Heat Vs. Celtics, Game 1: Miami Earns Series Lead Behind Dwyane Wade’s 38

Dwyane Wade went 14-21 from the field and finished with 38 points to lead the Miami Heat, and almost single-handedly beat the Boston Celtics in Game 1. Boston didn’t help itself, either, and when the dust settled, a nine-point loss was actually a little bit generous.

That was the story in Game 1. For Miami, it was Wade’s breakout performance that sealed the win. Every time Boston thought about making a run, Dwyane Wade stepped in to nail a clutch jumper and send the Celtics crashing back to earth. LeBron James had 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists of his own, and it helped the set the stage for Wade. With Boston focused so much on stopping LeBron, Wade could explode on his own.

Dwyane Wade finished with 38 points, the Miami Heat looked like everything we’d imagined this past summer, while Paul Pierce got himself ejected, and the rest of the Boston Celtics looked old, tired, and overwhelmed. So, yeah: Game 1 was fine.

But I couldn’t help but feel a little cheated. It should have more than fine. By all indications, this should be a series for the ages. It passes every test. Multiple superstars in their prime? (check.) Bad blood? (check.) Great storylines? (check.) Historical significance? For LeBron James, check. For the Celtics dynasty trying to make one, last run? Check.

The Heat made Boston pay for its attention to Miami’s star by rotating the ball and hitting Jones before the Celtics’ usually excellent defensive rotation was able to catch up. As a result, Jones hit 5-7 from the floor -- all on three-pointers -- to rack up the game’s second-highest point total. Jones didn’t break 20 during the regular season, and his previous playoff career high was 19.

As for what Pierce did specifically to warrant the technical and ejection, referee Danny Crawford was clear to say it wasn’t a headbutt but the “intent” of how he acted.

There was a specific play that Wade made that, says Peninsula Is Mightier, summed up the night and the game for the Heat.

Dwyane Wade spent all four games of the Heat’s regular season series against the Celtics struggling mightily. It took just one playoff game for Wade to change that narrative.

Wade scored 38 points, including 23 in the first half and 13 in the fourth quarter, as the Heat struck first in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Celtics with a 99-90 win in Miami.

Miami was probably going to win anyway, but now Boston has something to complain about, so everybody’s happy no matter what happens in the last few minutes.

Everything’s clicking for the Heat, and after the third quarter of Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals Series, it’s the Celtics who are looking for their talents somewhere around South Beach. Miami leads, 76-62, entering the fourth quarter.

The Heat have been excellent on offense against the stingy Celtics. LeBron James has 20 points on 13 shots, and James Jones has a staggering 19 points on just six shots. (He’s made five threes.) And the Heat’s offensive surge hasn’t required Dwyane Wade keeping up his blistering first half pace, either: Wade has 25 points after having 23 at the half.

Exhibit A, via Mike Prada (click to animate and biggify):

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↵Seriously, James is so good at this — the recovery, the tracking, the leap into traffic at the exact right moment, the near-automatic carom off the backboard — that it feels almost like an evolutionary Bill Russell move. It’s a surprise when he doesn’t get a chasedown after a pursuit.

The first quarter in Miami was a defensive struggle. In the second quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Heat and Celtics, though, the Heat have heated up.

Dwyane Wade had 23 points in the first half, leading a Miami attack that is aerating Boston’s vaunted defense with dribble-and-kick. James Jones, the recipient of a lot of those kick-outs, has 14 points, and hasn’t taken a shot inside the arc. LeBron James’ 10 points seem like an afterthought.

Given all the offensive talent on the floor, it would be fair to hope that the Heat vs. Celtics series would be a high-scoring string of barn-burners. After the first quarter of Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals Series, that looks very unlikely: the Heat clamped down, taking a 20-14 lead on the Celtics.

The Heat’s offensive production is coming from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, just like always. Wade leads all scorers with 13 points, and has added two assists, two steals, a rebound, and a block; James has five points. The duo had combined for all of Miami’s points until a Mario Chalmers lay-up at the buzzer.

Home teams have done rather well in games worked by Crawford this season, according to Covers.com’s referee database. Teams playing at home have gone 41-33-2 against the spread in Crawford’s 2010-11 games. The Heat are 4.5-point favorites against the Celtics in Game 1.

Check out our Heat vs. Celtics hub for full series coverage, including predictions and game-by-game previews and recaps.

But when the teams take the floor in Game 1 on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), none of that matters. It’ll be two teams filled with some of the best players in the league at almost every position, two of the most talked-about teams in one of the most anticipated series in any round in any year, fighting ‘til the Basketball Death, with mercy off the table. It should be a blast.

Be sure to follow our Heat vs. Celtics hub for full series coverage. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.