Here are my three thoughts on the Nets' 104-95 double overtime win over the Heat in Brooklyn Friday night:
1. The Nets brought Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn this summer – and paid a high price to do so – in order to have them help be the difference when the Nets find themselves up against the Heat. Last year, the Nets were easily swept aside by the Heat in each of their three meetings, getting blown out time and again without really putting up a fight.
That certainly hasn't been the case in the two meetings this year between the two t.eams, both of which ended with the Nets edging out close victories in Brooklyn. In the first meeting, both teams came in with all of their key pieces playing, and the Nets held off a furious fourth quarter rally to secure a one-point win.
And while several key players were missing for both teams Friday night – Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier for Miami, and Deron Williams and Brook Lopez for the Nets – the game played out in a similar fashion: The Nets established a big lead, this time 12 points going into the fourth quarter, and then held off a furious Miami rally. This time it went into overtime – and eventually double overtime – before the Nets pulled it out.
And a big reason they were able to was because of the contributions of Garnett and Pierce. Garnett finished with his first double-double of the season, putting up 12 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes, while Pierce went off for 23 points in 44 minutes.
Both veterans looked tired and missed shots in the overtime periods, but it was the tone they set, going back to when they arrived here in July, that helped the Nets pull this game out and continue their undefeated 2014.
2. The Internet exploded with pictures of Mirza Teletovic laughing at LeBron James having to be held back after Teletovic flagrantly fouled James early in the fourth quarter Friday night.
It was a perfectly reasonable foul by Teletovic – a hard foul, to be sure, but James has been fouled far harder previously. It just happened to be the boiling point for the four-time league MVP, who looked to be in a sour mood from the opening moments of the game. Maybe it was the way he played Thursday night at the Garden, the fact that the Heat were undermanned, that he was tired, whatever. But James looked out of sorts from the start, and it manifested itself when he stormed after Teletovic unnecessarily.
James did finish the game with 36 points, but regardless of who was guarding him – Shaun Livingston, Joe Johnson, Alan Anderson, Andrei Kirilenko, Pierce – the Nets did a nice job of throwing different looks at him and keeping him frustrated. That went a long way towards creating the hole the Heat tried to dig out of, and also eventually led to James fouling out after picking up several offensive fouls, including his sixth and final foul coming on a charge that Livingston drew.
3. It's amazing to consider the Nets have gotten a third of their wins in the entire season in the last eight days, but they have an equally important game Saturday night in Toronto. If the Nets can go and get a road win against the Raptors, they'll move within two games of first place in the Atlantic Division as they get set to head to London.
It'll be a tough win to get, considering both how well the Raptors have been playing and the fact the Nets will likely be down several players – or at least looking at either minutes limits or simply being tired – after they had to exert so much energy to beat the Heat Friday night.
But if they an get it, the Nets will have yet another sign to point to that they're finally beginning to turn the corner.
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