Okay, Heat. You have the Celtics and your critics right where you want them.
Boston Celtics' Ray Allen (20) congratulates Rajon Rondo (9) during the second half of Game 5 in their NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoffs series against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, June 5, 2012, in Miami. The Celtics won 94-90. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI – Okay, Heat. You have the Celtics and your critics right where you want them.
You wanted to prove you’re more than the NBA’s version of the Kardashians. All glitz, no guts. Well, you could not have set up a better scenario.
It’s Game 6 in Boston on Thursday night. You know Boston, the town where you have lost 15 of your last 16 games. Beat the Celtics there, then come back home and win the right to get smoked by Oklahoma City.
Talk about making people eat their words. They’d be dining for decades, since the next couple of days approximately 4.9 billion phrases will be used to describe the Heat.
The favorites will be “Frauds,” “Call Dr. Heimlich!” and “Hah-hah-hah.” If you thought people reveled in your misery following last year’s loss in the NBA Finals, wait until you lose four in a row to the Celtics.
After Tuesday’s 94-90 collapse, Miami is just 48 minutes away.
“That’s what this is all about,” Erik Spoelstra said. “Getting tested.”
Ask Boston, which was left for dead just a week ago. There was no way the Celtics would come back from an overtime loss in Game 2. The thought of winning the series, much less four in a row was beyond preposterous.
But Kevin Garnett started playing like it’s 1999. Ray Allen’s ankle and shooting problems dissipated and that old Celtic Magic roared to life. It resulted in a 3-2 Eastern Conference finals lead over the favored Heat.
“They have championship DNA,” Spoelstra said.
It was on full display Tuesday as Boston erased a 13-point lead. Then it rallied from a 9-point deficit late in the third quarter. All that on a night when Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo couldn’t throw the ball in Biscayne Bay for most of the night.
You could say it was a case of resolve on Boston’s part. Or you could say it was a case of jitters from Miami. It was some of each.
The Heat are feeling pressure they never expected. Of course, they brought it on themselves when the Big Three came together, got onstage and proclaimed themselves a dynasty before every winning a game.
LeBron & Co. came back this year determined to stop the laughter. Now people are debating whether to declare the Big Three a bust and advise some people to take their talents away from South Beach.
“We wouldn’t want to be in this situation,” James said. “But we never get too high or low in a series.”
Maybe they should. Maybe bald panic will spark an offense that goes dead for extended stretches. Bosh provided a temporary boost Tuesday. Good thing, since the rest of the bench was nowhere to be found.
That left it to James and Wade, who combined for 57 points Tuesday. But they couldn’t produce when they had to. For that, again look to Boston.
The biggest play of the game came when Miami had rallied to a 78-72 lead. Brandon Bass went up for a dunk, only to have Wade fly in for a stupendous block.
As AmericanAirlines Arena exploded, the ball flew toward the foul line. Rondo jumped and tipped it Mickael Pietrus, who made a 3-pointer.
The next biggest play was Pierce hitting a 3-pointer to give Boston a 90-86 lead with 1:12 left. That after he’d made only five of his previous 18 shots.
“That’s what big-time players do,” James said.
If the Heat have any, now would be a good time for them to appear. Spoelstra danced around the P word, which only confirmed Miami is tighter than Bruce Jenner’s face.
“That’s what our focus is right now,” he said, “to fight any kind of noise from the outside or any human condition.”
The condition he’s referring to is pressure.
“It’s a loss,” Spoelstra said. “That’s all it is.”
Yeah, and now the Heat have the Celtics right where they want them.
“The stakes are very high,” Garnett said.
We know one team knows how to respond. Now we’ll find out if Miami has even a strand of championship DNA.