Brooklyn Nets Joe Harris. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets dominated the 4th quarter Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, storming past the Miami Heat for a 104-92 victory.
The Brooklyn Nets giveth on Saturday. On Tuesday, the Nets were much more about the whole taketh away thing.
After being dominated in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the LA Clippers at Barclays Center, the Nets did the dominating at AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday night, doubling up the Miami Heat over the final 12 minutes to run away with a 104-92 victory.
The win was just Brooklyn’s second in its last six games, but marked the Nets’ third straight victory over the Heat in Miami. The Heat, meanwhile, lost for the sixth time in seven games overall and for the fifth straight game at home.
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The Nets (8-10) got off to an early lead as the Heat (6-11) struggled to shoot the ball. Miami made just two of its first 20 shots as Brooklyn went ahead 15-4 in a first quarter that was … tough to watch if you are a fan of big offense.
The only thing remotely hot in the quarter was the freezer burn. Miami finished the quarter down 20-13 after shooting 20.7 percent (6-for-29) in the period. The Nets, by comparison, were a sizzling 27.3 percent (6-for-22).
The 13 points marked the fewest Brooklyn has allowed in any quarter this season.
But the Heat bounced back in the second period, hitting 12-of-25 (48 percent) while the Nets were still a chilly 7-for-18 (38.9 percent). Miami got up by seven before Brooklyn closed with a surge to get back to within 42-39 by the half.
That marked the lowest-scoring half for Brooklyn this season.
But the shooting heated up after the break, as the teams combined for 70 points in a dead-even third quarter, with Miami clinging to a 77-74 lead entering the fourth quarter.
That edge didn’t last very long.
Dwyane Wade, back for the first time after missing seven games while on paternity leave, split a pair of free throws on the first possession of the fourth to push Miami’s lead to 78-74.
From there, Brooklyn ran off 11 straight points, capped by Spencer Dinwiddie‘s layup high off the glass, for an 85-78 lead the Nets would never surrender.
When the Nets needed a closer, D’Angelo Russell stepped forward.
He scored eight of his team-high 20 points over a span of 3:12 down the stretch — Brooklyn’s only points of that stretch — to help keep the Heat at bay until the Nets got the dagger when Dinwiddie swiped a pass from Josh Richardson and took it down the floor before giving it up to Joe Harris for a layup and a 10-point lead, 100-90, with 1:57 left.
The Nets finished the night at 43.2 percent from the floor (38-for-88) and made just 8-of-31 from 3-point range (25.8 percent). Harris was 0-for-5 from deep, snapping his streak of consecutive games with at least one long-range make at 32.
The Heat, meanwhile, shot only 36 percent on the night (36-for-100) and were 7-for-32 from behind the arc (21.9 percent).
Russell had nine rebounds, six assists and four steals to go with his 20 points for Brooklyn. Jarrett Allen posted his third consecutive double-double, finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. Dinwiddie ended the night with 16 points and seven assists.
Hassan Whiteside went for 21 points, 23 rebounds and two blocked shots, but was just 9-for-21 from the floor. Richardson finished with 16 points and five assists, but was only 6-for-20 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Miami played without point guard Goran Dragic, out with inflammation in his right knee, and backup Tyler Johnson was a late scratch for the Heat with a right hamstring strain. That duo had combined for 45 points in Miami’s 120-107 win at Brooklyn on Nov. 14.
After being dominated in the paint in the teams’ last meeting, the Nets outscored the Heat in that area 58-50 on Tuesday night and had a 9-2 lead in fast-break points.
This was the first game of a road back-to-back for Brooklyn, which will face the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The Mavericks lost at Memphis 98-88 on Monday, snapping a four-game winning streak.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s victory.