NBA Playoffs 2012: Boston Celtics Crowd Must Apply Heat to Miami in Game 4

On Friday night, the Miami Heat ran into something for which they didn’t have a game plan: the crowd noise at the TD Garden.

Celtics fans were so loud, the Miami Herald reported, that Heat coach Eric Spoelstra had trouble communicating with his players on the court.

“We know this is a tough place to play,” Spoelstra said, trying to downplay the crowd’s impact on his team’s performance. “But we know we can play a lot better than this.”

The Heat weren’t the only ones to take notice of the rising decibel level at the Garden. Kevin Garnett spoke to reporters after the 101-91 victory and showed his appreciation for the fan support. “The jungle was rocking tonight," Garnett said. "I want to thank all the fans who came out. The {expletive} jungle was rocking tonight! I loved it. I {expletive} loved it. {Expletive} it.”

I guess you could say he was pleased.

As the Celtics take the floor tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, KG and company are hoping for more of the same from the hometown crowd. More noise. More energy. More of whatever it takes to keep the high-powered Heat offense from getting into any kind of rhythm out there.

“They were very comfortable,” Paul Pierce said earlier in the week after he watched his team go down 2-0 in the series in Miami. “Hopefully we can make it a little more uncomfortable for them.”

Uncomfortable. That’s the key. And it starts right from the opening tip.

If you’re going to the game tonight, you have a job to do. It can’t be a passive experience or a social event like going to Fenway. Leave your iPhone in your pocket, your pink hat at home and be prepared to walk out of the Garden later tonight without your voice.

Let’s see if we can get the jungle rocking again.