NBA Playoffs 2011: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Game 3 Report Card
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat took the series to Boston, and the Celtics showed they still have fight. Controlling the pace throughout the ball game, the Celtics managed to beat the Heat 97-81, as they now trail 2-1 in the series.
Paul Pierce would chip in 27 points, while Kevin Garnett would post 28 and grab a playoff-high 18 rebounds. Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow in the second half, and came back in the fourth quarter to help push the Celtics to victory.
The Miami Heat featured Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, who played sound basketball throughout the contest. To everyone's surprise, Joel Anthony made key contributions in the ball game, going 6-7 from the field, chipping in 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Outside of the two talents, the problem was there was no other support. A 53-point second half would ultimately lead to a Celtics victory Saturday night.
Join B/R and myself in grading each team's performance in Game 3 of the second-round thriller.
Chris Bosh: F
1 of 9
Some may find it harsh, but when his team needed him the most Chris Bosh failed to meet expectations for his Miami Heat in Game 3.
The numbers don't lie.
1-6 from the field, two turnovers, five rebounds, and six points. To his credit these are not typical Bosh numbers, and all great players have poor performances.
Yet at this stage in the postseason, it's unacceptable from the All-Star talent.
Not to mention defensively, Bosh along with Joel Anthony allowed Kevin Garnett to put in 28 points and grab 18 boards in the game.
Paul Pierce: A
2 of 9
In a must-win situation for his Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce came up huge for the Celtics in the victory.
The Truth had a poor first two games of the series, and played with a purpose in Game 3.
Twelve of his 27 points came in the first quarter, when the Celtics needed him most. In each of the first two games of the series, the Celtics trailed after the first quarter.
Pierce shot 9-of-20, had five rebounds, five assists, and just one turnover in the contest to along with the 27 points.
His defense on LeBron James was a key factor as well, holding James to just 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
Pierce finishes the night with an A.
Dwyane Wade: A-
3 of 9
On a night where his teammates struggled mightily, Dwyane Wade brought his "A-game" and made the Celtics pay defensively.
Offensively Wade was a presence throughout the ball game, scoring 23 points on eight-of-19 shooting.
Wade led the Heat in scoring on a night were hard to come by for the struggling Heat, who scored 81 points and just 35 in the second half.
Wade was also effective defensively, holding Allen to the poorer of the contests of the Celtics Big Three. Allen was just 4-of-11 from the field.
Wade was the Heat's most valuable player, and deserves his credit for an outstanding ball game.
Ray Allen: C+
4 of 9
Ray Allen was the least of worries for the Miami Heat of the Big Three, yet had himself a solid basketball game Saturday night.
Poor shooting hurt his cause for a better grade, as Allen would go 4-of-11 shooting from the field.
Two of his made buckets were three-pointers that came up big for the Celtics, extending leads and putting pressure on the Heat defense.
Defensively, Wade got the best of him, despite not covering him the entire contest. Allen can do better, as Game 3 was a sub-par game for the veteran.
LeBron James: C-
5 of 9
Dwyane Wade played a great game for the Heat, while his counterpart LeBron James had arguably his poorest performance of the 2011 NBA playoffs.
James had just 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while turning the ball over four times. When James was on the court, the Heat were outscored by a whopping 21 points.
Defensively James had trouble containing Pierce, as the Celtics veteran got the better of James in Game 3.
James will need to step up for the Heat on the road if Miami expects to take the series from the reigning East champions.
Kevin Garnett: A+
6 of 9
Kevin Garnett was the best player on the court in Game 3, stepping up his production in a must-win game for his Boston Celtics.
Garnett would score a game-high 28 points, grab a game-high 18 rebounds in the victory. He also chipped in two dimes, a steal, and turned the ball over not once.
Defensively Garnett out-played Chris Bosh like it was his job, holding the All-Star to one-of-six shooting, with two turnovers and five rebounds.
Garnett was the MVP of the contest for the Celtics and came to play when they needed him most.
Rajon Rondo: B
7 of 9
It was hard to watch to say the least. Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow in the Game 3 contest against the Heat, after getting tangled with the Heat's Dwyane Wade and hitting the deck.
Rondo would later make a return, playing on one arm and still managing to add in several points and assists after the injury.
The engine that helps run the Celtics Big Three would 11 assists and six points in 35 minutes of play.
Rondo's production was effective for the Celtics, in that he helped Pierce, Garnett and Allen get going offensively in the contest from the start, something the Celtics hadn't been able to do all series long.
Heat Bench: A
8 of 9
How about Joel Anthony?
The no-named center on a team featuring a plethora of star-power had himself arguably the second best game of any player on the team. Anthony would score 12 points and grab 11 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
The bench as a whole, a three-man rotation with Anthony, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers, stepped up big and played another fine game for the Miami Heat.
The three would score 35 points on 15-of-23 shooting, while also accounting for five steals, 16 rebounds and just two turnovers.
Celtics Bench: B
9 of 9
Delonte West was key for the Celtics in the contest, scoring 11 points and dishing three assists in 25 minutes.
His full-court ball pressure and knack for bothering the Heat's point guards helped spark the Celtics defensive effort.
Glen Davis has himself a poor game once again, going scoreless in 11 minutes of play. Shaquille O'Neal would play just eight minutes, yet did his part in protecting the paint defensively.
Jeff Green looked flat for the Celtics, failing to contribute on either end in his 21 minutes of play. Allen, Pierce, and Garnett scored 75 of the Celtics 97 points, as the bench was a non-factor offensiely.
If the Celtics plan on winning on the road, better bench play will be key.
