Celtics-Heat Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Dec 26 2011 5:33PM

With a long offseason behind them, the Miami Heat wasted no time showing they feel no lingering effects from their NBA finals loss.

The Boston Celtics also have championship aspirations, but having a healthy Paul Pierce would make that goal much more attainable.

The Heat's home opener Tuesday night will be the first matchup between these teams since last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, and the Celtics hope to have Pierce ready.

After losing to Dallas in six games in the finals, the Heat had plenty of time to think about their missed opportunity during the NBA lockout. Miami got another reminder of what could have been as it watched the Mavericks raise their championship banner before Sunday's opener in Dallas.

The Heat, though, built a 15-point lead after 12 minutes and led by as many as 35 in a 105-94 victory. LeBron James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Dwyane Wade added 26 points, eight boards and six assists.

"We tried to play aggressive," James said. "We're a focused team. We had a great training camp. We came in with the same mindset we had at practice, use our speed and play with mental focus."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers would like to see his team play that way for an entire 48 minutes after it was outscored 34-23 in the first quarter of Sunday's 106-104 road loss to the New York Knicks.

Boston trailed by as many as 17 points, but led by 10 in the fourth quarter before squandering its opener.

"I thought we were as soft as you could be in the first quarter and then I thought we joined in to the 2011-12 season, and from that point on I was pretty happy with the way we played," Rivers said. "I thought we competed well."

Rajon Rondo had a brilliant game with 31 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and five steals, and Ray Allen (20 points) and Kevin Garnett (15 with eight rebounds) were solid, but Pierce was missed as he sat in street clothes with a bruised right heel.

No. 34 likely would have taken the final shot that Garnett missed as time expired.

If Pierce is able to go Tuesday, Rivers said he would come off the bench since he's had limited practice time.

The nine-time All-Star scored a team-best 19.6 points per game as the Celtics fell in five games to Miami in last season's playoffs.

Rondo averaged 10.0 points with 7.6 assists during the series, playing the final two-plus games with a dislocated left elbow. That didn't help with Miami's stars clicking, as Wade scored 30.2 points per game against Boston, while James averaged 28.0 with 8.2 boards.

"I got the utmost respect for that team," James said of the Celtics after the series. "They're the reason why (James, Wade and Chris Bosh) came together, is because of what they did, that blueprint they had in '08 when they all came together."

Bosh struggled with foul trouble Sunday and had just four points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Miami lost its last two home games last season - Games 2 and 6 against Dallas - after opening the 2011 playoffs 9-0 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Including the postseason, Miami has won four straight at home versus Boston. The Heat snapped an eight-game skid in this matchup with a 100-77 victory in the Celtics' last regular-season visit April 10.

Cole comes up big, and Heat beat Celts 115-107

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Dec 28 2011 12:41AM

MIAMI (AP) Norris Cole stepped to the foul line with 9.3 seconds left, set to clinch the game as cries of "M-V-P" rained down upon him from the sold-out stands.

No, this wasn't a scene from his days at Cleveland State.

Taking over in just his second NBA game - and with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all on the floor, no less - Cole scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including three huge jumpers down the stretch to save the Heat in a 115-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

"You grow up and live for moments like that," Cole said.

James scored 26 points, Wade had 24 points, eight assists and four blocks, and Bosh scored 18 for the Heat, which led by 20 points midway through the third quarter before having its lead twice sliced to three points in the final minutes. And both times, Cole took passes from James and knocked down jumpers, keeping short-handed Boston at bay.

"He's got savvy," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Great pickup."

Ray Allen scored 28 points on 8 for 12 shooting for the Celtics, while Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points and 12 assists and Keyon Dooling scored 18 off the Boston bench.

Through two games, Miami (2-0) has trailed only once - by two points, for all of 14 seconds. Boston turned the ball over 24 times, and Miami turned those into 33 points.

"Any team you turn the ball over that much they're going to score on you," Allen said. "We just have to settle in on both ends of the floor. Whether you score or not, they're going to run down your throats."

Cole's jumper with 3:01 left gave Miami a 108-98 lead, most of which disappeared in the next 59 seconds, thanks to Dooling - a former Heat guard. He scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining, cutting the Heat's lead to three. And when Boston got a stop on the next Miami trip, the Celtics looked for Dooling again.

