The Miami Heat fizzled in their highly anticipated season opener Tuesday night, dropping an 88-80 decision to the host Boston Celtics.

Ray Allen scored 20 points, Paul Pierce added 19 and Rajon Rondo handed out 17 assists for the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics, who looked like the much more cohesive team.

The loss spoiled the Heat debuts of superstars LeBron James and Chris Bosh, who were acquired in the offseason. James scored 31 points but Bosh managed just eight.

Dwyane Wade finished with 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting for Miami, which shot 36 percent overall. He played 36 minutes in his return after missing nearly the entire preseason with a hamstring injury.

Miami managed just nine points in the first quarter but staged a furious rally in the final minutes, using a 10-0 burst to close the gap to 83-80 before Allen buried a 3-pointer from the corner to halt the run.

The Celtics led virtually throughout and took a 45-30 advantage into halftime. The Heat trailed by as many as 18 in the second half but closed to 68-64 with eight minutes left.

Pierce, who limped off the court with a back injury in the third quarter, returned and nailed a pair of big 3-pointers in the final period as Boston rebuilt its double-digit lead.