ESPN

Celtics coach Doc Rivers joked before Tuesday's season-opener against the Heat that all of the world's eyes would be on Miami and he wasn't far off. From the Associated Press:

The debut of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Tuesday's opener drew the most viewers for an NBA regular-season game in cable history.

TNT said Wednesday that Miami's 88-80 loss to the Boston Celtics had a 4.6 rating and was watched by 7.4 million people. The rating is second only to the 4.9 for the Bulls-Lakers game on Feb. 2, 1996, when Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson met for the first time after both came out of retirement. That game had a smaller audience because of population growth.

Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Tuesday's game actually earned a higher rating in Boston (17.1) than in Miami (15.5). It drew a 10.6 in James' jilted former home of Cleveland.

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BOSTON -- Rajon Rondo's stat line doesn't immediately jump off the page. In Boston's season-opening 88-80 triumph over Miami Tuesday night, he chipped in a mere four points on 2-of-9 shooting, didn't get to the free throw line, grabbed five rebounds, and generated two steals over more than 41 minutes of action.

Then you notice the 17 assists and realize 1) Rondo generated more assists than the entire Heat roster (15) and 2) Probably deserved a few more assists had Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal been able to finish some bunnies around the rim.

"Well, there wasn't a lot of points, so there wasn't a lot of assists," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "But Rondo was just -- I thought he was spectacular."

And that feeling was echoed in the Celtics' locker room, where new bigs like Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal gushed about Rondo's ability to get them the ball. In fact, they're still learning just to expect the ball in places other guards can't put it.

"My last six or seven years, I really haven’t had a point guard like [Rondo]," said Shaquille O'Neal. "Now I’m just getting back to what I’m used to. If I’m by the basket... I just gotta be ready."

And with someone like Rondo distributing the ball, Celtics backup point guard Nate Robinson noted the team can focus most of their energy on defense.

"We know we have guys who can put the ball in the basket with ease," said Robinson. "We're not worried about offense; We're gonna score. Shaq opens up the paint, [Kevin Garnett] as well, and Rondo finds the right guy. He had what, like 18 assists?"

Seventeen. But in a year where "It's all about 18," Robinson can be forgiven.

BOSTON -- Three quick hits from the wizards at ESPN's Stats and Information (hat tips to Mike Trainor and Jason Starrett for compiling):

Big 3's debut comes up small

In the offseason, the Heat were looking to match the Celtics’ Big 3 with the acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh (while retaining Dwyane Wade). While James (31 points) and Dwyane Wade (six assists) put up quality numbers, the Heat actually performed better when the triumvirate was not on the floor together.

With Miami's Big 3 on the court, the Heat were a minus-8 overall in plus/minus over 29 minutes, 20 seconds of action, shooting 36.4 percent (16 of 44 overall) and committing 10 turnovers.

With the Big 3 not united on the court, the Heat were even in plus/minus, shooting 36.7 percent (11 of 30 overall) with seven turnovers.

‘Pierce'-ing the King’s Armor

The Celtics utilized a handful of defenders on LeBron James Tuesday night, but it was Paul Pierce who proved most effective. Pierce was the defender on 14 of James’ 21 field goal attempts and he limited the Heat star to under 43 percent shooting overall. More importantly, Pierce forced five of James’ game-high eight turnovers, including three in the second half.

Guarded by Pierce, James shot 42. 9 percent with five turnovers and 11 points scored (includes points via free throws). Defended by the rest of Boston's roster James shot 57.1 percent with only three turnovers and 20 points scored.

Opening Night Jitters?

The Celtics and Heat combined for 35 turnovers (perhaps expected in a season opener). But it could have to do with the ball movement (or lack thereof) on the offensive end of the floor: 28 of the game's 35 turnovers were committed on possessions in which three or fewer passes were completed, including 12 of the 15 turnovers committed in the second half.

