Miami Withstands Jeff Green, Continues To Roll

The Heat won Monday night for the 23rd straight time, leaving only the 71-72 Lakers with a longer streak at 33.

Miami came back, a couple times, against a shorthanded Boston Celtics team that got 43 points out of Jeff Green. Boston went on a 17-0 run to end the first quarter—thanks to Green's flying and rearranging drives—and it looked like the Heat might finally lose. But Miami cut the lead to six by the half and then scored the first eight of the second half to take back the lead.

The game moved in waves, rather than a quick up and down exchange of baskets. After the Heat's run to open the second half, Jeff Green resumed his, scoring twelve more points in the third quarter and helping the Celtics build the lead up to 13 again by the fourth quarter. He eventually did cool off and started missing shots that had been dropping for him all night.

With eight minutes left in the game, LeBron hit a three that cut the lead to 10 and the Heat pushed all the way back. LeBron dominated the final minutes and in the final seconds, it came down to Jeff Green and LeBron, isolated.

LeBron settled for a jumper and while Green's night was winding down and his luck running out, LeBron got the friendly bounce, rattling around the rim before it dropped down. The Heat continued to roll, 105-103 winners despite 43 from Jeff Green and thanks to 37, 12 and 7 from LeBron. As Hubie said, it was only fitting that the game ended like that: one guy had the night of his life, the other a night in his life.