Which game was the bigger statement?
The Heat opened their series against Brooklyn with a 21-point blowout in Game 1, then followed by navigating a muddy, drag-out style to win 94-82 tonight. Miami has beaten the Nets playing its game and theirs.
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LeBron James continued to be productive without having to carry the Heat at either end of the court. He scored a game-high 22 points and got help from Chris Bosh (18), Dwyane Wade (14), Ray Allen (13) and Mario Chalmers (11).
The series moves to Brooklyn for Game 3 on Saturday, and here the key points that have emerged:
1. The series is young, but a Heat sweep is the most likely outcome.
What is left for Brooklyn to try at this point? The Nets succeeded tonight in slowing down the pace and forcing Miami to work its offense, but still lost by 12. Kevin Garnett has basically been eliminated. The Heat held Deron Williams scores on 0-for-9 shooting. After Miami blew away the Nets in Game 1 and slugged it out with them in Game 2, it is hard to imagine anything else Brooklyn can do to prolong this series unless it somehow gets an unbelievably hot shooting night.
2. Miami is finding great 3-point looks.
Speaking of hot shooting, the Heat are getting it from distance. Their 3-point shooting has been a question mark this year, but they are hurting Brooklyn with it in this series. They made 10 of 24 tonight (41.7 percent) and that accounts for a 1-of-8 start. Miami also hit 9 of 23 (39.1 percent) in Game 1. Neither of those numbers is jaw-dropping, but it is a significant jump from the 33 percent the Heat shot against Brooklyn in the regular season.
The big hitters for the Heat in this year’s playoffs: Norris Cole at 56.3 percent, Bosh at 52.4, Chalmers at 43.8 and Allen at 43.5. Allen has made 7 of 12 in this round.
3. Bosh is having an excellent series.
Bosh seems to get crushed when he plays quietly and barely noticed when he plays well. He has been Miami’s second-best player in this series, especially on offense. Over the first two games he has 33 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots. He is shooting 50 percent from the field despite going 2 of 8 on 3-pointers.
