Behind 26 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Garnett, the Celtics rendered the Heat's dynamic duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade irrelevant Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. With a 94-90 victory that showed that the Celtics still have everything the Heat lack, Boston took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.
At one point, after the Celtics closed the third quarter on a 15-1 run, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in the sideline interview broadcast on ESPN, "They have us a little bit twisted in the mind." And that about summed it up. James attempted only six shots in the fourth quarter, and despite getting into the bonus with 6:40 left, Miami atttempted only four free throws the rest of the game.
After a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers made it 83-82 Miami with 2:35 left, the Celtics put their championship will on full display. Mickael Pietrus hit a corner 3-pointer off a loose ball, Pierce answered Wade's driving layup with two free throws on a drive to the basket, and after Udonis Haslem made 1-of-2 from the line, it was Pierce hitting a 3-pointer right in James' face for a 90-86 Boston lead with 52.9 seconds left.
The Celtics moved within one win of their third trip to the NBA Finals in five years despite Rajon Rondo shooting 3-for-15 (11 points, 13 assists), Pierce shooting 6-for-19 (19 points) and Ray Allen shooting 2-for-9 -- 1-for-4 from 3-point range (13 points). James had 30 points, Wade finished with 27, and Chris Bosh made his first appearance of the series with nine points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes.
Game 6 is Thursday night in Boston, where the Celtics can deliver a crushing blow to the Miami superteam assembled for the sole purpose of beating them.
The Heat led by as many as 13 in the first half as Bosh, appearing for the first time since straining an abdominal muscle May 13 against the Pacers, made his presence felt. Bosh had nine points and six rebounds -- five offensive -- in 10 minutes of play in the first half as the Heat barely held onto their first halftime lead of the series, 42-40.
A brutal sequence by the Celtics, including a lackadaisical halfcourt violation by Rondo, allowed the Heat to take a 59-50 lead with 5:59 left. But James was 1-for-7 in the quarter, and the Celtics closed the period on a 15-1 run, prompting Spoelstra to make his "twisted in the mind" comment. Arena ops were playing "Insane in the Membrane" at the time, appropriately enough.
That pretty much describes the state of the Heat by the time the Celtics finished with them Tuesday night.
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