Miami Heat Take 2-0 Seires Lead With Late Run Against the Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics last night to take a 2-0 lead in their second round matchup of the NBA playoffs. The Heat came into the playoffs as one of the biggest question marks in the league. They were young, playing together for the first time and hadn't blown anybody away with their play during the regular season. Surely they are a top caliber NBA team but could they compete with the experience and familiarity that a team like Boston has on its roster. The 102-91 score in favor of the Heat says different.

The Heat proved that they can play against the league's best teams last night in Miami and did it by making Boston look old and confused. Normally come playoff time the Boston Celtics are the team hounded by questions of age and health. Somehow they always seem able to flip a switch and compete harder than any other team in the games that matter but the Heat have been the ones to step it up in this series.

The game Tuesday was lost in the second half. LeBron James scored 24 of his game high 35 points in the second half to push the Heat forward. Dwyane Wade scored 28 through the course of the game and was elemental in a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter that put the Celtics down for good. The third member of Miami's big three, Chris Bosh, went for 17 points and 11 rebounds to help win the battle down low.

The Celtics scorers weren't doing it Tuesday. The youngest of the group Rajon Rondo seemed to be the only person capable of playing with the Heat as he fought a bad back to score 20 points and dish out 12 assists. Kevin Garnett managed 16 points, Paul Pierce got 13 and Ray Allen only got seven. Both Pierce and Allen left the game to receive treatment. Pierce for a strained left Achilles and Allen for a bruised chest cavity.

In the fourth quarter the Celtics used a 13-6 run to tie the game at 80 but soon after Miami went on a run of their own. Offensive rebounds and driving finishes were used to push Boston back and they were never a threat after that.