-James triple-double gives Cavaliers 3-1 lead
MIAMI, (Reuters) – Staring playoffs elimination in the face and the possibility of playing his last game in Miami, Dwyane Wade exploded for a career playoff-high 46 points to help the Heat to a 101-92 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Wade, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season and could be on his way out of Miami, scored 19 of his points in the fourth quarter, including three quick three-pointers, to ensure his team staved off elimination, for another two days anyway.
The victory reduced their deficit in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven series to 3-1 with Game Five heading back to Boston on Tuesday, though no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win in the playoffs.
“We’re always going to fight,” Wade told reporters after he lead the Heat to a 25-8 run to open the fourth quarter.
“We fought today and I finally had a good shooting game the way I wanted to. I was going to shoot all those shots no matter what happened. I got hot at the right time.”
Rajon Rondo had 23 points and nine assists while Kevin Garnett finished with 18 and 12 rebounds for the Celtics who had previously defeated the Heat in all six meetings this season.
Coming off Paul Pierce’s buzzer-beater shot to deliver the win in Game Three, Boston fell behind by 13 after the first quarter but claimed a six-point advantage after the third before Wade turned the game with his fourth-quarter performance.
In other Eastern Conference action, LeBron James scored a triple-double with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 121-98 rout of the Chicago Bulls and a 3-1 series lead.
“We’re going home to win the series,” James shouted after the game in reference to Game Five moving back to Cleveland on Tuesday. “This will be the last time you’ll see us in Chicago.”
In the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs held on to win a physical match with the Dallas Mavericks 92-89 while in Utah, Carlos Boozer recorded 31 points and 13 rebounds to go with Deron Williams’ 24 and 13 assists as the Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets 117-106.
Carmelo Anthony produced 39 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Denver, who are now on the verge of elimination.
