BOSTON — Rajon Rondo had six points and 11 assists despite playing the fourth quarter with a dislocated left elbow as the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 97-81 yesterday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Miami leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday night in Boston.
Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 18 rebounds, and Paul Pierce scored 27 for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who managed to avoid a 3-0 hole that no NBA team has ever overcome.
Dwyane Wade had 23 points and seven assists, and Joel Anthony continued to contribute off the bench, scoring 12 with 11 rebounds. LeBron James added 15, but he and Wade combined to make just 14 of 35 shots from the floor.
Grizzlies 101,
Thunder 93, OT
In Memphis, Tennessee, Zach Randolph had 21 points and a team-record 21 rebounds as Memphis rallied from a 16-point deficit to stun Oklahoma City and grab a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Grizzlies are only two wins away from becoming the first No. 8 seed to reach the Western Conference finals. With the win, Memphis remained undefeated on its home court this postseason.
The Grizzlies played poorly early in the game, but scored the first six points of overtime to finish off the victory.
Kevin Durant, the NBA’s scoring leader in the regular season and these playoffs, took only three shots in overtime and missed them all. He finished with 22 points, his lowest this postseason after averaging 31.6 points coming in. /AP