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The Heat is on: James, Wade lift Miami to 2-0 lead vs. Boston

May 4, 2011 - 6:50 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have put the Boston Celtics in an early hole, as the star duo combined for 63 points to carry the Miami Heat to a 102-91 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis.

James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half and was instrumental in a 14-0 fourth-quarter run that staked Miami to a 2-0 lead in the physical series.

Wade netted 28, while Chris Bosh totaled 17 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which took the series opener, 99-90.

Rajon Rondo, despite dealing with a bad back, led the Celtics with 20 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, but Boston's stars failed to keep pace. Kevin Garnett scored 16 points, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were held to 13 and seven points, respectively.

Pierce, who suffered an ankle injury early on, and Rondo will have ample time to rest, as Game 3 is set for Saturday in Boston.

"No one is 100 percent this time of year. It's part of the game, you just deal with [injuries]," said Allen, who also suffered a bruised chest when he took a James elbow to the chest. "You use the days off to get your body better."

While Game 1's fourth quarter was marred by technical fouls and an ejection to Pierce, there were no antics in Tuesday's clash to overshadow Miami's dominance in the final six minutes.

A tie game midway through the final stanza turned into a lopsided affair in a little over two minutes.

With the score knotted at 80-all, Mario Chalmers hit a three-pointer and Wade made two free throws around a Glen Davis miss.

Davis missed again the next time down, and James exploded for the next seven points, starting with an emphatic slam off a Wade miss while getting fouled. He converted the three-point play, made two more free throws and drilled a deep jumper with a hand in his face for a 92-80 cushion with 4:36 showing.

Free throws from Wade and Bosh capped the 14-point flurry, and the Heat cruised over the final 3:28 as Boston found little success on either end of the floor.

Pierce nailed a three-pointer midway through the first quarter for a 12-7 lead, then exited a short time later with a bothersome left ankle.

With Boston's leading scorer getting his ankle re-taped, James came alive the final three minutes, scoring eight points to put Miami on top, 27-26.

Late in a defensive-minded second frame, it was Wade taking over with a pair of sensational moves on consecutive possessions. First, he spun Garnett around with a stutter-step, leading to a conventional three-point play. Then, he crippled Allen at the top of the key with a cross-over to free himself up for a three-pointer and a 47-40 lead with 3.8 seconds left in the half.

"They were terrific and used every bit of their talent tonight to help us win," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said of James and Wade. "This series is only getting started right now. We ultimately did what we were supposed to do."

Rondo was inexplicably fouled before mid-court by James Jones prior to the halftime buzzer, and made both free throws to cut Boston's deficit to five.

Garnett and Rondo sparked Boston in the third. The former scored on four of five possessions during one stretch and the latter pulled off a three-point play to give the visitors the lead, 58-56, midway through.

But James answered a short time later with consecutive three-pointers and added a 19-foot jumper in the closing seconds for a 72-68 edge heading to the fourth.

The Celtics' bench helped them keep pace, even allowing them to pull even, 80-80, on two Pierce free throws with 7:10 on the clock.

Game Notes

The Heat fans sang the national anthem before the game...Jones, who had 25 points in Game 1, attempted just one shot and missed...Jeff Green scored 11 points and Delonte West chipped in 10 for Boston's bench...Allen was 2-for-7 from the floor after going 9-of-13 for 25 points in Game 1...Miami made more free throws (27) than Boston attempted (22).