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Boston Celtics' Eddie House - Source: Reuters -
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The Boston Celtics overcame the absence of leading scorer Paul Pierce to pull away from the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter for a 107-102 victory on Thursday.
Pierce missed the game with a strained left foot he suffered on Tuesday but the Celtics were able to call on Rajon Rondo's 22 points and 14 assists while Eddie House added 16 points off the bench as the home side added 33 in the final quarter.
House scored five straight points late in the game after the Heat had pulled within two and Boston (31-16) made 12 free throws in the last two minutes to seal the contest.
Dwyane Wade recorded 30 points and 13 assists but gave up a costly turnover with 36 seconds remaining when Miami trailed by just three.
The Heat (24-25) spent a majority of the game chasing the Celtics and although they made it a close contest in the closing stages, Miami were unable to prevent a third straight defeat.
