The 2014 NBA playoffs continued Monday with a title-defender looking to return to form and a championship-hopeful merely trying to stay alive.
The Miami Heat handled the former by reasserting themselves against the Brooklyn Nets on the road. The Portland Trail Blazers, meanwhile, finally showed they belong in this tournament with the San Antonio Spurs.
Let’s now recap the latest postseason action on the hardwood.
Miami 102, Brooklyn 96
Superstars in the NBA are superstars for a reason—they intuitively know when their team needs them most on a given night.
LeBron James tied his playoff career-high with 49 points, leading the Heat to a 102-96 win over the Nets in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Joe Johnson paced Brooklyn with 18 points in an animosity-filled postseason matchup that came down to the final seconds.
Epic overall performance notwithstanding, things actually began rather inauspiciously for the Association’s best player.
Officials called James for a charge on Miami’s very first possession. Shaun Livingston drew the foul when the 6’8’’, 250-pound power forward came barreling down the floor. James then committed a turnover and missed a 23-footer.
But after stealing the ball from hated rival Paul Pierce, James hit a three and never looked back.
He finished the first quarter with 12 points, while partner in crime Dwyane Wade added seven. Livingston scored six points and Mirza Teletovic registered his first assist of the series on Alan Anderson’s late three-pointer. Still, Brooklyn trailed by five.
Deron Williams continued to emerge from his individual slump in the second quarter. He scored the Nets first six points and assisted on Andrei Kirilenko’s and-one, which put the home team up 31-29 at the 9:10 mark.
Chris Bosh answered with his first basket of the game a few minutes later. Miami then went on a mini-run, as James recorded two layups and a dunk in succession. The duo combined for 11 additional points and the Heat led 56-49 at halftime.
Twelve minutes worth of riveting back-and-forth action dominated the opening quarter of the second half.
James and Wade contributed two buckets a piece to maintain the lead early on. But Williams’ and-one and consecutive makes from Pierce and Kevin Garnett cut the deficit to two points.
Anderson’s three-pointer—which served as the Nets’ fifth and final one of the night—brought the home squad to within one point of the lead at the 1:45 mark. Unfortunately, his clear-path foul led to two free throws and 40 points for James by the end of the third.
With Brooklyn trailing 79-76 entering the fourth quarter, the trio of Anderson, Pierce and Williams incited frenzy in the Barclay Center by scoring the next six points. Pierce and Livingston then answered Mario Chalmers’ three-point jumper with two baskets of their own, putting the Nets ahead 86-84 with 7:24 left.
Yet it was the 4:24 mark that represented the turning point of the game for Brooklyn.
Pierce’s fiery and-one generated a 90-89 advantage. James quickly answered with a deep three and short jumper, while Johnson and Garnett’s four free throws tied the game at 94-all with less than a minute remaining.
But those pivotal free throws aside, the Nets failed to hit a single shot from the field after Pierce completed his three-point play. That amounted to over four minutes worth of bucket-less action for the offensively challenged underdogs.
Suffice it to say, Bosh drilled an ice-cold corner-three, Johnson missed an easy 11-foot step-back and two free throws by the ever-clutch Ray Allen effectively sealed the game. James’ make from the charity stripe officially ended it, giving the defending champs a dominant 3-1 series lead.
James collected 6 REB, 2 AST and 3 STL and had just one turnover en route to his playoff-best 49 on 16-of-24 from the floor. Wade added 15 PTS, Bosh had 12 and Allen finished with 11 PTS and a team-high 7 REB.
Miami’s stellar 52.9 shooting percentage overcame its meager total of 14 assists and seven fast-break points.
Pierce followed up Johnson’s 18 PTS with 16 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST and 2 STL. Williams and Livingston both contributed 13, while Anderson supplied 10 PTS off the bench.
Brooklyn made only 5-of-22 from distance (22.7 percent) after drilling 15-of-25 (60 percent) in Game 3.
The Nets will try and stave off elimination when the series resumes Wednesday night at 7:00 PM ET.
Portland 103, San Antonio 92
A playoff “series” that was anything but over the first three games finally showed signs of life.
On the verge of being swept, the Blazers preserved their postseason hopes, beating the Spurs 103-92 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Team lifeblood Damian Lillard paved the way with 25 PTS and 5 AST on a night in which Portland led for 43:44 after leading for just 33 seconds over the first three contests.
Even though this game ended with the Blazers owning a plus-11 on the scoreboard, anyone watching wouldn’t have had any indication of such during the first half.
Four of five Portland starters scored in succession during the early goings of the opening frame. Two three-pointers from Wesley Matthews and Lillard’s four points contributed to a 14-8 advantage at the 7:18 mark.
But four combined baskets from Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and a contested 24-footer by reserve weapon Patty Mills put the Spurs up 24-23 with less than a minute left. Bench counterpart Thomas Robinson supplied some rare offensive production of his own and regained the lead for Portland 29-24 at the end of the first.
The following quarter featured equally compelling action for all 12 minutes.
San Antonio’s ultra-productive bench netted half of the team’s 24 points. Boris Diaw and Marco Belinelli hit consistently from inside the paint over the first 4:32.
Yet even after Mills drilled another outside jumper, the Spurs were still down by one. Seldom utilized Will Barton came alive with six points for the Blazers. Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge dropped in eight of their own, keeping the home team ahead 50-48 at halftime.
In concert with scoring resurrections, Portland’s dirty-work center Robin Lopez totaled eight of his nine points in the third quarter. And appropriately enough, his lone assist contributed to the beginning of the end for San Antonio.
Lopez’s feed on a four-point play by Nicolas Batum put the Blazers up 69-61 with 4:50 left in the quarter. The route was on.
A usually sufficient eight points from Duncan could not keep Portland’s effective desperation at bay. Aldridge’s four-footer officially made it 85-68 entering the final quarter—and one that only served as a mere formality for scoring purposes.
The Blazers led by as many as 20 points and the Spurs never came within single digits. Nine points from Lillard helped seal the deal in this battle between Western powers.
Five different Spurs scored in double figures. Parker totaled 14 PTS, Duncan and Diaw added 12-apiece, Milled dropped in 10 and Leonard went for 11 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL and 2 BLK.
San Antonio shot at a slightly higher percentage (44.3 to 43.9), but generated fewer overall rebounds, assists and points in the paint.
Aldridge, meanwhile, came in second behind Lillard with 19 PTS. Barton supplied 17 off the bench, while Lopez added 12 boards and Batum compiled a point-forward-like 14 PTS, 14 REB and 8 AST.
Portland’s four additional three-pointers and plus-18 in the paint ultimately proved the difference.
The Blazers will aim for playoff preservation when Game 5 gets underway Wednesday night at 9:30 PM ET.
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