With Celtics flickering, Heat rise to the top

The Miami Heat provided a test more difficult than the Wonderlic. One the Celtics could not quite pass, dropping a 103-96 decision last night at sold-out TD Banknorth Garden. As the second-best team in the Eastern Conference looking to make its push toward the postseason, the Heat gave the Celtics an unsolicited reality check. The momentum the Celtics gathered against the lesser teams of the Western Conference proved of little consequence against Shaquille O'Neal (16 points, nine rebounds), Dwyane Wade (24 point, eight assists), Walker (13 points), or Shandon Anderson, Jason Williams, and Udonis Haslem, for that matter.

Miami, not Utah or Portland, is the type of team the Celtics will have to beat to have a remote chance at making the playoffs. After squandering opportunities with an easy early-season schedule, the Celtics must face playoff-bound teams such as Miami, Cleveland, New Jersey (two more times each), Indiana (three times), and Memphis (once), as well as teams fighting for playoff berths, such as Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago (two more times each), and Milwaukee (once) for much of the remainder of the season.

It was of little consolation that the Celtics played the Heat close for four quarters, that they did not fold when they were behind, 79-68, early in the fourth, that they briefly went ahead, 86-85, on a 21-footer by Ryan Gomes with 5 minutes 37 seconds remaining. Miami quickly retook the lead after Walker hit a 3-pointer 15 seconds later. From that point, the Heat never trailed despite the efforts down the stretch of Gomes (9 points, 8 rebounds) and Delonte West (20 points), who hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.