June 3, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) reacts to being called for his sixth foul while Boston Celtics guard/forward Mickael Pietrus (28) celebrates in the background during the overtime quarter in game four of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE
The Miami Heat return home after two straight road losses to the Boston Celtics, and will be looking to retain their homecourt advantage in Game 5.
The Miami Heat outscored the Boston Celtics 42-28 in the second half of Game 4, but that was only good enough to pull them out of the massive hole that they dug for themselves and to get them into overtime. LeBron James and Paul Pierce were at the mercy of the refs and fouled out early in OT. This doomed the five minute period to offensive ineptness that was capped off by a final Heat possession in which all went wrong. Whether Dwyane Wade or Erik Spoelstra botched the play is still up for debate, but whichever way one sees it, Wade's shot didn't go down and Boston held on for a 93-91 win.
Officiating has been a point of contention throughout the series, but Game 4 was where the officials had their biggest impact on the series thus far. No one could accuse the officials of favoring one team over another, but the pure volume of borderline fouls that were called significantly altered the game, ultimately leading to James and Pierce exiting the game early in overtime. Hardcore fans of both teams and neutrals alike will probably be hoping for the officials to swallow their whistles more often in Game 5.
With neither team dropping a home game to this point, the Heat will be favored to bounce back and win in front of their home crowd. They're still awaiting word on whether or not Chris Bosh will be able to make a return to the lineup, and his presence would obviously provide a massive boost and change the series significantly.
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, Florida
TV: ESPN
Online: ESPN3
For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Celtics, check out CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.
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