Edmonton Journal

Celtics blow 18-point lead, beat the Heat in OT

Boston holds off furious Miami rally

- BRIAN MAHONEY

BOSTON – Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 15 assists, and scored the final three points of the Boston Celtics’ 93-91 overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night that evened the Eastern Conference final at two games apiece.

Getting a huge break when LeBron James fouled out for the first time since joining the Heat, the Celtics recovered after blowing an 18-point lead in regulation to move two games away from a third trip to the NBA final in five years.

Kevin Garnett added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Celtics, while Paul Pierce scored 23 points before fouling out. Ray Allen finished with 16 points.

“Stops,” Rondo said when asked what was the difference in the tight game.

“I think we executed offensivel­y, came up with some lucky plays and we got stops at the end.”

James had 29 points and Dwyane Wade scored 20 after another dismal start for the Heat, who host Game 5 on Tuesday.

“Not stressed the series is tied 2-2,” James said. “It’s great basketball, great competitio­n. We wanted to get one up here and we didn’t.”

In a game that started as a Celtics blowout and turned into a foul- and tension-filled fourth quarter, followed by the second overtime in this series, the Celtics held on when Wade missed a potential winning three-pointer on the last possession.

“We knew they were going to Wade. I wanted to check him,” Rondo said. “They set a great pick. ... We’re lucky we got a stop.”

Mickael Pietrus drew James’ sixth foul and grabbed two huge offensive rebounds that extended consecutiv­e possession­s for the Celtics, who lost Game 4 in overtime in a second-round series against the Heat last year with a chance to tie the series.

This time, they overcame their second-half stall on the offensive end to give themselves by limiting the Heat to just one basket in overtime, by Udonis Haslem.

“At the end you have a chance to win after 50-plus minutes and losing the MVP. Hey, you’ll take that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Rondo’s layup gave the Celtics a 92-91 lead with 2:34 left, and neither team scored again until he made a free throw with 21 seconds to play.

Wade, already finding it tough to locate any room with Chris Bosh and then having to do it James also on the sideline, saw his potential winning attempt bounce off the rim as time expired.

 ?? CHARLES KRUPA, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, left, kicks toward Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and guard Mike Miller, right, during the second quarter of Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference final series in Boston on Sunday. Rondo was charged with a foul and...
CHARLES KRUPA, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, left, kicks toward Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and guard Mike Miller, right, during the second quarter of Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference final series in Boston on Sunday. Rondo was charged with a foul and...

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