BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Nets haven't won consecutive games since early December. They had a chance to do so Thursday night against a banged up Miami team, but failed to and sent the fans home unhappy yet again.
The Heat defeated the Nets 102-98 with Hassan Whiteside and Gordan Dragic sitting out. The Nets couldn't capitalize upon that nor that Miami was playing its second game of a back-to-back, Tuesday night.
The loss drops Brooklyn to 12-34 on the season and just 2-12 in the month of January.
After a 116-point barrage Sunday against the Thunder, the Nets carried over right where they left off. They scored 57 points in the first half behind the lead of - wait for it... Andrea Bargnani, who played with the flu. It was a six-point Brooklyn lead at half.
Don't let Sunday fool you.
They opened up the second half 1-of-8 from the field and committed five turnovers in five minutes, eight total in the quarter. They had four total in the first half. Miami regained a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter after outscoring the Nets 26-16.
Chris Bosh was torching the Nets. He scored 27 points on the night, 13 in the second half as the Nets had no answers for him down low or out on the perimeter.
However, it was Dwyane Wade who put the Heat up four with 1:31 remaining in the game following an and-one foul. The Nets proceeded to turn the ball over on the following possession and the Heat went up by six.
Dwyane Wade also finished with 27 points and eight assists. Wade, whose shot 35 percent on second night's of back-to-backs, shot 50 percent in this one.
The Nets cut the deficit down to three and then stopped the Heat on the next possession, but Wayne Ellington forced up an unnecessary three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining. The Heat would capitalize at the line and the Nets were doomed again.
It was a bad final minute for Wayne Ellington and a pretty quiet game for Brook Lopez (13 points and 10 rebounds), who's coming off a 30-point, 11-rebound performance against the Thunder.
In his best game of the season - by far -- Andrea Bargnani was simply too much for Miami to handle. He scored 12 of his 20 points in the second quarter on 9-of-12 shooting, a game-high for Brooklyn scorers. It's the fourth time a Nets' reserve has dropped 20+ points in a game.
The Nets were outscored 50-28 inside the paint and dished out only eight assists in the second half compared to their season-high 16 in the first half. Odd enough, they shot 9-of-18 from three and still lost.
Joe Johnson chipped in 15 points, along with Thaddeus Young who finished with 12. Bojan Bogdanovic nabbed his third straight game in double figures with 12 points and three three-pointers.
Next up: Nets will travel to Dallas this Friday night at 8:30pm and face Deron Williams and the Mavericks.
For more on the Miami Heat, check them out at Hot Hot Hoops.
- Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets - Box Score - NBA.com
- Game Thread: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat, 7:30 PM - NetsDaily
- 2nd Half Game Thread: Heat at Nets - NetsDaily
- Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets - Box Score - ESPN
- Wade and Bosh each score 27, Heat beat Nets 102-98 - Michael Scotto - AP
- Heat vs. Nets (Video) - NBA.com
- Johnson Hits the Floater (Video) - NBA.com
- Young Attacks the Rim (Video) - NBA.com
- Bosh Beats the Buzzer (Video) - NBA.com
- Bosh Scores and One (Video) - NBA.com
- Wade Explodes to the Basket (Video) - NBA.com
- Wade's Theft and Slam (Video) - NBA.com
- Green Throws Down (Video) - NBA.com
- Larkin Hits And One (Video) - NBA.com
- Brown on 102-98 loss to Heat (Video) - YES Network
- Brown on facing Heat, challenges (Video) - YES Network
- Sloan on struggles in loss to Heat (Video) - YES Network
- Lopez on turnovers in loss to Heat (Video) - YES Network
- Bargnani on strong performance despite loss (Video) - YES Network
- Dwyane Wade goes deep into bag of tricks to lead Miami Heat to win - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN
- Nets can’t hold first half lead in 102-97 loss to Heat - Nathaniel Vinton - New York Daily News
- Nets can't contain Heat's Dwyane Wade in 102-98 loss - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Nets notes: Kobe endorses Frank Zanin for GM - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Nets come up just short in tight battle with Heat - Mark Herrmann - Newsday
- Mikhail Prokhorov hears ‘Let’s Go Heat’ chants in Nets’ latest loss - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- Wade, Bosh provide too much Heat for Nets - Gregory Hrinya - Examiner.com
- Nets can't outlast Wade, fall late 102-98 (Game Grades) - Benny Nadeau - The Brooklyn Game
- Prokhorov witnesses Nets’ lack of star power - John Torenli - Brooklyn Daily Eagle
- Bargnani Balls, But Nets Fall to Heat - Cory Wright - Brooklyn Nets
- Miami Heat shows resilience, trips Nets for second win in row - Ethan J. Skolnick - Miami Herald