After a grueling back-and-forth battle, the visitng Miami Heat (25-21) came away with a 102-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets (12-34) on Tuesday.
It was a veteran effort that put Miami over the edge, with All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh leading the Heat with 27 points apiece. The 34-year-old Wade was named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game last week; it will be the star's twelfth All-Star appearance. Wade played like a star on Tuesday, tacking on eight assists and three steals to his impressive scoring total. Rookie Justise Winslow, meanwhile, came off the bench to offer a season-high 13 points in Brooklyn. Winslow has garnered attention for his impressive perimeter defense this season, and on Tuesday he added a stellar scoring touch to his repertoire.
Perhaps Miami's biggest advantage came in the lane, as the Heat edged out their opponents 37-32 on the glass and held a 50-28 advantage in terms of points in the paint. Many of Brooklyn's big-man minutes were filled by jump-shooter Andrea Bargnani, a factor that may have contributed to Miami's dominance of the low post.
For Brooklyn, meanwhile, the narrow loss comes riding on the tails of a shocking upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The home win on Sunday helped Brooklyn snap a six-game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Nets, they were unable to continue the winning against Miami, as they allowed their opponents to convert on 54.2 percent of shot attempts. Despite the loss, Brooklyn saw a double-double from star center Brook Lopez and a 15-point, eight-assist outing from veteran Joe Johnson.
Brooklyn will next take the court on Friday in Dallas. The Heat will also have two days of rest before taking to the road against Milwaukee on Friday.
