MIAMI — When LeBron James was asked before Tuesday night's game if the prospect of two-time defending champions being swept by the Nets was a motivating factor for the Heat, he did his best to dismiss the notion.
"I don't think that particularly plays a role," James said. "I think there is motivation in us trying to get better, and continue to play the same basketball we've been playing the past few weeks. That's our motivation, and not to take a step backwards with the playoffs two weeks away."
But, as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and James' actions during Tuesday's game told a far different story than the one he told sitting at his locker before it began.
James found himself with a chance to lock up the win when he received a pass from Rashard Lewis in the middle of the lane as the final seconds ticked off the clock and an open basket in front of him.
But, as James went up to slam the ball through the hoop, Mason Plumlee rose up and stuffed the four-time league MVP — possibly fouling him in the process — and as the ball bounced harmlessly away and the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Nets emerged with an 88-87 victory to complete the season sweep of the Heat.
The game was similar to each of the first three between the teams, with the game coming down to the final seconds. And, as they did in each of the first three meetings, the Nets managed to make one more play than the Heat in the final moments.
James was spectacular, as usual, in defeat for the Heat, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while only two other Miami players finished in double-figures. Joe Johnson led the Nets with 19 points, while Marcus Thornton added 16 off the bench — including 11 in the fourth quarter.
With the win, the Nets moved to within two games of the third-place Raptors and fourth-place Bulls with five games to play, keeping alive their slim hopes of moving up in the Eastern Conference standings. At the same time, they further solidified their chances of locking up finishing no lower than fifth in the East by moving three games ahead of the sixth-place Wizards.
For most of the first half both teams seemed to be going through the motions. Despite still having work to do in order to lock up the top seed, the Heat have been in cruise control for most of the regular season, while the Nets are practically locked into the fifth seed.
But things changed when James checked back into the game midway through the second quarter with the Nets leading 33-23. He proceeded to lead the Heat back into the game with seven points and three assists over the next several minutes, with the Heat eventually cutting their deficit to 44-43 at halftime after Norris Cole stole the ball from Deron Williams and laid the ball in to close the half.
The intensity stayed high in the third quarter, as after the Nets opened with a 6-0 run, the Heat surged back to take their first lead since the game's opening moments on a 3-pointer from Toney Douglas. They capped a 13-3 run to take a 56-53 lead when Paul Pierce — on the bench with four fouls but still hot from an offensive foul call he disagreed with earlier — was hit with a technical foul for complaining about it. After the teams went back-and-forth for the final minutes of the quarter, the Heat went into the fourth with a 65-62 lead.
But James went to the bench to start the fourth, leaving the Heat with an odd lineup of Mario Chalmers and four reserves, giving the Nets a chance to get back into the game. Not surprisingly, the Nets took advantage, with back-to-back 3-pointers from Marcus Thornton and Pierce for a 72-69 lead.
That forced Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout in order to get Chris Bosh back into the game, and Miami responded with a 3-pointer from Ray Allen and a layup from Chris Andersen to retake the lead at 74-72, which also coincided with James' return to the floor and set up the entertaining finish.
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