Nets beat Heat in 2OT for 5th straight win
Brooklyn Nets’ Alan Anderson defends against Miami Heat’s LeBron James during the first half of their regular season game on Friday, January 10, 2014, in New York. Both teams wore nicknames on their jerseys. AP
NEW YORK – Joe Johnson scored 32 points, Shaun Livingston helped Brooklyn dominate the second overtime after LeBron James fouled out, and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 104-95 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Livingston had two baskets and two blocked shots in the second OT, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists over 51 minutes in a sensational effort while starting for injured Deron Williams.
Paul Pierce scored 23 points but missed jumpers that could have won it at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Still, the Nets remained unbeaten in 2014, adding a victory over the two-time defending NBA champions to their recent wins over Oklahoma City and Golden State.
James had 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Heat, but fouled out on an offensive foul with 36 seconds left in the first overtime and the Heat trailing by two.
Miami pushed it to a second overtime without him, but it was all Nets from there against a Heat team that was already missing Dwyane Wade and two other starters.
Norris Cole scored 18 points, but Ray Allen was 2 of 14 for nine points in place of Wade, who rested his sore knees after playing 39 minutes in a loss at New York on Thursday. Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers also sat out the game, which featured players on both teams wearing nicknames on their jerseys, a first of its kind in the NBA.
Livingston and Johnson made the first two baskets of the second overtime, then Livingston blocked a shot by Cole.
Pierce followed with a 3-pointer, Kevin Garnett made a jumper and Livingston spun into the lane for a dunk and a 104-93 lead. He had another block on Allen, who finally made the Heat’s only basket of the second OT on a wide-open layup with 16 seconds to go.
