The defending NBA champion Miami Heat opened up the 2012-13 campaign, their 25th season in the league, with a 120-107 victory over the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. They raised their second NBA championship banner and received championship rings prior to the start of the game.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James piled up 26 points and ten rebounds in 29 minutes before he left the game early in the fourth quarter due to leg cramps. Dwyane Wade added 29 points in 35 minutes while Chris Bosh had 19 points and ten rebounds in 37 minutes played. Ray Allen made his Heat debut and sank 19 points in 31 minutes. He had played the last five seasons with the Boston Celtics, which included winning an NBA title in 2007-08, before he declared free agency.
On the Celtics scoring slate, Rajon Rondo placed 20 points and 13 assists in 44 minutes of action. Paul Pierce led the C's in scoring with 23 points in 41 minutes while Kevin Garnett had nine points and 12 rebounds.
The Celtics would last hold a lead in the game just seven minutes into the contest at 17-16. Miami would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game and were ahead 62-54 at halftime. The Heat hit 13-of-19 shots from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Celtics 31-22. Boston was down by 17 points, 93-76 after three periods.
Boston pulled within four points at 111-107 with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter. Bosh would score the next seven points for Miami and finished with a slam dunk in the lane on his final field goal with 36 seconds to go. Wade made two technical foul shots after Rondo was called for a flagrant foul on him with 15 seconds remaining.
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