Bradley Scores 25, Celtics Beat Heat 105-95
MIAMI -- Guard Avery Bradley scored 25 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 105-95 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Celtics, winners of three of their past four games, improved to 10-8. Bradley's total was two points off his season high.
Boston also got 17 points from center Jared Sullinger. Forward Amir Johnson had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Miami (10-6) fell to 8-3 at home. The Heat were led by guard Dwyane Wade, who posted season highs of 30 points and five steals, but matched a season high with seven turnovers.
Heat forward Chris Bosh added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Miami got little help from the rest of the starters including center Hassan Whiteside, who was held to six points and eight rebounds. Point guard Goran Dragic was held to nine points.
Boston shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the first quarter, which fueled a 19-4 run. That helped the Celtics wipe out a six-point deficit, ending the quarter with a 32-23 lead.
Miami won the second quarter 28-25, cutting the Celtics' lead to 57-51 at the half. The Boston lead would have been nine, but Johnson's 3-pointer was released a split-second after the halftime buzzer sounded.
Heat reserve guard Tyler Johnson was the first-half shooting star, making all four of his shots, including two 3-pointers, for 10 points.
Boston surged ahead by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but Miami battled back to a standstill for the period and trailed by six entering the fourth. Wade and Bradley each had 12 points in the quarter.
The Celtics fought off big fourth quarters by Bosh and Wade to prevail. Bosh had 10 points in the fourth, and Wade had eight.
NOTES: Heat F Chris Bosh started despite battling the flu. "Guys are getting flu shots, taking care of themselves and washing their hands," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the flu bug hitting the team. "Every team goes through it. You take whatever measures you can, but things happen." ... Heat SF Luol Deng (strained left hamstring) missed his third consecutive game. He is due to return Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. SF Gerald Green started in place of Deng for the third game in a row. ... Miami recalled F Jarnell Stokes from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League on Sunday. ... The game marked Boston's only visit to Miami this season. ... Celtics G Marcus Smart (knee) is out until late December.