Nets' Pierce on Heat: 'They're not unbeatable'

Not surprisingly, the Nets' 4-0 regular-season record against the two-time defending champs didn't mean much come playoff time. After getting swept by a team over a season for the first time in the LeBron James era, the Miami Heat came out and smacked the Nets early on in their Eastern Conference semi-final, barely breaking a sweat in dominating the first two games. 

With whatever psychological edge they may have created in the regular season mashed into dust, the Nets still reached back and found the sense of urgency they needed to pull out a Game 3 win. With their series deficit now cut in half, Nets forward Paul Pierce is trying to remind his team that they've got no reason to fear the Heat. 

"What I try to do in this locker room and with my teammates is just try give them belief - that we can beat this team," he said after his team handed Miami its first loss of the 2014 playoffs. "They're not unbeatable. You've got to have that mental [approach] if you're trying to get over that mountain that you're trying to climb."

Pierce is putting his money where his mouth is, too. He took on the NBA's toughest defensive assignment in Game 3, guarding LeBron for long stretches and keeping him out of the paint, where he's done most of his damage in the series. 

Pierce held James to just 0-2 shooting in their one-on-one matchups over the last three quarters, during which the Nets outscored the Heat 75-60. he also chipped in an efficient 14 points on 5-10 shooting.

"I don't have the offensive load that I had in the past," says Pierce, "where I set on having to carry us all the way offensively and then take the best defensive assignment. Now I can reserve a lot of energy toward trying to defend him. When the time comes for me to score, then I'll do that also."

The Nets will look to even things up at home in Game 4 on Monday night.