It's no surprise to me that the Miami Heat was going to win this game. It only comes as a surprise to those who are not witnesses. Boston Celtics fans. Most Celtics fans believe that the past victories over Lebron James (Cavs) and Dwayne Wade (Heat) were suppose to take place again this season when these two All-Stars joined forces. All of you thought wrong.
Last night Lebron James and D. Wade took the challenge of defeating their nemesis personally. Miami Heat toppled the Boston Celtics in OT at TD Garden in Boston finally. Here's how it went down.
The Heat shut the defending Eastern Conference champs down last night in game 4, holding them to just 90 points on 98 possessions in an eight-point, overtime victory, which gives them a commanding 3-1 lead in this conference semifinal series.
For the Miami Heat, this wasn't their first signature win, but it was their biggest. Since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived in Boston, the Heat had never won a game at the TD Garden. And perhaps it was appropriate that they ended that streak by out-defending the Celtics. The Celtics certainly helped the Heat out, especially down the stretch. Rajon Rondo missed a bunny with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter and Allen and Garnett failed to execute the play Doc Rivers' called on the final possession of regulation, leaving Paul Pierce to force a long, contested jumper at the buzzer. Which he missed.
There were mistakes and miscues, for sure. But the Heat played a big part in the Celtics' inability to execute offensively. The Miami defense was active and disruptive for most of the night.
This win didn't come without some offense from the Heat. Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 83 points, and the Heat are now 30-3 when the big three combine for 75 or more. Bosh's performance, capped by a dagger tip-in in overtime, was especially critical. But make no mistake. This series was always about LeBron and redemption from last season's series with the Celtics, when a segment of the basketball world turned against him. And after coming up big Monday, he is one victory from distancing himself from that previous series, his lowest professional moment. Which I won't go into. Let's just say redemption is sweet.
LeBron was a driven man in Game 4, because he knew the stakes, which were steep. You saw in the way he demanded the ball and played with a passion. You saw when, after Ray Allen put the Celtics up three points with 2:28 left, how LeBron immediately responded with a 3-pointer of his own.
In OT he drew an offensive foul on Pierce, the first charge of the postseason for LeBron, that swung momentum and ultimately the outcome in Miami's favor. Thirty-five points and 14 rebounds only begins to explain the effort of a player who badly wants to move on in the playoffs.
Well next game is on Wednesday on TNT at 7pm ET. We'll see if the Boston Celtics have enough gas in their tanks to get a win in South Beach. I seriously doubt if the Celtics will beat Miami three more games, but this is the NBA so we can only wait and see.
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