Heat eliminate Nets
Nets can’t protect eight-point lead in closing minutes.
LeBron James scores 29 points and has a key stop late as Miami beats Brooklyn towin series 4-1,
This trip to the Eastern Conference finals did not come easily for Miami.
Down by eight with less than five minutes left, the host Heat found a way nonetheless to finish off the Brooklyn Nets and move into the NBA’s final four for the fourth straight season.
Ray Allen’s 3-pointer with 32 seconds left highlighted a huge rally, and the Heat beat the Nets 9694 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday. The Heat won the series 4-1.
LeBron James scored 29 points and Dwyane Wade added 28 for the Heat, with Chris Bosh scoring 16 and Allen fin- ishing with 13. James made one of two free throws with 9.5 seconds left to put the Heat up by two, and the Nets almost failed to get a potential tying shot off after Paul Pierce lost it out of bounds. It stayed with Brooklyn after a replay.
James and Allen then knocked the ball away from Joe Johnson and time expired.
Van Gundy joins Pistons: The Detroit Pistons are counting on Stan Van Gundy to bring stability to a struggling franchise. And they’re giving him plenty of authority.
The Pistons officially announced Van Gundy’s hiring Wednesday as their new coach and president of basketball operations. Van Gundy, who agreed to a $35 million, five-year contract, is 371-208 in seven-plus seasons as a coach with Mi- ami and Orlando.
NBA stands by call: The NBA says because there was no “clear and conclusive” evidence on instant replay that their call on a ball out of bounds was wrong, referees correctly stuck to their original ruling late in Oklahoma City’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers late Tuesday.
The Clippers believed the Thunder’s Reggie Jackson had knocked the ball out of bounds with 11.3 seconds remaining, but officials ruled it Oklahoma City ball. After going to replay, the call stood, and the Thunder rallied to win 105-104.
Kerr to Warriors: Steve Kerr spurned the New York Knicks and accepted a five-year, $25 million offer to coach the Golden State Warriors, according his agent, Mike Tannenbaum.