Problem solved
James comes up two assists shy of triple- double
After early season concerns over the Heat’s defense, Miami stifles the New Jersey Nets.
MIAMI — Brooklyn? New Jersey? Now with Joe Johnson?
Doesn’t matter. The Miami Heat still have their number, no matter where the GPS places them. That number is now11. Making it 11 consecutive victories over what were the New Jersey Nets and now are the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat got enough LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and plenty of defensive energy for a 103- 73 victory Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“You know when you meet them for the third or fourth time it’s going to be a different story,” Wade said of the Nets’ revised mix. “They’re going to be a good team. They’re still figuring it out.
“But this was more about us.”
With their first 4- 0 home start in the franchise’s 25 seasons, the Heat now head out on the road for a 10- day trip that opens Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat’s lone previous road game was a 20- point loss to the New York Knicks.
That’s when the Heat looked confused on both ends of the court.
They then righted themselves with Saturday’s escape act against the Denver Nuggets and now have produced statement victories against the Phoenix Suns and Nets.
“It’s good to be able to play the type of ball we did tonight,” James said.
The Nets were expected to provide more of a challenge, but with forward Gerald Wallace sidelined by a sore ankle, Johnson off with his shot and point guard Deron Williams hardly his playmaking self, this had the look similar to the outcomes when the Nets called East Rutherford and Newark home.
“We knowit’s a team trying to get where we are,” James said.
As for the Heat’s defense? It was stifling, limiting the Nets to 37.5- percent shooting and forcing 19 turnovers that the Heat turned into 31 points.
“Thatwasgoodto see, another game sub40 percent,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our guys were, for the most part, committed to try to make an impact on that side of the floor.”
Had it been more competitive, James likely would have emerged with his first regular- season triple- double over the past two regular seasons ( he had one in Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals). Instead, he closed with 20 points on 7- of- 12 shooting, 12 rebounds and eight assists, before checking out with a step- back 3- pointer at the close of the third quarter, a period that ended with the Heat up 79- 56.
“That’s not the time to put him back in,” Spoelstra said. “We’re thinking big picture. He would have had more assists if he was thinking ego during the game.
“But that’s the point. It’s not about the individual totals.”
For his part, Spoelstra pushed past what James didn’t accomplish.
“I think that’s one of the highest- IQ games I’ve seen him play,” he said.
James said he was well aware the triple- doublewas within reach.
Asked if hewanted to get back in, he said, “Only if I was needed, and Iwasn’t.”
Wade was equally efficient with his offense, closing with 22 points on 10of- 14 shooting, with five assists.
That allowed the Heat to push past a 2- of- 10 night from the field from center Chris Bosh, particularly when forward Shane Battier was draining three 3- pointers and point guard Mario Chalmers was filling the box score with eight points, six rebounds and five assists.
“We’re really getting the feel for making the correct number of passes,” Bosh said on a night the Heat had 25 assists and12 turnovers.
Included in the Heat’s 51.9- percentoverall shooting was a 6- of- 9 effort from reserve forward Rashard Lewis that included a pair of dunks.
“I feel like it’s two years since I’ve played the game of basketball,” Lewis said the wake of his knee issues.
For the Nets, there merely was 4- of- 14 shooting from prized offseason acquisition Johnson and three assists from Williams, who added 14 points but also had seven turnovers.
James’ 12 rebounds were the most by a Heat player this season, with Williams’ seven turnovers the most by an opponent.
It reached the point where the Nets inserted Toko Shengelia at the start of the fourth quarter, a Georgian ( the country, not the state) white flag, if you will.
The Nets found themselves at a deficit going in, with Wallace sidelined with his ankle injury. That left them without anything resembling a LeBron- stopper orWade- stopper.
Instead, the Nets were left to throw the likes of Johnson and Keith Bogans against James and Wade and hope for the best. Wade and James had a combined 25 points at the intermission, with the Heatup50- 41atthe half.
The Heat’s defense continued to make strides, limiting Nets center Brook Lopez to two first- half points, never allowing the Nets’ superior size to become an issue.
As for theHeat, Bosh had his own first- half struggles, missing his final six shots of the first half to going into the break1of 8.
It was the first of three games for the Heat against the Nets, with only one trip scheduled this season to Brooklyn.