Nets Hand the Heat First Loss of Playoffs

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 10th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 3 Recap

Final Score: Heat 90 Nets 104

In a must win Game 3 at home for the Brooklyn Nets, they were able to avoid the certain series loss if they fell in Game 3 to the Miami Heat. The victory keeps hope alive for the Nets, as they were able to control the defending champs for most of the game with a barrage of three-pointers.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

As it has been so many times for the Nets in the postseason thus far, it was Joe Johnson who was the Nets best player. In a well balanced scoring attack for the Nets, Johnson led the team with 19 points on seven for 10 shooting, which included five three-pointers made. Johnson continued to do a good job recognizing when to make the pass, as he had six assists.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench played a big factor in the Nets victory, as Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche were both in double figures off of the bench. Teletovic was one of the main guys in the Nets three-point barrage, as all of his shot were from behind the arc. He went four for seven from deep for 12 points to go along with six rebounds in 19 minutes. Blatche was a monster for the Nets, as he was able to notch a double-double in just 20 minutes. Blatche finished with 15 points on five for 10 shooting with 10 rebounds in what was his best game by far of the series.

The combination of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were both able to have nice efficient, effective games for the Nets in their supporting roles on Saturday. They were both in double figures, as Pierce finished with 14 points on five for 10 shooting, and Garnett was able to add 10 points on five for six shooting.

On defense the Nets did a much better job stopping Ray Allen, who scored 19 points in Game 1 and then 13 points in Game 2. Game 3 however Allen scored just nine points on two for six shooting and missed his only three-point attempt. Alan Anderson and Allen got into a little skirmish in the second half that resulted in double technicals for both players.

Chris Bosh was also held in check by the Nets, as Miami’s third weapon had a quiet Game 3. Bosh finished with just 12 points on five for 11 shooting with just five rebounds, as it was the worst game of the series so far for Bosh, and the Heat clearly missed his production.

Negatives:

Trying to stop the great duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James is going to be a difficult task, but with the their supporting cast have bad games for the most part, the Nets were able to survive good games from Wade and James. Wade finished with 20 points on nine for 18 shooting. James scored 16 points in the first quarter, as it looked early like it was going to be a special game from James. He finished with 28 points on eight for 15 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Next up for the Nets will be Game 4 in Brooklyn on Monday, as Brooklyn will look to even up the series.

Nets Complete Season Sweep of Miami Heat

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 8th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 88 Heat 87

The Brooklyn Nets were able to complete the season sweep of the Miami Heat, as with the victory on Tuesday night; the Nets have beaten the defending champions four times this season. The win moves the Nets to within two games of the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic division’s top spot with five games left for each team.




Player of the Game: Marcus Thornton

For the Nets on Tuesday, it was one of their main bench players that stood out against the Heat, as Marcus Thornton in his 28 minutes of play made a big impact for Brooklyn. Thornton finished with 16 points on six for eight shooting, which included him going four for five from behind the arc. He also added six rebounds, and a game-high four steals to high the highest plus/minus of any player, going +8.

Positives:

Kevin Garnett was given the day off against Miami, which led to Mason Plumlee being moved back into the starting lineup, and late in the game he made the play that gave the Nets the win. In the final seconds with LeBron James looking for a game-winning dunk, Plumlee stepped in and made the play to stop James with a huge block that sent James into a frantic outburst looking for a foul. Besides the game-saving block, Plumlee led the Nets in rebounds with eight, and added eight points on four for six shooting with three blocks and one steal.

Scoring wise, Joe Johnson was the main gun for the Nets on Tuesday, as he scored a team-high 19 points on nine of 17 shooting from the field. Paul Pierce was the only other Nets starter in double figures, as he finished with 14 points on five for eight shooting. Pierce will be heading into Orlando five points shy of reaching 25,000 career points, which he will almost certainly reach on Wednesday. Coming off the bench besides the big game from Thornton, it was Mirza Teletovic who helped the bench scoring in the absence of Andray Blatche, as he scored 11 points on four for eight shooting.

The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, but still have another great player besides James in Chris Bosh, and the Nets did a very good job containing him. Bosh had a tough game scoring only 12 points on a poor five for 13 shooting day from the field, and for going against the small lineups of Brooklyn, Bosh only grabbed six rebounds.

Negatives:

Although James had his attempted game-winner stopped by Plumlee, he was very good during the game. James scored a game-high 29 points on nine for 16 from the field and 11 for 14 from the free throw line. When facing James, he does a lot more than just score, as grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and dished out six assists in the losing effort.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of a back to back against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat April 8th, 2014

barclayscenter.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 8th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading down to South Beach trailing the Toronto Raptors by 2.5 games in the Atlantic Division, as when it comes to playoff seeding it is looking more and more likely that the Nets are going to be the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.

