November 12, 2010

Celtics Drop Heat in South Beach: In a game they never trailed, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 112-107 Thursday night in Miami. Ray Allen scored 36 and Paul Pierce 25 in the win. The Celtics have won twice against the Heat, who fall to 5-4 and are chasing 11 losses a lot faster than 72 wins. Afterwards, Pierce posted on Twitter, "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach."

posted by rcade to basketball at 07:00 AM - 28 comments

muhahahahahahahaahaha *cough* *cough* muhahahahahaahahah!

posted by scully at 07:57 AM on November 12, 2010

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce took their talents to South Beach last night.

posted by sgtcookzane at 08:01 AM on November 12, 2010

The Cavs have beat the Celtics more than the Heat have this year. Awesome.

posted by drezdn at 08:31 AM on November 12, 2010

Well played, Mr. Pierce.

posted by Bonkers at 08:38 AM on November 12, 2010

I cannot get over how much joy I am getting out of the Celtics beating the Heat each time. It's beyond schadenfreude and into pure vitriol territory. I'm not even 100% sure why. The Celtics did much the same thing in assembling a "Big Three", albeit via trades and with three veteran players who had played hard for bad teams, but I think it may just be age, that I can't relate to those three idiots being introduced with flashing lights and crossed arms like they're in a video. Go practice, dopes.

posted by yerfatma at 08:55 AM on November 12, 2010

It's a long season, I just want the C's at their age to be all ambulatory and still able to pump out post-game tweets like Pierce's in the spring. I think even Celtic haters are loving what they've done to the Heat thus far.

I don't know how long the Heat will let this type of thing go on (if it continues) before making a coaching change.

I guess it would be truly thrilling for the Heat to totally fall on their ass this year, but I kind of want them to be ordinary, maybe a .550 team or so, make the playoffs, then get royally bomped in the first round.

Every time I see the Heat logo, I'm reminded of the fact that Johnny Cash's classic "Ring of Fire" was once used for Preparation H commercials.

posted by beaverboard at 09:19 AM on November 12, 2010

It's such a ridiculously long season, I doubt each time the Heat lose a game that it's worthy of a post. They'll win a lot, make the playoffs, then we'll see what happens. I do think it has been proven that a good team with depth can definitely play with and/or beat them, which is a good thing.

posted by dyams at 11:54 AM on November 12, 2010

Continuing the earlier discussion on Technical Fouls after viewing the games last night ...

Appears the Technical rule is being applied using the same criteria as regular fouls, that is they have the same Kobe / LeBron exemption.

posted by cixelsyd at 12:06 PM on November 12, 2010

I'm happy to see that not all NBA players live in the same type of bubble LeBron lives in, and get why people are ticked off at the Heat's "Big 3." Paul Pierce just might be my new favorite non-Piston...

posted by MeatSaber at 12:14 PM on November 12, 2010

It's such a ridiculously long season, I doubt each time the Heat lose a game that it's worthy of a post.

This wasn't just any game, it was one of the two teams expected to challenge the Heat in the East. The main reason I posted it was because of Pierce's epic taunt.

posted by rcade at 12:16 PM on November 12, 2010

I find every loss noteworthy since I heard Van Gundy predict they would win 73 games. Doesn't look good, Jeff.

posted by smithnyiu at 12:51 PM on November 12, 2010

Most believe that Miami has tried to do too much too soon. True, they went out and got 2 exceptional players to go along with Wade, but in so doing they left themselves with no depth and no strength in the middle (Davis and Shaq combined for 16 rebounds, despite both playing with serious foul trouble). It's a bit like baking a cake. If the ingredients are not mixed carefully and something is left out, the cake won't turn out well. If you try to take it out of the oven before the needed time, well you've got a real mess on your hands.

Contrast what Boston has done. The team is coached by a former point guard who understands the need for the ball to move and more importantly for players to move without the ball. Watch Ray Allen for a few minutes and see his defender's tongue hanging out. From the first day that Garnett and Allen practiced with the team, Rivers preached team basketball and particularly team "help" defense. The emergence of Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis for the bench certainly has helped. Nate Robinson and Marquise Daniels are playing for short money, and they probably give more "bang for the buck" than most bench combinations. One may also note that much of Boston's strength is "home grown", with Pierce, Rondo, Perkins (when healthy), Davis, and Semih Erden having been C's draft choices or draft day trades.

In short, give Pat Reilly credit for trying, but he never learned at the feet of Red Auerbach, as Danny Ainge did.

posted by Howard_T at 01:04 PM on November 12, 2010

I think even Celtic haters are loving what they've done to the Heat thus far.

