It didn’t take long for the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics second round series to get physical and controversial, which is just how NBA fans like their playoffs.
In game one the Miami Heat looked nothing like how they looked against the Boston Celtics during the regular season and a large part of that was because of the play of D. Wade. During the regular season. Wade uncharacteristically, had struggled to score against the Celtics. Last year in the playoffs, Wade torched the Celtics and averaged over 30 points, but this year he struggled to find his touch.
But this is the playoffs. And the playoffs are the time when true stars shine. Wade put on his superman cape and came out balling en route to a 38 point outburst shooting a sizzling 14-21 from the field.
Miami received record setting contributions from their bench as James Jones set a record for the most points scored by a Miami bench player in the playoffs with 25. The King did his thing with 22 points, his usual stat sheet bonanza, but it was the ejection of Paul Pierce that really sealed the deal for Miami.
Pierce simply lost his cool on a hard foul from James Jones and then picked up a second disqualifying technical shortly after with an altercation with Wade. The Celtics just didn’t have enough fire power down the stretch and the Heat took the 99-90 victory.
At this point, with Shaq still out of the lineup, you have to wonder how that Perkins trade is shaping up. Green has been a role player at best, and the Celtics interior defence is now being anchored by a Big Baby. Perkins gave the Celtics that toughness, that grit, and he was a deterrent to any player who though he could drive to the hoop without being put on his back.
It shouldn’t have been Pierce getting in James Jones’ face, it should have been Kendrick Perkins sticking his mean mug in there and getting a technical, that’s how it used to be for the Celtics.
Everyone should now be able to see exactly why LeBron wanted to take his talents to South Beach to play with Wade. The two complement each other perfectly. Wade is the scorer and closer that everyone wants LeBron to be and LeBron, well he’s just everything else. Look at his stat line. That’s what he does, he fills the stat sheet like no player has ever done before him, with the exception of Oscar Robertson. Together, they’re a dynamic duo. Kind of like Scottie and Mike.
If Wade get’s hot in the playoffs like he did in 2006, the Celtics are in big trouble. I’m going against the grain on this one, I’m taking the Heat in 7.
