It was another close one in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. With a big game from Kevin Garnett and timely shooting from Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami heat, 94-90, taking a 3-2 series lead.
Garnett had 26 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. He hit big shots helping the Celtics maintain their lead late in the game. Pierce had a mediocre night from the floor shooting just 6-19, but hit the biggest shot of the game.
Clinging on to a one point lead, Pierce challenged LeBron James. He stared down James and gathered himself, hitting a three that gave the Celtics a four-point lead with 53 seconds to play.
From then on it was down to the Celtics hitting their free throws. They went 7-7 from the line in the final quarter.
For the Heat this loss is as disappointing as it is debilitating.
They had an early 13-point lead in the second quarter after the Celtics could not make any shots in the first 18 minutes of the game. Boston had started the first quarter shooting 30 percent from the floor.
The Heat got comfortable in the second quarter and the Celtics rallied black, cutting the deficit to two points by the half.
The Celtics early struggles were evident and the heat could not take complete advantage. For a good portion of the first half, Brandon Bass and Ray Allen were the leading scorers for Boston. Pierce only had six points and Rajon Rondo had three at the end of the second quarter.
The key to Boston's victory was their team effort. Five Celtics were in double figures. They also out-hustled Miami as they got their hands on a lot of loose balls.
Dwyane Wade decided to show up in Game 5, scoring 27 points. James did not foul out in this one, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Unlike the Celtics who had multiple, key players in double figures, James and Wade were the only Heat players to score more than 10 points.
Chris Bosh provided a spark from the bench, scoring nine points and Mario Chalmers also had nine points. It was a Wade and James show throughout the night, but unless they score 40 each, they need a team effort to win.
A pivotal play in the game came with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Heat had a six-point lead and Wade had just blocked Bass, preventing a dunk.
The American Airlines Arena went absolutely nuts. The only problem was that the ball went straight to Rondo, who then dished it out to an open Mickael Pietrus. Pietrus, who scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, was wide open for a three-pointer and cut the lead in half.
That shot brought the Heat's momentum to a cold stop. The Celtics' role players made key plays and that is what the series boiled down to.
Game 6 will be in Boston, in the arena that Paul Pierce likes to call "The Jungle." The Celtics will look to wrap up the Conference Finals there as they will try to avoid playing a Game 7 back in Miami.
