On Sunday, the Nets couldn't stop the Heat shooters, allowing 116 points on 59% shooting. In Game 2 on Tuesday, they were able to slow down the Miami offense, but they could not get anything going themselves. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson combined to shoot just 15-40 from the field, and the Nets shot just 36% overall. Nenad Krstic scored 27 points on 8 of 13 from the field, but the rest of the New Jersey frontcourt (Brian Scalabrine, Jason Collins and Clifford Robinson) scored just 6 points while shooting 2 of 15. Alonzo Mourning led the Heat with 21 points and Dwyane Wade finished with 17 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. The Nets have now lost the first two games on the road in their second straight playoff series. In last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals, they came back to take a 3-2 lead before falling to the Pistons in 7 games.
- Boxscore - NBA
- Mourning, Heat Take 2-0 Lead - NBA
- Miami 104, New Jersey 87 - Tim Reynolds - AP
- Heat Stroke - Joe - JoeNetsfan
- Now the Heat is On - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- Heat's Mourning able to burn Nets - Bob Considine - Asbury Park Press
- South Beached - Al Iannazzone - Bergen Record
- Nets show no heart - Adrian Wojnarowski - Bergen Record
- And Zo it goes for lowly Nets - Ohm Youngmisuk - New York Daily News
- Shaq-Wade is no L.A. Story - Mitch Lawrence - New York Daily News
- Mourning and misery - Barbara Barker - New York Newsday
- Burned Again - Fred Kerber - New York Post
- Nets on the Ropes - Mike Vaccaro - New York Post
- Nets Face Cold Reality After Losing to the Heat - Charlie Nobles - New York Times
- Stop Shaq . . . and still lose - Greg Cote - Miami Herald
- Mourning glory - Israel Gutierrez - Miami Herald
- Nets start playoffs running in place - Dan Le Batard - Miami Herald
- Defense, E. Jones take center stage - Stephen F. Holder - Miami Herald
- Setting benchmark - Linda Robertson - Miami Herald
- An advantage gone to waste - Barry Jackson - Miami Herald
- Zo does heavy lifting - Chris Perkins - Palm Beach Post
- Dooling takes it slowly, helping Heat to fast start - Chris Perkins - Palm Beach Post
- Calm Shaq still mighty - Karen Crouse - Palm Beach Post
- New Jersey believes, even if Heat has its number - Brian Biggane - Palm Beach Post
- It's Zo, not Shaq, who thwarts Nets - Ira Winderman - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- Role players really rolled - Dave Hyde - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- 1-word summation: Next! - Mike Berardino - South Florida Sun-Sentinel