Heat Bury New-Look Nets, 103-73
MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade scored 22 points on 10 for 14 shooting, LeBron James finished two assists shy of a triple-double and the Miami Heat improved to 4-0 at home for the first time in franchise history by beating the Brooklyn Nets 103-73 on Wednesday night.
James had 20 points and 12 rebounds in only 30 minutes, and Rashard Lewis scored 13 points for the Heat (4-1). Miami — which plays its next six games on the road — has won its four home games by an average of 17.8 points.
Kris Humphries had a double-double by halftime, then was silent in the second half and finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets (1-2). Deron Williams scored 14 for Brooklyn, which got 12 off the bench from MarShon Brooks.
The Nets had 19 turnovers, which Miami turned into 31 points.
Miami started 3-0 at home in four other seasons, always falling in the fourth game. Not this time. The Nets held the lead four times in the opening quarter, but all by one point and lasting a total of 2:33.
Other than that, all Miami. The Heat started 3 for 12 from 3-point range, then made seven of their last 12, giving them 40 makes from beyond the arc in their last three games.
Brooklyn didn't lose sight of Miami in the first half, still being within five with less than a minute remaining until the break, before the Heat got late scores from Wade and James to take a 50-41 edge into the locker room.
And as was the case against Phoenix (with a 23-6 run) on Monday, the Heat used the third quarter as the springboard.
It was a 54-46 game after Keith Bogans made a 3-pointer for Brooklyn early in the third, but after that, all Heat. Miami needed just 91 seconds to put together a 10-0 run — two baskets by Wade started it, and 3-pointers from Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers finished it, putting the Heat up 64-46.
The outcome was never again in doubt. Chalmers extended the lead to 20 when he sliced down the lane for a nifty layup with 3:45 left in the third, and James made a stepback 3-pointer as time was running out in the period for what was then Miami's largest lead, 79-56.
By then, the only drama was whether James would get his 33rd regular-season triple-double, which would have been his first since March 29, 2011.
Instead, he remained on the bench in the fourth, the Heat comfortably ahead the whole way.
(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