- Sweep

Brooklyn has been very good against the Heat this season, as they are 3-0 facing the defending champions, but with the Heat fighting for the first seed in the Eastern Conference, this maybe the toughest game to beat the Heat. Since the big three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade have came together only the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics have defeated the Heat three times in a season, and the Nets will look to be the first to beat the Big 3 four times in a season.

- 25k

Paul Pierce has a very good chance on Tuesday night to reach elite company in NBA history, as he is just 19 points shy of 25,000 career points. Pierce has been a main reason for the Nets great play against the Heat this season, as Pierce is averaging 23.7 points per game on 53.8 percent from the field. Pierce always seems to step up his play when playing against James, so if Pierce has a good game he may help the Nets win a big game in Miami, and join Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and teammate Kevin Garnett as the fourth active player to reach 25,000 points.

- Rest for KG

After returning to the Nets on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Garnett will be resting against the Heat. Garnett played good in his return to the Nets after missing 19 straight games, as in 13 minutes he scored 10 points on five for six shooting. With Garnett out again, Mason Plumlee will slide back into the starting lineup after having a good game off the bench in what will be his normal role come playoff time. With the playoffs right around the corner and the Nets seemingly stuck in the 5th seed, it will be interesting to see if Jason Kidd elects to rest some of his players coming into playoff time.

Pierce and Nets Shock the Heat in Miami

miamiherald.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 12, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 96 Heat 95

The Brooklyn Nets were able to head down to Miami and beat the Heat for the third time this season despite being heavy underdogs on the road. The victory makes the Nets the only team to beat the Heat three times this season, and is the first win for the franchise in Miami since its New Jersey days in 2008. With the win the Nets are able to stay three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with their (33-30) record.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

Nets Forward Paul Pierce was fantastic in the win on Wednesday, as for the most part he carried the Nets, and he especially carried them in the Nets 31-point third quarter with 17 points. Pierce finished with a game-high 29 points on nine for 12 shooting, which included going five for seven from three-point range, and six of seven from the free throw line. It was the first game since February 23rd against the Los Angeles Lakers that Pierce scored more than 20 points, but it was good time for the Nets that he did it on Wednesday against Miami.

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat March 12th, 2014

barclayscenter.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 12th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading to Miami for the first time this season to play the two-time defending champions the Heat on Wednesday night. The Nets are one of the two teams in the NBA that have beaten the Heat twice this season along with the Chicago Bulls, but both of those victories came at the Barclays Center.

- Atlantic Watch

After what was a huge win for the Nets on Monday night, beating the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors in a very close game, the Nets will have a tough task of staying within three games of them when Wednesday is all said and done. The Heat are one of the best home teams in basketball, as they own a (25-4) record, and the Nets have struggled on the road all season with a (12-19) record, which is not a good recipe for Brooklyn. If they decide to scoreboard watch a bit in this game they will also see the Raptors playing the Detroit Pistons in what should surely be a home win for Toronto, which could put the Nets back into a four-game deficit with a loss in Miami.

Knicks Blown Out By Heat Behind James, Wade

Thursday, February 27^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

Post Game Recap

The Knicks came into the game with the best winning percentage against the Heat since the start of last season and left with it dropping a little bit. The Knicks were handled rather easily tonight by the two-time defending champs, getting blown out 108-82. It was tough to watch at points if you are a Knicks fan and it reached a low when they actually went away from the game for a bit in the fourth quarter to watch the end of a the triple-overtime thriller between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. If the season hadn’t hit a low point yet, having a game switched over to a less than marquee match up like that should do it. The Knicks will be back at it again tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden to take on the Golden State Warriors.

-Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

As it has been too often this season, Anthony looked to be one of the few Knicks to come in and try tonight. Anthony tried once again to put the team on his back tonight but he was unable to do it alone against one of the best teams in the NBA. Tonight Anthony finished with 29 points on 11-20 from the field, including 3-8 from the three point line and 4-6 from the foul line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists and one resounding block of LeBron James. He also had another highlight play with a dunk over James early on in the game. It was another efficient scoring night that has gone to waste as the Knicks got blown out.

