MIAMI _ The Miami Heat have shown this season they can erupt against the Boston Celtics. They still haven't shown they can beat them.
Three weeks ago, there was 42-point third quarter against the Celtics. This time, the Heat outscored the Celtics by 12 in the third. Both times, they lost, including Sunday night's 105-95 setback at AmericanAirlines Arena that dropped them again 10 games below .500, at 9-19, with the teams to meet a week from Friday in Boston.
As in that 2012 playoff loss to the Celtics, this one was suitable for the "Good job! Good effort!" kid. But that was all, as now might also be the case for the season.
After securing only one rebound in the first half, Heat center Hassan Whiteside regained his motor to close with 23 points and 17 rebounds. And point guard Goran Dragic pushed until there was nothing left to push, finishing with 31 points and seven assists.
Of course, those two also had their moments in the Heat's Nov. 28 game against the visiting Celtics, when Whiteside closed with 25 points and 17 rebounds, and Dragic with 27 points and 17 assists.
But none of the other Heat players could solve the Celtics, on a night Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas went for 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting before he was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul with 3:02 left for catching Heat forward Justise Winslow with an elbow. The Celtics also got 20 points from shooting guard Avery Bradley and 17 points from center Al Horford.
Factor in 14-of-25 foul shooting and 23 turnovers that led to 24 Celtics points and a season-longest six-game homestand that opened 2-0 now stands at 2-2, continuing Tuesday against the Orlando Magic and then Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, when the Heat will retire the No. 32 of Shaquille O'Neal at halftime.
Having rallied twice in the third period, the Heat closed within 91-83 midway through the fourth quarter on a pair of Dragic 3-pointers.
Later, with the Celtics up 97-85, Winslow caught the elbow from Thomas that left Winslow bleeding below his right eye.
While Winslow missed the ensuing free throws, a Tyler Johnson basket followed by a Josh Richardson basket and then a Dragic 3-pointer drew the Heat within 92-92 with 1:59 to play.
The Heat followed with a defensive stop, with Johnson fouled going for the rebound. With the Heat 11 of 21 from the line to that stage, Johnson only made the first of the two, to draw the Heat within 97-93 with 1:48 left.
Bur Horford responded with a three-point play on the other end with 1:29 to play for a 100-93 Celtics lead. Richardson then fell to 0 for 5 on 3-pointers for the Heat, with Horford nailing a 16-foot jumper on the other end for a 102-93 Boston lead with 62 seconds to play.
But that's where the good job and the good effort stalled.
The Heat again had to alter their starting lineup, this time with Wayne Ellington out with a hamstring issue. That moved Richardson back into the starting lineup, alongside Whiteside, Dragic, Josh McRoberts and Rodney McGruder.
The Heat remained without Dion Waiters due to a groin issue that he said pregame would have him out for at least another week, but Tyler Johnson was back after missing Friday night's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers due to the flu.
The Heat trimmed what had been a 22-point deficit to 11 early in the third period, but Boston immediately pushed back to a 68-52 advantage on their next two possessions.
The Heat then closed within 75-67 amid an increased effort on the boards from Whiteside.
Amid that scramble, Whiteside was called for a flagrant foul on an offensive foul and Erik Spoelstra was called for a technical foul for arguing about a Heat jump-ball violation.
The Heat finally trimmed their deficit to 77-71 at the end of the third period, when Whiteside already was up to 22 points and 14 rebounds, after grabbing just one rebound in the first half.
The Heat got off to a disastrous start, down 37-19 at the end of the opening period, with their seven first-quarter turnovers leading to 14 Celtics points. Boston shot .652 from the field in the first period, including 5 of 8 on 3-pointers, to easily offset by the Heat's .571 shooting over those 12 minutes.
The Celtics then moved to a 58-41 halftime lead, with the Heat up to 13 turnovers by that stage that led to 18 Boston points.
While Whiteside had 15 points at halftime, he also had only one rebound to that stage. Dragic had 11 points at halftime for the Heat, but also four turnovers.
