The Heat beat the Celtics, 99-90, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Dwyane Wade dropped 38 points (on stellar 14-of-21 shooting), while James Jones hit five threes en route to 25 points off the bench. The difference in the game was Miami’s ability to get to the line. They made 12 more free throws than the Celtics because they did a better job of attacking the rim.
With the Celtics trailing by 13 with 7:00 to play, Paul Pierce was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving his second technical for jawing with Dwyane Wade. The two collided on a Pierce screen and they both had something to say about it. We don’t know what Pierce said to get tossed by referee Ed Malloy, but it sure seems like Malloy jumped the gun. He knew it meant an ejection because he signaled for that instead of indicating that Pierce got another technical. The Celtics were likely to lose the game anyway, but the ejection pretty much killed any hope of a Boston comeback.
Pierce got his first technical for getting in the face of James Jones, who fouled him hard after Pierce got him in the air with a pump fake. Pierce stuck his head into Jones’ face and while some might call it a headbutt, there was no real velocity or force in the act. He just basically stuck his forehead into Jones’ face. Let’s hope that the league doesn’t overreact and suspend Pierce for Game 2, because it could significantly alter the series.
Game 2 is on Tuesday night on TNT.
