The Celtics led the Heat 97-94 with :40 seconds left in the 4th quarter when Tony Allen fought through a pick and stripped Dwyane Wade as he made his move to the hoop. TA picked up the loose ball, got fouled and made both free throws. The Heat never recovered and the Celtics won 107-102.
Say what??? Yup, it happened.Tony struggled with foul trouble most of the night (4 points, 6 rebounds), but made the play of the game.
Maestro Rajon Rondo had another great night: 22 points, 14 assists and 6 rebounds. Ray Allen had 23 points and 7 rebounds. Eddie House chipped in 16 points off the bench.
The 4th quarter was full of runs. The Cs stretched the lead to 88-78 midway through the 4th thanks to a 9-1 run. Ray Allen followed a three pointer with two nifty assists (to Perk and Sheed) and then Rondo made a gorgeous bounce pass to Perk on the break for a dunk.
The Heat rattled off 8 quick points to shoot down any hopes of an easy win. The Celtics responded with 7 quick points - Eddie nailed a three, a layup and KG nailed a jumper.
I've been a bit cynical of late, but this was a GOOD win, especially w/o Paul Pierce.
Other observations:
- 26 of the Celtics 27 first quarter points came in the paint.
- Glen Davis finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds in 15 hustle-filled minutes.
The Celtics had 15 offensive rebounds. Fifteen.
- Did anyone else hear boos from the crowd after Sheed missed a three pointer in the 4th quarter?
Wyc Grousebeck is always fun to listen to when he joins Mike and Tommy. He said he's willing to "dig deeper" if Danny Ainge has the opportunity to add a player with an unattractive long-term contract at the trade deadline. He also predicted that LeBron James will sign with the Heat.