Kevin Garnett scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Celtics before he picked up two technical fouls and was ejected following a fourth quarter scuffle.
Video replays appeared to show he threw an elbow at the head of the Heat’s Quentin Richardson.
“He clearly made contact with Richardson,” official Joe DeRosa told the NBA’s website (www.nba.com). “But even if he had not, he still would have been ejected for a second technical foul for throwing an elbow.”
The flare-up, which came with about 40 seconds left to play, occurred after Boston’s Paul Pierce fell into the Heat’s bench and aggravated a shoulder injury
Garnett went to check on his team mate and wound up in a shoving match with Richardson.
Richardson and Udonis Haslem of the Heat and Boston’s Glen Davis also received technical fouls, and the league could take more action.
Boston trailed 66-64 after three quarters, but held the Heat to 10 points in the fourth.
