On Wednesday night in Miami, the Heat learned this the hard way.
With less than a second to go in regulation, Rivers drew up a gutsy play that was carried out to perfection by the captain and guard to send the contest into overtime where the Celtics went on to top the Heat 112-106.
Pierce managed to drop 17 points in his first game back since Dec. 22. The Truth did show some weakness, however, as he shot just 4-of-11 from the field.
Celtics 112, Heat 106
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Fla.
Jan. 6, 2010
Headliner: All five Celtics starters finished in double digits, but it was Rajon Rondo who led the way for the C's with 25 points and eight assists. Rondo bagged the game-tying shot as the regulation buzzer sounded to send it into overtime. Rondo hit 9 of 12 shots from the field and sank 7 of 8 free throws while playing a game-high 49:51.
Unsung Hero: Dwyane Wade was scorching hot for Miami as he led all scorers with 44 points. Wade shot 15-of-34 from the floor and could have added more had
he not struggled from the free throw line, where he shot 11-for-16. The
guard gave Miami the the lead with 0.6 seconds left in regulation, when
he picked Ray Allen's pocket and sprinted down court to dunk it home
for a two-point lead.
Center Kendrick Perkins put up 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor while Ray Allen went 3-of-4 from behind the arc and chipped in with 22 points.
Scrub: Michael Beasley notched just five points on 2-of-8 shooting and committed a team-high three turnovers.
The Celtics turned the ball over 24 times, including six by Rondo and five by Pierce.
Turning Point: After Wade gave the Heat a two-point lead with just 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation, Pierce made a perfect inbounds, alley-oop pass from mid-court to Rondo, who laid it in to send the game to overtime.
Up Next: The Celts stick to the road as they fly up to Atlanta for a Friday night tilt with the high-flying Hawks who are 13-4 at home this season and topped the Nets 119-89 on Wednesday night.
The Hawks clawed the C’s in their last bout back on Nov. 13 in Boston by a score of 97-86 thanks to 24 points by Joe Johnson. It was Boston’s second loss of the season and their first in a skid during which they dropped three of four.
