07 January,2010 11:35 AM IST | | AFP
Rajon Rondo's 25 points included a buzzer-beating layup to force overtime Wednesday as Boston notched a 112-106 NBA triumph over Miami despite 44 points from the Heat's Dwyane Wade.
Rondo caught a lob from Paul Pierce at the end of regulation and put it in the basket to send the game to overtime tied 101-101.
Ray Allen scored 22 points and Kendrick Perkins added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who trailed by 11 midway through the fourth quarter.
Even Wade's season-high 44 points, which included a steal and a dunk that put Miami up by two with 0.6sec to play in regulation, proved too little.
Rondo struck again in overtime, and his basket with 34.3 to play in the extra session sealed the win for Boston.
Paul Pierce scored 17 and Rasheed Wallace added 16 for Boston.
For the Heat, Udonis Haslem scored 19 off the bench and Jermaine O'Neal added 14.
The fourth quarter was a wild ride as the Heat missed 15 of 16 shots in the final minutes to fall from an 11-point lead to a four-point deficit with less than a minute to play.
When Allen drained a three-pointer, the Heat looked done.
But Wade responded with two free throws with 5.5 seconds left that tied the game. Then he stripped the ball from Allen and slammed home a dunk to put Miami up 101-99 - a lead that Rondo quickly erased.
