Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) looks to pass around Brooklyn Nets defender Andray Blatche (0) in the first half of Game 1 in an NBA Eastern Conference semifinal basketball series, Tuesday, May 6, 2014, in Miami. AP
MIAMI — LeBron James scored 22 points and Ray Allen added 19 as the Miami Heat remained undefeated this postseason by beating the Brooklyn Nets 107-86 on Tuesday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals.
It was the first win for Miami in five meetings with Brooklyn this season.
Chris Bosh scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade finished with 14 points and Mario Chalmers had 12 for Miami, which recorded at least one regular-season win against every team except Brooklyn, losing four times by a total of 12 points.
Deron Williams and Joe Johnson scored 17 points each for the Nets, who got only eight from Paul Pierce and no points from Kevin Garnett in 16 minutes.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night.
A 24-9 run in the third quarter blew things open for the Heat, who hadn’t played in eight days after sweeping Charlotte in the opening round. James finished 10 for 15 from the field and Allen — who had never faced his former Boston “Big 3” compatriots Pierce and Garnett in the playoffs — was 4 of 7 in 3 pointers.
Miami’s lead was 55-52 early in the third quarter after a 3-pointer by Williams, and every indication was that the Heat and Nets — who played three one-point games and a double-overtime affair in the regular season — were heading down to the wire again.