Heat pull away from Nets to take 2-0 series lead
Just like in Game 1, the Brooklyn Nets kept things tight with the Miami Heat for an appreciable chunk of the game before eventually succumbing to the two-time defending champions.
On Thursday, the Nets led by a point at the half and were within two entering the fourth quarter but ultimately lost 94-82, thanks to an ice-cold fourth quarter offense and an untimely lack of attention to their own glass.
The win also marks the eighth consecutive playoff victory for Miami, a franchise record.
Star Performer
Would you believe that it was Ray Allen making the biggest difference in Game 2, despite being 38 years old and a relative non-factor in round one? Coming off a 19-point Game 1, Mr. Shuttlesworth added 13 points on Thursday but, more impressively, grabbed eight rebounds, two of them on the offensive end. In all, the Heat were a +14 in the 27 minutes he played and a -2 in the 21 minutes he didn't. Take that, Kevin Garnett.
Nets forward Mirza Teletovic also had quite the game with 20 points, thanks to six triples, but teammate Deron Williams dragged the team's offense down with an 0-of-9 performance.
Turning Point
The Nets had hung around until late, keeping within an eight-point striking distance with 3:39 left to play. When LeBron James missed a 3-point attempt, the Nets had their chance to close the gap...but Ray Allen grabbed the offensive board. The Heat would miss two more shots and again grab both offensive rebounds, eventually scoring on a James layup. In all, the Heat got four shots on one possession that lasted 1:40.
Highlight Reel
With the glacial pace these two teams employ, it's unlikely you'll be witness to a great number of highlights in this series. Thursday was no different, with Rashard Lewis providing the only remarkable play, a deep three to beat the halftime buzzer:
[GIF Courtesy: @MiamiHeat]
Meanwhile, sudden NBA superfan Rihanna was in the house, which was all that was really able to take attention temporarily off of the NFL draft.
Rihanna taking normcore to a whole new level pic.twitter.com/PPuLWXiHNn
— SB Nation NBA (@SBNationNBA) May 9, 2014
Oh, and you didn't think you were escaping without a LeBron James highlight, did you?
Quote of the Game
The Nets haven't played terribly in either game but they've been lacking production from a big piece in each outing. They simply can't hang if they don't have all pieces contributing against Miami.
Game 1 was the first scoreless playoff game of Kevin Garnett’s career. Game 2 is the first scoreless game of Deron Williams’s.
— devin kharpertian (@uuords) May 9, 2014
Series at a Glance
Game 1: MIA 107 BKN 86 (Heat lead series 1-0)
Game 2: MIA 94, BKN 82 (Heat lead series 2-0)
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