Some people, I won’t name names, thought the Miami Heat would not only challenge the Celtics in the first round, but would win the series. Those people look incredibly foolish after the first two games of this series.
(I was very much one of those names.)
The Celtics, without Kevin Garnett due to suspension, thoroughly dominated the Miami Heat, including holding them to their second 10-point quarter in two games and running them out of the building in a 106-77 win Tuesday night.
I really want to provide you with some sort of in-depth analysis. I do. But the Celtics went on a 19-0 run in the second quarter. They did whatever they wanted on both sides of the ball. Ray Allen was automatic, draining 7 of 9 threes, including five in the third quarter. It was a simply dominant performance that Heat coach Eric Spoelstra called “embarrassing” for the Heat.
Big picture, the Celtics did win big in Boston in 2007 before struggling on the road against Atlanta. But this Heat team doesn’t feature anything close to the same level of balance with Al Horford and Mike Bibby that the Hawks had. The Heat may come out blazing in Game 3, but a tone has been set for the series, and that tone is one of Celtic domination.
If you’re Dwyane Wade, debating your future, saying your heart is in Miami, how can you look at this roster, this lineup that scored 10 points in 2nd after scoring 10 in the 4th of Game 1 and think this is the place for you? If Michael Beasley was any further from where he needed to be, he’d be selling carpet in South America wearing jean shorts.
This series isn’t over, but it, more than any other, looks like the most likely sweep of the bunch.