Miami Heat Beat Boston Celtics in Second Round of NBA Playoffs

The meeting between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics was highly anticipated. The old guard Celtics are trying to make another run at the NBA Championship before their stars get too old. The Miami Heat brought in the biggest free agent signing in the last couple of years and have three legitimate superstars on their team. The series should be highly contested, closely played and full of passion. On Sunday afternoon Dwyane Wade stepped forward and led the Heat to a 99-90 victory.

Wade scored 38 points in the game while shooting better than 66% from the field, more than doubling his regular season average against the Celtics (12.8). By halftime he had already scored 23 points, two more than the Celtics starting five at the same point.

Wade got help from his teammates, both expected an unexpected. LeBron James pitched in 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. That was to be expected. James Jones set a Heat postseason record with 25 points off the bench, including a stretch in the second quarter where he went 4-5 from behind the three point arc.

The Celtics looked rusty in their first game back since sweeping the New York Knicks. They came out with a very slow start missing 20 of their first 26 shots from the field. It didn't help that the player many perceived would be Boston's difference maker, Rajon Rondo, sat out for much of the first half with three fouls.

In the fourth quarter Boston star Paul Pierce was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the span of 59 seconds. Pierce was called for a dead ball foul after bumping into James Jones. Jones just fouled Pierce hard and received a technical as well. Less than a minute later Pierce was again fouled by Wade and after using profanity when yelling at him, was given his second technical and sent out of the game. Both teams had different views on whether or not the calls were correct.