-Positives

Knicks Cant Hang With Heat, Ending Four Game Winning Streak

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, February 1^st, 2014

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were unable to end their home stand on a high note and continue their strong play against the Miami Saturday night as the Heat handled them rather easily, winning 106-91. After an embarrassing loss at Madison Square Garden three weeks ago the Heat were able to exact some revenge tonight. The Knicks played sloppy, unnerved basketball tonight as the Heat came ready to play. Some of the younger players looked overwhelmed against the two-time defending champion Heat and the veterans were unable to right the ship outside of a few short lived runs. Inconsistent play on both ends of the court eventually doomed the Knicks. On a night that biggest and brightest stars were at the Garden for Super Bowl weekend, the Knicks fell flat and their winning streak ended at four games. They will get back on the court Monday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

Smith was tasked with the biggest challenge of the night; slowing down the human freight train LeBron James. Smith tried admirably throughout the game to slow James down but was barely a speed jump for King James, who is two inches taller and listed at least 30 pounds heavier. With Iman Shumpert sidelined Smith drew the toughest defensive assignment. Even thought James was taking it to Smith on the defensive end, Smith was able to hold his own offensively. Smith shot the ball efficiently, going 6-11 from the field (4-7 3pt, 4-8 FT) for 20 points. He added two rebounds and one steal as well, as he played James as well as he possibly could and still delivered offensively even with all of the effort he was putting forth on the defensive end.

-Positive

NBA Midseason Award Winners and Losers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

The NBA season has officially hit the midway point as multiple teams have started their second half of 41 games. This season has been one of the craziest so far as some teams have risen to the top quicker than expected, others have bottomed out and some are riding roller coasters that would make the people of Six Flags blush. There have been almost as many individual surprises throughout the NBA as some youngsters have burst onto the scene and fans around the world are beginning to take notice. Check out the midseason award winners, losers and biggest surprises, both positive and negative, of an exciting first half of the NBA season.

http://video.news.com.au/v/158111/Is-LeBron-James-Sold-on-His-New-Nike-Sneaker

MVP – LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat

Nets Knock off Miami Heat in Double-Overtime

msn.foxsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 10th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Heat 95 Nets 104

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pull off a double overtime win over the defending champions on Friday night to keep their winning streak alive. The Nets riding a five-game winning streak now are just three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, with a (15-21) record.

Positives-

Shooting Guard Joe Johnson once again had a great game in the absence of Deron Williams, who is still out with an ankle injury, and there is no real timetable for his return. Johnson scored a team-high 32 points on 14 for 25 shooting, which included him going four for six from three-point land. In his 46 minutes Johnson also added four rebounds and five assists to his great night.

Knicks Knock Off Defending Champion Heat

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 9^th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks look to finally be getting back on track as they pulled off an impressive victory against the Miami Heat Thursday, winning 102-92. This is the biggest win of the season for the Knicks as they were able to knock off the reigning champs in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks roster has been dealing with the flu bug as only four players were healthy enough to practice yesterday but the whole team came out ready to play today. With the victory the Knicks have won three in a row and four of their last five in the regular season against the Heat. They will look to continue their winning streak Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 PM ET in Philadelphia.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Jim McIsaac

Against his biggest rival and good friend LeBron James, Anthony showed up once again to help the Knicks get a huge win tonight. Anthony matched up with James throughout the night and was able to limit him because of the great team effort that was put forth by everyone on the court. James was forced into six turnovers as the Knicks made life as difficult as they could for him throughout the night. Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points (12-24 FG, 3-8 3pt, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Anthony’s efficiency on the offensive end is important when the Knicks play tougher opponents like the Heat and he did a good job getting into great positions to score tonight.

-Positives

Melo Explodes as Knicks Extend Win Streak to Nine

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

By Kenneth Teape (@teapster725)

Tuesday, April 2^nd, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 102 Miami Heat: 90

The Heat sat two of their three stars in Lebron James and Dwayne Wade with minor injuries, but the Knicks had their star play and he had an outstanding game.  With the win the Knicks extended their winning streak to nine games, the longest win streak since the 1993-1994 season; coincidentally the last season that the Knicks won the division as well.  Second place again belongs to the Knicks by percentage points and they extended their lead in the Atlantic Division to five games over the Nets.  The Knicks will get right back at it as they look to extend their winning streak into double digits tomorrow against the Hawks.

-Positives

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat April 2

Anthony Gruppuso/US PRESSWIRE

Tuesday, April 2^nd, 2013

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

The Knicks and Heat will face off for the fourth and final time this season as two of the hottest teams in the NBA.  The Heat have won 29 of their last 30 games and the Knicks currently hold the longest winning streak in the NBA at eight games.  The Heat look to be content as they have a huge lead in the Eastern Conference and beat the Spurs Sunday to lengthen their lead for home court throughout the playoffs, but the Knicks still have something to play for as second place in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division are not yet wrapped up.  Here are some things to watch for tonight.

-Not the Matchups We Expected