2012 NBA Playoffs

Boston, MA

Rajon Rondo recorded 15 points and 15 assists while Kevin Garnett racked up 17 points and 14 boards as the Boston Celtics tied up the Eastern Conference finals series at 2-2 with a scintillating 93-91 Game 4 overtime victory against the Miami Heat at TD Garden.

The Eastern Conference finals has boiled down to a best-of-three series after the Celtics came through with another gutty performance to foil down another rampaging rally from the Heat down the stretch.

Boston got usual double-double numbers from Rondo and Garnett while gaining significant scoring contributions from starters Brandon Bass (11 pts), Ray Allen (16 pts), and Paul Pierce (23 pts), who fouled out for the second time in the series and third in seven playoff games.

Coming off a morale-boosting 101—91 victory in Game 2, the Celtics were off to a scorching start as Rondo orchestrated Boston's run-and-gun offense to perfection.

Pierce and Rondo combined for 20 points in the first 12 minutes to give Boston a 34-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The hot shooting continued for the Celtics in the second quarter with Ray Allen and Keyon Dooling knocking down a couple of trey as the home team raced to a 61-47 edge at halftime.

The Celtics sustained their strong play in the early minutes of the second half but the Heat finally gained confidence and started a big run later in the third quarter.

With James and Wade leading the way, the Heat trimmed Boston's lead down to five, 73-68, at the end of the third quarter. The visiting team became more resilient in the final quarter, engaging in another toe-to-toe finish with the Celtics.

Garnett scored on a layup off a nice dish from Rondo to give Boston a three-point cushion, 89-86, with 52.4 seconds left. However, the Heat responded on the other end with a big trey from James to tie things up at 89-89 with 37.5 still remaining on the clock.

The Heat got another break when Garnett was called for an offensive foul during a tussle with James.

With 21.1 seconds left to play, the Heat had plenty of time to execute a game-winning play but the Celtics defense made a crucial stop to force a second overtime session of the series.

The Heat took the first blood in the overtime period after Udonis Haslem blew by Garnett and slammed the ball to the rack. Before the play, Paul Pierce also fouled out after shoving down Shane Battier in a battle for possession.

However, Rondo's dribble drive penetration made the difference in the close game as he continued finding weak side cutters and making the Heat into foul trouble.

Rondo's plan indeed paid off when James was called for his sixth foul at the 1:51 mark of overtime, making it his first disqualification as a Heat player. James finished with 29 points and 6 rebounds in 38 minutes.

The heady Celtics point guard also made a crucial running layup and split his free-throws to give his team a 93-91 advantage with 21.4 seconds remaining.

The Heat still had another opportunity to steal the game but Wade's three-point shot went inches off the mark.

Wade shot miserable from the field for the second straight game, going 7-for-22 for 20 points.

With Chris Bosh (abdominal strain) remains questionable for Game 5, The Heat needs a much better effort not only from their stars but their role players to regain control of the series.

 

Bob Ryan and Chris Gasper discuss the keys to the Celtics win in Game 4 over the Heat

 

Celtics Survive Heat in OT; Even series at 2-2