ALL FOR BASKET: Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (C) is defended by Miami Heat forward Ray
Allen (L) and forward Shane Battier (R) during their NBA playoff basketball game at the American
Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. (DPA)
DPA/Los Angeles
The Miami Heat were pushed but had plenty in reserve to pull away.
Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, LeBron James added 19 and the Heat went on a game-breaking 12-0 fourth quarter run to beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 98-86 on Tuesday for a 2-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
“They were playing well, they were putting us in positions where we are on our heels and offensively forced us into mistakes,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the pesky eighth-seeded Bucks.
“We weren’t in a great rhythm, so we figured we’re just going to have to find a way to grind in the fourth quarter. That second unit of “Bird” (Chris Andersen) and Norris (Cole) came in with a burst of energy.”
The top-seeds carried a three-point advantage into the final frame when backups Andersen and Cole provided the spark.
The duo split 10 points evenly, with Andersen and Cole knocking down three-pointers to bookend the decisive 12-0 spurt in the next 2 minutes 23 seconds that opened up an 80-65 cushion and never looked back.
“Chris has done this for two games in a row now where he plays with a lot of energy and he was joined by Cole tonight,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “It was definitely a factor in the game.” Boylan thought it was a golden opportunity lost.
“We felt pretty good about the position we were in giving ourselves an opportunity on the road with 12 minutes to go, but then they come out and go on a 12-0 run,” he said.
“It changes the complexion of the game and you’re playing catch-up and that’s very hard to do against a high-quality team like Miami.”
Bucks top scorers Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis combined for 48 points in the opener but were non-factors on Tuesday, finishing with 15 on 5-of-22 shooting.
Instead, Turkish-native Ersan Ilyasova led Milwaukee with 21 points, Mike Dunleavy had 16.
“We definitely had an opportunity through three quarters but you have to play well for four to beat these guys,” Dunleavy said. The Bucks host game three on Thursday with the deck stacked against them. They have never won a playoff series (0-15) when trailing 0-2.
“I’ve been in situations where we’re down 0-2 and we go home and win two,” Jennings said. “We just have to get ready for it.”
Golden State Warriors 131, Denver Nuggets 117: Stephen Curry had 30 points with 13 assists, and the hot-shooting Warriors snapped the Nuggets’ franchise-record 24-game home-winning streak to knot their opening-round Western Conference playoff series at 1-1.
“We wanted to go back home with a 1-1 split,” Curry said. “Everybody stepped up with huge games. That’s the way we have to play without D-Lee.”
Jarrett Jack netted 26 points, Harrison Barnes had 24 in place of injured All-Star forward Lee, and Klay Thompson added 21 for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who shot a sizzling post-season franchise-high 64.6% (51-79) from the field. “This is an incredible performance by our entire group,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.
