Shaq's 22 helps Heat hold off Celtics

Apr 7, 2007, 3:00 GMT

Boston, MA - Shaquille O'Neal poured in 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as Miami escaped with an 88-85 victory over Boston at TD Banknorth Garden.

Udonis Haslem had 17 points with nine boards for the Heat, who have won three straight and five of their last seven games. Miami is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Washington Wizards in the Southeast Division and has already clinched a playoff spot, remaining the fourth seed.

James Posey netted 13 points and Jason Williams added eight points and dished out 13 assists in the win.

'This was what you call sort of trap game,' Heat coach Pat Riley said. 'The dynamics are such that everybody is down and up with them. The important thing is we end up winning on the road and now we go home and play Charlotte [Sunday].'

Ryan Gomes scored 24 points and Gerald Green had 21 for the Celtics, who have dropped three of their last four. Allan Ray chipped in 13, Rajon Rondo 11 and Kevinn Pinkney donated 10 with 11 rebounds in defeat.

'They just executed better down the stretch in the last couple of minutes than we did,' Gomes said. 'That was really the difference.'

Leading by seven at the break, Miami began the third with seven straight points -- ended with Williams' finger roll and free throw -- for a 14-point lead.

Then, down 64-50 with 6:36 left, Boston embarked on a 20-6 burst -- sparked by four consecutive treys, two apiece from Gomes and Ray -- and ended on Green's jump shot to deadlock the game at 70 entering the fourth.

It stayed close in the final frame and the Celtics used a 9-0 spurt to go up 83-80 with 2:14 to play. The Heat, though, responded as Posey drilled a triple and Posey converted a three-point play. After Rondo buried a jumper, Haslem did the same for an 88-85 edge with 21.9 seconds left.

Both Green and Sebastian Telfair missed potential game-tying threes as time expired.

Miami opened the contest with a 14-4 spurt, but Boston came right back and tied it on Green's reverse layup. Alonzo Mourning then capped the frame with a dunk to put the Heat on top 28-26.

The Celtics led by as many as five in the second quarter until Miami went on a 7-0 run to regain the lead at 42-38 with 3:50 remaining. Moments later, after Boston cut within one, Haslem drained two layups and Eddie Jones added a reverse lay-in to give the Heat a 52-45 halftime advantage.

Game Notes

Miami shot 49 percent from the field, while Boston finished 45 percent shooting...Miami's Dwyane Wade participated in the team's shootaround before the game and is optimistic about returning next week. Wade has been out since February 21 when he suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a 112-102 loss to Houston...Attendance was 18,624...Both teams meet again on April 16 in South Beach.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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