Celtics 112 - HEAT 107 Recap

MIAMI, November 11 – Three weeks after dropping their first game of the season in Boston, the Miami HEAT lost a very similar contest to the Celtics. They went down double digits early, righted the ship late, closed the lead to two possessions in the final minutes but never got over the hump, falling 112-107 Thursday night.

Just as in that first game, things went south early for the HEAT, who fell behind by 12 within ten minutes of tipoff. But where in the first game the problem was largely that the HEAT could not hit long, inefficient shots from the perimeter, tonight they were dedicated to getting in the paint and earning better looks.

Strangely for the league’s top-ranked defense coming into the night, Miami issues were rooted in its difficulties stopping Boston’s deadly ball movement. Ball movement that freed Ray Allen for seven three pointers and 35 points on 23 shots.

“They simply out-executed us and carved us open and exploited us,” Erik Spoelstra said. “It paralyzed us.

“They’re probably as good as anybody in the league [at moving the ball]. That ball just seems to end up in Ray Allen’s hands in the corner, some way.”

Boston finished with 24 assists, 16 from Rondo, on 43 field goals, shooting 54 percent from the field and 9-of-16 from three. All of it good for 112 points in 91 possessions, essentially one of the most efficient offensive nights any team could ask for.

And while the Celtics, or any team, would struggle to put together two consecutive games like the one Boston did, the HEAT, for their part, were accountable.

“We have to stop digging a hole for ourselves,” Chris Bosh said. “We have to come out the gate swinging. We were still kind of hesitant, just a little bit. We weren’t on our defensive game, and that had a snowball effect where everyone started shooting the ball well for them.”

Though the second-half run one might expect never came, sustained good play after the break – bringing their shooting percentage back to 50 – had them within seven with 1:54 to play, but the HEAT could not take advantage of a pair of stops and the game became a lesson.

In truth, whether the HEAT had won or lost, it was always going to be a lesson. The HEAT are not where they want to be, and one game wasn’t going to get them there.

“[It’s] November 11 right now, we’re not there,” Spoelstra said. “We did not play well tonight. But again, we have a different timeline. This is going to be a process.

“At times it will be bumpy, and this is a bumpy stretch right now.”

A bumpy stretch that, more than likely, will matter more in the big picture than a pair of early season losses to the defending Eastern Conference Champions. The HEAT were always going to experience what will be labeled as “big” losses, that’s the nature of a 30-team league, and down moments like these were always going to be a key to the team growing into what it will eventually be.

“I know a lot of people out there probably thought it would happen seamlessly,” Spoelstra said. “You need to face adversity, you need to stumble, you need to feel this pain to be able to respond and grow.”

“These tests right here show us how far we got to go,” LeBron James said.

But for now, the HEAT have four losses on their record and a long road ahead.

“We are 5-4,” Dwyane Wade said. “You can’t run from your record. I think we’re better than 5-4.”