Heat 104, Nets 98
NEW YORK -- Guard Dwyane Wade, a pregame question mark because of the flu, recovered in time to score 28 points, leading five players in double figures, as the Miami Heat outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 104-98 Wednesday night at the Barclays Center.
The win was the third straight for the surging Heat (15-9), while the loss was the third straight and fifth in seven games for the Nets (7-18). It was Brooklyn's third straight at home in an extended five-game home stand.
Besides Wade, who shot 13-of-17 from the floor, the Heat got 20 points and 13 rebounds from center Hassan Whiteside. The Heat also received 16 points from Goran Dragic, 13 points from Gerald Green and 11 points from Justise Winslow.
The Nets were led by center Brook Lopez, who had 25 points, and 22 points and 10 assists from Jarrett Jack. Wayne Ellington added 12 off the bench and Andrea Bargnani added 10, also in a reserve role.
The Nets got the best of the early play, as Lopez was on fire in the early going. The center scored 12 points in the first quarter, as the Nets took a 30-22 lead after one period. They shot 58 percent from the floor and didn't commit a single turnover.
But things changed in the second period, thanks to the aggressive play of Dragic and reserve Green, a former Net. Green hit a 3-pointer that gave the Heat its first lead of the game at 44-42 with 4:58 left before halftime and Dragic made two driving baskets, including one with two seconds left that gave Miami a 55-50 halftime lead.
The Heat then continued putting the pressure on the Nets, with Whiteside scoring on two consecutive power moves, giving Miami a 62-52 lead with 9:53 left in the third. Dragic then canned a 3-pointer to give Miami its biggest lead of the game at 69-58.
But the Nets started creeping back into the game, with Bargnani hitting a rebound basket that sliced the lead to 84-78 after three periods.
Bargnani continued his good play, scoring a basket down low that cut the lead to 87-85, then picked up an offensive foul on Green on the next trip down the floor.
Nets forward Joe Johnson's offensive woes continued, as he connected on just 2-of-9 from the floor for five points. He scored just five points Monday night on 2-of-8 from the floor.
The Heat then put the game away with an 8-2 run, capped by a breakaway layup from Dragic off a blocked shot from Wade on Lopez with 4:41 remaining, pushing the lead to 95-87.
NOTES: Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and real estate developer Bruce Ratner agreed to terms on a deal that will give the Russian billionaire the sole ownership of the Nets and the Barclays Center, the home arena for the Nets and the NHL's New York Islanders. According to the reported agreement, Prokhorov purchased the final 20 percent of the Nets that Ratner owned and the 55 percent remaining on the arena. Forbes reported this year that the Nets were worth $2 billion. The NBA is officially reviewing the deal. Ownership of the Islanders is not a part of the deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ... Nets G Shane Larkin will be out indefinitely with a concussion. Nets coach Lionel Hollins said backup G Markel Brown will spell starter Jarrett Jack at point guard. "I would be more comfortable with someone who has more experience at the position handling the ball, but we're also going to miss Shane's ability to make shots more than anything out of all this," Hollins said. ... Heat G Dwyane Wade was listed as questionable with the flu but he played and scored 28 points. ... Miami coach Erik Spoelstra likes the way his team is playing. "We're showing some toughness and grit," Spoelstra said of his team, which won two straight entering Wednesday night. "We're showing our intensity and challenging shots more. We're getting rebounds and sharing the ball."