Heat go cold in Boston, lose to Celtics for 3rd time this season

by David Dwork on Feb 13, 2011 11:32 PM EST

Just like the last game in Boston, this game started out very slow. The Celtics scored the games first points but then went about 4 minutes without a field goal. A late 10-2 run gave the Heat some separation, and they took a slim 5-point lead into the 2^nd quarter. Miami shot 52.9% in the opening quarter while holding the Celtics to just 30.0%

Turnovers on three consecutive possessions by the Heat let Boston right back into this one, and they had a chance to take the lead when Glen Davis had a breakaway but he couldn't elevate high enough to dunk the ball. Instead, he clanked off the front iron, giving his teammates on the bench something to laugh about. That'll be on a not top 10 somewhere later tonight, you can bet on that.

The Celtics took advantage of 8 turnovers by Miami in the 2^nd quarter, putting up 12 more shots then the Heat. Boston held a slim advantage for most of the quarter, but the Heat kept pace by hitting 54.5% of their shots. Boston couldn't hang on to the lead though, as Miami closed the half on a 7-2 run and took a 43-39 lead into the break.

The beginning of the 3^rd quarter was pretty ugly from a Heat fans standpoint. Miami came out missing their first 3 shots while turning the ball over twice, and Boston capitalized by going on a 12-1 run to take a game-high 7-point lead. It was about that time when nasty Kevin Garnett reared his ugly face. He gave Mike Miller a dirty elbow to the back of the head, then when D-Wade came to Miller's defense it was Wade that was hit with the flagrant-1.

Boston ended up starting the half on a 20-3 run. I don't know what was said in the locker rooms during halftime but obviously all the right things on the home side and not much that worked on the away side. Other then the ridiculously cold shooting by Miami, free throws were a big difference in the 3^rd quarter. The Heat had their work cut out for them, entering the final 12-minutes down by 11.

That's when Miami they turned up the D, holding the Celtics to just five points on two field goals over the first 7½ minutes of the 4^th. That enabled them to cut the Boston lead down to two points, but every time the Heat got an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead they couldn't capitalize. From that point through the end of the game the Heat made only one field goal of their own and scored only 4 points.

It was a 2-point game with 90 seconds left and stayed that way until LeBron James was fouled with 12 seconds left. He didn't keep us hanging for long though, missing the first free throw before making the 2^nd. Miami would get the ball back down by three, and Mike Miller got a much better look at a tying shot then I would've guessed, but alas this one was not meant to be.

GAME NOTES

Miami was horrid from downtown, hitting just 3-of-16.
Mike Miller was only 1-for-5 from the field, all triples, but did pick up 9 rebounds.
Chris Bosh led the Heat in scoring with 24 points. He also picked up his 2^nd straight double double, grabbing 10 boards.
LeBron didn't come as close to a triple double as usual, finishing with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Rounding out the Big 3, Dwyane Wade had his usual ‘off' game against Boston. He hit just 6-of-17 from the field, scoring just 16 points.
After shooting 54.5% in the opening half the Heat hit just 15-of-40 in the 2^nd.
Paul Pierce finished 0-for-10 from the field. It was the first time since March 2^nd 1999 that he finished a game without a field goal.
Rajon Rondo picked up a triple double. He's an annoying dude to play against but you've gotta appreciate how good of a point guard he has become.
Boston is now 8-3 in games they have played on 2 days rest.

Next up for the Heat are back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday in Indiana and Toronto, then it's the All-Star break. Until then, keep your heads up Heat fans. Game like this are only going to make Miami hungrier when the playoffs roll around.

Also...you guys have got to remember our Community Guidelines when participating in the game threads. I know this game was frustrating but that is no excuse. I don't want ANY Heat fans to ever have to leave the blog...so please don't put me in that position.

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Comments

Gah! Another loss after achieving the top spot in EC. Hopefully it will not lead into another slump. Also we want to beat the Celtics w/o the bench helping us in the scoring department, we really need for Wade to be…well Wade. The Wade we see most of the time willing his way to the basket and scoring.

