Celtics feel the 'Heat'

MIAMI (AP):

Dwyane Wade knew his regular-season numbers against Boston were lacking. He also knew that wouldn't matter in the play-offs. And Game One - which seemed more like Round One - of what's already an emotionally charged series went to Wade and the Miami Heat.

Wade scored 38 points on 14 of 21 shooting, James Jones set a Miami post-season record with 25 points off the bench, and the Heat beat the Celtics 99-90 on Sunday to open their Eastern Conference semi-final series.

"We're going to have to fight for every inch, every game we get," Wade said. "Right now, we won Game One. We're supposed to. We'll go back and focus on winning Game Two. We're at home, we have home-court advantage. They're just trying to come in and steal one, like they've done in the past. So, it's our job to come out with the same mentality in the next one."

LeBron James finished with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists for Miami, which led by as many as 19 before a fiery finish that saw plenty of players jawing at each other - more than that in some cases.

Paul Pierce was ejected with seven minutes left, after picking up two technicals in skirmishes with Wade and Jones within a span of 59 seconds.

Ray Allen scored 25 points for Boston, which lost for the first time in five games this post-season. Pierce scored 19 and Delonte West finished with 10 for the Celtics, while Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were held to a combined 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting.

"There's so many things we need to do to get better," Allen said. "I think everybody in that locker room knows that, just from a small conversation we just had."

Game Two is today in Miami.

history

Given how Boston ousted Miami last season and ended James' play-off runs with Cleveland in 2008 and 2010, these teams have history - and more than a bit of dislike; and that was apparent. It was physical throughout, with West earning a technical and Jermaine O'Neal picking up a flagrant foul along the way, before things really got hot in the fourth.

Pierce took offence with a hard foul by Jones, each getting double-technicals there, and Pierce and Wade - who have a bit of history themselves - renewed acquaintances not long after that.

Referee Ed Malloy called both for double-technicals, and Pierce was screaming as he departed. Boston coach Doc Rivers said he thought Jones and Wade went at Pierce too aggressively on the two plays that ended his forward's night.

Grizzlies 114, Thunder 101.

IN OKLAHOMA CITY: Zach Randolph had 34 points and 10 rebounds, Marc Gasol added 20 points and 13 boards, and Memphis overpowered Oklahoma City inside in the opening game of the Western Conference semi-finals.

Randolph and Gasol each scored 20 points in the same regular-season game only once this season, but did it in Game One against the Spurs, and again to negate the Thunder's home-court advantage right from the start.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 29.