The Miami HEAT fell to the Brooklyn Nets 104-90 Saturday night at Barclays Center. LeBron James led the way for the HEAT with 28 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Miami now leads the series 2-1.
Impact Performance of the Night: LeBron James had it going early, as he had a laser-sharp focus in the first quarter of Game 3. James shot 6-of-7 in the quarter for 16 points, including two 3-pointers. He relentlessly attacked the rim and was active in the passing lanes early. James did all he could to combat the Nets’ energy at home.
For the Nets, Joe Johnson continued his stellar play in this series. Despite solid defense from the HEAT, Johnson scored 19 points on 70 percent shooting, including 5-of-7 from downtown. Miami was getting a hand in his face, but it was just Johnson’s night.
The Deciding Run: The Nets went on a 15-5 run to go up 74-61 with 2:32 left in the third quarter thanks to unreal 3-point shooting. The HEAT did all they could to contest shots, but Brooklyn made tough buckets time and time again. Miami continued to claw its way back into the fourth quarter, but it just wasn’t enough.
Play of the Game: With 6:23 left in the first quarter, LeBron James crossed-over Paul Pierce from the right elbow, drove inside, was pulled from behind with both hands by Pierce, absorbed contact from Kevin Garnett and still finished the layup. James made the ensuing free throw to put the HEAT up one early.
Another nice play from the HEAT came early in the second half. Dwyane Wade tipped a pass from Joe Johnson and took it all the way home for the dunk to cut the Nets’ lead to 55-51 with 10:07 left in the third quarter.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 107.1; Defensive Efficiency: 121.7
Trend to Watch: Miami had trouble hitting from downtown on Saturday night. The HEAT were moving the ball well and getting good looks, but just couldn’t knock them down. In all, the HEAT shot 8-of-24 from three. James Jones came in and hit a few 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help Miami get back in the game, but it was too little too late. Nights like this happen; things should work their way out as long as the HEAT continue to take smart shots.
The Takeaway: The HEAT played pretty solid defense, especially in the fourth quarter, but Brooklyn just kept hitting tough shots. The Nets looked like the desperate team and came out blazing down 2-0 at home. Brooklyn caught fire in the third quarter and shot 15-of-25 from beyond the arc in the game, which was difficult for the HEAT to overcome. That likely won’t happen again and the HEAT should be able to make adjustments to make sure that doesn’t happen in Game 4.
Another thing to takeaway is how well Dwyane Wade played, especially in the second half. Wade kicked off the third quarter with six straight points, including two mid-range jumpers from the top of the key. He scored 11 of his 20 in the second half and shot 9-of-18 for the game.
Game Highlights: