Celtics 84 - 100 Heat
Final
  for this game

Heat snap home skid in win over Celtics

Dec 22, 2014 - 3:29 AM

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Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Luol Deng scored 23 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 100-84 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Heat forward Chris Bosh (calf) missed his fifth straight game, while Dwyane Wade (right knee contusion), Hassan Whiteside (left toe) and Josh McRoberts (knee) were also inactive.

Rookie James Ennis posted his best scoring game as a pro, going for 16 points to help Miami snap its five-game home losing streak and two-game losing streak overall.

Norris Cole had 15 points and Mario Chalmers supplied 11 points and 10 assists in the win.

"Six guys in double figures, but finding out Dwyane and Hassan were out, the guys had a really tough-minded effort," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Tyler Zeller paced the Celtics with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jeff Green and Kelly Olynyk each chipped in with 13 points. Boston had its three-game winning streak halted.

Avery Bradley netted the first points of the game, then four different Miami players contributed to a 9-0 run. The margin reached doubled digits later in the quarter before Boston closed to within four, 25-21, thanks to an 8-2 run. Deng's 3-pointer capped the scoring in the first and helped the Heat to a 28-21 lead.

A Cole layup with under five minutes to go in the second stretched the lead to 47-32. Miami brought a 10-point margin into the break.

"I didn't feel like we kept up with their speed all day," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "I thought that we looked a step behind all day."

The Celtics scored seven straight early in the third to cut the deficit to 56-51 prior to the Heat's 11-2 spurt that pushed the lead to 67-53 at the midway point of the frame.

Boston got within striking distance a couple of times in the fourth, but Ennis nailed a pair of 3-pointers to keep Miami comfortably in front.

Game Notes

Miami shot 47.4 percent from the floor and held Boston to 39.8 percent shooting ... Shawne Williams and Udonis Haslem scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the win ... The Heat scored 20 points off 15 turnovers ... The Celtics were held scoreless on the fastbreak.






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