Recap: BOS @ MIA: 93-86 L

Photo courtesy of nbablogstalk.blogspot.com

The Celtics lost a nail-biter the the kind-of-hated rivals, Miami Heat. As Rondo said before the game, "It's not a rivalry. But I still don't like those guys." It was clear that the two teams still don't like each other, but the Celtics just don't have the fire power skill-wise to compete with the best of the best. 

The Celtics were down 4 with 44.4 seconds left and Rajon Rondo at the line. Rondo missed the pair and the game was essentially over from there. After coming back from as much as 18 points, Rondo couldn't lead his team to the victory because of poor execution down the stretch. 

The devastating loss was definitely not ideal for the resilient Boston Celtics, but even though they lost the game and Avery Bradley, they may have found a hidden gem in Chris Johsnon, who was really, really hidden. 

Johnson, who was acquired by the Celtics from Memphis in the Courtney Lee deal, had averaged just 10.2 points in the D-League! He was only activated because of the injuries to back court teammate Jerryd Bayless and the limited minutes of Rajon Rondo. Johnsons' first NBA shot, a three from the corner, was true and that really gave him the confidence to have quite a nice Celtics' debut. His offensive rebounding and playmaking ability were key for the Celtics' comeback against Miami. 

Chris Johnson, who is signed to just a 10 day contract, ended the game with 11 points, 3 rebounds (2 offensive), and a key assist to Kris Humphries. He played very well for 25 minutes, but he wasn't the only Celtics player who had an outstanding performance tonight. Here are some standout players for the Green:

• Kris Humphries -14 points, 13 rebounds; his second double-double in a row
• Jared Sullinger - 12 points, 11 rebounds
• Brandon Bass - 15 points

They lost the game, but gained a player. And with the impending signing of explosive offensive player Vander Blue, out of Marquette University, the Celtics may gain some more young, offensive talent. Blue dropped 35 points in a recent D-League game, which must have caught the attention of the Celtics' talent scouts, who are scouring for backcourt players with the injuries to Bayless and Bradley. 

The C's go on the road now to Washington, where they will play John Wall and the Wizards at 7:00 ET. 

Vander Blue photo courtesy of  host.madison.com