Sure, Miami did what it was supposed to do.

It held serve by winning its first two home games of its series with the Boston Celtics. But, if you watched those games, you’d realize that the Heat did much, much more than that.

It goes against conventional wisdom to count out an accomplished, vetrean team like the Celtics. However, Miami is far from conventional.

Jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, the Heat have looked as good as video game makers expected them to look. The Heat’s highlight reel has been flooded with crossovers, ball fakes, blocked shots, slam dunk and alley-oops. And unfortunately for Boston, Miami has to win to more games before it’s highlight reel video is complete.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have declared an all-out assault on any basket being defended by the Celtics. If basketball hoops had any feelings, they would feel about as old and beat up as the guys in green.

Although they are responding in a very professional manner by properly acknowledging that the series is “far, far from over,” the vindication of the first two wins must feel very sweet for the dynamic duo. Last season, the Celtics dispatched the teams of both superstars in the trek to the NBA Finals. Boston ousted Miami (led by Wade) in the opening round, 4-1, and followed that by halting the Cleveland Cavaliers (led by James), 4-2.

Clearly, Wade and James were each the superior individual talents in those series, but Boston’s had their deck stacked with stars (Pierce, Allen and Garnett), and role players (Tony Allen, Glen Davis and Eddie House). And, of course, they had the player whom I believe is now leaving Boston with a huge void, Kendrick Perkins. But this time around, the Heat are exposing the Celtics’ lack of interior defensive presence…and they are doing it in a big way. The trading of Perkins should have been a red flag to all who felt that Boston would meet Miami in the postseason.

In their previous playoff runs, Boston was strong enough to withstand the efforts of one of these superstars – when teamed with other of sub-superstar quality. But having them both on the same team? With no one to match them athletically? And no one to clog the middle?

This is the view that Celtic defenders have had of the Miami Heat's Big Three in their conference semifinal series.

I recall the stat which is often cited during the NBA playoffs – the team winning Game 1 of a postseason series goes on to win that series roughly 70% of the time. I’m sure that percentage increases dramatically when that team is also victorious in Game 2. But there is a bit more behind that statistic than fans normally realize. In the traditional playoff formatting, the team hosting the opening game of the series is the home team. By the numbers, they are the team that accumulated the better regular season record (of the two teams), and have therefore played the best and most consistent basketball all season long.

While that descripiton may not be one that’s fitting to the Heat, many have rightfully realized that they have been a work in progress. And judging from the opening two games of the series, Boston – the older, slower and unhealthier team – may have too much to contend with.

I’m not saying that the Celtics won make things a little more interesting, but they are not going to win four out of five games against Miami. Certainly not based on the way that either of these teams is playing at the moment.

Well done.

That’s a term that can describe Miami’s aggresson, internsity and sense of urgency thus far in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

It’s also a term that fits the Celtics, since the new kids on the block have all but stuck a fork in them.

Bon apetit.

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