Dwyane Wade hustled to the end, scoring 38 points Sunday to lead Miami to a 99-90 win over Boston in Game 1 of their anticipated second-round playoff series.
Heat Vs. Celtics, Game 1: The Non-Headbutt Heard Round The World
The must-see game grew chippy down the stretch, and Celtics forward Paul Pierce was ejected after getting two technical fouls in a 59-second span in the fourth quarter.
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.
“The first technical foul, it was contact during a dead ball. He approached Jones and got right in his face. There wasn’t a head-butt, but he got right into his face after a hard foul.
Wade played arguably his worst four games of the 2010-2011 season against the Boston Celtics. In game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals, he more than erased those painful memories. Wade scored 38 points in the Heat's 99-90 victory.
There was a specific play that Wade made that, says Peninsula Is Mightier, summed up the night and the game for the Heat.
The play of the game, in my mind, was Dwyane Wade waiving off Coach Spoelstra's pleas for a time out just before half time, motioning his teammates to clear out and then banking in a tough shot over Ray Allen to give the Heat a 15 lead at the break. Although Boston played well early in the third and had a nice little run late in the fourth, it really felt like Miami had the game in hand from that moment on.
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.
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