The Boston Celtics entered Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals as 7.5 point underdogs against the Miami Heat, but outplayed their counterparts for the majority of the first half of Saturday night's deciding matchup, taking a 53-44 lead into the break.
The Celtics were paced by double-digit scoring numbers from Brandon Bass (14 points on 5-7 shooting including 4-4 from the charity stripe), Paul Pierce (13 points in 21 minutes of action) and Ray Allen (12 points of 4-6 shooting, including 2-3 on three-point attempts). Rajon Rondo controlled the tempo for Boston with ten assists and zero turnovers, and also contributed six points of his own.
The Heat were led by LeBron James, who scored 14 points and was 8-10 from the free throw line.
One point of concern for the Celtics going into the second half is Kevin Garnett's inability to stay on the floor--he played just 13 minutes and enters the third quarter with three fouls.
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