But Wade stepped in front of a pass intended for Dooling, starting a play where James found Cole for another jumper, and Miami's cushion was back to 110-105 with 1:31 to play. A half-minute later, Cole struck again to restore the five-point edge, and Miami had the win.

"He's earned their respect," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Even though it's been a short period of time, about three weeks, because he's pure, he's all about the team. He's mature ... and he gets them the ball. You're always a popular guy when you find people when they're open."

Boston was again without forward Paul Pierce (bruised right heel), who worked out both Monday and Tuesday and is getting closer to a return. It won't come on Wednesday, however - the Celtics have already ruled him out of that game in New Orleans, but there is some hope of Pierce being in the lineup when Boston makes its home debut against Detroit on Friday.

Maybe spurred by the new Eastern Conference championship banner hanging from the rafters, Miami came out flying.

A short bank shot by Wade made it 26-15 at barely the midpoint of the first quarter, setting the tone for an offensive bonanza the likes of which Boston typically doesn't allow. After a late flurry - James setting up Wade for a lob, Wade missing at the rim but James trailing for a tip-in being perhaps the most impressive of Miami's highlight reel to close the second quarter - the Heat took a 69-54 lead into the locker room.

That represented the most first-half points allowed by the Celtics since Feb. 8, 2005, according to STATS LLC.

Six straight points by James made it 85-65 midway through the third, and Miami was well on its way to a blowout. But then everything changed - Boston went to a zone, and Miami's offense stopped in its tracks.

Feasting on Miami's second unit, with James being the only starter on the floor, the Celtics closed the third on an 18-6 run to make it 91-83 entering the fourth. The Heat missed their last eight shots of the quarter - after having missed 14, total, in the first 32 minutes of the game.

Boston never got the lead down the stretch, though, thanks to Cole.

"We have confidence in whoever's on the floor at that time," James said. "For him to make those shots and come up big in a game like that, give credit to him."

NOTES: After two games, the Heat have 131 points in first halves this season. After three games last season, Miami had 130 first-half points. ... Celtics F Chris Wilcox didn't play in the second half because of a bruised left shoulder. X-rays were negative. ... The Heat said the luster of the matchup wasn't hurt by Pierce not being available. "We play the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back," Wade said. ... Celebrity sightings included Miami Dolphins RB Reggie Bush, rapper Rick Ross and retired tennis star Boris Becker.

Heat-Celtics notebook

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday December 28, 2011 12:15AM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 115-107 Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena, but not before holding off Boston's furious fourth-quarter rally. Heat rookie guard Norris Cole scored 20 points, 14 in the final period, to help Miami improve to 2-0. Miami's Big Three of LeBron James (26 points, six rebounds, five assists), Dwyane Wade (24 points eight assists) and Chris Bosh (18 points, 11 rebounds) led the way. They were assisted by forwards Udonis Haslem (12 points) and James Jones (nine points, 3-for-3 on 3-pointers). Boston was led by guard Ray Allen (28 points, six 3-pointers), guard Rajon Rondo (22 points, eight rebounds, 12 assists, seven turnovers), guard Keyon Dooling (18 points), center Brandon Bass (13 points) and forward Kevin Garnett (12 points).

QUOTABLE: "We will get better against the zone."
-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra

THE STAT: Boston committed 24 turnovers and Miami turned them into 33 points. In the first half Miami turned 15 Boston turnovers into 23 points,

TURNING POINT: Miami's 39-point second quarter did the job on Boston's comeback hopes. The Celtics closed within 42-35 but the Heat went on a 15-5 run to take a 54-40 lead and take the Celtics' spirit.

HOT: Heat forward James Jones, the defending Three-Point champion at All-Star weekend, is 6-for-8 on 3-pointers.

COLD: Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal had no points and no rebounds through three quarters. His two-game totals are 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

NOTABLE: Boston's Chris Wilcox (left shoulder) left in the second quarter and didn't return ... Boston's Paul Pierce (heel) is likely out for tonight's game at New Orleans ... Boston went to a zone defense in the fourth quarter and it worked as his Celtics cut their deficit from 15 points to three (at 108-105).

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Wednesday @ Charlotte, Friday @ Minnesota, Monday vs. Charlotte. For Boston, Wednesday @ New Orleans, Friday vs. Detroit, Monday @ Washington.

• Celtics: Pierce, Pietrus
• Heat: Curry, Miller

• Celtics: Rivers, Rondo
• Heat: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #27 Dick Bavetta, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 20166
• Duration: 2:44