Miami, with Dwyane Wade dragging his sore hamstring out of an inactive preseason, still has to learn to play together.
But the Celtics, with an 88-80 win over Miami that marked their third straight season-opening victory against LeBron James, secured something that was particularly elusive last regular season - a quality home win, this time over the league’s anointed.
Beyond James’ ability to spin out of a slow start and score 21 of his 31 points in the second half, including 15 in the third quarter, the Celtics kept this show under a small tent at the Garden.
Wade, who has to play his way back into shape, and Chris Bosh, who finished the night looking like the third banana many think he is, shot a combined 7-for-27. James and Wade combined for 14 turnovers.
And overall, after scoring only 30 points in the first half on the way to a 36.5 percent shooting performance, the Heat had to feel like the road to cohesion is longer than the one from here to San Francisco.
“They’re going to be great,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the Heat. “They’ll be much better. Hopefully, we will, too.”
There was one glimpse of the Miami future - a two-man attack from James and Wade in the fourth quarter that cut the Celtics lead as far back as three points (83-80) with 1:10 left.
But it had to grate them after Paul Pierce [stats] left the game in the third quarter upon bruising his back - courtesy of attempting in vain to take a James charge - and returned for an 11-point fourth quarter.
Pierce’s latest curtain call included two huge 3-pointers, three straight free throws after getting fouled beyond the arc by James Jones, and an assist on the shot that finally put the game to rest.
Pierce passed up a semi-open jumper to rifle the ball to Ray Allen, whose corner trey over an onrushing Wade was good for an 85-80 lead with 49.8 seconds left.
The opponent and preceding hype considered, Allen admitted to having a flashback to last June.
“I actually felt like I was in the playoffs - it was the same feeling and energy,” said Allen. “With those guys coming in here the fans were ready. I could hear them when I walked into the building getting on the other team. I look forward to many nights like that.”
That feeling was contagious.
“I said to Paul as we came out here, ‘Are we in the Finals already?’ ” said Kevin Garnett, who beyond taking Bosh out of the game had a rough time in the last 4:15, when he missed three shots and two free throws, and also committed the offensive foul that set up James’ drive.
But Garnett’s late drain was offset in all sorts of ways. Rajon Rondo [stats] had 17 assists to Miami’s overall 15. Though Shaquille O’Neal did a nice job of pounding the Heat frontcourt into early foul trouble, Glen Davis was Rivers’ choice as a crunch-time center.
Big Baby responded with a 13-point, 6-for-7, five-rebound performance off the bench.
The Celtics [team stats] needed every drop, too, considering that James and Wade each hit a 3-pointer in the last 2:26, before James cut the deficit to three points with 1:10 left.
Pierce, who had already made his biggest shots, then made an even bigger pass.
“Paul had a shot, but it would have been contested and he made the extra pass,” said Rivers. “We always talk about no hero ball, and to me that was a hero pass in a great way. He didn’t have to make that pass, but he made the right decision and it was great.”
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