"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee

by The One Who Wears The Crown on Feb 13, 2011 11:50 PM EST reply actions

I’m not worried about a slump, only reason it happened last time was LeBron and Bosh getting hurt. We’ll be fine. As for Wade…he’s always struggled against Boston. Hopefully it’s just leading up to a big-time breakout when we beat Boston in the Eastern Finals lol

Peninsula Is Mightier:Your SB Nation Miami Heat Blog Community

"My parents would always say, `It doesn't matter if it`s a guy picking up the garbage or the President of the United States, treat everybody as you would want to be treated.'"- Dan Marino

by David Dwork on Feb 14, 2011 12:17 AM EST up reply actions

Hopefully it’s just leading up to a big-time breakout when we beat Boston in the Eastern Finals

I really hope so. xD…I won’t mind him throwing on another Game 4 performance like he did last year. But yeah we just gotta wait for the play-offs to arrive.

"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee

by The One Who Wears The Crown on Feb 14, 2011 7:46 AM EST up reply actions

NO Shaq, NO Delonte, NO Marquis, NO Jermaine, and Pierce is hurt and scores only 1 point…LOL….you guys are gonna get killed when the Celtics have everyone healthy…

by BirthTimes on Feb 14, 2011 7:49 AM EST up reply actions

Oh, forgot to mention NO Erden and NO Robinson too. And you better tell coach Lebum to put Wade on Rondo defensively so that he still has something left in the tank in the last 5 minutes. Ray Ray is running him ragged…LOL…

by BirthTimes on Feb 14, 2011 8:19 AM EST up reply actions

Wade has admitted that he struggles against Ray Allen because of all the running he has to do on defense.

by totheights on Feb 14, 2011 3:34 PM EST up reply actions

Good Defense between 2 good teams

Celtics 3-0, who will win april 10th?

by greenSanDiego on Feb 14, 2011 12:18 AM EST reply actions

who cares who wins april 10 its about who wins in the playoffs

LETS GO HEAT!! LETS GO PANTHERS!! GO FISH GO!! GO FINS! Follow me @Jose97Luis

by SNOOP97DAWG on Feb 14, 2011 2:43 AM EST reply actions

reg season means nothing its who wants it wore come playoff time

LETS GO HEAT!! LETS GO PANTHERS!! GO FISH GO!! GO FINS! Follow me @Jose97Luis

by SNOOP97DAWG on Feb 14, 2011 2:43 AM EST up reply actions

I just don't see Miami beating Boston

in a 7 game series, C’s got their number, and the Heat don’t have anybody to guard Rondo, not this year. C’s winning the East (again)

by greenSanDiego on Feb 14, 2011 9:54 AM EST up reply actions

Yep. We'll pay back them in postseason.

Something to prove II

by flash3 on Feb 14, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions

we'll see, hard to imagine.

by greenSanDiego on Feb 14, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions

what are the community guidelines that people were broken?? (just for future reference incase i’m posting something i shouldn’t be!)

by LondonDave on Feb 14, 2011 7:06 AM EST reply actions

*breaking

by LondonDave on Feb 14, 2011 7:06 AM EST up reply actions

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/483546/Peninsula_Is_Mightier_Community_Guidelines.pdf

"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee

by The One Who Wears The Crown on Feb 14, 2011 7:49 AM EST up reply actions

This is where the Heat are at!

As much a statement game as a measuring stick, Sunday’s game in Boston showed that the Miami Heat are not yet capable of beating the Celtics. Even with injuries depleting Boston’s bench, the Heat looked tired and played a very lackluster game. Very disappointing. I am really broken up over this loss. I know it’s only one game in February, but this one hurts. A lot.

1+3+6=how many rings???

by Dollar Man on Feb 14, 2011 11:08 AM EST reply actions

If the Heat are to beat the Celtics...........

If the Heat are to beat the Celtics the following must happen:

1.On offense the Heat have to resist the temptation to play one on one with the Celtics.They must learn to move the ball around on offense.Otherwise, their offense is too predictable and gives the Celtics’ defence an advantage over the Heat’s offense.

2. On defence, the heat players must rotate.They often fail to rotate hence leaving an open lane for a drive to the basket or leave Ray or someone else open behind the arc for an easy 3 point or leave a Celtics player open to get an offensive rebound. # 1 and 2 points above mean, the Heat players need to be more mobile in both offense and defence.It is a HUGE surprise that the Older Celtics players are more mobile then the more younger Heat players.

3.The Heat bench have to step up against the Celtics.The Heat have always lost to the Celtics by 7 points or less with little or no production from the Heat bench on all three meets with the Celtics..

4.The Heat need an athletic big man to match up with the Celtics, the Mavs, San
Antonio and the Lakers.Not only does it neutralise the mismatch but it also helps the undersized Heat players psychologically

by Who donnit? on Feb 14, 2011 12:12 PM EST reply actions

Fact is...