BOSTON -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 88-80 in the NBA season-opener Tuesday night at the TD Garden:

The rundown (a quick look at postgame headlines)
* Pierce's back is sore; fueled fourth-quarter offense after injury
* With blockbuster behind them, C's can admit it was a big game
* Loose balls: Thoughts from Shaq; praise for Ray

PIERCE'S BACK IS SORE; FUELED FOURTH-QUARTER OFFENSE AFTER INJURY



Celtics captain Paul Pierce left Tuesday's game against the Heat with back spasms after a collision with LeBron James late in the third quarter, but returned to score 11 fourth-quarter points and assist on a Ray Allen 3-pointer that essentially sealed the victory in the final minute.

After the game, Pierce admitted he's sore after spilling hard to the floor while picking up a blocking foul trying to deny James on a drive to the basket with 3:53 to play in the third quarter. He returned 1:17 into the fourth quarter, then connected on a pair of 3-pointers (while getting fouled in the act of shooting on another) to fuel his offensive outburst.

"A little sore right now," said Pierce. "I knew when I got up and started walking around on the court, the back started to spasm a little bit. I had the chance to go to the back, took a few Advils, and put some heat on it and it loosened up a little bit. It was pretty good for the rest of the game, but it's going to be a little sore [Tuesday] and [Wednesday]."

Pierce finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists over nearly 41 minutes of action. He missed 5:10 while being worked on in the locker room, but played much of the rest of the game, often serving as the shooting guard on the reserve unit. The Celtics' top backup shooting guard, Delonte West, is serving a 10-game suspension to start the regular season.

WITH BLOCKBUSTER BEHIND THEM, C's CAN ADMIT IT WAS A BIG GAME



The Celtics did their best to downplay Tuesday's game against the Heat, suggesting it was just the first of 82. But in the aftermath of a monster triumph at the Garden -- a place they didn't always boast a home-court advantage last season -- Boston players could come clean about getting swept up in the hype.

"I just said to Paul as we were coming [into the press conference room], I said, 'Are we in The Finals already?'" said Kevin Garnett, referring to how the media room is typically only used in the postseason when the media crowds swell. Tuesday's opener brought a Finals-like media deluge (roughly 500 credentials were issued).

"But it did have a lot of hype on it. A lot of good personnel on both teams, a lot of outstanding personnel. But to us it's about getting better and defending home court. Tonight was just that."

Allen took it a step further, suggesting the energy in the building made it almost exactly like a Finals game.

“I actually felt like I was in the playoffs," said Allen. "It had that same feeling, that same energy. Last time we played in this building, that’s where we were. When I came in here today it had that same feeling, the whole building was greened out.

“With [James and Dwyane Wade] coming here, the fans were ready, excited. It was great to walk in the building and you hear the fans going at it and giving it to the guys on the other team. I look forward to many nights like that."

LOOSE BALLS: DEEP THOUGHTS FROM SHAQ; PRAISE FOR RAY

• A few postgame quotes from Shaquille O'Neal, who chipped in nine points and seven rebounds over 18 minutes in his debut in a Celtics' uniform:
  
  * Shaq on the key to finishing off the Heat in the fourth quarter: “We just played. Ray hit some big shots. We got a couple big stops there. If we keep playing like that all year, then we’ll be fine. Big Baby came in and played well. Marquis [Daniels] played well. Danny [Ainge] did a good job of putting together a solid team.”
  
  * Shaq on whether the Celtics sent the Heat a message with the win: “No. We just wanted to come out and win our first game. That’s what we did. We let you all worry about the hoopla and all of that. We know that we wanted to come and play a solid game and we knew if we did what we wanted to do, then we could possibly get a win. Now that this game is over, we’ve got a game tomorrow and we just want to be 2-0.”
• Two thirds of the Big Three lofted hefty praise on Allen for his own big three in the final minute.
  
  "I've been a witness to it the last three years, and he's one of the best players that I've ever played with," said Pierce. "It's an honor just to be able to step on the court with him night in and night out. You've got a guy that can take that kind of pressure off you, it's an amazing feeling. I don't know if you guys realize it, but Ray, he's hit so many game-winners for us and so many clutch shots for us, we have confidence to get him the ball in these situations. He delivers nine times out of 10."
  
