Wade Can Only Watch Helplessly as Pierce Wins for Boston

MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade may have been the best player in this Boston-Miami series, but he could only watch helplessly from the sideline Friday night when Paul Pierce won Game 3 -- and effectively ended the series -- with his last-second shot at the buzzer.

It was excruciating. Not the cramps in Wade's left calf, which required him to be carried off the court with 11.7 seconds remaining. What hurt more was watching Pierce end his season.

The game-winning basket gave the Celtics a 100-98 victory and a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven series, a deficit that no one in league history ever has overcome.

It's over -- this series, and this Miami team as it is constructed today.

"It sucked. It really sucked, especially because I know how many plays I can make at the end of games, defensively, too," Wade said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't do what I wanted to do. To see him hit that pull-up jumper really hurt me."

The way the game ended, and the way this series was decided, was like a snapshot of Wade's last few seasons, and maybe a window into what will come next for the Heat.



Share It's like he has been dragging an anchor, trying to lead a team that lacks the weapons to be truly competitive. It's a team he used to have when Miami won the NBA title in 2006, and the team he hopes to one day have again.

Wade scored 26, 29 and 34 points in the three games of this series, shooting 58 percent from the field and averaging five rebounds and six assists. He has been as good as it gets, yet the Heat still couldn't touch the aging Celtics, whose Big Three of Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett give them options that he can only dream about now.

You could hear the envy in his voice.

"They have a lot of veterans who all can step up. That's what you need to be successful,'' he said. "They have the confidence. They have the heart of a champion, and it allows them to push it even more.''

Wade, meanwhile, worked himself Friday into near exhaustion, trying to fight off the inevitable first-round elimination. He struggled with cramps through the final few minutes, missing a 3-pointer with 13.9 seconds remaining, then collapsing in pain.

He was carried to the sideline with the game tied at 98.

"He expended a tremendous amount of energy tonight. He just willed himself to continue to play all the way to the end,'' said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "He was attacking until he came off.''

Pierce, meanwhile, had all the energy he needed to calmly dribble down the final 13 seconds, waiting until the last moment to hit his 21-foot game-winner over Dorell Wright.

Pierce finished with 32 points. Allen finished with 25. Garnett had 16. Rajon Rondo had 17. When the Celtics drew up their final play in the huddle, they had so many options that the Heat weren't sure what to expect.

"They have so many proven 25-point-a-game scorers that it's tough to defend them,'' Spoelstra said. "They are one of the most difficult teams to get a read on. With those guys, their playbook is unpredictable.''

The Celtics are what the Heat expect to be next season, with multiple stars -- except younger ones. They have talked all season about preparing for this summer's free-agent bonanza, hoping to dramatically redo the roster around Wade.

They anticipate having enough salary-cap room to add two more All-Stars to the mix, ready to offer contracts to the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Amar'e Stoudemire.

Until then, they have one more game to play, and they must wait until July 1 to officially start chasing new players. Wade will be fine to return on Sunday. He spent an hour in the trainer's room getting intravenous fluids after the game.

"I had nothing left," Wade said. "Yea, I'm envious. The basketball gods were with them because I wasn't able to put pressure on them at the end like I wanted to. And that hurts."