3. The Heat have always lost to the Celtics by 7 points or less with little or no production from the Heat bench on all three meets with the Celtics..

Score of game 1, Celtics 88-80

by nba is the worst on Feb 15, 2011 10:40 AM EST up reply actions

keep Wade off Ray Allen

put Lebron on him and put Wade on Pierce.

by ceo86 on Feb 14, 2011 12:24 PM EST reply actions

Thoughts on your coach

I’m a Celtic fan. But I’m also an NBA fan in general. I watch your team from aside, and to me it doesn’t feel that chemistry or lack of bench production is the real cause of your problems. You have such talent in your big three that they make any supporting cast look bad, causing people to want to bring it up to the level of your core when problems are experienced. But in reality your supporting cast is more than enough, talent wise. Just look what other teams have…Look at our Big Baby. He’s only good because doc forced him to fit. On any other team he would be garbage. Yet we don’t need anyone better than him…no way we trade him! Chemistry, well it just comes by itself if everybody on the team has the same desire and goal. Just look how our Celtics “jelled” from the minute they stepped on court together in 2007. They just started to dominate. I’m absolutely sure that this is all because of Doc. It’s his credit. It’s the coaches job to get everyone on the same page. So I’m absolutely sure that coach Spoelstra is your weak point. And it’s sad, because he doesn’t suck, like some people try to make believe. He is clearly talented (hardly anyone of his age would do better than him in his situation). It’s just that he is on a different page from the rest of your team. He’s just starting his career…he is still in the making (no doubt he’ll eventually be among the best), but the rest of the team is already made! It was brought together as a complete, experienced unit set to win the championship not in 3,2 or 1 year but NOW. It would be unfair to fire Spoelstra now, he’s done nothing wrong. But he shouldn’t have been selected in the first place. To manage and handle a power like this, not just physically but before all mentally, you need experience in handling a lesser force at least. But even more important than that is the 100% confidence that your players need to have in you as a coach. And no matter how good Spo is, at this stage of his career he is not going to provide that. This aura of “sureness” is only obtained through the years. LB, Wade or anybody on the team can say all they want that they trust Spo. There is no way that deep inside they don’t have doubts. Thats where all the unsureness comes from on this team, and why Miami, such a complete team at fist glance, has this feel of an “unfinished product”. And when you’re not 100% sure, if you have but a slightest doubt inside, no matter how much talent you have, its not going to flourish, the team is not going to “jell” no matter how good your pieces are. You don’t need Cris Paul and Howard to win it all. That’s nonsense. Player wise you’ve got more than enough…

by SAMnMAX on Feb 14, 2011 2:57 PM EST reply actions

Doesn't work that way

You think it’s Spoel that “is on a different page”?

And the reason the C’s "jelled" from the minute they stepped on court together in 2007" was Doc Rivers?

Ummmm – OK

by nba is the worst on Feb 15, 2011 10:42 AM EST up reply actions

We have one of the worst benches in the league i’ve been saying that all season. And that sh*t shows up every time we play them. The team makes lebron, dwade, and bosh to do everything. So don’t expect us to beat a team that is 8 to 10 guys deep when we only have 3. And does anybody have an answer for glen davis. NOOOOOOO

by ChristianW on Feb 14, 2011 3:00 PM EST reply actions

....

thats not a new revelation. Part of the reason why the big were able to assemble in miami is because miami was willing to gut the roster to get the big 3. you cant really add to your roster until the offseason (mainly due to cap implications) and you really dont have any assets to trade (all your pics are going to be late in the draft, the players that you can afford to let go, arent good enough for a team to desire) This miami team is designed to be dependent on the big 3

I dont care what the D.N.A. Says, the Guy wearing number 12 Cannot be Kirk Hinrich, he is definetly Kurt. Kirk can actually play basketball!

by piccolomair on Feb 14, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

Haslem will be a big help

don’t know if he is the answer but will help a lot. But yes C’s chemistry is lot much better than Heat.

by greenSanDiego on Feb 15, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

They need to have Chalmers or Eddie House guarding Ray Allen

So that Wade doesn’t need to fight through screens.

Wade played a terrible game, really. Both offensively and defensively.

I think they should put Wade on Rondo.

One thing to keep in mind to console Heat fans:

Once it’s Eastern Conference Finals time, the Heat won’t worry much about running the big 3 ragged. Lebron plays 45 minutes per game in a best-of-seven series against the Celtics, because the stakes are high, the offseason looms, and there’s plenty of off-days.

