Heat control paint to take Game 1 over Nets
Undefeated they remain.
The Miami Heat kicked off their second-round series against the Brooklyn Nets with a comfortable 107-86 win in Game 1 on Tuesday night, improving their 2014 playoff record to 5-0.
After losing all four meetings between the two teams during the regular season, the Heat consistently opted to attack the hoop throughout the contest and outscored the Nets 52-28 in the paint.
LeBron James led the way with a game-high 22 points, while Chris Bosh posted a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. It's also worth noting that Kevin Garnett took a page out of Roy Hibbert's book, finishing with zero points in a playoff game for the first time in his career.
Star Performer
This was one of those nights where it wasn't obviously clear that LeBron was the game's top scorer.
Without taking a single three-pointer or getting to the free throw line once, James posted a silent 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting to compliment five rebounds and three assists. He also hit a milestone at a younger age than any other player before him.
LeBron James is the youngest player to score 4,000 points in the NBA playoffs (via @eliassports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 6, 2014
It's safe to say that LeBron was pleased with his performance.
[Courtesy: @_MarcusD_]
Turning Point
Any chance of an upset was put to rest as the Heat outscored the Nets 33-23 in the third quarter.
It was a situation the Nets weren't acclimatized to following their dominance over the opposition during the regular season.
Heat's biggest lead in any game vs Nets in regular season was 7 points. They've surpassed that tonight
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 7, 2014
Highlight Reel
One of the best storylines from this series is the revival of the feud between Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.
Allen didn't exactly leave the Boston Celtics on good terms with the Brooklyn duo, and Garnett sent a message to his former teammate early in the contest.
Deron Williams also hit a 26-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to pull the Nets within one possession entering the half.
But the most historic bucket of the night came minutes earlier when James scored his 4,000th career playoff point.
Quote of the Game
After the game, Jason Kidd had some nice words for LeBron, who missed out on MVP honors for the first time in three seasons.
Kidd on LeBron: "We have a new MVP, but when you talk about the best players in the world, he’s 1A, 1B with Durant."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 7, 2014
Series at a Glance
Game 1: MIA 107 BKN 86 (Heat lead series 1-0)
Game 2: Thursday, May 8 - 7:00 p.m. ET
Game 3: Saturday, May 10 - 8:00 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, May 12 - 8:00 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, May 14 - TBD
Game 6*: Friday, May 16 - TBD
Game 7* - Sunday, May 18 - TBD