Shots don't fall, Celtics do

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

**Since the Globe is playing hide and seek with it's Celtics coverage so far 
this morning, I thought I'd post the one article I did finally find for anyone 
else that wants to read it.

Shots don't fall, Celtics do

By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 4/8/2004
MIAMI -- 
Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, but the 3 he 
did not get stayed on his mind after the game. With seven seconds remaining, 
Pierce attempted a 3-pointer from the left wing that would have given Boston the 
lead. But his shot hit the back of the rim. Chucky Atkins threw up a 
desperation 3-pointer at the final buzzer, but it also was off the mark, and the Heat, 
not the Celtics, earned credit for the comeback of the night at American 
Airlines Arena. 
If there was any doubt Miami wants to finish the regular season strong, it 
was erased by the way the team performed in the fourth quarter last night. The 
Heat staged a 15-4 run late in the quarter, coming back from a 7-point deficit 
and defeating the Celtics, 104-101, as Miami continued its quest for 
home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
With the score tied entering the fourth quarter, Pierce decided it was time 
to carry Boston to victory. That strategy worked early in the quarter as Pierce 
hit a 3-pointer with 8:07 remaining to give Boston its largest lead, 90-83. 
Pierce continued to hit tough jump shots in an effort to keep the Celtics at 
least a couple possessions ahead. But Miami knows more than a little something 
about staging a comeback. The Heat's whole season has been a comeback.
Free throws from Udonis Haslem and Rafer Alston sparked the winning run. The 
spurt included a reverse layup by Dwyane Wade on the break and a 6-footer that 
Lamar Odom (24 points) banked in over Pierce. The Boston captain was knocked 
to the ground in the process. Odom and Pierce would see a lot of each other 
down the stretch. With Odom shadowing him, Pierce had trouble getting the shots 
he wanted late in the game, including his final look for the 3-pointer.
The Celtics showed signs of being a team trying to nail down a playoff spot 
when a 3-pointer and fast-break layup by Atkins tied the game with 35.2 seconds 
remaining in the third quarter. By tightening its defense and holding Miami 
to 24 percent shooting from the floor in the third, Boston climbed back from a 
14-point, third-quarter deficit.
Boston regained the lead, 80-78, for the first time since early in the second 
quarter when Jiri Welsch hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds remaining. 
The foul shots capped a 29-13 Boston run that lasted most of the quarter. 
Wade twisted his body to hit a 7-foot fadeaway with 1.8 seconds remaining, tying 
the game at 80 after three quarters.
Stan Van Gundy admits he's a glass-half-empty kind of coach. Not even a 
playoff berth can turn the Miami coach into an NBA optimist. But that said, Van 
Gundy was not especially worried about how the Heat would play last night at the 
American Airlines Arerna, less than 24 hours after clinching a spot in the 
postseason.
"Every time I've worried about this team and how they would approach games, 
they've proven me wrong," said Van Gundy. "Yeah, I'm always concerned because 
I'm always a doom and gloom guy and a little bit negative. If we don't move up, 
it will not be because we came out and let down. It will just be because the 
other team came out and played better."
Judging from the first half, the Celtics were not going to be that team. With 
a barrage of 3-pointers on one end and defense that contained everyone except 
Pierce and Ricky Davis on the other, Miami held a 61-49 halftime lead. The 
Heat led by as many as 15 points late in the second quarter largely because they 
shot 51 percent, including 56 percent (5 for 9) from 3-point range. Three of 
the Heat's baskets from the arc took place during a decisive 24-8 run in the 
second quarter.
With Miami trailing, 27-26, Rasual Butler nailed a 3-pointer to push the home 
team ahead and spark the run. Odom found Wade and Haslem for layups on the 
Heat's next two possessions. Alston capped the run with two consecutive 
3-pointers. The Celtics closed to within 9 points on a few occasions, the first 
courtesy of an 8-2 run. But fittingly, Eddie Jones finished the first half by 
hitting a 3-pointer.
Despite aggressive play by Pierce that put him on the line 10 times in the 
first half and 60 percent shooting from Davis (6 for 10), the Celtics' offense 
sputtered. After shooting 35 percent in the first quarter, they improved to 52 
percent in the second. But the visitors needed more consistency and more 
contributions from players not named Paul or Ricky. They also needed better ball 
movement. Boston's passing paled in comparison to the that demonstrated by the 
Heat, who had 17 assists on 21 field goals.
Miami led by as many as 7 points (22-15) in the first quarter, before Boston 
closed the quarter with a 7-2 run. With the Celtics showing early resolve, the 
Heat finished the first holding onto a slim 24-22 lead. But it became 
increasingly clear that the Heat are on the kind of roll that mediocre play cannot 
overcome.

TAM