The Oakland A's: If you have a no-trade clause in your contract, we're in it.

by notsellingjeans on Feb 14, 2011 3:36 PM EST reply actions

It was about that time when nasty Kevin Garnett reared his ugly face. He gave Mike Miller a dirty elbow to the back of the head, then when D-Wade came to Miller’s defense it was Wade that was hit with the flagrant-1.

I’m sorry, call KG’s screen a foul (even though I disagree, but I am not going to argue that. But he clearly didn’t “elbow” Miller to the back of the head. He didn’t even “shoulder” him to the back of the head. He got him on the side clearly.

Click here and go to “Sending a Message” video

Argue all you want about whether there is a foul on KG or not. But to say that is a “dirty play” and an “elbow to the head” is just plain false.

by totheights on Feb 14, 2011 3:40 PM EST reply actions

Garnett has been Garnett since he entered this league, but through all his years in Minnesota nobody called him “dirty” once… That’s just the new face the media created for Garnett this year, and all the fans, including Boston fans, have picked it up. So anything he’s going to do from now on is going to be very dirty…he’ll just have to live with it.

by SAMnMAX on Feb 14, 2011 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

It wasn’t a blatant elbow to the back of Miller’s head but he did elbow him. KG even leaned into him(Miller) to get him on the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOY_Gx7xlAk

"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee

by The One Who Wears The Crown on Feb 14, 2011 5:20 PM EST up reply actions

It was just a legal screen, ask big Z.

by greenSanDiego on Feb 15, 2011 10:04 AM EST up reply actions

Agree with totheights

No contact whatsoever to Miller’s head.

And to “The One Who Wears The Crown”, if bracing yourself for a collision with your elbow stationary at your side can be called “elbow(ing) him”, then Wade didn’t foul baby at the end…

by nba is the worst on Feb 15, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions

Hmm

SMT!
The league is afraid of Garnett and Rondo.
I am convinced.
They never call a flagrant or tech nor K.G.
And Rondo is just following his footsteps like a damn puppet.
All in all the heat bench did nothing.
Too much iso and not enough ball movement.
Lack of early rotation and not finishing down the stretch!
Thus far Wade can’t play well vs the celtics.
WTF!

Miami Thrice is incredible....Heat Tri-nasty is inevitable!

by thedeeofdees on Feb 14, 2011 7:57 PM EST reply actions

Queen James or KG has more technical fouls?

Please…

by nba is the worst on Feb 15, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

Same Problems In Every loss........

Lack of ball player movement….Too much reliance on Wade and LBJ to be superstars everyplay. Lack of adjustments….Bron needs to punish rondo on the box if he guards him……Heat Had a chance to win……..but We have Def. problems when we hold pierce to no pts there is no shaq nate smeih, jo or delonte and still lose. Spo has to improve this offense……Every basket is to come by…….Im hopeful that we will continue to improve and gel but I just dont see it right now……I really hope im wrong…….

by True Mastermind on Feb 14, 2011 8:05 PM EST reply actions

mental thing against the C's

I expected something like that… Bron and DWade can’t clean up their history against the Cs…
I guess maybe its just a get over the hump… Normally I’m a Celts-Fan but I also watch all the heat games too (because of DWade) and against Boston they show fear and to much respect for them. They should go like Wade did against K.G. – fight back and turn around that pressure – the time for a rivalry is now not in the next seasons – Boston will be done in about one or maybe two years – If the heat can beat them now, before they retire – they become a real dynasty… Today I don’t think so, because there is a guy who will always bothering them… RR

on the other side: If Miller hits this last 3 pointer, things would change quicker than expected…

and on the other-other side: Miami will end up in first place in the EC – Celtics had bad experience over the years in game 7s. Orlando in 2009 and L.A. in 2010 and they should definitely able to figure out how to beat the Cs at home.
If you ask me, I would count on the Cs if they are healthy – to much quality big bodies (defensively) – no come trough for DWade or Lebron and their FTW-quotes are not could enough, especially Wades. Spoelstra and his coaching stuff must figure out what works best – btw good play at the end but Miller wasn’t able to turn things around this time – but I like the option and would go the next time to Miller too, because the shot looks great, just a little bit long – tough for him but good play by Spoe!

by greenmech on Feb 15, 2011 9:17 AM EST reply actions