Paul Pierce helped get Boston off to a quick start, scoring a game-high 14 points as the Celtics took a 31-28 lead over the Miami Heat after the first quarter in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night at TD Garden.
Similar to Game 3, the Celtics got off to a fast start, taking an 8-2 lead by the 10:17 mark. A 21-foot jumper from Garnett built the C's lead to 19-11 with 4:05 left in the quarter. Miami went on a 9-1 run to trim the deficit to three with 2:56 to go, yet the Celtics were able to maintain their lead for the remainder of the quarter.
Pierce made 4-of-6 shots in the quarter for the Celtics, who shot a sizzling 66.7 percent from the field and made 10-of-11 free throws. Rajon Rondo had six points and one assist and Kevin Garnett added five first-quarter points.
LeBron James led the Heat with 13 points in the opening quarter. Dwayne Wade and Mike Bibby both scored three and Mario Chalmers added three points off the bench for Miami, which shot 47.6 percent in the quarter.