The Heat Withstand a Big Night by Rondo - New York Times

MIAMI â€" They had seen Rajon Rondo whirl through them like a blender, witnessed a Ray Allen renaissance and watched the Boston Celtics celebrate a momentary revival. Finally, with only minutes to spare before they lost their grip on the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade seized control.

A tip-in, a frantic driving layup, a flurry of free throws, and the Miami Heat secured a 115-111 overtime victory to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

James had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, leading the Heat’s late charge. Wade had 23 points, including the 3-point play that effectively put the game away in the final minute.

Rondo put on a show, with 44 points and 10 assists while playing all 53 minutes.

“He was absolutely phenomenal,” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. “Put the whole team at times on his shoulders. It was tough to have him play that way and not win the game.”

But the Celtics played the entire overtime period without Paul Pierce, who fouled out in the final minute of regulation, after scoring 21 points.

The series now shifts to Boston for the next two games, with history working against the Celtics. Only three N.B.A. teams have won a conference final after losing the first two games. The last team to do it was James’s Cleveland Cavaliers, against the Detroit Pistons in 2007.

James and Wade combined to miss seven free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was that kind of night.

“It just can’t be any other way with this team,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said, referring to the Celtics. “It has to be the hard way. It always seems to be that competitive when we play against this team. Tonight they didn’t let us down.”

The Celtics took a 15-point lead in the second quarter, but lost it in the third. The Heat took a 7-point lead in the fourth, but could not hold it. The Celtics led by 5 with 3 minutes 49 seconds to go. That would not stand either.

The Heat scored nine unanswered points over a three-minute span, taking a 98-94 lead with 1:08 to play. That was short-lived, too.

Kevin Garnett dunked off a Rondo lob, and Allen followed with a 3-pointer, tying the game at 99-99 with 34.3 seconds left. James missed a 20-footer at the regulation buzzer.

Allen has been limited for months by an ankle injury, but he bounced back with 13 points Wednesday, including the 3-pointer that forced overtime. He finished 5 for 11 from the field, giving the Celtics an encouraging sign as they head home.

Boston led by 11 points early in the third quarter. It was gone in a blink. James drilled a pair of 3-pointers, Wade found his stride and Udonis Haslem did what Udonis Haslem does, grinding through the paint for layups and extra possessions. Miami closed the third quarter on a 21-8 run â€" with 10 points from Wade â€" and took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

Allen’s day began with a solitary shooting session around 10 a.m. â€" 30 minutes before his teammates arrived for the morning shootaround. He glided from station to station around the arc, hitting nearly every shot, his release never looking better.

“It’s like being home,” Allen said afterward.

It had been at least two years since Allen’s last pre-shootaround shooting session. But the situation clearly called for extreme measures. Allen was shooting an uncharacteristic 39 percent in the playoffs. Because of his balky ankle, he has had few opportunities to keep his Hall-of-Fame stroke fine-tuned.

“At some point, I’ve got to kind of put my body through some type of regular shooting, so I know what I’m dealing with,” he said.

The work paid quick dividends. Allen hit his first three jumpers, all in the second quarter, and had 7 points by halftime, surpassing his Game 1 total.

“You know he’s going to do everything it requires,” Rivers said earlier. “Ray is a tough, determined individual. He’s Ray Allen because that’s what he does.”

It was Rondo who powered Boston with his sheer audacity to start the game, alternately hitting uncanny jumpers and hitting teammates deep in the paint. After his fourth deep jumper, Rondo â€" who is known as a poor shooter â€" held his hand aloft for an extra few seconds. He had 22 points and 7 assists by halftime.

“I don’t know if anybody really has a great way of defending that guy,” Spoelstra said earlier in the day, continuing his campaign of praise for Rondo. In this series alone, Spoelstra has called Rondo a “basketball maestro,” a “brilliant playmaker” and “the most unique playmaker in the league.”

Wade and James were a combined 1 for 10 in the first quarter, allowing the Celtics to grab the early momentum. Boston led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter before Miami rallied, cutting the deficit to 53-46 by halftime. Wade scored the final basket of the run â€" his first of the game â€" with 27 seconds left.

With Wade struggling, Mario Chalmers provided the extra scoring punch, hitting three 3-pointers. His 14 points led the Heat. In his exuberance, Chalmers also got the first technical foul of the night, for jawing at Keyon Dooling in the second quarter.