Nets Melted By Heat in Game 1 of East Semis

HEAT 107/NETS 86

This was not even close.

When Deron Williams hit a long three pointer to end the first half bringing the Nets back to within three points of the Miami Heat, it was easy to think Brooklyn had a chance in Game 1. That was until two of Miami's Big Three turned the game into a total blowout by the third quarter.

To say that Chris Bosh and LeBron James dominated the Nets in the second half would be an understatement. They destroyed them. Bosh's monster three pointer, and layup with 6:30 to play in the third quarter gave Miami a 61-54 lead, and the momentum would only build from there. The Nets never came close again as they watched the Heat have their way in a 107-86 blowout in Game 1.

It was a disapointing night, but maybe not an unexpected one. The Heat had come off of eight days rest, while Brooklyn had only one day off, a travel day from Toronto to Miami. But there are no excuses in the NBA playoffs.

This was the team the Nets wanted to emulate. This was the team they wanted to compete against in a seven-game series like this one. That is why they went all in for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. That is why the brought in Jason Kidd to run the show; they wanted to down the Heat. In the regular season it worked. The Nets won all four games, but, those victories come with an asterisk since Dwayne Wade didn't play in two of them, and James even missed time too back then.

This was the first time this season the Nets faced the Heat at full speed, and it wasn't pretty. James hit one basket after another after another in the second half, making this anticipated match-up into a snoozefest.

James put up 22 points for the Heat, Bosh had 15, Wade 14 points. Even Ray Allen had 19 points in this contest, as he was hard to stop from any vantage point on the floor.

It was a lousy night for the Nets. One they have to forget very quickly. Game 2 beckons, a must win affair if the Nets are going to have any chance in this series. One thing about the Heat, once they get up on a team, they never let up. Kidd can certainly tell his players how to beat this team in the postseason--he's done it himself, when he was a part of the Mavaricks NBA title team that beat the Heat in 2010.  Problem is Kidd is not taking the floor. He needs his players to step it up.