In the words of Marv Albert: Yes!

posted by cjets at 01:27 PM on November 12, 2010

Miami is a 5-4 team that is dominating statistically. Right now this team looks like a work in progress and they are still pretty damn good.

I can't wait for the playoff series between these two. Should be a banger.

posted by tron7 at 01:30 PM on November 12, 2010

While I don't disagree that the Heat should be a force come playoff time, even if you had backed up your argument with more than an empty link (pish tosh), I would point out who those wins came against. Beyond their dominance of Orlando, they've beaten New Jersey (twice), Philly and Minnesota, three of the worst teams in the NBA.

posted by yerfatma at 01:53 PM on November 12, 2010

I was at this game and it was an intense playoff atmosphere. Or maybe it was me since I was rocking my Celtics jersey and celebrating the beatdown that the C's were putting on these boys while getting dirty looks from the people seated around me wearing Heat jerseys. It was a real nail biter towards the end but it was the same results that I was expecting going in. A win in the column for the Celtics! It was glorious.

posted by BornIcon at 02:12 PM on November 12, 2010

True, they went out and got 2 exceptional players to go along with Wade.

LeBron sure, but who is the other exceptional player ?

posted by tommybiden at 02:42 PM on November 12, 2010

LeBron sure, but who is the other exceptional player ?

I think he meant Mike Miller.

posted by BornIcon at 02:48 PM on November 12, 2010

Apparently Udonis Haslem doesn't find Pierce that funny.

It was a real nail biter towards the end

Ugh, yeah. I wish the Celtics would cut that out some day. Reggie Miller did a good job on TNT calling out Ray Ray for trying to score too quickly and costing the Celtics 4 points and time off the clock.

posted by yerfatma at 02:54 PM on November 12, 2010

Apparently Udonis Haslem doesn't find Pierce that funny.

Haslem's game is actually pretty funny. At least the Truth can back up his verbiage.

Ugh, yeah. I wish the Celtics would cut that out some day.

You and me both. It was all fun and games until the Heat started coming back after Ray's missed dunk that actually should've been called a foul.

posted by BornIcon at 03:09 PM on November 12, 2010

I loved Pierces comment and Lebron and the rest of the Heat deserve it. Their attitude and arrogance in talking about winning a record amount of games or winning 6 rings before they had won one game essentially painted a target on them that every team in the league will be aiming for is beautiful. Maybe Lebron will learn a very valuable lesson. Let the results do the talking.

I don't see the Miami Heat winning a title this year. I have never wanted to see someone not win a title so badly as I do Lebron and his two buddies. I felt that way when Randy Moss and Junior Seau jumped teams to try to get a ring with the Pats but no where near this extent.

posted by Atheist at 03:18 PM on November 12, 2010

I don't see the Miami Heat winning a title this year.

I don't either but with the talent on that squad it wouldn't surprise me if they eventually won it all.

posted by BornIcon at 03:26 PM on November 12, 2010

even if you had backed up your argument with more than an empty link (pish tosh)

Link. Specifically, points per 100 differential, which is usually a pretty good indicator of a team's quality. Though, I take your point that they have beaten some lousy teams so far.

posted by tron7 at 04:15 PM on November 12, 2010

Haslem's game is actually pretty funny.

Really? I think of him as a Celtics killer. He looked just fine last night.

posted by yerfatma at 04:41 PM on November 12, 2010

I cut the Celtics more slack because they didn't throw a floor show when KG and Ray-Ray came over, talked about how many championships they were going to win, and managed to avoid embarrassing/humiliating the population of a couple cities before hand.

Don't get me wrong - I fucking hated the "anything is possible" crap and think KG is the world's biggest asshole, but that's a team that tries hard, plays defense and after winning a championship, truly killed themselves trying to first defend it, and then win it again.

Meanwhile Miami has truly, thus far, been all talk.

I'm with BI though - if they figure it out, they will be impossible to stop. I just don't give them much credit, nor much of a chance to figure it out. Doesn't seem to be their nature.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:11 PM on November 12, 2010

After reading (most of) the above comments, I realize that HEAT is an anagram for HATE.

posted by Howard_T at 05:26 PM on November 12, 2010

I cannot get over how much joy I am getting out of the Celtics beating the Heat each time.

Every time the Heat lose, an angel gets its wings.

posted by cjets at 08:07 PM on November 12, 2010

Really? I think of him as a Celtics killer. He looked just fine last night.

Is that why they still lost?

posted by BornIcon at 10:18 AM on November 15, 2010

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