rattled out before Posey grabbed the ball while time expired. Boston survived and moved to 8-0.

They face their biggest test of the young season tomorrow night as they travel to 8-2 Orlando. The Magic have won three in a row and have been playing especially well lately. Dwight Howard is one of the premier big men in the game, Rashard Lewis is scoring (still not enough to justify that absurd contract he signed in the off-season) and Jameer Nelson is playing well. Orlando looks to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference so it'll be interesting to see how the teams stack up (albeit in November). It should be a great warmup act for the Pats-Bills game later tomorrow night.