  Garnett smiled and shot back at Pierce: "And this guy [Pierce] hits big shots himself." To which Pierce joked back, "I like watching, too."
• The Celtics went with a nine-man rotation, leaning on Pierce and their bigs in order to avoid going with the end of their bench. Neither rookie center Semih Erden nor reserve guard Von Wafer played. Both could get extended time Wednesday when the team plays the second end of a back-to-back in Cleveland.

BOSTON -- First impressions after the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 88-80 in the NBA season opener Tuesday night at TD Garden:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Ray Allen scored a team-high 20 points, connecting on 5-of-8 trifectas, including a monster corner 3-pointer (with LeBron James scrambling to cover) to essentially seal the game with 49.8 seconds to play after the Heat had cut Boston's lead to three. Paul Pierce added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Kevin Garnett produced a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron scored a game-high 31 points for Miami, while Dwyane Wade chipped in 13 points and Chris Bosh finished with 8.

TURNING POINT
In a cringe-worthy first quarter (in which the teams combined to shoot 29.7 percent) and the Heat mustered a mere 9 points, the Celtics opened a 7-point cushion, but stretched it out early in the second quarter behind the second unit. Marquis Daniels connected on a trio of shots, including two layups and a little pull-up, and Boston's lead ballooned to 31-15 after a fast-break dunk by Nate Robinson.

STAT OF THE GAME
The Heat shot a mere 36.5 percent (27-of-74), including 23.5 percent (4-of-17) in that first quarter. Boston leaned on its defense when it needed it most.

UNSUNG HERO
Glen Davis scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting over 29 minutes with Jermaine O'Neal still in preseason form. Davis scored a couple of monster fourth-quarter hoops to keep the Heat at bay.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics, the defending Eastern Conference champs, can continue to state that the road to the conference crown goes through Boston after dispatching the much-ballyhooed Heat (and doing it in convincing fashion). Now the grind of an 82-game season really begins and Boston's veteran roster gets its first taste of a back-to-back Wednesday night in Cleveland. As can be expected, there were positives (Boston's overall defense) and negatives (20 turnovers), but maybe the Celtics' ability to win a big home game -- something it failed to do much of last season -- is most encouraging.

A few notes from the Celtics on Tuesday's season-opener:

• Each seatback will have a Kia Motors-sponsored green T-shirt celebrating the start of the new season. For an idea of how cool the empty arena looks in all green, check out the photo above from last year's opener against the Bobcats.
• Celtics captain Paul Pierce will address fans from center court before the game.
• Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops will handle the National Anthem... Donnie Wahlberg created original music that will be utilized as part of player introductions... Bucket Boys, a three-piece percussion group, will perform at halftime.

Go ahead, label Tuesday night's season-opening showdown between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat at TD Garden "The Battle of the Big Threes." You wouldn't be wrong, but even the folks inside Boston's locker room would be hard-pressed to argue that such a matchup is much of a battle.

No, the Celtics will acknowledge -- in so many words, at least -- that at this point in their basketball lives, Miami's triumvirate of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is superior to Boston's threesome of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

The members of the James-Wade-Bosh troika are in their prime, with Wade the oldest at 28 (with Bosh 26 and James 25), while the Pierce-Garnett-Allen triad has 41 combined seasons of experience and a closing window of opportunity (even if Pierce, the youngest at 33, suggests that window is open for at least the next four years that he is under contract with Boston).

Now, you can debate until you're blue in the face whether the 2010 Miami Thrice could have hung with a fictional Boston Three Party assembled in, say, 2004 (Garnett's MVP season with the Timberwolves). But this season, it's really no contest.

As Pierce said on the eve of the NBA's epic season opener: "Nobody has seen that type of talent on one team."

True, no one has seen three players of this stature -- and at this stage of their careers -- come together during one offseason. But while Miami stole all the offseason headlines this year, the Celtics are hanging their hat on a below-the-radar offseason in which they assembled what they believe is the deepest team in the league.

And if you're talking about a Battle of Big 15s, the Celtics like their chances.

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