Celtics 111, Heat 110

Celtics 111, Heat 110

THE FACT: The Miami Heat shot 57.7 percent for the game, including 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter, and still lost.
THE LEAD: Forward Jeff Green sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right corner to give the Boston Celtics a 111-110 win against the Miami Heat on Saturday at American Airlines Arena.
Boston trailed 110-106 with 3.6 seconds left after LeBron James made two free throws. But after hitting a layup, Celtics forward Gerald Wallace fouled Dwyane Wade on the inbounds pass with 0.6 seconds left. Wade missed the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, failing to hit the rim. That gave the ball back to Boston, with Wallace in-bounding, and he delivered a perfect crosscourt pass to Green.
Green led the Celtics with 24 points, and the Celtics starting backcourt of Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford combined for 32.
James, shaking off a sore back, scored 25 points with eight rebounds and 10 assists. Chris Bosh scored 20, but missed a 22-footer with 21.1 seconds left.
It was the third straight win for the Celtics. Miami had won three straight after a 1-2 start.
QUOTABLE: "They outplayed us, outcompeted against us. This game has always had an energy and a karma about it, and we did too many things where we did not deserve to win that game and it cost us in the end."
-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
THE STAT: The Celtics led in fast break points, 15-5.
TURNING POINT: Wade acknowledged that he made the decision to miss the second free throw on his own. If he had merely made that shot, the best the Celtics could have done at the end was tie.
QUOTABLE II: "I had that play written down, but I have never run it before."
-- Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of the final play.
HOT: Michael Beasley, inserted in the second quarter for a spark, scored 10 points in just eight minutes for the Heat, then didn't play again. For that stretch, the Heat ran offense through him, even with James and Bosh on the floor.
NOT: No one in particular, with neither defense putting up much resistance. But rookie Kelly Olynyk, making his first NBA start, did miss six of nine shots.
GOOD MOVE: Stevens gave Wallace extended minutes down the stretch, and the veteran responded with several big plays.
BAD MOVE: Doesn't get much worse than Wade missing those free throws. "I was trying to hit the rim but it didn't go as planned," he said.
NOTABLE: Udonis Haslem (back) did not play, so Shane Battier started in his place for the Heat..
UP NEXT: For the Heat, Tuesday vs. Bucks, Friday vs. Mavericks. For the Celtics, Monday vs. Magic, Wednesday vs. Bobcats, Friday vs. Blazers.